I didn't say anything about their aesthetics, and you didn't say anything about "stupid school shit", but that does kinda put some of this into better perspective for me now.

It's not that any... well, everyone complaining about C33 thinks the game is bad or undeserving, we're just like "well if you like this there's a wealth out there they took from" only to hear "yeah well it's weird and japanese" like its fuckin' 2008 g4tv xplay again or other dismissals out of hand

And if someone else bought an Etrian Odyssey hearing it's an RPG like that FFX one they loved, hoo boy learning curve ahead.

What I mean is, C33 got a fresh slate and repackaged good parts of a lot of the dev's favorite games, making for a much easier-to-get-into experience.

I think that might be part of a lightning rod for C33's success. A lot of RPG series now are established, and fans go in knowing and expecting something. When I get an Etrian Odyssey I expect a solid class-based dungeon crawler where random encounters can and will party wipe me on one bad move.

I'd say play SMT since they'd fit your narrative alley but if you don't like RPGs mechanically you're pretty much just screwed out of some of the better narratives as they're usually in games with a harder lean. SMT4 has an amazing plot but if you don't like having to strategize every turn, nah.

Either that or I'm thinking of the Mega Man Star Force 3 ending stills and how the Complete Works has the still of someone who "dies" onscreen in a hospital and the artist's note saying they drew it for the ending to be vague as if he survived or it's simply a flight of fancy of his lover.

Dude I just...

You gotta play more RPGs. Especially older ones.

Now that you mention it, however, I'm reminded of a quote from, I think the XBC3 director about the ending to that game. How they leave it intentionally vague, and how Western gamers tend to not like that and want detailed closure.

Fortnite?

I didn't blame the game. Or criticize it.

I don't know or care if others are, my issue is with this whole industry.

Don't get me started on how that shit sentiment fucked up Capcom through the 360 era and a lot of OTHER japanese companies that tried to make "westernized" crap to sell to those dipshits that wouldn't buy it anyway instead of games they should have wanted to make.

Burns my ass all around.

I've been saying something to that sort of degree since it got nominated for all this.

Its (supposedly) an upper-mid Mario RPG from France and suddenly it's the second coming of Christ and I'm here on year 8 of no new Etrian Odyssey game and JRPGS still get shit on by western games journalists.

To be fair the two things consistent over NEARLY every sonic game is that he's blue and the music is good.

Everything after that is a minefield

Sure, why not?

Can I ride on Gutsman's Ass in Arc Raiders?

Yeah, didn't think so.

I wish the machine market had more than 3 sale slots... like five.

I think this is where the jading comes in. You knew he was scum and just extrapolated that out to more scummy shit because that's what sellouts do, look at half the modern fgc "influencers" now rimming MBS for cash.

But, there are still a lot of people who don't assume the worst even with signs.

Play the Japanese version, it's on JPGC too. It has the finished final boss fight, otherwise the final boss of the US version sucks.

In Europe.

SYAC, rest of the world.