Man, if you guys haven't played this, it's really good. I have oft heard JRPG fans speak very highly of this franchise. There are so many games though, and they seem split into two or three separate sub series. Plus, the games all seem to reference each other so I had no idea where to dive in, but I read a review saying this one wasn't a bad choice and it's true. The game slowly introduces all of the gameplay mechanics to the player and the story seems self contained. It's actually an old game in the series that just got released for the first time in the US this year on the PS 4 (and probably other consoles too).
The game reminds me of classic Grandia games. It has a nice anime aesthetic and the combat system revolves around turn order. Using the right attacks can delay an enemy's turn and it's possible to outright kill enemies before they even get to act. Some of your strongest attacks take a few turns to activate so you have to weigh the pros and cons of an attack that takes a long time to activate but may do a lot of damage, versus a quick attack that does low damage but will hit the enemy on your character's turn. Position matters on the battlefield too, so you may have to move a character forward because they are too far away to hit an enemy, though that wastes a turn so you have to consider that as well. Attacking an enemy may even move them out of position for another character's attack. Where everyone is positioned adds a nice tactical element to the game.
The system gives you all kinds of tools. Basic attacks, special attacks (that take time to activate as I said), super attacks, more powerful versions of super attacks, attacks that can be activated at any time regardless of turn order, combo attacks where two characters team up, and even full party team up attacks. The combo attacks remind me of Chrono Trigger, as does the fact that you can see enemies when moving around an area and sneak up on them for a pre-emptive strike. The cool thing is that stunning an enemy first and them attacking them not only allows you to get first strike when the battle starts, but also gives you a high chance of getting a full party team up attack. You can end fights on your first turn sometimes with a team attack if you're lucky enough to get it to activate on your first turn
The game also has multiple difficulties, a new game plus, and a nice built in achievement system (which the Playstation trophies are tied to) kind of like Valkyria Chronicles. The achievements seem to revolve around doing everything there is to do in the game, so it's great for completionists.
The story and the writing are really good, though I haven't beaten the game yet. The intro theme at the title screen is great too.
The game looks great too if you like old school 2d rpgs.
The game has some cool little nuances too, like choices you get to make that can affect how some things play out and what rewards you get. I had a choice early game of whether or not to take an NPC with me as I traveled through a dungeon. This resulted in the NPC being in each battle and me having to keep enemies from damaging him, which I thought was cool. Later there's a boss fight where you have to protect TWO npcs while also worrying about keeping your own party alive and defeating the enemies. Choosing to take the NPC with you through the dungeon and keeping him and the other NPC you pick up later from taking any damage from enemies gets you increased rewards when you finish the mission
Also, you play as a group of cops, which is something a bit unusual for a JRPG, The game is a bit more grounded in real world stuff than a lot of JRPs tend to be, though there are still some typical fantasy elements. Cool intro too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDs3dEx_4rw
I'm really enjoying this, and I am now curious about the many other entries in the The Legend of Heroes brand.
