Beyond the Beyond

[dlmvii]

This game gets a really bad rap, so I never really paid much attention to it...but I saw a gameplay video today and it looked interesting, like a cross between shining force and golden sun (all 3 are made by camelot, so go figure). Has anyone ever played this? Is it as shitty as everyone says?

[chrisyz]

though i haven't played Beyond the Beyond in well years i can say it did leave me with bad taste in my mouth. as one of the first RPGs for the PS1 i jumped at it when it was released... and aside from, at the time pretty visuals during combat and an interesting super mario RPGesc combat system (pushing buttons during combat at certain times to increase attack/defense power) nothing and i mean nothing made the game fun,
A I don't give a F*** story, a character that moved at a snail pace (event slower than most pre run button rpgs) , and its made sooooooo much worse by random battles i shit u not every 1-2 steps your in combat. with that many random encounters the interesting combat system is dragged into the sewer as u just end up mashing one button not caring about the outcome just trying to grind through it, i can say its one of the few RPGs that i played that i just couldn't force myself to finish, so cant say if the story ever picked up (though i really doubt it) id stay far away from this title and never say golden sun and BtB in the same sentence.

[pepharytheworm]

If you dont mind alot of random battles and not knowing where to go next. It is better then people say, a lot of people bash it. There are far better rpgs, if you can get it cheap why not give it a try. You definately can see this game influenced goldensun battle visuals.

[Flak Beard]

I think it mainly received such criticism since it is old school in design and difficulty.

I plan to play it one day myself. A complete copy can easily be found for around $10.

[SpaceBooger]

I am currently playing FF2 (IV) on the SNES on my tv, and Beyond the Beyond while running on the treadmill, and I have to say they play similar.
Those complaining about slow pace and random battles, these two games feel about equal in those regards.
Don't get me wrong BTB is no FF2, but it does feel like a real good looking SNES RPG.
I am enjoying it, but I also enjoy 16bit RPGs. If you are expecting a PS1 RPG like Final Fantasy VII or Lunar:Sliver Star Story Complete then you will be disappointed. Beyond the Beyond is a good 16bit style RPG with crisper 32 bit graphics.

[Bradtemple87]

i thought it was a decent little game

[flojocabron]

I have it.

Played it about a year ago, but I didn't finish it.

I got stuck and gave up on it.

It does have a look quite similar to the shining force series. Especially the fonts of the game.

I will probably try it again with a strategy guide, maybe then I wont get stuck badly like last time!

playwise, it was like any common RPG, attack, defend and such. Not Revolutionary but it was playable.... Untill I got stuck.

[KoLAddict]

I played it way back in the day when it was new, and I loved it. It was extremely hard because of all the random battles. Especially when you're trying to figure out a puzzle in a dungeon, it becomes a real battle of attrition trying to stay alive, especially since Escape didn't like to work for me very often. It was a launch title though (or near launch title), and it shows graphics-wise. I loved the soundtrack though.

[Zing]

After trying to wade through the "conversations" in Golden Sun, finally giving up after about three hours, I decided I would avoid all Camelot RPGs. I enjoy a decent story and I don't mind a lot of talking, but that game took pointless conversation to the extreme.

Here is an example of pointless text from Golden Sun:

<wizard> Oh, these are the powerful jewels. Do you want me to tell you more about them?
Yes/No?
<you> Yes.
<wizard> There's no time for that. Let's go.

Another example:

<wizard> These are the powerful jewels. Have I ever told you about them?
Yes/No?
<you> Yes. (attempting to skip the full explanation)
<other party member> WAIT, YOU NEVER TOLD MEEEE!
Wizard proceeds with full explanation...

Like I said, I played the game for about three hours and there were around two dozen Y/N questions in the game (I noted it down), and not a single one ultimately affected the outcome or dialog tree.

They also made Mario Tennis on the GBA. I tried playing that game once and, I am not exaggerating here (I timed it), I spent 22 minutes pressing the A button, without seeing a tennis court, before I gave up and went to bed.

[mobiusclimber]

Here's the thing about Beyond the Beyond: the story and characters are dull. If this game had been released on the SNES or the Genesis, it would be considered a "Paladin's Quest"-level game. Not truly awful, but not a classic either. What kills it is that it's difficult, repetitious... and boring. Without a decent storyline, why spend the time wandering around trying to figure out where you're meant to go next (this happens often). If you don't care about the story or the characters, why bother playing a game where you get into a random battle every two steps? I know people who really like this game (sadists), but I think you really had to have played it back then to get any enjoyment from it.