What are you playing?

[Ack]

Recently I decided to pick up my save on GreedFall after a hiatus of several years. I was a ways; n but have been able to successfully pick up where I left off in the plot, and I have a better understanding of the combat mechanics now, so I have made significant progress.

I've also been playing the original Fallout, though I am not focusing on it as much as I may be doing a lot of playing on that computer over Christmas. I have managed to successfully find the water chip for my vault, joined the Brotherhood of Steel, and knocked out a fair number of quests. I'm now tasked with investigating the Master.

[RobertAugustdeMeijer]

I haven't started FFXIV yet, but I bet it'll take me 500+ hours, so I'm setting aside a whole year for it!

[Note]

I've also been playing the original Fallout, though I am not focusing on it as much as I may be doing a lot of playing on that computer over Christmas. I have managed to successfully find the water chip for my vault, joined the Brotherhood of Steel, and knocked out a fair number of quests. I'm now tasked with investigating the Master.

Awesome you're playing through the original Fallout. I played a bit of it around '05-'06 and really enjoyed it. I have to revisit it and try to beat the game sometime. Hope you like it!

After finishing Silent Hill, I was in the mood for a RPG. With the end of the year approaching, I wanted to try to something shorter, so I could finish it in the next few weeks. I started up Arc the Lad (PS1). The battle system is pretty breezy once you get accustomed to it. I just reached the Forbidden Ruins and need to get to the fifth floor. Have any other RBers played through this one?

[Markies]

I played through the entire Arc the Lad Collection for the PS1 back in early 2020.

The first one is incredibly short. Like, I think it is only between 8 - 10 Hours, which is very short for a Strategy RPG.

Besides that, I remember it being very simple and basic. It was still enjoyable, but it was very much a precursor for Arc the Lad II & III which were included in the collection. I don't think the original even has towns and equipment.

But, if you are looking for a short, sweet and simple RPG, the original is a good choice!

[Note]

I played through the entire Arc the Lad Collection for the PS1 back in early 2020.

The first one is incredibly short. Like, I think it is only between 8 - 10 Hours, which is very short for a Strategy RPG.

Besides that, I remember it being very simple and basic. It was still enjoyable, but it was very much a precursor for Arc the Lad II & III which were included in the collection. I don't think the original even has towns and equipment.

But, if you are looking for a short, sweet and simple RPG, the original is a good choice!

Appreciate the insight, Markies! I heard it had a shorter play time, but didn't realize it was that short of a game, was thinking around 20-25 hours. Yeah, there aren't any towns (at least not that I've come across yet), and I've only been able to equip accessories so far.

How did you like Arc the Lad II and III? I'll have to search the forum to see if I can find your original reviews of the games.

I'm hoping to play some shorter games in the next few weeks to try to reach my goal of 30 games beat for the year!

[Markies]

I can pop up my review for you.

I really enjoyed Arc the Lad II. I think that was my favorite of the three games. It was the perfect mix up. Arc the Lad III changes some things, especially the graphics. Arc the Lad II & III are much longer games, so I wouldn't expect them to be quick playthroughs. However, I did enjoy playing through the entire collection, so if you have it, I would continue doing so on a later date.

May 3, 2020
I beat Arc The Lad Collection on the Sony Playstation this afternoon!

When I first got my Playstation 2, I created a list of RPGs & SRPGs that I wanted to play for the PS1 & PS2. The first couple of years of owning the system, I slowly made my way through them while picking up other genres along the way. Eventually, I had hit off all of the games I wanted to play and I was moving on towards other genres. Imagine my surprise when I found out about another SRPG that I missed. Over at Racketboy, they have the best Retro Game Forums and I found out about the Arc The Lad Collection. After some further research, I realized this was a series of games that I overlooked. While walking around a game convention, I found a near flawless copy and I decided to jump into this massive undertaking. After a few months of playing, I finally finished all of the games in the collection.

In Arc the Lad Collection, you have Arc the Lad I, II & III. Arc I is basically a prologue that leads into Arc II. Arc III continues the story from Arc II with a different graphics engine. The graphics in Arc II though are absolutely stunning. The game is in 2D and the sprite work is just beautiful. Arc III changed into a somewhat 3D look and it lost some of the unique aesthetic. What carries throughout all of the games is the fantastic battle system. They are all SRPG's with an emphasis more on the RPG aspect. The battles are fast and quick with most of them being over in a few minutes. There is not a ton of complexity like you would find in the Disgaea series, so it's that perfect blend of lightweight but still enough to make you think. Also, I like all of the games tie into each other via the story. All of the characters from Arc I show up in Arc II as playable characters. Also, the characters from Arc II make cameos in Arc III as well. It's all one big world and the games happen sequentially, so it's a nice touch to bring the characters back.

Overall, I really enjoyed Arc the Lad Collection. My biggest complaint would be that everything takes way too long. Some of the dialogue in Arc II & Arc III go on forever. The humor isn't funny when you have to hear it several times. Also, the leveling curve in Arc II is rather steep, so expect some grinding especially for the final boss which takes hours to beat. Besides those, it was fun to go through a series of SRPG's that I had forgotten. If you love the genre, these should not be missed!

[Note]

I can pop up my review for you.

I really enjoyed Arc the Lad II. I think that was my favorite of the three games. It was the perfect mix up. Arc the Lad III changes some things, especially the graphics. Arc the Lad II & III are much longer games, so I wouldn't expect them to be quick playthroughs. However, I did enjoy playing through the entire collection, so if you have it, I would continue doing so on a later date.

Thanks for sharing, Markies! I appreciate it, as I was going in circles trying to find it, between being logged out and being "banned" it would have taken me quite a while. Great review as usual.

I'm glad that you enjoyed both sequels and good to know that the second's your favorite. I do have the collection package, so I'll plan to play those at a later time. I already have a list of RPGs I'd like to get through next year, so I'll have to put these at the end of it.

[Markies]

I was just banned trying to respond to you.

It's very interesting that you are playing through Arc the Lad. I have a couple of games to get through first, but I will probably be starting my replay of the Arc the Lad collection sometime in 2026. I am very much looking forward to replaying the entire collection as I do remember enjoying it.

Sounds like a good plan. Finish the first one in 2025 and then you can start the others later.

[Note]

I was just banned trying to respond to you.

It's very interesting that you are playing through Arc the Lad. I have a couple of games to get through first, but I will probably be starting my replay of the Arc the Lad collection sometime in 2026. I am very much looking forward to replaying the entire collection as I do remember enjoying it.

Sounds like a good plan. Finish the first one in 2025 and then you can start the others later.

Lol, I was banned trying to respond and while looking for your post. Bans for everyone!

I'm a fan of strategy RPGs and this one wasn't on my radar until more recently. Also, I read the circular menu system is somewhat like Secret of Mana, which is one of my favorite SNES games, so I thought I might take to it. While the lack of towns and exploring seems a little off, I am enjoying it overall so far.

Currently, my RPG list for next year is Final Fantasy VII (PS1 original, due for a revisit), Grandia, Suikoden II, and Lunar 2. I may also try to get to Panzer Dragoon Saga, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, and possibly Arc the Lad II, if I'm able to.

[Ack]

Well, I did it: GreedFall has been beaten on Extreme difficulty, and I have obtained all achievements. I am now moving on to Doom 3: BFG Edition to go back and try wrapping up what I have left to do there, which means Nightmare difficulty runs for Doom 3 and both expansions. I'm starting with Lost Mission because it is the shortest.

However, it will be some time before I can get to it, because I am now out of town for the holidays. Which means I refocus back on Fallout. I had taken a break because I knew I'd be playing it now, so time to delve back in! Let's see if I can knock it out.