jessjustplay

[jessjustplay]

First Thoughts After 4 Hours - Star Ocean Till the End of Time

April 25, 2024

I have a few of memories of Star Ocean 3 (Till the End of Time) from when I was younger. Back then, you didn't go on social media to talk to people about games, you joined forums and message boards! There was one girl in particular who LOVED Star Ocean 3 so much that I'd constantly see the video game pop up.

I ended up getting the game but I didn't love it. I wasn't into science fiction back then, so I couldn't get into it. But in 2022, when I start gaming regularly again, I bought Star Ocean First Departure R for the Nintendo Switch and absolutely loved it. (I even played it a second time on the PS4 last year).

Now that I have a PS4, I'm finally able to give Star Ocean Till the End of Time the chance it deserves. I've played 4 hours so far and I'm hitting the spot where I'm enjoying it so much that I don't want to stop playing!

Here are my first thoughts after playing 4 hours:

• The way the characters walk (specifically Fayt since he's the only one we control) feels super clunky. I don't hate it though, it's just very noticeable.

• The sound bites and menu design are similar, almost the same?, as First Departure R and I looooove it. (We love continuity.)

• I actually dislike the map completion percentage stuff. I haven't reached 100% on any map so far and I'm not even going to try.

• The voice acting is well done but MAN, THEY TALK SLOOOW (or I just read super fast.) I do enjoy hearing their voices though, so I haven't turn the voices off. YET.

• The solo battles are hard in the beginning, but that might be my fault because I didn't stock up on Blueberries. I'm getting better though!

• I wish there were more item drops after battles.

• I wish the save points also healed your party.

• The graphics look great. I'm playing the PS4 version so I'm sure they were spruced up, but the FMVs still look like old PS2 graphics and I mean that in the BEST way possible. I love old FMVs, that look is *iconic*.

• Fayt is very sweet, he reminds me a little bit of Sorey from Tales of Zestiria.

• Sofia's outfit from the beginning scenes is whacky. Who wears jeans like that? lol

• We love a rotating camera! The indoor locations/homes are very cozy so I like being able to see everything inside. The rotating camera also helps spotting treasure chests that are hidden away.

• I really like that Fayt can read the book titles on bookshelves and also that we're nosy and read people's letters that they leave out on their desk.

• I mentioned above I'm at a point where I feel excited to play and don't want to stop... I like that. It's the sign of a good game that is hooking me in with the story!

Picture above is from my Instagram story @jessjustplay

#star ocean #star ocean 3 #star ocean till the end of time #currently playing #jrpg #jrpgs

[jessjustplay]

Eternal Radiance: A Cute Action-RPG and Visual Novel

April 20, 2024

I finished playing Eternal Radiance last night. I'm pretty sure I found this game when I used to scope the Nintendo eShop looking for cute indie games. This one immediately stood out because of cover and it's description: "inspired by classic action JRPGs."

Game: Eternal Radiance First Time/Replaying: First Time Game Time: 16 hours Console: Nintendo Switch Started: March 31, 2024 Finished: April 19, 2024

Eternal Radiance is hybrid action-RPG and visual novel. I have never played a visual novel before, so this was a new experience. It's heavily story-driven and there is so much to read, but as a reader, I enjoyed it very much.

The narrative is well-paced and immersive. I didn't feel like the Player controlling the main lead, it felt more like I was there alongside them. (As silly as that sounds.)

The story is about a squire named Celeste who is trying to prove herself worthy of becoming a knight. Along the way, she meets many different characters, two of which join your main party.

I love how the friendships that Celeste forms are at the forefront of the story. It is a heartwarming game with beautiful artwork and great music that adds to the ambiance of the setting and situation.

As you can see below, the background art of the locations are vibrant and detailed. The designs of the characters are equally appealing.

There is item/weapon customization, but I completely neglected it. I didn't buy any weapons or armor either, I just used whatever I found in treasure chests.

Speaking of treasure chests, there is a lot of loot in this game! When you defeat enemies, they drop items and green, yellow, & blue colored orbs that replenish your HP, MP, and limit break gauges.

I liked the action-RPG battles. They are fast-paced and TOUGH! I actually lowered my Difficulty level from Normal to Easy because I kept dying a little too often. I struggled with the boss fights, even on Easy, but they are doable.

Things I didn't like:

The camera is a bit awkward, but thankfully the settings are easy to change. I lowered the camera turn speed and everything was great!

When you fast-run (which is done automatically after walking for a certain amount of time), the camera adjusts in a way that you can look up Celeste's skirt. That is weird.

In boss fights, which are very fast-paced, healing seems to take forever. Hint: defend and use items!

Overall:

Eternal Radiance is a cute action-RPG and visual novel game, "inspired by classic action JRPGs." The battles are fast-paced, the characters are endearing, and the story is a wholesome adventure of a determined squire's quest to become a knight. I really enjoyed the narrative and story-focused segments combined with a variety of open areas to explore and fight.

Here are my endgame stats:

#finished #game review #eternal radiance

[jessjustplay]

I started playing Eternal Radiance ✨

March 31, 2024

Now that I’m done with Final Fantasy X-2 (at least for now, I’d like to eventually play the Last Mission part), it’s time for a new game!

I bought Eternal Radiance last year. It has been sitting in my Switch library for awhile and I decided on a whim it will be my next time.

I played it for an hour today and so far I like it. It’s super cute. The artwork of the locations is so detailed and colorful. The character designs are nice as well.

Something feels the tiniest bit off in battle, but not enough where it bothers me or makes me consider dropping the game.

The battles are action-RPG and they remind me so much of the battles from Rune Factory 5. I’m playing on Normal difficulty and the enemies attack you extremely fast, I’m curious if that will reduce once part members are added.

I’m looking forward to playing more!

#currently playing #eternal radiance #action rpg #cute games

[jessjustplay]

Final Fantasy X-2 Game Review

March 30, 2024

I know this game gets a lot of hate and even when it's not "hate", I still find the comments to be generally harsh. I promise, it's okay to say something nice about X-2. No one is going to hurt you!

Battle System

I love the battle system in this game, it's fun and fast-paced. Final Fantasy X-2 relies on Garment Grids and Dresspheres for battles. Dresspheres are the names of the class jobs (Black Mage, Thief, etc.) and they each have a unique look for each girl. Most of them have the same abilities for all 3 characters, but a few of them (like the Festivalist and Mascot) have unique abilities for each character.

Garment Grids are a game screen with nodes where you equip the dresspheres onto, then you equip each character with a Garment Grid. Whatever dresspheres are on their equipped Garment Grid are the jobs they are able to use and master. Mastering a dressphere means that you learned all of the abilities and skills on that specific dressphere.

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine make up your 3-person party. The HD Remaster version has something called "Creature Creator", and from what I understand, you're able to have non-playable characters and fiends in your party. I've never used it though, so I have no idea what it's like. I couldn't imagine playing this game without YRP as my party.

Characters

The Gullwings is a sphere-hunting group comprised of Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Brother, Buddy, and Shinra. They are a silly bunch, each adding their unique flairs to make a well-rounded character group.

We meet many NPCs throughout our journey, many who will be remembered from from Final Fantasy X. The game adds a lot of new characters too, including leaders of groups and factions that have sprung up around Spira.

When played to completion, you are able to see how the threads of each person connect to one another. Even if you don't get 100%, you still see the bonds between them all. Granted, you really need to do a lot more than just the initial Hot Spots! That's the thing about this game, you can miss so much if you don't know where to look.

Gameplay

The game is built with a completion system. While the battle system gives you a lot of freedom, the narration of this game is greatly dependent on doing things in an exact order. This is not the kind of game you play on a whim. You need a strategy guide or at least a 100% completion checklist. It is so easy to miss completion points, and when you are only using Buddy's location list as a guide, you will miss a lot of things!

You are also given a lot of on-screen options which will greatly affect future events, to the point of blocking off complete locations. Nothing is necessarily a wrong choice, but if you want "100% Complete" in one playthrough, there are definitely wrong choices!

While I can see how needing a checklist can make the game feel like a "chore", since you're looking at a to-do list, I think the reward is worth it. (I also just really like lists. *shrug*) My point is, using a guide guarantees you won't miss anything!

And I suppose I'm stressing this so much because I watched a gamer play Final Fantasy X-2 for the first time on Twitch. She did not follow a guide and, not surprisingly, she was unhappy with the game and admitted to not understanding the story.

I used the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster strategy guide by Brady Games and I used this 100% completion guide on GameFAQs as well as this one by KG21.

Graphics/Art

The game looks great and has one of the nicest menus I have ever seen in a video game! I think the menu is clearly defined and organized well. The outfits in this game are top tier and I always love seeing the transformation scenes (but only once, because we have battles to win!). I made a video just talking about the looks of Final Fantasy X-2, you can watch it here: Dresspheres Critique [video].

Music/Sound

One of the best soundtracks in the Final Fantasy series, and hands down the prettiest main menu/title menu theme. Yuna's Ballad is also very beautiful, the battle themes are fun, and I actually prefer the Besaid Island theme in this game than in Final Fantasy X.

There are two vocal songs: Real Emotion (the upbeat intro song) and 1,000 Words (the beautiful, melancholic song played later in the game). I think the movies that play with these songs are some of the prettiest scenes in the game! The music also helps highlight the Songstress dressphere.

Also, at the start and end of each battle, the girls have one-liners either pumping each other up or congratulating their win. They will also say something when a new event happens, such as when they acknowledge their first time wearing a dressphere. Paine in particular is quite funny when she first dons the Tonberry Mascot dressphere. 🤭

Overall

I love this game. I think it's adventurous, sad, mysterious, reflective, and inspiring. Yes, there are silly moments sprinkled in, but it's fine. This is a different time than Final Fantasy X! After all, Sin is gone.

While Sin may no longer attack, in his wake he left behind a haunting in the hearts of Spira. Individuals and communities are no longer connected from the universal fear they once felt, the glue that tied them together as one.

In Final Fantasy X-2, we see the people of Spira dealing with this new freedom from fear, joining groups to find identity and life purpose. From The Gullwings' perspective, specifically playing as Yuna, we witness Spira's grief, hatred, confusion, friendship, and healing, not just from those in the present but from the past, too.

As mentioned above, it's a story that plays out best when as much of the completion points can be achieved.

#final fantasy x-2 #final fantasy #game review

[jessjustplay]

I finished replaying Final Fantasy X-2 and got 100% Completion!

March 29, 2024

I finished Final Fantasy X-2 yesterday. I played it on the PS Vita and had a grand time! I went into this adventure with the intention of getting a 100% completion score, and I'm so happy I did!

Because of my determination, I was able to experience a lot of new things for the first time. New locations, new scenes, new garment grids, new dresspheres... So. Much. Stuff! All concluding with the great reward of FINALLY seeing "Story Completed: 100%" on the screen.

Game: Final Fantasy X-2 HD Remaster First Time/Replaying: Replay Game Time: 65 hours Console: PS Vita Started: December 23, 2023 Finished: March 28, 2024

Here are my endgame stats:

Also, after I beat Trema (blog post: How To Beat the Via Infinito Bosses), Buddy’s commentary for Bevelle changed to this and it made me laugh:

Because it's true, the endgame was easy peasy.

#final fantasy x-2 #final fantasy #finished

[jessjustplay]

How To Beat the Via Infinito Bosses in Final Fantasy X-2

March 28, 2024

I have played Final Fantasy X-2 since I was a kid, but I have never made it through all 100 levels of the Via Infinito dungeon. I have always stopped at Cloister 20 because this dungeon is tough!

However, this time around I decided I would actually attempt to beat all the bosses, including the scary Paragon and super scary Trema. (999,999 HP!?!)

Younger Me would be ecstatic to know that I actually did it! And while it was hard, it wasn't THAT bad. It just takes patience and strategy. Here's what I did for each boss fight.

Cloister 20 - Aranea (18,280 HP/178 MP)

Yuna: Berserker, Rikku: Psychic, Paine: Festivalist Character levels: in the 50's to 60's range This is just a typical boss fight. I attacked and healed as necessary.

Cloister 40 - Black Elemental (9,999 HP/2,380 MP)

Yuna: Berserker, Rikku: Songstress, Paine: Festivalist Character levels: mid to high 70's This one was super hard until I switched Rikku to a Songstress. I had her "dance" the ability "Magical Masque" which nullifies all magical attacks while she's dancing. This stopped Black Elemental from causing any damage. While Rikku danced, I had Yuna and Paine quickly attacking until it died.

Cloister 60 - Concherer (343,280 HP/170 MP)

Yuna: Thief, Rikku: Dark Knight, Paine: Dark Knight Character levels: in the 80's range I equipped Thief Yuna with Cat Nip (causes 9,999 damage when HP is low) and a Haste Bangle (Auto-Haste when HP is low). I put Rikku and Paine as Dark Knights because I needed them to have high defense. I was also using Rikku and Paine as my item healers whenever necessary. Thief is very fast and with their 2 daggers, they are hitting 9,999 twice each turn.

Cloister 80 - Chac (437,850 HP/820 MP)

Yuna (Lvl 87): Thief, Rikku (Lvl 89): Mascot, Paine (Lvl 92): Mascot SOUL SPRINGS or MANA SPRINGS are a must! Thief Yuna has Cat Nip and Haste Bangle (see above), and Rikku and Paine are both wearing the Mascot dressphere. They were equipped with HP+ accessories and Speed Bracers which casts Auto-Haste. Chac is super fast so having Auto-Haste helps! I didn't have any Soul Springs but I did have 7 Mana Springs. They both take MP away from the enemy. I tossed 4 Mana Springs and depleted Chac's MP enough to where she could not cast Heaven's Cataract anymore. This is a game-changer because it deals so much damage to all 3 characters. You still have to be fast enough to cure Petrification (because the Ribbon is useless, unfortunately) but besides that, having Heaven's Cataract gone makes this battle a lot easier. You also have to get lucky that she doesn't Petrify your Cat Nip + Haste Thief! (Or at least be fast enough to heal them!) The first time I beat Chac, Rikku was obliterated and Paine died, Yuna survived and she was able to evade all of Chac's attacks and eventually took her down alone. But I wasn't happy with that, so I played it again and successfully kept all 3 girls alive!! (That's why I say you have get lucky, but it IS possible to keep all 3 girls alive.)

Cloister ∞ - Paragon (200,000 HP/9,999 MP)

Yuna (Lvl 96): Mascot, Rikku (Lvl 98): Thief, Paine (Lvl 99): Mascot I switched Rikku to a Thief because I wanted to use the Moogle Mascot's white magic. I kept Paine as a Mascot and had her using the Cactling Gun ability (causes 9,999 damage each time).

Yuna and Paine were equipped with an Oath Veil (Magic Defense +60) and a Ribbon. I also equipped the Higher Power Garment Grid because it allowed them to break the HP limit. Immediately at the start of the fight, I used a Chocobo Wing (casts Haste on the party) and a Stamina Tonic (doubles the party's HP). Then I used X-potions to raise their HP to around 12,000. Yuna focuses on healing with Moogle Cure, and they both throw Phoenix Downs at Rikku whenever necessary.

Rikku had Cat Nip and a Haste Bangle equipped as well as the Highroad Winds Garment Grid (First Strike). She was hitting 9,999 attacks twice each turn.

Cloister ∞ - Trema (999,999 HP/999 MP)

Yuna (Lvl 96): Mascot, Rikku (Lvl 98): Thief, Paine (Lvl 99): Mascot Immediately after defeating Paragon, you are thrown into a fight with Trema. Yuna died in the previous fight so I had to QUICKLY use a Phoenix Down, then Chocobo Feather and Stamina Tonic + X-Potion. I also used Elixers and Turbo Ethers because Paine's Cactling Gun uses up a lot of MP. Rikku was doing the same as before, she was just attacking each turn. Yuna's focus was ONLY to cure this time. Whenever she or Paine were around 6,000 HP I would use an X-Potion or Elixir. Around 9,000 I would use Moogle Cure to bump them back to around 12,000. Thankfully the Mascot dresspheres have incredible defense and magic defense (plus the added Oath Veils +60 magic defense helped a ton.) This was very much a slow and steady match, but very possible!

#final fantasy x-2 #final fantasy #guides

[jessjustplay]

Hogwarts Legacy PS4 Review

March 26, 2024

This review is long overdue, but to be fair it's been a wild few months. I started playing Hogwarts Legacy in November 2023. I found it for an amazing price (brand new $20 at Best Buy!) so I had to get it. I'm so glad I did, it was such a peaceful (and sometimes chaotic) adventure.

Game: Hogwarts Legacy First Time/Replaying: First Time Game Time: 90 hours Console: PS4 Started: November 23, 2023 Finished: January 19, 2024

For my first playthrough, I decided to play as Ravenclaw because that is my House. I played this as a Wizarding World fan, so it was basically a dream come true. To explore not just Hogwarts Castle, but the MANY towns outside was truly special.

The flying mechanism in this game was amazing. It really felt like I was flying! (Due to the wind sound affects and easy movement.) It took awhile to get used to the Quidditch hoops side-quests, but once I got better at controlling my broom, those side-quests were fun.

Speaking of side-quests, this game has many. A few of them are games (like the Quidditch hoops) while others are fetch quests. Some of them are long side stories with Hogwarts students, which was a great way to get to know your classmates.

The game has something called a Field Guide that gives you quests that you must complete (such as: defeat X amount of goblins, raise X amount of creatures, etc.). I thought it was fun and a good way to tell me what I should work on next. You don't Platinum the game by completing theField Guide, but I'm not a trophy hunter so getting 100% on the Field Guide was enough for me.

I played this on a PS4 and I thought the graphics looked great. I know they look even better on a PS5 though, which is wild. Voice acting was good, character customization was very basic but that's fine. The multitude of costumes makes up for lack of appearance customization.

The game gives you different level options to play at. I chose "Story" mode because I was more interested in the story. It made the battles fairly easy but you still need to pay attention to your enemies and the spells you're casting. The story was phenomenal. I don't know what others were expecting, but to me it was a great standalone story with mystery and adventure. I really liked it!

Overall, the game is a lot of fun. You can truly explore to your heart's content, but I love that it's easy to reel yourself back in whenever you feel like you're wandering too far from the main story. Instant travel is available which comes in handy, but the many ways of traveling (I won't spoil them) make standard traveling so much fun, you might not even want to use instant travel!

Even if you aren't a Hogwarts or Wizarding World fan, I still think you could have fun playing this. However, if you are a Wizard/Witch yourself and love the HP world, then you definitely should play this! As long as you are open to a game that is not focused on The Boy Who Lived, you will find so many magical moments playing Hogwarts Legacy.

#hogwarts legacy #game review

[jessjustplay]

Episode Complete at Bikanel Desert - Final Fantasy X-2

March 24, 2024

This was actually my first time getting an episode complete at Bikanel Desert. The boss Angra Mainyu was annoying AF, but using a combination of 2 Dark Knights and an Alchemist healing each turn with a Mega-Potion did the trick for me. I’m sad I’m almost done with the game!

#final fantasy x-2 #final fantasy #currently playing #jrpg #jrpgs

[jessjustplay]

The Mi’ihen Highroad Mystery in Final Fantasy X-2

March 16, 2024

I don’t remember who I used to get in the past, but I don’t think I ever got Rikku as the culprit. It was such a funny scene. Poor Rikku! 😂

#currently playing #final fantasy x-2 #final fantasy

[jessjustplay]

Happy birthday to Final Fantasy X-2!

March 13, 2024

Final Fantasy X-2 was first released in Japan on March 13, 2003. Here are some pictures of the character profiles from the original strategy guide. 🩷🧡🖤

#final fantasy x-2 #final fantasy #jrpg #jrpgs

[jessjustplay]

I won the Sphere Break Tournament!

February 5, 2024

Sphere Break is so much fun! Shinra is a great competitor who makes me nervous when playing against him. But I beat him and won the Lady Luck dressphere. 🙌

And not just that! I also got the Treasure Hunt garment grid from him! I’m so happy. I snagged the White Signet garment grid too, from the lady with the dog nearby. It was a great tournament.

#final fantasy #final fantasy x-2 #currently playing #jrpgs #jrpg #jrpg games

[jessjustplay]

The pretty sky of Youth League Headquarters

January 25, 2024

I love the purple & pink sky of this location!

#final fantasy #final fantasy x-2 #currently playing #jrpg games #jrpg #JRPGs

[jessjustplay]

Dresspheres Critique: Reviewing the Looks of Final Fantasy X-2 | Chatty Video Game Commentary

January 20, 2024

[Video link] I love Final Fantasy X-2 and I LOVE the dresspheres in the game! In this video I am going through the dresspheres and critiquing their looks, giving my thoughts, and just having fun talking about job costumes! What is your favorite dressphere from Final Fantasy X-2?

#final fantasy #final fantasy x-2 #Youtube

[jessjustplay]

Winter in Hogwarts Legacy

January 7, 2024

Sometime after the new year, I made it to Winter in Hogwarts Legacy. It was unintentionally but perfectly timed. Playing the game with snowcapped mountains and snowflakes falling as I explore has been really fun! Especially since it doesn't snow where I live, the game is giving me the Winter Wonderland views that I can't get outside.

#hogwarts legacy #currently playing

[jessjustplay]

2024 Gaming Goals

January 2, 2024

Here are my game-related goals for the new year:

• Buy Less Games - I spent so much money in 2022 when I fell for all the seasonal sales (I was a Steam newbie). Since then, I’ve learned video games go on sale multiple times ALL YEAR LONG, so there’s no reason to buy one just because it’s on sale. I’m still going to buy some games, but I’m going to be extra mindful about it going forward.

• Replay More Games - Last year I wanted to replay Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X-2, and Dragon Caffi but I never got around to it because I kept prioritizing first playthroughs. NOT THIS YEAR! I want to replay games I already know I love. I’m already replaying Final Fantasy X-2 so I’m off to a good start!

• Start These Games: - Star Ocean: Till the End of Time - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch - Tales of Berseria - There are more games on my backlog, but these are the ones that are at the top of my list.

Happy new year! 🎊

#gaming goals

[jessjustplay]

ranking the 15 games I played this year

December 29, 2023

Video link!

#yearly recap #Youtube

[jessjustplay]

My 2023 Christmas Tree 🎄

December 27, 2023

Just a fun template I made for Instagram Stories. Here are some of the games I loved this year!

#about me