TMS #FE Review Compilation Thread

[Taka-kun]

Yes, the foreboding question is now really up to the sales number. I think I'm with Ostrich in the fact that I'll be betting on what he said so might as well see if the West can prove me wrong and it sells pretty decently. At least better than what it did in Japan.

The question is whether Western fans are more receptive. Forget about FE and SMT fans that wanted something completely different, what would the average WiiU owner think when they see the cover? Those who like JRPG and/or anime, I can definitely see picking it up. But otherwise, the game lacks the punch of other strong WiiU games. So it will probably remain a niche for now.

Of course, if the niche fans are as many as the ones for Xenoblade Chronicles X, a sequel (direct or spiritual) could very well be considered for the NX.

[Elieson]

Average 8/10 almost on the dot~

[Sidereal Wraith]

Glorified mediocrity, huzzah!

[Avk]

Glorified mediocrity, huzzah!

I'm almost sure that I'll regret asking this, but well, can't be sure before doing it, so :

Can you explain further what makes you think that ? Especially if you have tried the game and found some points that you'd like improved.

Reviewers and players having played the japanese version have written lengthy impressions of the game to back up their scores or what they think of it, so surely you can do better than that to explain your point as well ?

[Elieson]

Glorified mediocrity, huzzah!

hovering 8/10 isn't what I'd call mediocrity.

Wouldn't you assume that a game with middling reviews (4-6 out of 10) would be more mediocre?

[Sidereal Wraith]

I'm almost sure that I'll regret asking this, but well, can't be sure before doing it, so :

Can you explain further what makes you think that ? Especially if you have tried the game and found some points that you'd like improved.

Reviewers and players having played the japanese version have written lengthy impressions of the game to back up their scores or what they think of it, so surely you can do better than that to explain your point as well ?

It'll take me a while to completely itemize the points I have a make about TMS # FE, so look forward to my response either later on today or tomorrow.

[Elieson]

It'll take me a while to completely itemize the points I have a make about TMS # FE, so look forward to my response either later on today or tomorrow.

As long as you've played it, or intuitively watched long playthroughs via LP, I'd love to hear it!

[Sidereal Wraith]

As long as you've played it, or intuitively watched long playthroughs via LP, I'd love to hear it!

My response is probably going to be very long, grammatically inconsistent (thanks dyslexia) and will contain a lot of venomous bile being spewed at this game.

[Elieson]

If the points are solid and properly established, a bit of grammatical flubbery shouldn't be too tough to swallow

[Taka-kun]

hovering 8/10 isn't what I'd call mediocrity.

Wouldn't you assume that a game with middling reviews (4-6 out of 10) would be more mediocre?

I always instantly think of this interpretation when I see 8/10: https://i.imgur.com/kj3gFME.jpg

Scores have been inflated in recent times. 8/10 doesn't mean much anymore but anything lower makes the game "not worth having" (with less than 5/10 just being plain awful). It doesn't make the game inherently bad but I have played so many "7 or 8 out of 10" and just felt meh.

[Elieson]

I always instantly think of this interpretation when I see 8/10: https://i.imgur.com/kj3gFME.jpg

Scores have been inflated in recent times. 8/10 doesn't mean much anymore but anything lower makes the game "not worth having" (with less than 5/10 just being plain awful). It doesn't make the game inherently bad but I have played so many "7 or 8 out of 10" and just felt meh.

You can tell I'm a 90's kid then, when you hear me prattle on about "traditional" scoring

[Sidereal Wraith]

My response is probably going to be very long, grammatically inconsistent (thanks dyslexia) and will contain a lot of venomous bile being spewed at this game.

If fact I think I'll just make a video about TMS # FE. It'll be easier for me and allow me to get my points across in a more coherent manner. Don't worry, the video will only be about 1-2 1/2 hours long.

In the meantime please try to enjoy my other videos of nonsensical rambling on the topic of TMS # FE:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfo6de1fGM296AhdJQzUVhQ

Edited June 24, 2016 by wraith

[Avk]

I prefer written format, but as long as your points are well made, I don't think I'll have any problem with whatever you can come up with. I'm actually pretty interested if you can manage to make a good negative review, I have also a few things that I think they could have done better myself, that's why I wish for a sequel that could expand on that.

I always instantly think of this interpretation when I see 8/10: https://i.imgur.com/kj3gFME.jpg

Scores have been inflated in recent times. 8/10 doesn't mean much anymore but anything lower makes the game "not worth having" (with less than 5/10 just being plain awful). It doesn't make the game inherently bad but I have played so many "7 or 8 out of 10" and just felt meh.

Personally, I don't rely much on reviews, since I mostly trust myself to decide which games are worth my time/money and which aren't. But yeah, review scores these past few years seem to be getting higher than previously, but we also tend to get more high quality games I think.

[Taka-kun]

I prefer written format, but as long as your points are well made, I don't think I'll have any problem with whatever you can come up with. I'm actually pretty interested if you can manage to make a good negative review, I have also a few things that I think they could have done better myself, that's why I wish for a sequel that could expand on that.

Personally, I don't rely much on reviews, since I mostly trust myself to decide which games are worth my time/money and which aren't. But yeah, review scores these past few years seem to be getting higher than previously, but we also tend to get more high quality games I think.

I rely on few "trusted" (from my standpoint) reviewers, like GameXplain, because they are good a summarizing their points and give both positive and negative thoughts without too much praises/rants and more elaborations. I place more value in words describing the game rather than scores. Someone saying "this is one stupid concept", I just dismiss as butthurt fans. Someone who makes a presentation of how the atmosphere does not match well with its perceived setting and character is more likely to have my ear.

As a 90s kid (yay for the 90s!) I am pretty sure there were many great games back in the olde days. It's just that we have such a wider selection these days and it gets overwhelming to decide which games to buy. It all comes down to marketing, which is very unfair but also a powerful tool.

[Jave]

If fact I think I'll just make a video about TMS # FE. It'll be easier for me and allow me to get my points across in a more coherent manner. Don't worry, the video will only be about 1-2 1/2 hours long.

In the meantime please try to enjoy my other videos of nonsensical rambling on the topic of TMS # FE:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfo6de1fGM296AhdJQzUVhQ

Checked out one of the videos and couldn't get past the first minute mark. And the whole video was two freaking hours.

Sorry, but I don't have the patience to sit through a video that long that's nothing but rambling about how much a single game sucks. I can't even imagine what do you talk about in the rest of the video. I imagine several points get repeated and in the end, it feels like a huge waste of time. And you say your review will be just as long? I guess I appreciate the warning.

[Avk]

I rely on few "trusted" (from my standpoint) reviewers, like GameXplain, because they are good a summarizing their points and give both positive and negative thoughts without too much praises/rants and more elaborations. I place more value in words describing the game rather than scores. Someone saying "this is one stupid concept", I just dismiss as butthurt fans. Someone who makes a presentation of how the atmosphere does not match well with its perceived setting and character is more likely to have my ear.

As a 90s kid (yay for the 90s!) I am pretty sure there were many great games back in the olde days. It's just that we have such a wider selection these days and it gets overwhelming to decide which games to buy. It all comes down to marketing, which is very unfair but also a powerful tool.

I still read reviews, to get what seems to be the general opinion/consensus on the games whether I'm interested in said games or not, just to stayed informed or in case I missed something interesting. I perfectly understand why most people still check reviews but since I keep myself usually very informed on titles that can potentially interest me, I usually end up having all the informations I need before deciding on a purchase (just like with #FE, I still haven't played the game yet I think I'm fairly knowledgeable about the game).

One thing you mentionned about "trusted" reviewers is especially important I think, I wouldn't recommend anyone to trust any review or the metacritic score of any game to make a decision. Finding one reviewer that align with your tastes is probably more informative than 10 different reviews from "random" people.

And I didn't say that there wasn't any good game in the past, but just like you said there are more games releasing now, and I feel that the quality of the games released has been getting higher for the most part (to be fair, I think that most games that people consider "bad" are probably still "okay" instead of outright "bad", but I haven't tried many games that are considered bad so...). Marketing has a big impact on which games are put in the spotlight, so has a big effect on sales but not so much on reviews. Sales don't tend to affect me in any way (I mean, if games I like sell well, good. If not, it's not like it makes them any less fun or enjoyable).

[Taka-kun]

I still read reviews, to get what seems to be the general opinion/consensus on the games whether I'm interested in said games or not, just to stayed informed or in case I missed something interesting. I perfectly understand why most people still check reviews but since I keep myself usually very informed on titles that can potentially interest me, I usually end up having all the informations I need before deciding on a purchase (just like with #FE, I still haven't played the game yet I think I'm fairly knowledgeable about the game).

One thing you mentionned about "trusted" reviewers is especially important I think, I wouldn't recommend anyone to trust any review or the metacritic score of any game to make a decision. Finding one reviewer that align with your tastes is probably more informative than 10 different reviews from "random" people.

And I didn't say that there wasn't any good game in the past, but just like you said there are more games releasing now, and I feel that the quality of the games released has been getting higher for the most part (to be fair, I think that most games that people consider "bad" are probably still "okay" instead of outright "bad", but I haven't tried many games that are considered bad so...). Marketing has a big impact on which games are put in the spotlight, so has a big effect on sales but not so much on reviews. Sales don't tend to affect me in any way (I mean, if games I like sell well, good. If not, it's not like it makes them any less fun or enjoyable).

Yeah, having that one reviewer really makes it easier, since everyone has different tastes anyways. It does help when there are people genuinely interested in drawing (or alternatively, warn) in me, like you and other polite folks in this thread. It's easier to listen to someone who is not dogmatic and has good intentions.

Sales is a very misleading number, since it doesn't tell about the quality of the game itself, just its appeal to the consumer group, which has varying sizes. Most of Nintendo's franchises are pretty niche yet they are still one of the biggest gaming companies. I myself try to find niche games because I find most of them try to stand out on their own instead of throwing common tropes and/or building on a popular concept. And I find genuine surprises, like Shovel Knight and Undertale. It's also part of the reason why I bought TMS (Swedish holiday today so I won't receive my copy until next week) because albeit not what I expected, Atlus and Nintendo are at least trying to make something different and actually does a pretty good job of it.

[Sidereal Wraith]

Checked out one of the videos and couldn't get past the first minute mark. And the whole video was two freaking hours.

Sorry, but I don't have the patience to sit through a video that long that's nothing but rambling about how much a single game sucks. I can't even imagine what do you talk about in the rest of the video. I imagine several points get repeated and in the end, it feels like a huge waste of time. And you say your review will be just as long? I guess I appreciate the warning.

Yeah, and I got into a Russell Group university (the U.K.'s equivalent to the American Ivy League Colleges) for not only my Master's but also for one of the best PGCE (Postgraduate Certification in Education) programs in English in all of Europe. I'm still trying to figure out how this happened.

Edited June 24, 2016 by wraith

[Busterman64]

I'm happy to hear the good scores this game's been getting! If people actually give the game a real chance, they may end up liking it(that's why I love the FE and really like the SMT series now)!

I was actually thinking of skipping the Wii U and wait for the NX since I haven't got a Wii U yet(I just got my first job a few months ago), but this game kinda made me crack and I'm just gonna get a Wii U next month(I even pre-ordered the game because...well...gotta support these kinds of niche games!)

Maybe the game isn't a system seller(and maybe getting a Wii U now isn't a very wise decision), but I have a feeling this won't be ported to the NX(because it doesn't have a big enough audience like Splatoon or Mario Maker, even if it is a good game) and I really wanted to play this game(and a few others like Pokken) so......bump it, getting a Wii U! ;3

Edit: And now I wait for GameXplain's review of the game!

Edited June 24, 2016 by Busterman64

[Avk]

Yeah, having that one reviewer really makes it easier, since everyone has different tastes anyways. It does help when there are people genuinely interested in drawing (or alternatively, warn) in me, like you and other polite folks in this thread. It's easier to listen to someone who is not dogmatic and has good intentions.

Sales is a very misleading number, since it doesn't tell about the quality of the game itself, just its appeal to the consumer group, which has varying sizes. Most of Nintendo's franchises are pretty niche yet they are still one of the biggest gaming companies. I myself try to find niche games because I find most of them try to stand out on their own instead of throwing common tropes and/or building on a popular concept. And I find genuine surprises, like Shovel Knight and Undertale. It's also part of the reason why I bought TMS (Swedish holiday today so I won't receive my copy until next week) because albeit not what I expected, Atlus and Nintendo are at least trying to make something different and actually does a pretty good job of it.

I don't have much to add to what you said, and I agree with your opinion of Nintendo and Atlus. They considered doing something more direct, and like I stated multiple times, I wouldn't have minded something like that too, but I really appreciate that they decided to do something more interesting and unconventional even if it wasn't what most people expected or wanted. Maybe I would feel differently if it didn't end up as something I like but even then, I think that at worst, I would just ignore the game.

To me, this game seems like some sort of passion project the members of Atlus had, and Nintendo allowed them to made it (just like they helped with games like The Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2 from Platinum Games, or Fatal Frame 5).

Yeah, and I got into a Russell Group university (the U.K.'s equivalent to the American Ivy League Colleges) for not only my Master's but also for one of the best PGCE (Postgraduate Certification in Education) programs in English in all of Europe. I'm still trying to figure out how this happened.

I don't really see how this is relevant to our current topic but good for you I suppose. So, about your videos, I've tried to start with

.

You start by saying there is little to do with SMT or FE. All the combat system is based on SMT. Some staff member of Atlus also indicated how they decided the theme of the game based on the occult (god worshipping through ritual dances and things like that if I remember well). FE elements are more sparse, but are still there. A good comparison would be Hyrule Warriors I think.

Then that people at Nintendo and Atlus had no idea what they were doing (to put it politely)... I don't really know even where to start to answer to that...

They absolutely know what they were doing, they considered a lot of options (SRPG, classic RPG, even an MMO, all sort of things) and decided to settle on something that Atlus excels at, turn based RPG. I explained earlier about the theme. How a fan, someone like you or me, can insult them, and saying that they don't know what to do with THEIR OWN PROPERTIES is just...

"This is supposed to be an SMT x FE game", just NO. It is supposed to be what they wanted it to be, no more, no less. They don't OWN YOU a game. They have indeed presented the project the first time as "SMT x FE", then it was presented again a few years later as 幻影異聞録♯FE, and after that, they released a few dozens of videos presenting the game. You had all this time to get over this and move on after you realised that it isn't "SMT x FE" anymore. It never was. I won't contest the fact that they probably shoudn't have announced the project that early, or that they probably should have used "Atlus x FE" like in the actual japanese advertisement of the game or as "Atlus x Intelligent Systems" or whatever, but as I said, you had more than a year to get over with this. You can keep complaining, that won't make the game disappear, won't make it worse than it is, won't make your fictive dream game real.

You absolutely have the right to be disatisfied, but you are not entitled to have them make exclusively things that will please you and certainly not to insult them over that.

Lastly, SMT4 Final will release in a few months in NA, and Persona 5 early next year, so you will have other Atlus RPG games for you, what does this game existence do to you ?

It's getting late and I'm tired, I wrote this just after only barely more than one minute of your video, the game wasn't released yet so I'm willing to let you the benefit of the doubt, maybe you now have more constructive arguments, or maybe they are just later in that video, but I'm stopping for tonight.

Edit : Getting back to the video, I was right. I now regret having asked. Couldn't go further than 5min, I think it is best for both of us to leave it at that, so that we don't waste more of each other's time. Especially if you intend to keep criticizing the game this way, there is not a single thing you can say that can sway me, and I think the same goes for me to you. Everything I could say can just be summarized with this :

"This is supposed to be an SMT x FE game", just NO.

I'm happy to hear the good scores this game's been getting! If people actually give the game a real chance, they may end up liking it(that's why I love the FE and really like the SMT series now)!

I was actually thinking of skipping the Wii U and wait for the NX since I haven't got a Wii U yet(I just got my first job a few months ago), but this game kinda made me crack and I'm just gonna get a Wii U next month(I even pre-ordered the game because...well...gotta support these kinds of niche games!)

Maybe the game isn't a system seller(and maybe getting a Wii U now isn't a very wise decision), but I have a feeling this won't be ported to the NX(because it doesn't have a big enough audience like Splatoon or Mario Maker, even if it is a good game) and I really wanted to play this game(and a few others like Pokken) so......bump it, getting a Wii U! ;3

Edit: And now I wait for GameXplain's review of the game!

I hope the game won't disappoint you, but if you like SMT games (and FE, of course, but it's closer to SMT/Persona), I think you should be fine. And it seems like there are multiple games that interest you on Wii U, waiting for news of NX may have been wiser, but even then, it is unlikely to be backward compatible, so in the end I think it's still a good decision if you end up really enjoying all these games (Wii U doesn't really lack quality exclusive games). #FE is really unlikely to be ported in my opinion, but it wouldn't be the first instance of Atlus doing some "improved" versions of their games (mostly thinking about Persona, with FES, 3 Portable, 4 Golden) but in that case, it's on Nintendo side... There are some rumors for a sequel, most people involved in the game seem really interested but nothing official for now.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Avk

[Busterman64]

I hope the game won't disappoint you, but if you like SMT games (and FE, of course, but it's closer to SMT/Persona), I think you should be fine. And it seems like there are multiple games that interest you on Wii U, waiting for news of NX may have been wiser, but even then, it is unlikely to be backward compatible, so in the end I think it's still a good decision if you end up really enjoying all these games (Wii U doesn't really lack quality exclusive games). #FE is really unlikely to be ported in my opinion, but it wouldn't be the first instance of Atlus doing some "improved" versions of their games (mostly thinking about Persona, with FES, 3 Portable, 4 Golden) but in that case, it's on Nintendo side... There are some rumors for a sequel, most people involved in the game seem really interested but nothing official for now.

While they have their hits and misses, Atlus and IS do some good work on the games they make and from all the gameplay I've seen of this game, I feel like it'll be a good time. That and I'm almost always willing to give new games a try and I have a little faith in this game's quality( especially considering this is the first game I've ever pre-ordered and payed $60 for...so yeah...)

Also, I would be surprised if they actually made a sequel, but as long as the game is good, I'm (for the most part) all for it!

(Oh, and whether it's a "improved" version or sequel, I just kinda hope they have a Wii U and NX version for the sake of those who still own a Wii U and not a NX yet. It would be more accessible and I kinda prefer that because, for example, as great as a game Persona 4 Golden is...it being on another console[a handheld] doesn't exactly make it easy to get.

Then again, if the rumors are true, who knows when the game is coming out)

[Taka-kun]

While they have their hits and misses, Atlus and IS do some good work on the games they make and from all the gameplay I've seen of this game, I feel like it'll be a good time. That and I'm almost always willing to give new games a try and I have a little faith in this game's quality( especially considering this is the first game I've ever pre-ordered and payed $60 for...so yeah...)

Also, I would be surprised if they actually made a sequel, but as long as the game is good, I'm (for the most part) all for it!

(Oh, and whether it's a "improved" version or sequel, I just kinda hope they have a Wii U and NX version for the sake of those who still own a Wii U and not a NX yet. It would be more accessible and I kinda prefer that because, for example, as great as a game Persona 4 Golden is...it being on another console[a handheld] doesn't exactly make it easy to get.

Then again, if the rumors are true, who knows when the game is coming out)

I think you will be in for a fun ride and your mindset will be rewarded. The most common "criticism" I have heard about this game is that it's not SMT ro FE and/or is a Persona ripoff. Granted, Nintendo has some fault for marketing in as a crossover in the beginning, but they rectified this and now it's a standalone game. And if actual players and gaming sites think it's good, it's safe to say the game at least merits a playthrough. One definitive negative game is Mighty No. 9, which has been lambasted by any and all and now I am pretty sure I won't buy that game at all.

On another note, is there anybody here who is planning on doing a small (and serious) review of the game ? It's maybe pointless since most are positive towards it anyway but it's good to know the impressions from a fellow (and serious) FE gamer.

[kingddd]

I think you will be in for a fun ride and your mindset will be rewarded. The most common "criticism" I have heard about this game is that it's not SMT ro FE and/or is a Persona ripoff. Granted, Nintendo has some fault for marketing in as a crossover in the beginning, but they rectified this and now it's a standalone game. And if actual players and gaming sites think it's good, it's safe to say the game at least merits a playthrough. One definitive negative game is Mighty No. 9, which has been lambasted by any and all and now I am pretty sure I won't buy that game at all.

On another note, is there anybody here who is planning on doing a small (and serious) review of the game ? It's maybe pointless since most are positive towards it anyway but it's good to know the impressions from a fellow (and serious) FE gamer.

I might. So far 3 and a half hours into the game. I am really enjoying the game and I'm currently playing hard mode too.

[Water Mage]

I think you will be in for a fun ride and your mindset will be rewarded. The most common "criticism" I have heard about this game is that it's not SMT ro FE and/or is a Persona ripoff. Granted, Nintendo has some fault for marketing in as a crossover in the beginning, but they rectified this and now it's a standalone game. And if actual players and gaming sites think it's good, it's safe to say the game at least merits a playthrough. One definitive negative game is Mighty No. 9, which has been lambasted by any and all and now I am pretty sure I won't buy that game at all.

On another note, is there anybody here who is planning on doing a small (and serious) review of the game ? It's maybe pointless since most are positive towards it anyway but it's good to know the impressions from a fellow (and serious) FE gamer.

I'm not good at writing reviews, but is it okay to simply say that I'm really enjoying the game?

The gameplay is amazing and I'm enjoying the Idol stuff more than I thought I would.

I really like the little details such as referring to the party as Main Cast, starting a New Game is called debut, Equipment is called Wardrobe and so on. It's a really neat detail.

[Sidereal Wraith]

Something to enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Ahq4NU1E8

Edited June 25, 2016 by wraith