Frontier Gate Boost+
This isn’t a full post about FG, by the way. I’ve been playing for 16 hours, but I just don’t feel like writing about it. There isn’t much to say. You’re an adventurer, you belong to a guild, you take a mission, you do it, you take another mission, you do it, you take a third mission, you do it, and on and on it goes. You have partners who have their own backstories and agendas, but there doesn’t seem to be an overarching story, at least not yet. You either like mission-based RPGs or you don’t. I’ll talk about the two-member party battle system some other time. I just popped in to let everyone know I was still alive.
Stuff Frontier Gate has doesn’t have in common with Monster Hunter (it’s faster this way)
– Turn-based AP battle system
– Two member party
– No fishing or farming or trading ships
– No weapon sharpening
– No stamina drinks
– No area effects like heat or cold
– No bonuses for complete armor sets
– No need for special traps to capture monsters
– Few dinosaurs, small and weak
– Better drop rates
– Most foraging items have no use because it’s faster to bulk buy healing items than to make them
– Sauna where you can chill with your party members
– Foraging is slightly different and doesn’t need special tools
– You can take lunches to the field
For everything else just imagine Monster Hunter with easy battles and you’ve got Frontier Gate. I’ll psych myself up to do a more thorough post one of these days. It’s not a bad game, in a tedious kind of way.
I remember playing the non-Boost+ version and had similar impression of the combat as well. I mean, the premise isn’t bad, but the execution just isn’t very good. Never could bring myself to finish the game. Hoping Tri-Ace do a better job with Phantasy Star Nova which just might be the incentive I need to get a Vita seeing as it has quite a few attractive upcoming titles this year.
This game isn’t all that, but I’m favorably disposed towards tri-Ace because of Star Ocean, so I’ll consider getting the new Phantasy Star once a few other great games come out on the Vita. I mean, I love Phantasy Star but not enough to buy a handheld over. The other RPGs out/coming (Sorcery Saga, Meruru, Demon Gaze) are more “hmm, maybe someday” than “I really want them right now!”
I’be heard that Toukiden on the Vita is also a more accessible clone of Monster Hunter. I think I will start there, for I do feel very intimidated by Monster Hunter, indeed.
I also purchased Sorcery Saga, and Demon Gaze is definitely on my wish list, along with Conception II. It’s quite ironic to see the not-so-popular Vita slowly carve itself a niche and become home for all sorts of quirky dungeon crawlers. Now that’s quite an unexpected and interesting development!^^
As for Atelier Meruru Plus on the Vita, do you know if a western release is planned? I found no information on the matter, and that’s a game I’d really, really love to play.
I read the hype on Toukiden, but it seems like it’ll be most fun when played
with friends/multiplayer, so I passed. No idea about Meruru, but both Vita and 3DS are doing very well localization-wise, so there’s plenty of hope.