Rondo of Swords (DS)

This game has been out for about two weeks, and I'm really digging it. To describe Fun Unit's take on the genre without getting into too much detail, they've married the basic SRPG functions "Move" and "Attack" into a single action; if a character passes an opposing unit at any time in his stylus-drawn path of movement, he will automatically lay an attack on them. Passing an ally en-route can grant a character-specific boost, such as an attack increase or partial HP restoration. Efficient use of this feature, called RMS (Route Maneuver System), enables a single unit to attack multiple members of the opposition and receive stat boosts in a single turn.

To compensate for the player's ability to potentially cut down half a dozen enemies in at once, the majority of the maps that I've cleared so far have thrown five or six enemies at me for every one unit I control (30 on 6), most of which are capable of the same manner of attacking. That means troop placement -- get ready -- actually fucking matters. The cookie cutter SRPG strategies of Tanks In The Front, Mages In The Back and Surround A Single Unit And Gangbang From All Sides are suicide in Rondo, which bears a lot responsibility for the game's mediocre marks and nearly ubiquitous "OMFG 2 HARD" criticism. Some people got it, while others completely missed the point.

SRPG's with awesome gimmicks are rare. SRPG's that emphasize and reward forethought and meticulous troop positioning more than raw time investment and grinding -- games that are more S than RPG -- are even harder to come by. SRPG's with both? There have been three in the last ten years, and Rondo of Swords is the only one that doesn't begin with Dynasty Tactics.

Plus, Cotton and Izuna are hidden characters desu ne ^_^

I read the Insomnia review a while ago, and thought the game sounded pretty awesome.

Thing is, Shining Force 3 is the only SRPG I've played for any sizable length of time, and that was when I was way younger. I'd like to finish one of those, FFT, or a Fire Emblem before playing this.

And why is Cotton in here? Like, what's the tie between Fun Unit/Atlus and Success?

I'm really bad about getting through SRPGs now, but this sounds kind of rad. Also Cotton. Once I finish some of the giant stack of games I have to play now, this might be next. I hope it's still around by then.

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

This game has been out for about two weeks

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It has?!

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SRPG's with awesome gimmicks are rare. SRPG's that emphasize and reward forethought and meticulous troop positioning more than raw time investment and grinding -- games that are more S than RPG -- are even harder to come by. SRPG's with both? There have been three in the last ten years, and Rondo of Swords is the only one that doesn't begin with Dynasty Tactics.

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Fire Emblem begins with Dynasty Tactics?

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Originally Posted by Bacon McShig

Fire Emblem begins with Dynasty Tactics?

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Fire Emblem's different - the battles are like specific puzzles to solve in that series.

I didn't know this is out already... tempting.

Cotton is in it? Sold.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

Cotton is in it? Sold.

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Ya. She's not easy to get either, from what I understand. There are requirements on one stage, that allow you to get her on a later stage... I think. None of that is explained though, and you could just as easily pass her by. I hear she's a goddamned beast though.

I'm currently on that stage trying to meet said requirements, and failing miserably.

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That means troop placement -- get ready -- actually fucking matters.

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And stats, attributes, and skills that aren't just attacks or spells matter too. It's crazy having an SRPG where worrying about how much you attack, who you attack, and just a few points into one attribute or skill can actually make a huge difference in the tides of a battle.

I find the game just absolutely lovely, but I'm having a hard time finding the time for it. Culdcept, this, The World Ends With You, and two books I just got are all attempting to suck up what little free time I have.

Oh oh oh! Don't forget awesome secrets. I love finding awesome stuff on accident. Oh! And New Game Plus! The game just keeps on giving.

Only complaint I can think of is that sometimes characters come into play way under-leveled, and I don't look forward to the slight grind I have to go through to get them up to snuff. But that's a rather negligible complaint.

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Originally Posted by EightBit

It's crazy having an SRPG where worrying about how much you attack [and] who you attack.

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Yes! I forgot to mention that Rondo implies some MMORPG-style "hate" management in the form of the Momentum Counter stat. The more enemies a character attacks, the higher his Momentum Counter climbs, and the more likely he is to be targetted by the opposition. Once it gets as high as 70 or so, enemies will often completely ignore an opportunity to take out multiple units in favor of laying just one attack on a high MC character. Keep in mind that there are a lot of enemies per map, all of which do a ton of damage -- hate management is something you have to be mindful of at all times.

On paper, this sounds like a lot of intentional pulling of the reigns on your strongest characters and bullshit turtling out of fear of attracting too much attention, but it's actually more empowering than it is hindering. Aside from the obvious tactical advantages associated with knowing to where and whom the enemies are going to gravitate towards, the MC also acts as an EXP multiplier and grants stat boosts if you can really crank it up. Through calculated implication of the Route Maneuver System coupled with strategic use of MC-manipulating skills and items, you can essentially draw enemies wherever you want them.

Fuck, this game is brilliant.

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Culdcept

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Play me, yo.

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Oh oh oh! Don't forget awesome secrets. I love finding awesome stuff on accident. Oh! And New Game Plus! The game just keeps on giving.

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Multiple endings and branching storylines, too. It has so much love to give that I fear for the tensile strength of the tiny, plastic casing that encapsulates its heart. It's just going to explode mid-game sooner or later.

<3

This is indeed a very good game. It's the type of game for people who like the concept of SRPGs but have gotten bored of the same-old same-old SRPG time after time. (Wild Arms XF is another good title for people in that position.)

The combat system in this game is crazy fun, but man, if you aren't paying attention you can get your characters into positions where they'll just get screwed.