Feeling Like a JRPG Fraud & Talking About the Rest of the Games I Played in 2023

[@Ayayaaron62]

I don't think anyone could doubt your JRPG cred with that collection in your background lol. Totally agree with you and many others in the comments that it's fine to use updated game systems to lessen the time burden some titles can have. There's so many great games and it's only going to keep getting harder to pick and choose what to play let alone "how" to play them. All that matters is whether you enjoy the options you choose

[@flamehiro]

Beat > collect 😂

[@orbalology]

@fionnmaccuill415 Is this a contest? lol. I think I've finished a lot of JRPGs after getting back into gaming. I never claimed to be an authority of all JRPGs, but I like sharing the ones I've been able to get to.

[@tonyp9313]

@fionnmaccuill415 This shouldn't even matter to you if she's played a lot or very little of her rpg games. She's a collector & collects games & figurines. Again she doesn't have to play her games on normal or harder, without a guide or in 1 sitting. She doesn't have to prove anything to anybody. This is gaming. It's a means to escape reality & just enjoy playing games however you, her or anyone on how they want to play them.

[@tonyp9313]

@fionnmaccuill415 So now you are saying that Emily beats 1/100 video games which would be 1% since you brought up this movie buff example. I'm going to stop you right here until we go on further. I don't believe that for 1 sec. I am not even going to be wasting my time & effort to prove you wrong. As she said in her comment she's beaten a lot of them. A lot to me is way more than 1%.

[@Buba92]

​@fionnmaccuill415 I can see your point fionnmaccuuill but I'd have to disagree in this case. It's not quite fair to compare video games to movies. The amount of time it would take Emily to finish 1 rpg vs a movie is really not close. We all only have a limited amount of time in a day nor are a lot of us born with the riches to not work; including Emily whose done great to manage to fit in work, youtube and gaming. I've she also the consideration to respond to her fans which is not free and very considerate of her. I do think she may have missed a few great rpgs and such, but she absolutely has played a lot and quite a strong pace too! As someone who has played more games than anyone I know, she can definitely call herself a gamer or rpg fan if she so chooses in my eyes. I'm grateful she does/is here. But you are also entitled to your opinion, but at the least I don't think it is as fair a comparison to make.

[@GarbagePailKids-yp6wq]

No one can question your JRPG cred. You’ve keyed me in on some pretty cool games

[@orbalology]

Aww thanks - which games in particular? :)

[@GarbagePailKids-yp6wq]

13 sentinels, coffee talk 1+ 2 and I’m currently playing persona 5 royal. I really like the narrative based (almost visual novel) JRPG and I absolutely adored 13 sentinels. That sword and fairy game looks pretty spot on for my play preference.

[@guutenks2498]

​@@GarbagePailKids-yp6wqplay tactics ogre reborn

[@chrisjohn85]

Sometimes the moment in time when you play the game matters almost as much. FF7 was my first jrpg. I was 12, and that kind of experience blew my mind and introduced me to a whole new world of gaming. It will always be my favorite, partly because of that impact. Also, I remember the pain of having to wait 6 months to finish it because my friend spilled a Coke all over my ps1 and my parents wouldn’t buy me a new one. Great video as always!

[@uppernimbus]

Coffee Talk is seriously an underrated gem of a game. I love the setting and mood, it's the perfect game to play while nestled under the blanket on a cosy, rainy day or night!

[@notmayo]

Especially since 1 was on gamepass and now 2 is. Definitely surprised me as I had never played a visual novel before.

[@orbalology]

Coffee has some of the best setting/moods! Glad to hear you enjoyed it too.

[@storm2156]

I've only played a few visual novels. The House in Fata Morgana is one of them, glad to see you are showing it some love. Amazing experience, story is fantastic, art is great, and the soundtrack I still listen to from time to time. Really left an impression on me. I have yet to play A Requiem for Innocence for it and really need to. Beacon Pines is the only other visual novel I've played I like as much as that. Fault Milestone, Muv-Luv, and Roadwarden I also hold in fairly high regards.

[@orbalology]

I'm kicking myself for not getting the Beacon Pines physical through LRG's preorder... so hoping I can snag it from VGP once they get their copies in 🤞

[@Maxbeedo2]

It's ok to value your time when trying to get through a backlog, so no shade for using boosters in FF7, coming from someone who played it when it was new. There's definitely cool stuff to do in that game outside of combat, and some of the Remake/Rebirth-relevant stuff is very missable so using a guide was probably smart. While I wouldn't say every mini-game was great, having a lot of them helped with combat fatigue, and when it was new the cinematic camera angles and guitar-riff boss theme made it THE COOLEST battle system I had ever seen and held that title for a long time.

[@Mike55690]

Absolutely no one will doubt or put into question your JRPG cred Emily, i do feel similar sentiments on 7 (OG) as well, the random encounters get super monotonous after a while and it drags it down, the turn limitations too (the timing, and how short it is), the liberties the remake takes imho make the game a lot more enjoyable for me! I think you'll have a more enjoyable experience with Remake for sure and Rebirth seems to innovate on what Remake did and add small changes/nuances to further improve it as well! As always, stellar video Emily :)

[@orbalology]

Thanks Michael! I'm really looking forward to the Remake. May not be able to get to it before Rebirth comes out but definitely want to experience it within the next few months.

[@80spowerextreme54]

Great start to the day, new vid! Really enjoyed One Piece Odyssey, which makes sense because a lot of the team from Dragon Quest worked on it :)

[@orbalology]

Haha, yes! When I found out the same team who worked on DQ11 worked on One Piece it was like an aha moment lol

[@chocolocojames213]

Both Odin Sphere and Dragon's Crown have such good soundtracks. I can listen to it for hours 😄😄😄

[@jarathen1625]

Vanillaware is so special. Cannot wait for Unicorn Overlord

[@ryuhoshu3303]

With all the awesome RPGs available nowadays like the Trails series that you like so much or even the FF7 remakes I can understand how going back and playing such an old game can be quite the shock, but you played it and now you can see what is being changed on the remake, I love FF7, for me and a lot of people it was our first RPG and like they say you never forget your first love 🤣 nostalgia googles are powerful, makes you overlook the flaws but I still believe it's an important game that made an impact on the RPG genre specially in America and because of that we have such wonderful games available now

[@RE-LOOIE]

I can definitely relate with what you said about the original Final Fantasy VII (a game I've only ever made it about 10 hrs into, but loved the Remake 😅). When it comes to difficulty in games, there's a reason things like Dark Souls don't have a difficulty setting. Those games TRULY are meant to be played with a singular difficulty that cannot be toggled. If developers have difficulty settings from Easy - Hard, it's because they want folks to be able to experience the game how THEY want to (Easy for more a story-driven experience, Hard for folks that want more of a challenge). There's no shame in selecting Easy or enabling the quality of life features on an updated version of a game. They're there for a reason, completely agree with you :) Great video as always, Emily, you encouraged me to play One Piece Odyssey sooner rather than later!

[@orbalology]

Thanks Rusty, I hope you end up enjoying One Piece Odyssey!

[@StrawHatGuy_]

Great video! Now I’m more interested in to diving into Anno, luckily I have the Ps5 copy from Limited Run. And I’ve had One Piece Odyssey for the longest time but I was addicted to catching up to the anime. I need to play that soon. Love this! See you on the next one.

[@orbalology]

Hope you love One Piece Odyssey as much as I did!

[@aceking121212]

The best part of old RPGs like ff7 and games of the era are the pre-rendered backgrounds and life they brought to towns. Something I feel that is REALLY lacking in modern RPGs is the Vibrant towns that tell a story or the backgrounds that took love and care to create. Miss em.

[@luffysenju2407]

Loved hearing your gaming journey! I recently just bought final fantasy 7 on the original ps 1, it’s been great so far. But I agree with you about the encounter rate it’s made the game really easy as my party is over leveled because I roam around trying not to miss a thing!

[@jasonsumma1530]

IF I remember right, the PS1 FFVII came in four CDs which was a long game when it came out. You mention the polygon shapes being different. The funniest thing with that was when it came out, it was the most advanced graphics of the time. This is compared to the pixel that most people grew up with and some of the current competitors at the time were still using. The games weren't the same price as they are now. I want to say FFVII went for $40.00 new and the strategy guide was like $10.00 or so. The great thing with the strategy guide is some of the nice maps with item locations like certain materia. The one mini game I remember the best is the chocobo race which if you put the time and effort into getting a S rank chocobo, you did get some really nice materia and other items so you may want to spend a bit more time on the mini games for the remakes. My only real complaint with FFVII is how many of the materia I had mastered which spawn new ones. This was good if you wanted to share materia among your people but if you weren't careful, you would have 2-3 copies of the same materia. As for Paetron, I'm not sure how profitable it is for creators. Sometimes I wonder if it is more work for the creator than it is worth. At same time, there are some channels which I have been strongly considering joining the paetron side of things.

[@Earthling247]

This is a really good video. You did a wonderful job here. Informative and interesting at the same time. Enjoy your content a lot. Thank you.

[@martypickens1257]

I am for sure going to pick up Anno Mutationem, thank you :)

[@dylangazaway1310]

I played the PS1 version of Final Fantasy VII for the first time last year and I can definitely understand your points about the random encounters and the timed actions in battles. By the time I got to the end of the game I was definitely feeling fatigued. I started FFVII Remake today and I’m already loving it!

[@MiamiSunrise]

Your intention was to get the story from the original FFVII so the way you played it I have less of any opinion on. Had you stated you wanted to the original game experience on the whole and then altered it to blow through parts of it I would say something very different, but you did not do that. No cred challenged haha! I have a PS5 physical of Anno Mutationem as I feared it would be hard to find and I imagine its going to get that way, but I really was astonished by the previews for it. This is a must play, thanks for showcasing it and reinforcing that. Great video as always Emily! 😊

[@StephsTooDef]

I really need to get around to playing Coffee Talk 2. Just waiting for the mood to strike. This one piece game looks cool. I’ll have to look into it. Never watched the anime or read the manga but it sounds like a good time. I feel you on House of Fata Morgana. I was playing it a bunch back in September/October and I’m almost done with it. It got heavy so I put it down. Determined to finish it up this year though. Don’t worry about how you played FFVII. I played it a couple years after it was released but I plan on taking advantage of the different ‘perks’ that make things a little less annoying whenever I get around to playing FFVIII and FFIX. As always, great vid!

[@orbalology]

Thanks Steph! Hopefully we can both wrap up House of Fata Morgana soon & see how it ends!! :)

[@gotaplanstan]

This is my first video of yours that I've seen, and I really enjoyed it! There's something about listening to other passionate nerds talk about stuff they love that just hits different (cuz of how relatable it is) 😁 Looking forward to checking out the rest of your channel, and for seeing new content of yours!

[@orbalology]

Thank you so much :)

[@bp2382]

7 is my favorite game all time. Played it when it came out when I was 14. Ditched Nintendo and begged my parents for a PlayStation just because of its upcoming release and how much I loved 2 and 3 on the Super Nintendo. But it’s one of those things I think is tied to its time period. It’s hard to look past the flaws of the early 3D era jrpg’s if you’re playing them for the first time. I recently played Xenogears for the first time and I…had similar thoughts towards that game as you’ve expressed about 7. Wish I had some of those qol things when I was playing that game. But luckily we got the remake for 7 and it’s great. And now that you’ve played the original, you have a good foundation going into it. Rebirth is gonna have a 2 Blu-ray Disc physical release! Have to get that…

[@wertywerrtyson5529]

Just discovered your channel. Seems to be about the games I love as well. And you present the games very well. Regarding FFVII it was the reason I got into video games. I had played Mario and such before but it was FFVII that made me fall in love with being in a virtual world. I didn’t even know much English first time I played it since it’s not my native language but I played it again and again until I finally understood everything. I still think FFVII is the best game of all time. And for me it holds up. Especially with the New Threat mod that makes it more interesting combat wise.

[@kevinmccartney4906]

Your Patreon ideas- I think that'd be cool to get your take on a game shortly after playing it. Optionally with spoilers, your call; I'm for them though. Other channels give patrons early access and chat in the Patreon app, which are of value too. I think you would get subscribers without obliging yourself to do separate videos just for patrons, maybe some of both, again your call of course. Looking forward to whatever you decide Emily! 😊

[@dusty86]

The only thing that bug me about One Piece Odyssey was trying to find the collectible nano cube, since there's no way of tracking which areas you got of them in.

[@dwade03marion07]

Hey Emily! First off, thanks for sharing your game experiences as always! Like to hear on what people think of various games, even if the game in question itself, I'm not really interested in or no interest at all hehe. Second, gonna give some constructive criticism about on how your played FF7, if you don't mind. Obviously, you had every right to play the way you did, and time is precious, so I understand going through the game like you did, so that you can understand what's going on, and ultimately, be more knowledgeable when you start playing the Remakes. With that said, in my opinion, you definitely didn't play the game on how it was supposed to be played lol. I think, it's definitely, on how modern JRPG's (or RPG's in general) have become, with all the nuances that make it easy to play, like being able to avoid encounters, being able to go 2x speed, etc. which obviously, has it's positives, but also it's negatives, (like dumbing down the game) and I think, that made the experience less than ideal for you. It really makes it seem that older JRPG's are bad by comparison, even though they are not. I hope that when you do play another game like the OG FF7, you can take more time (if you do have it) to enjoy and play it in a more ideal fashion hehe :D

[@dominoscr]

Props for even finishing FFVII having never played it before now. It was very much a product of the time it was created. Glad you got to experience it in a way that got you through it. Play stuff however it makes ya happy and for sure it is good to be upfront about what works for you so others can benefit. 😀

[@justinu1182]

Great video! Sometimes I feel like a jrpg fraud myself having never played FF7. I feel like I’d probably enjoy playing the original with the QoL features available though

[@orbalology]

JRPG fraud is a good way to put it... I'm stealing this & adjusting my title haha

[@thatoneguyoverthere4236]

I was a teenager back when ff7 came out and yeah my mind couldn't believe what i was seeing/playing. The graphics at the time were incredible although they haven't aged super well. It was one of my favorite games of all time, i played it for many years. I don't think there is any issue with quality of life features being used. All of us at some point in life come to realize just how little time all of us have in life, i believe you're aware of this. So yeah speed stuff up when possible so you can get more games played through I say.

[@cozyfeji]

Your thoughts of FF7 OG are the exact reasons why I dropped and put it on hold. I definitely want to get back to it but definitely with a guide!

[@orbalology]

I guide is highly encouraged!! Also using all the boosters to help you through much of the tedium so you can experience the cool story :)

[@slarbiter]

Currently playing FFVI(III on snes) as my first final fantasy game, definitely a bit grindy but I’m loving it. My first JRPG as a kid was Earthbound then Chrono Trigger. Wish I could’ve grown up with FFVII but my dad wouldn’t let me get a ps1 as a kid 🙃

[@russb93]

The thing about Final Fantasy VII is so many people grew up with it and are completely nostalgia-blind and probably don't remember being stuck on a part for days, weeks, or even months without the help of the good old Brady Games player's guide! Don't feel bad about the quality of life features either. I call them "adult gamer" features because work/life and more specifically game/life balance gets tougher as you get older. I would have never completed the Trails games if speed up options didn't exist, and I wish all games had those features along with turning off encounters and upping experience from battles. Another great video!

[@orbalology]

The turbo options in Trails is a live saver! lol

[@MissBubbles]

LOVE Anno Mutationem, such an underrated gem 😍

[@orbalology]

It's so good!!

[@maths34]

I was also not very good at latte art in Coffee Talk 😬 but I enjoyed the lofi beats and relaxing environment, episode 2 is very rainy day themed. I also have been using a guide as I play through chrono cross for the first time, the switch is great for experiencing older rpgs one has missed, but qol features and guides are nice options to have to budget your time in those experiences

[@orbalology]

Haha, my latte art ended up looking so unappetizing 😂 Oh Chrono Cross is one I need to get to as well, I found guides so helpful especially for older JRPGs. They really help make going back to these older titles more approachable & saves a lot of time on the less fun parts.

[@omnigears2062]

Great video! Sword and fairy was hard for me to play because of the tiny text. I couldn’t get through it.

[@robbyrobot3303]

There were text only guides on gamefaqs in the late 90s. I was always impressed when they would recreate the game's logo with alphanumeric characters. And I owe an apology to the school librarian for printing them out there.

[@Kj2294]

Very insightful about One Piece Odyssey! I only watched like 90 episodes many years ago but I really wanted to play the game. I might give it a go after hearing this review of it!

[@orbalology]

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!! I found the whole game so charming & like comfort food haha

[@Kj2294]

@@orbalology haha I'll report back when I do get to play it. Hopefully sometime this year!

[@35infinite]

Playing through SaGa Frontier Remastered right now and I'm using the QoL improvements with the New Game+ to get through all the stories faster. The way I see it, if you bought a game, you own it, so do with it or play it any way you want. As far as using guides, I grew up before the internet, so I was tempered and used to figuring stuff out for myself. When the internet and strat guides came along, I'd only use them after I beat a game (if I was going to play it again). I still do this now. I don't necessary feel a point of pride, but more of the enjoyment of figuring things out or where to go, myself, rather than the game walking me through it. Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts, Emily.

[@luroc]

the good thing about SaGa Frontier (and any of the recent SaGa remasters) is that youre forced to play at least one characters' story as it was intended to be played. there's no invincibility feature so the game makes you work for that first playthrough. of course after that, every other characters playthrough will be a piece of cake thanks to newgame+ which is where the real fun starts haha.

[@fluffyluffy9307]

Funnily enough i'm currently playing through FFVII for the first time on switch. I played remake first which i honestly think has helped with mh enjoyment of the original. The original is very charming by itself but the remake has certainly helped increase my appreciation of the original and already having prior knowledge of the first section of the story helped as well i think. I don't regret having played remake first personally and i might even recommend ppl who aren't familiar or haven't played many older jrpgs (like myself) start with the remake and then play the original. I'm excited to get to rebirth eventually (once i've saved up for a ps5). I also don't think there's a certain way you have to play through jrpgs, nothing wrong with your approach on FFVII.

[@TheSpiritBeaver]

The most important part about playing FFVII is just absorbing the story, because Remake/Rebirth are a sequel. Remake is a subtitle, not the context of what the game is. If that makes sense. OG is just like 'required reading.'

[@Olafurh21]

Good thing you "experienced" the original because the remake isn't a remake at all (the word remake is a marketing ploy). It's a sequel with a similiar story (but much worse) that will probably be different. Be glad because many people can never go back to the original has indended after playing the sequel because it spoils one of the plot twist. You should play VIII also... it's really good.

[@orbalology]

I have FF8 digitally on the Switch as well! Not sure when I'll get to it but I'm hoping to play most of the FF games.

[@Efreyra]

I played Sword and Fairy last month and you're definitely right, it IS challenging! Bosses have a lot of HP and they hit *extremely* hard no matter how good your equipment is, I had to keep on checking if I was still playing on Normal or if the difficulty setting just rose somehow lol. Still, it's a pretty cool game 💜💜 Looking forward to playing Sword and Fairy 6 some day!

[@Walamonga1313]

Which Sword and Fairy?

[@orbalology]

The difficulty spikes were pretty crazy looking back. I'm hoping to play Sword & Fairy 6 too someday, I've heard good things!

[@MrRPGcrazy]

I understand were you are coming from when you are talking about FF7, Its a game after all and not a movie. But playing the game this way is still better then just watching a lets play of it because you can still explore the world and experience the story at your own pace. Personally I cant even imagine what feels like to play this game for the first time today. The game has not aged a day for me mainly because I replay the game once a year since it came out. But I know decent amount of people that had a hard time getting into the original, really loved the Remake. I wasnt actually super impressed with Odin Sphere when it came out on the PS2, but the Vita/PS4 version of the game really improved the game. Its fantastic now.

[@Wikkens70]

Don't feel bad.I got FF7 the day it came out and I could not get into it. I have tried multiple times, I even got the official book hoping it would help me get into the story more but nothing has helped. I have never made it past the first disc. I have played and completed every other FF game up to X-2 but I just can't seem to give a crap about the story or the characters enough to keep playing this one. I haven't tried for over 8 years so I guess I need to try again....at least to get to the next disc to see if it improves.

[@badmeetsevil6163]

Don’t worry about your opinion on FF7. I kinda felt the same way too. I also felt that the abundance of mini-games was unnecessary since you could only play them once in a single playthrough and a lot of them were very silly and cheesy. Btw if you missed the PS1 era, I highly recommend playing FF9.

[@stevemac11]

As someone who played, and loved FF7, on release I see nothing wrong with how you played it. Back then new games would be months apart so getting lost, and discovery the hard way, was just part of the process. It does not need to be experienced that way to appreciate it. There's a reason things evolved on terms of QoL

[@Shinky]

I feel like I haven't really played anything this year. I've played a few games but not as many as I'd like to

[@brandroidanimal]

man, odin sphere , anno mutationem and ff7 are three of my favorites... you have pretty good taste as far as i can see...

[@DCFatCat]

Hey Emily, so Patreon, love the idea of the spoiler versions on there. as long as they are just time delayed, like post as unlisted videos. So you aren't duplicating entire projects. Two, I did the same thing with Star Ocean Second Story and Super Mario RPG as you did with FF VII, no shame. Also, Nomura has been clear that the story will be changing with the remakes.

[@goober_]

I finally finished my first Trails game (From Zero) and being an older RPG plus the backlog proceeding it, I ended up using a guide to make sure I spoke to everyone etc. I did find out at the end that I'd missed one recipe from Day One (and only day one!) needed to get an ultimate weapon which is pretty cheeky, so no guilt here...

[@orbalology]

Oh for Trails I always have to have a guide next to me to make sure I didn't miss anything important. Falcom really loved inserting so many timed hidden quests & cool dialogs in the most unlikely of places lol

[@goober_]

@@orbalology oh good, i don't feel as bad now ❤

[@EnbyFish]

I use god mode in the FF ports of retro titles 1-9 because I want to play for story, music, and art. I don’t care about sweating over the gameplay lol. I played the xenoblade trilogy mostly on normal/easy, played 3 on hard only after getting through the first 2 games. Used cheat codes to get through X. RPGs are mostly acclaimed for story anyway

[@gabrebr]

It's so nice to see that you also like One Piece! And yes, One Piece games usually are not that good xD A RPG turn based game was really welcome to the franchise (: One Piece manga and anime are so good but so hard to adapt in a really good game.

[@silverian]

From these games Final Fantasy VII is the most familiar one. I still need to finish it. I know that FF8 is also long one. I had very odd way to play FF8 during summer times and then continue gameplay next summer. It's really long one and one thing what you said about FF7 (There are things, which might stay hidden/unfound unless you know where to go, are also same with FF8).

[@orbalology]

I have FF8 digitally on the Switch as well, so I'll likely be using the QoL features for that as well lol

[@jdee0]

This thumbnail hit hard. Good job. Instantly reminded me of all the JRPGs I have played vs own/haven’t played 🥹 Edit: note: played does not mean finished bc that’s an even sadder number lol. Played means 10-100+ hours. Also Dark/Demon Souls are JRPGs no matter what valid things ppl may say 🫶

[@marcelinorodriguez7628]

I love rpgs but I can’t play them back to back I need some time to decompress and reminisce on the adventure I just had

[@philipsidney123]

Jumping on the FF7 discussion: I don't think there is a problem with what you did (I wouldn't worry about missing out on the optional stuff either when not using a guide - makes the stuff that you do find extra special). I played it a couple of years after it came out and was expecting some perfectly crafted game (e.g. like Ocarina of Time) but found it really rather wonky. The minigames could be baffling or frustrating (the swinging pipe springs to mind) and half the soundtrack seemed to miss due to technical limitations. However the story was one of the best I had played through. I think only the first Xenoblade game has come close since for me. Which is why playing it with the assist options on would not harm the experience too much in my eyes. I think it could be different for something like FF16 or Nier:Automata where the energy of the combat has a halo effect on other elements of the game. In FF7 you can do some really fun things with your Materia setup but the bonuses that you get from gaining levels are so great that you are not pushed into exploring them - FF15 had a similar issue with its battle system. I would say that the Remake is a much better game overall - surprisingly so in fact. There was something special about having that story all on 3 discs at once though - like having a good book that you cannot wait to get back to reading, feels like a world of your own.

[@mysterical7]

I played FF7 as a teenager and for me it was and still is the greatest game of all time. Nostalgia is of course a big factor. However, I think your review is totally fair because of your frame of reference. You mentioned that you started out mostly playing games on PS2. By that time, games and RPGS had already started to change a lot. Up until FF7, I had grown up on the other FF games in the series (FF1, FF6), dragon quest, Phantasy star, games where you had to grind A LOT and in which there was little help given on where you had to go to next. So when FF7 came out, the visual effects were stunning and the grinding was not that bad compared to previous generations games. Also, I didn't buy that many games back then, so I would play through FF7 many times through; exploration and figuring out what to do next did take a lot of time since I didn't use guides that much. On my first playthrough, I missed out on A LOT (Yuffie, Vincent, strongest limit breaks, ultimate weapons, minigames, extra bosses), but that made subsequent playthroughs all the more fun. These days, with so many games coming out at once, and games being so long, people just want to get through them quickly with the help of guides if necessary. It's just a very different way of experiencing gaming than back in the day.

[@SergeofBIBEK]

You didn't need a guide back then. You just play and explore and -diacover- things. That discovery process makes each secret you find that much more awesome. Playing with a guide destroys a lot of the fun.

[@TheLostFan2010]

I get where PSX RPGs could feel kind of archaic for someone who didn't play them back in the day but I'm glad you enjoyed the story!

[@50MiraGaming]

I somehow fall for a happy endings in atelier games and get hit hard when it's not lol specially playing sophie 2 and then straight into ryza 3 after wards

[@sanjithechef]

lol definitely not going to question your cred. I think being a fan is more about the enthusiasm you have about JRPGs :) rather than your play history or personal preferences

[@Suzakuux]

Fata Morgana is incredible! I adore it. Which door did you leave off in it? Best way to ask where you are without spoilers.

[@MrNemmith]

I have been meaning to get One Piece Odyssey. I think I finally pull the trigger on it.

[@S_Hyde]

Couple of these are on my radar, though House in Fata Morgana I ended up not getting due to it being one of those VNs that got butchered by localization.

[@orbalology]

Interesting, I hear that the localization wasn't too bad for this! Not sure what was changed but my experience has been pretty great so far.

[@S_Hyde]

maybe I'm confusing it with another one

[@orbalology]

Maybe some of the Science;Adventure games? I've heard some backlash regarding the localization for some of those entries

[@stephengoodman9058]

Doubting your cred’, are you kidding ?🤣. As a relative newcomer to the genre you’ve been one of my main guides through the maze (along with Britta). I have two simple rules when it cones to “cheating” at games. 1. You can’t cheat when there are no rules. 2. If the developers put the functionality in there its fair game. I used the ring in FFVXI that gives a warning of an unblockable attack and I think it greatly enhanced my experience and made it less of a slog than say, a Soulsborne game. I completely support your decision. Incidentally I’m about to start the FF7 remake on PS5 and I have a real sense that I’m about to experience something special as I did with other video game royalty like God of War or Dark Souls.

[@daveymarshall3679]

I don't think there is such thing as a fake jrpg fan and I hope this statement does not get me crucified I personally don't care for the trails games no ill will to anyone who does I just feel they are to long winded I compare it like this reason I love a anime like berserk ( besides guts is my dude) is it's small digestible 25 episodes compared to say some thing like Naruto or one piece which is 100 plus I think it comes down to just be true to you... you game for you not anyone else great vid keep them up

[@orbalology]

Not all games will mesh with everyone! And that's is perfectly fine. I can certainly see the appeal for wanting shorter, more self-contained experiences that don't spam over 15+ titles lol

[@Dullshimmer]

Not liking a popular game doesn't make you lose your cred. Not every game is for every person even within a particular genre. I've played FF7 before, but it wasn't my favorite. I'm currently playing through the FF series so we'll see how it holds up when I get to it.

[@bahamut505ci]

I almost bought sword and fairy several times now, I think I will end up buying it eventually. I am also up to date on one piece, I’ve had one piece odyssey in my back log since launch. I can’t wait to play it. I waited too long to get anno mutationem and might have to settle for a digital copy 😢 still waiting on the fate stay/night release for switch wish it would release on ps as well but I think it will only be on switch and steam.

[@orbalology]

I saw the announcement for Fate/Stay Night and it looks like it'll be PC & Switch release (for now). Type Moon has the other VNs coming to PS4 so it may be a delayed release for Fate/Stay Night 🤞

[@luroc]

i feel lucky enough to have experienced a game like FF7 back when it came out, but of course I understand that not everyone was into rpgs in those days or (at the risk of dating myself) not old enough to be into gaming back in 97. So it makes sense to me when a player says that going back to rpgs of that era is tough. im of the mindset nowadays where i dont at all judge someone for using QoL features like the ones in these ports (invincibility, no random encounters, 3x speed). especially if experiencing the story is your primary concern. the gameplay unfortunately is hugely sacrificed, so you dont get the sense of wonder and curiosity to materia experimentation or excitement when receiving new weapons and accessories or most importantly, new summons. as divisive as the jrpg community can be at times, at the end of the day, all are welcome. whether youve played the biggest rpgs of 2023/4 or you started with dragon warrior on the nes. as long as youre playing them and loving them. thats all that matters.

[@upsidedownmachiatto2670]

Oh shit. I didn't realize you had Trails figurines. I WANT!

[@orbalology]

I have more on pre-order and no idea where I'll be able to display them all 😂

[@brucey5585]

I played ff7 in 1998, it was the first massive story driven jrpg we got in the west. The gameplay is outdated compared to today's standard, but the story and music still makes it a masterpiece. If you go into ff7 original thinking it have some supercool combat system then you are wrong. It was supercool in 1997 but not in 2024.

[@tonyp9313]

Awesome video Emily. I just want to respond to the playing the game on normal as intended because you over powered your character & played on the easiest level. Play the game however you want. All this play the game on normal, in 1 sitting without using a guide etc is only going to take you a whole lot longer to get to the end result. You still beat the game because you took the time to invest in it. You didn't cheat or do anything that was bad. It just bothers me a lot when people have these standards in gaming that everyone is supposed to abide to. I'll give you an example. In my era when games came out, it was usually 1 sitting type of deal & you had no choice but to play them that way. However now with save states, rewind features, youtube guides those same retro games accessible to everyone & you can pretty much beat all those retro games back in the 80's & 90's that you struggled at.

[@MichaelH-1]

That's understandable with FF7 Dr. Emily. Those PS1 games are dated now and seem so slow paced. The Chrono Cross remake seemed really slow paced too.

[@n3r0n3]

all right I admit that "a no mutation ehm" sounds good as well ;) PS. unrelated.. Type Moon just announced Fate/Stay Night for switch so by the end of the year VN fans will enjoy both Tsukihime prt.1 and Stay Night in English!! It took Nasu 20 years to understand ignoring the west didn't make much sense commercially... but better late than never.

[@orbalology]

I'm really excited Fate/Stay Night is finally getting localized!! Definitely will be preordering the Switch version whenever it goes up.

[@S3lph131]

It depends on many things.. (time played, location, patience etc) When i was in my teens i couldn't play games from the previous gen.. I was way.. into ps1.. rpgs.. i loved ps1 rpgs.. it took a further five years after ps2 release to jump fully into ps2 XD (thank you Front Mission 3.. you crazy diamond 💎) But FFVII was my second rpg.. after Vandal hearts and I never experienced a game soo vast in scope and vision for the time (especially since I live in uk.. no CT or FFVI for us.. plus pre internet).. As for random battles try.. Breath of Fire II and you'll have RNG-PTSD XD (honestly you'll have flashbacks after that assault lmao ..)

[@avrilwilliams252]

I purchased Coffee Talk double pack and hope to get around to it soon : )

[@doomy_doomy2225]

I have been looking into sword and fairy. Has gone on sale a few times. Hoping it comes to ps premium. KZbin must have known cause this was in my recommended lol

[@thothscorner8025]

I play most JRPGs/RPGs on easy. I play them for the story. I just started the Ryza series after watching some of the Anime. The story is much deeper in the game with the Anime adding some additional color. Next I'm planning on tackling the Trails series and due to its length I'll also be going on easy. Game modes are there for how you want to play. They shouldn't be used to discount your appreciation of the game(s). There are plenty of games that don't have easy or any mode choice (Fromsoft, Team Ninja, etc.). They are RPGs & made in Japan. I say play how you want & where you want (console/PC). It looks like I'll have to add One Piece to my to do list as well.

[@orbalology]

Hope you enjoy One Piece Odyssey!

[@Trololo231]

I had the same experience with FF7 on Switch, after awhile i kinda got bored of the constant random encounters and would use the option to disable random encounters, then you realize you're underleveled and to catch up you would need t o speed probably from 30 minutos 1 hour grinding, so you decide to use the one hit KO button. Instead of giving basically options to cheat, they should rework parts that have a sudden difficulty spike, but whatever.

[@lf2334]

I own tons of JRPGs and I hate every single one of them. I have collecting/consumerism issues. If I had to pick my 2 least favorite things in any video game it would be stories/cut scenes, and turn based combat. Both of those things bore me to tears. Luckily, I should be able to sell them someday for a profit. They're investments that feed the need to consume. :)

[@DavidRBrown7]

The House in Fata Morgana is very high on my list of games I want to play but the rarity of the PS4 version makes it just a wish at the moment. Getting a copy cost an astronomic amount and there is no digital version (at least in the UK). I know its on the Switch and I might get it there but I keep hoping for a re-release for the PS4.

[@orbalology]

I'm surprised they never released it on the PS4, as it's on the Vita! Hopefully they'll re-release it on there or the PS5 someday!

[@Jakco808]

Great video as always!

[@AD3SPG]

Don't matter what anyone thinks enjoy what you like playing.

[@glorg]

That was exactly how I played FF7, so I guess I'm a fraud as well. QoL improvements let me experience the story - that's really what I was after and I don't feel bad about it. No-one should!

[@borrellipatrick]

Kinda like that anno mutation was 10-ish hours for you. Haven't gotten to it yet but be happy to play a shorter game 🤔 Out of the three final fantasy ps1 games, final fantasy IX is my favorite 👀👉👈 Never played VIII though

[@orbalology]

I have both those FF games digitally on my switch... someday I'll get to them lol

[@calex9398]

I discovered your channel 9 months ago 😊

[@orbalology]

Thank you! Glad to have you along for the ride :)

[@calex9398]

You know it!🙂

[@danbe6280]

One Piece Odyssey is on my backlog. I tried the demo and didn't like how Luffy had to pause the movement flow every time he needed to perform a certain action, but I love OP and DQ11, plus the game was on sale for $15. I couldn't resist and ended up buying it. Sword and Fairy: I know very little; perhaps I will try it in the future. I completely agree with your opinion on Odin Sphere. The art style is beautiful but the gameplay itself becomes really monotonous. ANNO: Mutationem looks intriguing , but with a backlog like mine, I don't see myself purchasing or playing it anytime soon. Now, The House in Fata Morgana I'll definitely play next October; I only heard good things about that VN, and I'm always on the lookout for a fantastic dark story. If you don't mind me asking, what book did you end up reading on your Kindle instead of playing Fata? What can you say about Final Fantasy VII that hasn't already been said? For me, it's a gem from its time; I enjoyed it many years ago, and there are things I still like today (the materia system and the breeding mechanic, to name a few), but it's the one from the trinity 7-8-9 that I haven't revisited in the previous decade or so. Finally, when it comes to the easy mode and the toggle on of the quality of life settings, I believe that everyone values different aspects of a game; for some, it could be the music, for others, it could be the combat, for others, it could be the story, etc. So, as long as you find value in your gaming session, are having fun playing it, or are invested for any other reason, there is no problem or judgment on my part. Everyone is entitled to play how they see fit, as long as they don't try to push their style of play on others or how the developers designed the game.

[@orbalology]

I had a free Kindle Unlimited 3 month subscription with my kindle purchase so I've been mostly going through some books on there. tbh they are not books I would necessarily recommend, but they were light and easy reads that I enjoyed reading during my free trial period. I felt that since I had these books available through this service for a limited time (because I don't plan to go beyond the free months) may as well get good use out of it lol.

[@jockmattock9239]

Hellooo, the audio at the end of Ys 8 is messed up for a brief moment which bummed us out considering all the time and effort we put into it. PS5 disk, problem. As for cyberpunk content, there's a new genre alert "Brainpunk" game published by Bandai Namco named Scarlett Nexus. Thanks Emily and Co

[@orbalology]

Oh I didn't know this! That's disappointing... has it at least gotten patched out?

[@jockmattock9239]

Doesn't seem like it. We finished it not too long ago. Checked for an update and there was none.

[@orbalology]

Aww, super disappointing :(

[@jockmattock9239]

@@orbalology First World Problems

[@ihaunteddinox7445]

In regards to playing final fantasy 7 and if how you played it messes with the “true” experience; I feel that however you play a video game doesn’t matter as long as you have a good time with the game and you get what you wanted out of that game (in your case, getting the story of FF7). For example, I started the persona games in 2023 and played P5R and P4 Golden and played them with a day to day guide that told you how to use your free time most effectively. I personally didn’t want to explore the whole city blindly every free day, but I know some people feel that is your time “exploring”. But when I first started P5R, I found the free time aspect extremely overwhelming and probably would’ve dropped the game without a free time guide. But I’m glad I played the game with a guide, as it was my favorite game of last year and it definitely lives up to the hype and praises. Love your videos btw, know that was long!

[@casualcaveman]

I'm getting One Piece because of this video. Didn't realize it was turn base. 👍

[@MrDesertdogg69]

Great video. Not huge into anime, but do like some of the art style. I do like the One Piece characters i find them interesting. Oh liked Odin Sphere have it on PS2 and PS4..Love the art style that Vanillaware does, also liked Dragon's Crown and Muramasa Rebirth. That Anno game looks interesting cause I like the style and the cyberpunk theme. I remember playing FFVII on PS1 I enjoyed it, not my favorite though. Thanks for sharing.

[@ryanrank3070]

If you're messing with PS1 era JRPGs, see if you can find Legend of Legaia. I *loved* that one. I think it was a cool story and a fun combat system.

[@ryanrank3070]

It hasn't aged well graphically, like just about any polygon based game from that area.

[@orbalology]

I'll have to look into it, thanks!

[@craigtidwell7492]

I think playing FF VII almost 30 yrs later with cheats really won't make you appreciate it. It was epic for its time. The remake is really full of nostalgia for older fans.

[@mikewhite8663]

Your definitely not a fake jrpg fan I have seen lots of it on your channel your a extreme trails of fan that alone makes you a jrpg fan

[@JustTheGems]

Gatekeeping is so funny to me. It feels very... devolved. Like for some reason, there's a part of our monkey brains that still wants to tribalize everything and try and keep certain people out because they don't have the same thoughts and experiences we do. I've done what you did with Final Fantasy VII on several other games, and it's fine. It's totally fine. So long as you're having a good experience, then you're doing it right, I say. 😺

[@orbalology]

Exactly! As long as you feel good about it, then that should really be all that matters.

[@MissRagnarok]

You've got JRPG cred, definitely don't second guess yourself :) There's definitely some older JRPG's that I've tried and everyone loves and I just question what was so good about them. But then there's some retro one's that I played and realised how much I actually liked them yet no one spoke about them. I do find though if I'm playing a game and all I want to do is rush the story, I drastically dislike it more then if I played it how it's intended too - but that's just my personal experience. Best thing about games is play how you want to experience them. Play on Easy, Play on Hard, plow through them or take your time - no one should judge any one on how they decide to experience a story.

[@jamesdorsey5503]

Are you picking up the Trails Through Daybreak CE

[@orbalology]

Yes!! That was an instant preorder for me :)

[@crono_8398]

Most people wouldnt go back and play an og game. I beat it back in 99 no internet and it was not easy. I was lost all the time. I now replay it every 10 years and last time i put a platinum trophy on it. The remake is ok but way different. More like ff 16.

[@Walamonga1313]

You like Trails, that's enough JRPG cred🤙🏻

[@theninjararar]

if your tapping the screen you could just take the joycons of the oled no? I've never played a visual novel on a switch though

[@orbalology]

Without the joycons the screen will be a bit awkward to hold tbh. So that's why I find the Lite a bit better for this, mostly because when you grip the sides the distance is closer to tapping the screen and offers a more comfortable hold.