Dragon's Crown (Vanillaware)

[TrevHead (TVR)]

I'm glad I'm not the only person who finds Vanillaware boring once the initial graphical wow factor wear off. Personally I think both Dust: An Elysian Tail and Aquaria are much better designed games even if they are rather easy.

[KAI]

Dragon’s Crown will launch for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita in Japan on July 25 for 8,190 yen

http://gematsu.com/2013/03/dragons-crow ... e-date-set

[Friendly]

Is this cross-buy (buy the PS3 version, get the Vita game for free)? Otherwise, the price seems quite high.

[KAI]

http://dragons-crown.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwMKiimt ... e=youtu.be
Conan!

I'm liking this.

[drauch]

Ahhhhh! Can't wait! That trailer got my pants all bunched up.

[CMoon]

Enter the new era of online dungeon crawling hack & slash!

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

Vanillaware = amazing trailers, so-so games.

Vanillaware's main problem is that they turn a game that should have been say 60 minutes into 8 or 10 hours long. Odin Sphere had one screen dungeons and you had to repeat the same dungeons about 5 times. Muramasa was relatively better but still sorely lacking in content. There's only so many times you can repeat the same screens and enemies over and over before I get bored playing the game.

I'll wait until a price drop or until the game gets here and we all get a chance to look at it before buying. It'd be shame on me if I get burned thrice by them. Vanillaware is overrated.

[mesh control]

into that amazon

[Skykid]

Vanillaware = amazing trailers, so-so games.

Vanillaware's main problem is that they turn a game that should have been say 60 minutes into 8 or 10 hours long. Odin Sphere had one screen dungeons and you had to repeat the same dungeons about 5 times. Muramasa was relatively better but still sorely lacking in content. There's only so many times you can repeat the same screens and enemies over and over before I get bored playing the game.

I really agree on Odin Sphere, really disagree on Muramasa. It's so short! With one character it's only a few hours long. Palanquin rides shorten the distance, but there is an emphasis on combat and levelling up that encourages by-foot travel. Personally I never had an issue with going from A to B because everything looks and sounds so beautiful, the aesthetic really elevated the game. It might be because I played it on the harder setting from the outset - I tried the default and it was just too easy so I restarted. I would suggest anyone who finds it a bit timid to definitely go for the tougher option.

Also, if you want to collect all the swords and do all the kumite affairs, it's a lot (lot) longer, and a lot more challenging.

[CMoon]

I don't disagree with the criticisms of the other games but am actually hoping online collaborative beat-em-ups are as sexy as they sound. Especially if I can hook-up with my crusty old arcade buddies from the early 90's (who live on the other side of the country) and play a session together. Worth the price of admission right there.

[drauch]

I don't disagree with the criticisms of the other games but am actually hoping online collaborative beat-em-ups are as sexy as they sound. Especially if I can hook-up with my crusty old arcade buddies from the early 90's (who live on the other side of the country) and play a session together. Worth the price of admission right there.

Yup. This is exactly what I'm thinking. I have like four friends that probably all hate me at this point, but I think I can round up at least two that play games, other than Skyrim and MGS, and still have a worthwhile arcade throwback experience.

[Khan]

http://dragons-crown.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwMKiimt ... e=youtu.be
Conan!

I'm liking this.

PLS SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY NAO!!

[Ed Oscuro]

I AM THE DANCING MOUSE also a wizard in my spare time

other than that urgh seeing the lazy way of animating the characters for this FMV (especially sorceress and amazon, of course) gives me bad flashbacks to stuff and things

[Hagane]

It's always been that way with Vanillaware. Pretty art (not so pretty this time around) with clunky flash animation.

[BulletMagnet]

An article (technically, the first half of one) about some of the possible artistic and other references to be found in the recent trailer for the game.

[Ruldra]

All the character trailers are out now.

Fighter
Sorceress
Dwarf
Elf
Wizard
Amazon

In before "dat ass" comments regarding the amazon.

[opt2not]

In before "dat ass" comments regarding the amazon.

This game has something for everyone.

[Skykid]

It's always been that way with Vanillaware. Pretty art (not so pretty this time around) with clunky flash animation.

Actually I read in an interview with Kamitani that VW had developed their own bespoke program for animating their games. Probably a derivative of Flash, but not Flash.

[BulletMagnet]

Also, in case anyone hasn't heard, if you pre-order the game in the US you get an artbook.

[Ruldra]

Some stuff from E3:

3-minute E3 trailer
4-minute gameplay video

[CMoon]

OK, I'm getting good vibes from this! Feels like the arcade is back.

[trap15]

I hope it's not absurdly long (30 minutes for a full play-through would be preferable, 50 minutes is about the high-end of my tolerance), but it certainly does look good. Looks like it plays good too. Hope it's also not too easy

[KAI]

If the game is 30 min-long, the critics will kill it.

[trap15]

Not if it's reasonably hard and limits continues

[CMoon]

I think the era of 30 minute games is over with. The capcom d&d games were significantly longer than 30 minutes.

[Hagane]

No way it's going to be 30-50 minutes. A full SOM playthrough was already well over an hour, and knowing Vanillaware it will have tons of pointless dull filler. If they make it hard and limit continues people will complain too. So it will most likely be like most modern games: 99% of easy drawn out filler, maybe a few tough bosses here and there, and perhaps a harder mode after you beat the game.

Tightly designed, challenging games are passé.

[Ed Oscuro]

it doesn't matter if the critics call it the worst game ever, mangaka have been out there giving this thing free advertising for a year now. Can't stop the reverse beefcake, baby!

[dcharlieJP]

No way it's going to be 30-50 minutes. A full SOM playthrough was already well over an hour, and knowing Vanillaware it will have tons of pointless dull filler. If they make it hard and limit continues people will complain too. So it will most likely be like most modern games: 99% of easy drawn out filler, maybe a few tough bosses here and there, and perhaps a harder mode after you beat the game.

Tightly designed, challenging games are passé.

hoping that there'll be something else in there - maybe a more fleshed out leveling system, or post game stuff that makes replaying interesting ?

It's been in the oven for a while, so hopefully they're going to come through. Though yeah - Vanillaware - i can't say i've been completely blown away by anything they've done gameplay wise yet.

[Hagane]

Ideally I'd hope leveling to be only cosmetic (just a scoring system), or something that opens new abilities to get to new places at worst. No metroidvania grinding please.

[dcharlieJP]

Ideally I'd hope leveling to be only cosmetic (just a scoring system), or something that opens new abilities to get to new places at worst. No metroidvania grinding please.

Yeah, agreed - something that basically rewards skill levels cosmetically and doesn't alter the game balance. Not a "well, now you can have the 500+ damage sword!" stuff. Whilst that sort of thing is okay as an offshoot, i'd prefer this to be more straight arcading - though i think this will be RPG lite stuff.