I have the first Golden Sun close to memorized, but I don't have nearly the same strong memories of The Lost Age.
Man, TLA tends to have the Crosscode problem of every dungeon being 30% longer than it should be.
For the most part they are fine, but to have the biggest dungeon (even if it's a good one) in the first few hours was not the best decision. This game is also rather dungeon front loaded compared to the first one. I like it for the most part. But for sure some could have been a smidge shorter.
Finished the first game last night. I'm pretty sure I wasn't using the Djion system properly because every time I summoned one of them, all of my moves changed. Still, I managed to get through the game with little resistance. The Kraken took a few tries. I ended up dropping the Deadbeard boss fight after half a dozen tries. That dude was OP.
That is part of the push and pull, knowing what class you move to if you use one, and either specifically using djins to get to a class with it's spells, or realising when it's to risky to use them.
Also: deciding what djins to use. If I need that combination for my healing spells, it's good to give the character the specific elemental skins that you don't need in battle.
I ended up with all 28 Djion's (thanks to a guide, hehe). I enjoyed the puzzles in each cave/dungeon. There was only one or two puzzles that made me think for more than a couple of minutes. One complaint I had was that when having to backtrack, the moveable pieces were put back in their original places, so I would have to redo the puzzle. I'm not sure if it was a technical limitation with the GBA, or just how they wanted it. At the same time, I can understand the need to reset puzzles each time you entered the room though. Teleportation/typical JRPG airship would've been awesome at the end, but that was hardly a deal breaker. I was surprised that the world map led to a more linear path.
They do that at some places (mostly for backtracking shortcuts), as you guessed, it's for resetting the puzzle, but I do agree, a flag that a puzzle was solved correctly should have been set.
I give it a solid 8/10. Some mechanics did not age as well, but the experience was still fun. I'll probably hit up The Lost Age sometime later this year. I doubt that I will be able to beat the game before Rebirth comes out, and that game will be my entire March.
TLA is a slightly different flavor. Way less linear, some mechanics that expand the game, the parts you missed from other RPGs are here... GS1 is effectively disk 1 of 3 (where tla is 2 and 3).
I have memories of absolutely loving these games when they first game out. The Lost Age may have been one of my most anticipated games...ever?
That being said, I'm finding them a bit rough to go back to. There is just so...much...dialogue. Last night I played for like half an hour and fought one battle, I think. And the dialogue, while maybe charming, is often just repetitive and not super good?
Ah. Maybe this was just a product of the times. I'll probably play a bit more since I'm sure it opens up after the first hour or two, but yeah. Not sure if I have it in my to play through the whole thing again, sadly.
The opening is a lot of dialogue.
I would not say bad, more: it's trying to give character and charme, but really fluffs it a little to much. Later on it gets better, but a handful encounters are really overdoing it with the chatter.
It’s ironic that 2D RPG games are being perceived as having too much dialogue, when gaming hs evolved its storytelling to actually having more dialogue.
I know the games have a lot of dialogue, but I’m highlighting something that feels ironic to me ahha
I thing the amount is less of the problem then the context: the story, while charming, does not warrant that much exposition. I know it, and for most interactions I mash through it. It is written with charme, but with such a basic (good, but basic) story and so little visual flair just to much. Modern jrpgs have VO, animated cut scenes, more intricate stories. That's what works in favour of more text (and even then for many it's to much)
After finishing the first 1: holds up. Has it's flaws. The concept (djin system, overworld puzzles with psynergy,...) Would still make a great jrpg.
