I'm Too Indecisive...Choose A Game For Me!

[Solid Snake]

So I have a problem.

There are a ton of games I purchased for PS2 that I haven't even played yet. Well, some I just tried the first few minutes of, but still, there are tons of PS2 games in my collection I haven't even touched yet. This phenomenon proves my parents' age-old adage regarding videogames true: I only need to own one new videogame at a time, as owning too many causes some sort of short-circuit in my brain's logic, where I can't invest myself into any of these games because I'm too busy debating which one I want to play first.

I guess it is true; you can have too much of a good thing.

Anyway, if I'm too indecisive, maybe you can help me decide. Then maybe I can actually play through one of these games and accomplish something in my free time, eh?

Dark Cloud 2
Devil May Cry 3
Dragon Quest VIII
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Mercenaries
Okami
Persona 3: FES
Persona 4
Rogue Galaxy
Suikoden V
Zone of the Enders 2


I mean there's just so many games there I haven't even touched. Which one should I start with? Do I utilize strategy guides during my first playthrough or wait until a subsequent, perfectionistic playthrough? I'm so over-analytical I can't decide. I need you all to decide for me! How pathetic is that?!?!?

[Vault Of Thrones]

I'm biased towards Okami so I have to suggest that. That and it's the only of the games you listed that I've beat. I just got Persona 3, and I never got far in Dragon Quest VIII. I don't own any of the others so I can't offer an opinion on them.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

As VoT above is biased towards Okami, I am biased towards DMC3, then Mercs, then Dark Chronicle, then Okami. This is purely because I never actually finished Okami and violence and destruction come before anything anyway, while the stylish over the top decimation of hordes of demons comes before that.

And I can't say I've played any of the others either.

[Yrcrazypa]

I can't recommend any of them, since I haven't played any of them, but I do recommend going through without a strategy guide first playthrough. I find that it makes (most) games more fun, but some disagree.

[Solid Snake]

I'm the kind of crazy perfectionist gamer who actually usually goes through most games (especially RPGs) with a strategy guide on hand because I hate the feeling of having missed anything in my first playthrough. This feeling has compounded itself over the years as I find myself with less and less time to play videogames; way back in my High School days, I usually would have the time to play every Final Fantasy three times over (so who cares what I'd accomplish the first time,) but these days I know for certain that after my first playthrough of a 40+ hour RPG, I'm probably never touching the game again (at least not for several years.)

While it's true that reading through strategy guides takes a great deal of the suspense and puzzle-solving out of games, (which is why I do still avoid guides in cases of games like Ico) the gnawing feeling of missing out on 100% completion just gnaws at me. Seriously, it gnaws at me. I'm the kind of guy who, in my most recent FF7 replay, leveled up all my FF7 characters to level 99 before beating the game, and mastered at least one of every materia, just for completionism's sake. I do not pretend that it's healthy, but I'm at least thankful that this obsessive-compulsive nature doesn't extend far outside the realm of video games.

[Possum Knight]

My recommendation is start with the games that are the fastest to beat. see, then you can get them out of the way and you are totally free to play the other ones.

I have played a good number of those games you have. I beat DMC3 in a week, and that was with tons of school work to do. ZOE2 doesn't take too long to beat either, so you can pick out of those two to start. Also, in both of these games there's not much to do other than beat the games. DMC has ratings for missions, but you don't really get anything for them.

After you beat those two, go with the games that are adventure games that take awhile, but not too long. Okami was fun, but doesn't take too long to beat. Purely epic in its own right thought. I played Dark Cloud 1, but never the sequel (sadly), but I'm sure its not that long to beat.

After you finish those (or are close to beating them) go with a mixture of mercs/Marvel and the RPGs you have. i say that because mercs and fighting games can only be entertaining for so long before you need to take a break to make you want to play them again. That's where the (J)RPGs come in to give you a steady pace to play in. For me sometimes I get tired of the slow levling up pace and just wanna break stuff up so I play fighting games to speed things up, but that's just me.


*breathes* So, yea. This is kinda what i do with games in my free time( summer and Christmas break) I use strategy guides for games that really call for them so i don't screw things up in the long run, like Fire Emblem or games with really complicated leveling up systems. Games like Okami, ZOE2, DMC3 don't really need walkthroughs so don't stress about them. But yea, I usually go with games i can beat quickly so I can move on, then widen to bigger stuff, depends on what I have at the moment.

Does any of that help?

[Regulus Tera]

Dragon Quest VIII is all you need for at least sixty hours.

[DFM]

Start at the top of the list and go down.

/thread

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Originally Posted by Possum Knight

I played Dark Cloud 1, but never the sequel (sadly), but I'm sure its not that long to beat.

If SS is really as much of a perfectionist as he just said he was, he could be playing DC2 for 100+ hours. It is a very long game.

[greed]

Play Okami first, it's short and even going for 100% it's not that long. You can knock it off quickly. It's a damn fun and stylish ride while it lasts though.

Then Persona 3 then 4 , they are both awesome. Don't try to 100% on first go though, it's much easier on a new game+(not sure 100%ing on one go in 4 is possible, I've avoided guides and info on it like the plague). All are pretty hard though.

DQ8 is pretty great, no replay value though and don't bother 100%ing, the items have drop rates comparable to MMOs. It's also a giant extra long grind fest. Dark Cloud 2 is also very long, not from grinding but from massive collection quests. Photos, inventing, fishing, time-space golf, monster collecting, weapon collecting and medal collecting. Probably forgot a few too. If you're a perfectionist this game is pretty much heroin.
Do either when you want a LONG game.

Rogue Galaxy never really got me. I kinda got bored and wandered off before beating it. You might do better though. Also it's one of the few where getting 100% might be worse than DC2. Level 5 seems to love putting in mammoth collection quests. It's bounty system makes grinding suprisingly palatable though.

The rest I haven't played. Well I played DMC3 but I sucked at it so like Rogue Galaxy I can't really make a recommendation about when to play it.

Oh and Snake I know your pain, I've got a similar problem with perfectionism. Don't look at guides for Okami, P3 and P4 though. Okami doesn't have missables (and even if there is it's got a New Game+) so just enjoy yourself, there's nothing to worry about, the story is worth saving. P3 and 4 you'll probably need multiple saves in case the time limit fucks you over(if you're under leveled and don't leave time to grind before a deadline you can screw yourself over). So just save at any safe period(after the full moons or murders depending on the game) and have another save for general gameplay.


Dark Cloud 2 though, has tons of missables(some important, none necessary, but many are very useful) and no plot worth worrying about spoiling so guide to your heart's content there. I found checklists of missables for each chapter at GameFAQs, they're pretty useful.