Help me decide which game to get please? (pros and cons listed)

[Ayaya]

UPDATE: I decided to go with the fourth option and got Tales of the Abyss instead. Mostly because it's cheaper, it's RPG, has a fun gameplay, and I know I will like it, so it seems a safer option! I also have extra money now so I'll be able to get one of the three games if I save up. Probably gonna get Fantasy Life first then ORAS later.

Thank you all to those who helped! Although I went with the cheaper option, your contribution certainly helped in deciding which game I'll get next.

 

[Speedydash]

I love Ace Attorney!!! Have you gotten Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright? xD! It's AMAZING!!! I played all of the ace attorney games including Edgeworth Investigations and Apollo Justice xD!! LOVE THEM!! and idk what game you should get xD I would get Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, I can't wait for the Pokemon Contests! I wonder if they have the rooms that could be made in Ruby and Sapphire xD

 

[JJarmon]

As a huge Pokemon fan, I recommend Alpha Sapphire. You don't have to get into competitive battling or IV training (trust me, it's a pain anyway)! There's just a charm to Pokemon that no other game has. I haven't played the other two though, so my opinion is very biased. Good luck deciding on which game to get!

 

[windfall]

Honestly it doesn't seem like you really enjoy Pok?mon, based on what you've said .... I don't think pokemon is a priority here. Get it later; if you only play up to the elite four, it'll probably last you under 30 hours.

I would recommend fantasy life since you've already beaten rf4. Its a pretty new game, the fantasy life thread is pretty active too, so you'll have no issues finding someone to play with (if you want). Since you've enjoyed rf4, fantasy life will give you a similar experience. There's lots of dungeons, there's plenty of dialogue, a crafting system (like rf4), and plenty of things to do. I think you'll like it.

 

[Ayaya]

I love Ace Attorney!!! Have you gotten Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright? xD! It's AMAZING!!! I played all of the ace attorney games including Edgeworth Investigations and Apollo Justice xD!! LOVE THEM!! and idk what game you should get xD I would get Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, I can't wait for the Pokemon Contests! I wonder if they have the rooms that could be made in Ruby and Sapphire xD

I did and also enjoyed it! When the game was announced, I almost can't believe it since Ace Attorney and Layton are my one of my top DS games ;_; And they did have the room/secret base in the remake! I'm excited to decorate mine~

As a huge Pokemon fan, I recommend Alpha Sapphire. You don't have to get into competitive battling or IV training (trust me, it's a pain anyway)! There's just a charm to Pokemon that no other game has. I haven't played the other two though, so my opinion is very biased. Good luck deciding on which game to get!

Indeed, it does have an unique charm that you can't find in other games I enjoyed RSE back then and was one of the people hoping for the remake and was glad we finally got it lol. Thank you for your input!

Honestly it doesn't seem like you really enjoy Pok?mon, based on what you've said .... I don't think pokemon is a priority here. Get it later; if you only play up to the elite four, it'll probably last you under 30 hours.

I would recommend fantasy life since you've already beaten rf4. Its a pretty new game, the fantasy life thread is pretty active too, so you'll have no issues finding someone to play with (if you want). Since you've enjoyed rf4, fantasy life will give you a similar experience. There's lots of dungeons, there's plenty of dialogue, a crafting system (like rf4), and plenty of things to do. I think you'll like it.

I enjoy Pokemon to an extent but I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of it. I do enjoy every minute I spent on playing pokemon. The reason I don't get very far is because I usually get busy midway and I lose interest after that. I considered getting it now so I don't have to pay extra, but you have a point!

And thank you! If it's similar to RF4 then I might enjoy it more than I thought. I thought the story would be minimal but my friend said it's pretty good? I wish there's a demo to help me decide ;_;

 

[Speedydash]

I did and also enjoyed it! When the game was announced, I almost can't believe it since Ace Attorney and Layton are my one of my top DS games ;_; And they did have the room/secret base in the remake! I'm excited to decorate mine~

I can't wait to make my room either!!!! Super Excited!!!! I'm gonna' get lots of Pokedolls!! xD!!

 

[Emily]

Even though you think your just playing it safe i recomend RF4. Physical copies will become harder and harder to find in the US and you will probably have a better experience with the game.

I love Pokemon but at the end of the day after elite four i find the game a bit boring as i never know what to do next. I would wait a while and look at reviews to decide whether to get the game or not.

Fantasy Life is an awesome game that is both cute and challenging. Online multiplayer is great as well. I love this game.


If i was you i would get rune factory bc the game is perfect from my perspective, also ive had fantasy life since september 28 and within the past 2 weeks i cant find myself to play it after finishing the main story :l

 

[kittenrobotarmy]

I'd recommend AS, not just because 3rd gen is my favorite but because 3rd gen had a good amount of aftergame, and they'll probably keep it in the remake. Not nearly as much postgame as Gold or Silver, but much more than X or Y.

 

[Dewy]

The only one of those games I've played is Rune Factory 4. However if you've already finished it I don't recommend buying it. The end-game play still has lots to do (marriage and farming, woo!) but it gets repetitive.
(BUT did you know there are three stages to the game? So the first time you "beat" the game, you're actually just 1/3 of the way through. Even though it shows the credits and everything.. It does this twice before the real ending, lol. So maybe you didn't actually beat it? Or maybe you already knew this.)

Off you're list, I'd recommend Fantasy Life as it seems really cool and cute and it's gotten pretty good reviews so far. Not sure about it since I've never played though.

Another game/series I'd recommend: Harvest Moon!! It's an absolutely amazing series. Similar to Rune Factory with the farming/marriage (but much more in depth) and also similar to Animal Crossing because it's somewhat relaxing and there's no fighting. Not sure if you're looking for something like that though ^^

 

[windfall]

I enjoy Pokemon to an extent but I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of it. I do enjoy every minute I spent on playing pokemon. The reason I don't get very far is because I usually get busy midway and I lose interest after that. I considered getting it now so I don't have to pay extra, but you have a point!

And thank you! If it's similar to RF4 then I might enjoy it more than I thought. I thought the story would be minimal but my friend said it's pretty good? I wish there's a demo to help me decide ;_;

Are you in the EU or in NA? EU has some sweet preorder bonuses for pokemon, so that's also a consideration. Since you're not too into the multiplayer aspect of pokemon, you can pick it up any time. There might be a sale around the holidays too!

The story in Fantasy Life is alright, not very deep but there are some lines that are funny and cute. It's pretty text-heavy imo but the story doesn't take itself too seriously. There's plenty to do, and I really do think you'll enjoy it. There's 12 classes to choose from (which are basically things you can do in RF like mining, fishing, smithing and stuff) and monster drops just like in RF. They're pretty similar (just no dating the townsfolk haha and the people don't move around so much - the towns in Fantasy life are less alive in that way, but everyone has multiple lines of text).

You can check out some LP videos for fantasy life on youtube, that'll help you out The customisation in the beginning is insane.
Yogscast Martin has some videos (I watched those and got super hyped for Fantasy Life).

- - - Post Merge - - -

The only one of those games I've played is Rune Factory 4. However if you've already finished it I don't recommend buying it. The end-game play still has lots to do (marriage and farming, woo!) but it gets repetitive.
(BUT did you know there are three stages to the game? So the first time you "beat" the game, you're actually just 1/3 of the way through. Even though it shows the credits and everything.. It does this twice before the real ending, lol. So maybe you didn't actually beat it? Or maybe you already knew this.)

Off you're list, I'd recommend Fantasy Life as it seems really cool and cute and it's gotten pretty good reviews so far. Not sure about it since I've never played though.

Another game/series I'd recommend: Harvest Moon!! It's an absolutely amazing series. Similar to Rune Factory with the farming/marriage (but much more in depth) and also similar to Animal Crossing because it's somewhat relaxing and there's no fighting. Not sure if you're looking for something like that though ^^

OP said they beat Rune Prana (which I think you can only access it at the very end of the third arc?) so I think they beat all three arcs x)

I still back my fantasy life recommendation since I'm currently playing it now (and I've dropped more hours into Fantasy Life in 3 weeks than I've played RF4 since I got it last year).

(also saying this as a pokemon fan)

 

[Dewy]

OP said they beat Rune Prana (which I think you can only access it at the very end of the third arc?) so I think they beat all three arcs x)
[/SIZE]

Ah good point, you're right. Didn't notice that o:

In that case I wouldn't recommend getting it to play through again unless you really really loved it. c:

 

[Hypno KK]

Don't let the fact that you don't like IV breeding and competitive battling put you off AS. I still don't care much about those things and I've been playing games in the series since the beginning. X&Y introduced a lot of features designed to make the game more fun to casual players, like Amie. I remember that Ruby/Sapphire had more features that were just for fun compared to earlier games. If AS is a cross between the original Sapphire and X&Y, it's not going to be a big deal that you're not a competitive player. You should also get it for the nostalgia if you enjoyed the original. I didn't pay much attention to the older remakes, but these sound like they'll be great and I'll probably get them.

I haven't played Rune Factory, but if you've already played it and don't think you'd have lots of fun replaying it, you could just put it off and get it some other time.

I'm as curious about Fantasy Life as you are. It seems fun, but it's not high on my priority list for those exact reasons. It doesn't seem that appealing to me so it's not very high on my priority list. I think you should still get it, especially if your friends play it too, but you could buy it the next time you want to buy a game and think about it first.

I'd choose AS, or Fantasy Life as alternative.

 

[Ayaya]

I can't wait to make my room either!!!! Super Excited!!!! I'm gonna' get lots of Pokedolls!! xD!!

Same! I love plushes irl and I'd probably fill my room with pokedolls

Even though you think your just playing it safe i recomend RF4. Physical copies will become harder and harder to find in the US and you will probably have a better experience with the game.

I love Pokemon but at the end of the day after elite four i find the game a bit boring as i never know what to do next. I would wait a while and look at reviews to decide whether to get the game or not.

Fantasy Life is an awesome game that is both cute and challenging. Online multiplayer is great as well. I love this game.


If i was you i would get rune factory bc the game is perfect from my perspective, also ive had fantasy life since september 28 and within the past 2 weeks i cant find myself to play it after finishing the main story :l

Yeah, I'm VERY tempted to get RF4 cause at least I know I'd be busy enough with RF4 while I save up for other games. I also wanted to get it asap because I'm afraid there would be less copies now that Neverland is bankrupt. I hope XSEED isn't letting that happen, especially since they're bringing RF4 to Europe.

Part of me that is unsure of FL is because I watched the demo video and I wasn't really hyped... it looks like a fun game but i'm afraid if I get it just because of the hype here, I'd have too much expectation and might end up disappointed and bored.

I'd recommend AS, not just because 3rd gen is my favorite but because 3rd gen had a good amount of aftergame, and they'll probably keep it in the remake. Not nearly as much postgame as Gold or Silver, but much more than X or Y.

I don't remember how the postgame feature was in RSE because I've never beaten it (I was young and had a level 75 Blaziken who whipped out E4, but was beaten by Wallace's Wailord and Tentacruel) but I did have a lot of fun with the features in RSE. Good postgame features would keep me playing after E4 hopefully.

The only one of those games I've played is Rune Factory 4. However if you've already finished it I don't recommend buying it. The end-game play still has lots to do (marriage and farming, woo!) but it gets repetitive.
(BUT did you know there are three stages to the game? So the first time you "beat" the game, you're actually just 1/3 of the way through. Even though it shows the credits and everything.. It does this twice before the real ending, lol. So maybe you didn't actually beat it? Or maybe you already knew this.)

Off you're list, I'd recommend Fantasy Life as it seems really cool and cute and it's gotten pretty good reviews so far. Not sure about it since I've never played though.

Another game/series I'd recommend: Harvest Moon!! It's an absolutely amazing series. Similar to Rune Factory with the farming/marriage (but much more in depth) and also similar to Animal Crossing because it's somewhat relaxing and there's no fighting. Not sure if you're looking for something like that though ^^

As windfall said I did beat it lol. My character got married and had a kid already, all that's left are unlocking Town Events (they're all so great omg), beating Sharance Maze, and collecting items/boss monsters. I didn't mention too much about how much I beat it in case of spoilers, but yeah I finished the main story already.

I'm actually a big fan of Harvest Moon and started playing Rune Factory because it's Harvest Moon with RPG I'm probably gonna get Story of Seasons too since I heard it has a lot of variation in dialogue! I'm a bit sad about the silent MC (Lest/Frey was so fun to play) but if it has as much text as Trails in the Sky, I have to try it.

Are you in the EU or in NA? EU has some sweet preorder bonuses for pokemon, so that's also a consideration. Since you're not too into the multiplayer aspect of pokemon, you can pick it up any time. There might be a sale around the holidays too!

The story in Fantasy Life is alright, not very deep but there are some lines that are funny and cute. It's pretty text-heavy imo but the story doesn't take itself too seriously. There's plenty to do, and I really do think you'll enjoy it. There's 12 classes to choose from (which are basically things you can do in RF like mining, fishing, smithing and stuff) and monster drops just like in RF. They're pretty similar (just no dating the townsfolk haha and the people don't move around so much - the towns in Fantasy life are less alive in that way, but everyone has multiple lines of text).

You can check out some LP videos for fantasy life on youtube, that'll help you out The customisation in the beginning is insane.
Yogscast Martin has some videos (I watched those and got super hyped for Fantasy Life).

I still back my fantasy life recommendation since I'm currently playing it now (and I've dropped more hours into Fantasy Life in 3 weeks than I've played RF4 since I got it last year).

(also saying this as a pokemon fan)

I have an NA 3DS unfortunately. Saw those preorder bonus and thought damn, why didn't NA get some too
Knowing Level-5, they're pretty good when it comes to story (not deep but entertaining). And that's a good idea! I should check out some playthrough videos. Glad you're having fun with FL! My friend is also having a lot of fun and gave a convincing argument for why FL is good. I might actually get it but I'll wait till Monday to make the final decision...

Don't let the fact that you don't like IV breeding and competitive battling put you off AS. I still don't care much about those things and I've been playing games in the series since the beginning. X&Y introduced a lot of features designed to make the game more fun to casual players, like Amie. I remember that Ruby/Sapphire had more features that were just for fun compared to earlier games. If AS is a cross between the original Sapphire and X&Y, it's not going to be a big deal that you're not a competitive player. You should also get it for the nostalgia if you enjoyed the original. I didn't pay much attention to the older remakes, but these sound like they'll be great and I'll probably get them.

I haven't played Rune Factory, but if you've already played it and don't think you'd have lots of fun replaying it, you could just put it off and get it some other time.

I'm as curious about Fantasy Life as you are. It seems fun, but it's not high on my priority list for those exact reasons. It doesn't seem that appealing to me so it's not very high on my priority list. I think you should still get it, especially if your friends play it too, but you could buy it the next time you want to buy a game and think about it first.

I'd choose AS, or Fantasy Life as alternative.

Nostalgia was definitely a big factor for me to getting the game! I love the features in RSE and I think I spent more time biking and exploring than training my pokemon lol. I wish Amie is back in RSE again, I love the feature where your pokemon follows you in HGSS too but they never brought it back ;w;

I was thinking the same thing as you in terms of FL. I never considered getting it because, while it looks like a fun game, I have other games I want to get and a limited budget.


Thank you for all the input guys! Gonna give more thought to this and decide on Monday when the shops are open. FL is currently out of stock so it's either digital or buying it off someone else The other two are in stock, and three of them have similar prices, so all that's left is to find out which game I can enjoy until next year.

 

[Cam1]

Pokemonnnnn