Rocketpig - And I'd disagree with you about LO. I'd rate it a bit higher.
But either way, at least your point assignment for LO is within reason - some give LO a 9.0, some a 8, some a 7-7.5. However, looking at user reviews vs. critics, TLR has some MAJOR discrepancies. IGN's own user reviews put TLR above an 8.0 (which is right where I'd put it w/o installations).
To me, the most heinous thing is that the reviewer never really bothered enjoying the game, but wanted to mark everything off possible.
- Battles are fun and strategic
- Union management is involved, and can change the entire game
- Classes matter....A lot
- Balance & imbalance for Unions matter...A lot
- Non-linear stat/level/class progression makes for meaningful party choices.
I'm 15+hrs into it. Is it perfect? Heck no. But Square put more innovation in TLR than any other title in the past 5-6 years since Kingdom Hearts.
This game is very similar (imo) to the old Ogre Battle series. If you wanted to do well at OB, you HAD to manage your units. You couldn't control the exact way they attacked in battle, but you could control 80% of the variables to know what they were going to do. TLR is the same way. If the reviewer gets upset that he can't do a specific attack in a battle - guess what? There's almost always a reason behind it. As I've gone deeper into the game, I've learned the nuances of the battle system....I've managed to win in very horrible circumstances (20 monsters vs. 8 party members) by using *gasp* tactics!
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.
