add to my last post the words "this year" to the end, as in it was the only one to really look forward to this year.

Haha! Too funny.

I feel like I'm betraying a friend when I say that, but damn, how about this:

HOLY F***ING SH** STAR OCEAN IS AMAZING!!! :D

15 hours in, just cured Reimi of the stone sickness and Sarah just got kidnapped. This game is epic in every sense of the word, and I really did not think tri-ace was capable of this. It is absolutely stunning, from the combat, to the graphics, to the characters. The story is paced wierd, and cutscenes and gameplay are highly spaced, but it blends quite well.

We'll see how it keeps going, and im not even to disc 2 yet. Do bear in mind that, as Vesperia may come out on top, but as of now and if the game keeps this, Star Ocean 4 is the greatest JRPG I have played this generation of consoles.

P.S. Oh and Sqeenix, you owe me. I got 3 messages from friends asking how the game is, and after having extensive conversations with them, 2 of them came onto XBL playing Star Ocean 4 a few hours later. So I just sold two copies of what I believe to be the best Star Ocean ever made.(Haven't played the first one, but this is like the Star Ocean game you always wanted but never got.)

How shall I put this? Star Ocean 4 feels like a mix between Mass Effect and Tales of Vesperia. You can tell these guys really did take a good number of hints from Mass Effect's universe when making the gam, and it has a certain charm that previously I've only ever seen in Tales games.

The Combat system is the best I've ever seen in a JRPG.I just wish you could assign 4 different Arts at a time, but damn, blindsiding is so addicting! Customizing my bonus guage and grinding is actually fun, 15 hours into the game I hardly ever try to avoid an enemy! Add to that, now that I have Meracle on my team, she is practically the only person I use anymore.

Oh, and yes, Edge does like to see Reimi naked :P once while shes in the shower, another time when....well, I'll let you figure that out. And heck, theres probably a few more times too, I just haven't gotten there yet. Meracle is also, ahem, "questionably" dressed(Not to our dislike, of course.) and you can rest assured Faize isn't a pedofile.

Am I supposed to have the ability to mine?

I just got the Fire Ring.

@Shadow

B-blasphemy...... Surely you jest...

the game seems to be doing very, very well.

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUST13446120090226

""Star Ocean: The Last Hope", which is designed for the Xbox 360, went on sale on Feb. 19 in Japan, and is estimated to have sold 173,850 units by Feb. 22, becoming the top-selling game software in the country last week, the research firm said."

170K unit in japan first week is awesome!

I did my part and bought a copy in NA :)

so far, loving the game.

I have finished ToV. I'm on the second disc of TLR, but I've barely touched IU. To be honest I'm so wrapped up in Street Fighter IV right now, I'm not going to be picking up SOIV anytime soon. It would just be gathering dust while I work SFIV out of my system. Once I can get my SFIV addiction treated , I'll pick of SOIV.

Damn it, too bad I am low on funds or I would own this already.

you know you should be paid to promote rpg games... i'm not a fan of them (sorry!!) but my brother is and with all your talk about how great ToV is......i'm making him get it, sadly its hard to find in stores so I have to look online...

and it seems hes gonna have to pick this game up too...

Lol, heck I'm happy doing it without pay if people just see how awesome the games are for themselves.  It would be pretty great to get payment for adverts though; I'd do it. :P

@soriku: I know, I know. Star Ocean may be better then Vesperia, but Vesperia is still the videogame equivalent to joy and JRPG perfection. Still, SO keeps getting better and better, its already past vesperia in fun and epicness while still on disc 1 of 3 :D