Told ya soAite brehs. So I took a pause on my Ghosts of Tshushima about 15-20 hours into the game to go ahead and start up my Berseria run, thinking I'd play them in tandem, but I've been playing Berseria more the past couple of weeks, practically in isolation (partially cuz I've just been in a heavy RPG mindset since pandemic started and also, easier to whistle while I work...with them.
So I'm now 53-ish hours into Berseria, technically 30 hours into the game due to idle time within extensive pauses and menu management (another convenient of modern technology does that this game actually displays the differentiation within its records log) and man, ya'll brehs ain't neva lied. This shyt is blowing Vesperia out the water in most departments.
The battle system, while yes, more streamlined, just fukking works a lot better. Keeps the battles well paced and better balanced with its side quest earning, adjustable difficulty settings (which is graciously appreciated; I'm playing on Intense now and it's challenging, but nothing too crazy; unlike the disparity of Vesperia's too easy Normal mode and seemingly New game+ balanced Hard mode) and linked encounters actually increasing the field/dungeon enemy levels on top of their increased numbers, which is dope. Also, the fight mechanics being as they are just makes the battles a lot more dynamic and fun to play. Took me less time to get acclimated too, due to it's lightened complexity, but there's still plenty of depth with it as well and it just flows much better, instead of the stupid shyt how battles would flow in Vesperia when you're too strong for your opponents and they literally run away the whole fight and you chasing them the whole battle. Or the dumbshyt like them being weaker than you, but able to jab you out of every fukking attack. shyt like that really ruins the fight vibe. Ya'll weren't lying a bit with saying how OP Velvet is as well,
! I just keep her as my sub character when battles get under way with me, like everyone starting to get two-pieced or 1-shotted to death or mass status effected with no souls left. I got all 6 characters now and the tagging in and out of battle option is glorious. Definitely hope they keep this feature in future projects and make it more integral in multi-casted RPGs in general.
The cast is surprisingly better than Vesperia's as well, overall. Like ya'll mentioned, it's just spread out better among them and it's still very entertaining and well voice acted. So glad it has auto-scrolling vocal dialogue as well. That shyt was painfully annoying in Vesperia with it needing button clicks for every new line of vocals.
I'm surprised at the music and dungeon lack of variety barely phased me when comparing to Vesperia's only boons over Berseria. Story is much better and the "villain" route is just
berseria was the shot in the arm the franchise needed. Most underrated jrpg of last gen.
