Getting a Switch soon. I played the Octopath Traveler demo and fell in love with it. Never touched DQ, but it looks fun. And I adored Awakening but loathe Fates. Any other RPG suggestions is fine
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Octopath Traveler, DQ11S, or Three Houses?
- Thread starter Everlasting_Cyclone
- Start date
I cant speak on FE havent played it yet, but DQ11 is amazing, and Octopath is hot garbage, so I hope that helps your decision :p
Keep in mind I loved Octopath for the first... let's say 20 hours or so? And then hated it for the remaining 30 or whatever it took me to finish.
Keep in mind I loved Octopath for the first... let's say 20 hours or so? And then hated it for the remaining 30 or whatever it took me to finish.
Try DQ demo, if you like it go for it. Octopath is amazing, and I don't know about Three Houses, but people seem to love it. I say go eenie-meenie-miny-moe lol, but eventually get all 3 of them and enjoy yourself
Get Three Houses and the DQ XI demo. It's like 10 hours long and you basically will be able to play part of the game while you play FE.
3 Houses is the best by far IMO:
-Octopath is a beautiful game with an amazing soundtrack and a really engaging combat system that lacks a good plot and has a really repetitive game structure
-DQ 11 is a beautiful JRPG with a really bad OST that has a really generic main plot and a basic/boring combat system
-3 houses is a deep strategy RPG with lots of content, great characters and a really good OST. It looks bad most of the time though
-Octopath is a beautiful game with an amazing soundtrack and a really engaging combat system that lacks a good plot and has a really repetitive game structure
-DQ 11 is a beautiful JRPG with a really bad OST that has a really generic main plot and a basic/boring combat system
-3 houses is a deep strategy RPG with lots of content, great characters and a really good OST. It looks bad most of the time though
You need to give a lot more details. Why did you loathe Fates? Conquest or Birthright? If you loathed Fates, honestly skip Three Houses. It sounds like the series is on a razor's edge for you that it is unlikely to live up to.
If you really liked the OT demo, get it, but be aware that it is an open-world JRPG as the name suggests, not a linear plot-focused JRPG like the visual style suggests.
I think DQXI is kind of a mess, but play the demo eventually and see if you like it. I'd probably have enjoyed the Switch version more, with the faster speed, 2D mode, etc., but there's still a whole ton of issues with repetition.
For me, TH>OT>>>DQ, but liking your loving the OT demo and loathing the last FE might make it switch. DQXI is still super niche, and there's no grounds to recommend it to you based on what you've listed.
As for OT vs. DQ, DQ is a nice leisurely linear adventure, until the wheels totally come off in Act 2. OT has better battle system, way better boss fights, and a better soundtrack, but the overall game structure is formulaic. Don't treat it like a linear RPG-- go and explore, and do things out of any preconceived notion of "order". There were dozens of really engaging boss fights in OT, compared to like 2 or 3 in the entirety of DQ. FE's only great boss fights are the finales of each path, but a bunch of the paralogues are super engaging.
If you really liked the OT demo, get it, but be aware that it is an open-world JRPG as the name suggests, not a linear plot-focused JRPG like the visual style suggests.
I think DQXI is kind of a mess, but play the demo eventually and see if you like it. I'd probably have enjoyed the Switch version more, with the faster speed, 2D mode, etc., but there's still a whole ton of issues with repetition.
For me, TH>OT>>>DQ, but liking your loving the OT demo and loathing the last FE might make it switch. DQXI is still super niche, and there's no grounds to recommend it to you based on what you've listed.
As for OT vs. DQ, DQ is a nice leisurely linear adventure, until the wheels totally come off in Act 2. OT has better battle system, way better boss fights, and a better soundtrack, but the overall game structure is formulaic. Don't treat it like a linear RPG-- go and explore, and do things out of any preconceived notion of "order". There were dozens of really engaging boss fights in OT, compared to like 2 or 3 in the entirety of DQ. FE's only great boss fights are the finales of each path, but a bunch of the paralogues are super engaging.
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Three Houses has, by far, the best story, characters, combat, and pacing of the three. Get it.
I loathed Fates and I find Three Houses incredible. Totally different writers have lead to a superb story with lots of excellent dialogue and characters.
Most Fire Emblem fans who hated Fates love Three Houses
For OP, you're getting a masterpiece as long as you don't pick Octopath Traveler
I agree that 3Houses is a far better game compared to Fates. It has world building and the characters feel like more characters this time. Map design on Conquest is still the best from recent FE games but the gameplay mechanics freom 3H feel far more interesting.
Man, what a question! I love Octopath and Three Houses, and I love the DQXI S demo. I personally think Three Houses is the best Fire Emblem I have ever played (but I haven't played Awakening or Fates, so I can't give you a comparison), better than Blazing Blade, Path of Radiance (only just), Shadow Dragon and Sacred Stones. The game really leans into unit management by letting you become just about any class you want, as long as a you spend enough time studying the required weapon/skill types.
Octopath combat remains engaging from start to finish, with some very tough optional bosses as well that really test the limit of your abilities (and the main game gives a good challenge as well). Probably my favourite JRPG combat system ever. In terms of story, they don't really intertwine, so it is more 8 separate tales than one whole interwining narrative (although the people who play all eight tales will recognise the common story between the stories, and you can access an optional dungeon that ties things together more explicitly into one story).
DQXI S is a very content-rich traditional RPG, so if the separate tale structure doesn't appeal to you, then DQXI S should be a great option (try the demo, it's free! - and 10 hours long, so you really get a good feel of whether you will like it).
So yeah, threevery different games, so not easy to recommend one over the other. I personally like FE Three Houses most, but that's just me.
Octopath combat remains engaging from start to finish, with some very tough optional bosses as well that really test the limit of your abilities (and the main game gives a good challenge as well). Probably my favourite JRPG combat system ever. In terms of story, they don't really intertwine, so it is more 8 separate tales than one whole interwining narrative (although the people who play all eight tales will recognise the common story between the stories, and you can access an optional dungeon that ties things together more explicitly into one story).
DQXI S is a very content-rich traditional RPG, so if the separate tale structure doesn't appeal to you, then DQXI S should be a great option (try the demo, it's free! - and 10 hours long, so you really get a good feel of whether you will like it).
So yeah, threevery different games, so not easy to recommend one over the other. I personally like FE Three Houses most, but that's just me.
Having played all three, I think DQ11 stands head and shoulders above the others. It's an immaculately designed and well-rounded JRPG. One of the best in its genre. Three Houses is also quite good, but I fell off quickly after the second half. I liked the characters' development over the course of the game quite a lot, even though their final social ranks were all somewhat disappointing due to it devolving into romance. Octopath I just did not get on with beyond the combat, which is excellent but ultimately not enough to keep me interested. In everything but the combat, which does get dull after a while, it is a very average game in my opinion. Repetitive structurally and mechanically. Out of these three, OT is the only game I would have rather not spent time with at all. I also enjoyed the demo. But it was hard to keep up my enthusiasm once I realized that that exact slice was repeated and spread out over the course of a 50 hour game. It wears thin very rapidly.
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Which is the main problem with the game, it's just more of that. The demo structure repeats almost every chapter, so besides the expanded combat options the game has no real sense of progression and variety. And I liked the game a lot, far more than DQ XI, but even so I felt bored at times and it's hard to me to recommend it without talking about how repetitive it's structure is.
Fire Emblem > Octopath >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>DQ
FE is an incredibly well done and meaty game. If you like FE its one of the best.
Octopath has its flaws, but it is really charming if you want a classic experience with more modern ideas
DQ is hot trash, save yourself
FE is an incredibly well done and meaty game. If you like FE its one of the best.
Octopath has its flaws, but it is really charming if you want a classic experience with more modern ideas
DQ is hot trash, save yourself
Three Houses is the best of the bunch, my only downside to it is how easy it is even on hard difficulty. If you are used to FE games, this one is on the easy side.
Octopath Traveller and DQ XI have some problems with repetition. Well, Octopath has much more problems than that, but repetition kicks so early that made.the whole experience unbearable for me... I disliked that game a lot.
Octopath Traveller and DQ XI have some problems with repetition. Well, Octopath has much more problems than that, but repetition kicks so early that made.the whole experience unbearable for me... I disliked that game a lot.
Try the Demo of DQ11, it's long and gives you a real taste of the game since it is literally the first 10 hours of it.
Personally I did not enjoy DQ11 because the OST and battle system did nothing for me.
Octopath is good for a lot of things except overall story. Characters and battle system are fun but it's not a game to play long stretches of. Take it in bite sizes pieces and you'll enjoy it a lot more.
Three Houses is excellent.
Personally I did not enjoy DQ11 because the OST and battle system did nothing for me.
Octopath is good for a lot of things except overall story. Characters and battle system are fun but it's not a game to play long stretches of. Take it in bite sizes pieces and you'll enjoy it a lot more.
Three Houses is excellent.
The main structure of the core chapters is formulaic, but I think the nature of the open-world and non-formulaic sidequest design (and path actions) helps break up the pacing a bit so it is less problematic. There's plenty of activity and exploration between triggering a main story mission. I'd imagine the game isn't super enjoyable if people are just going round all of C1, then all of C2, then C3, etc.
I think it is better to characterize OT's problem as being formulaic, while DQ's problem is repetition / lack of gameplay variety. In DQ, you literally have gone through 90% of the game's towns by the 50% mark (or less, depending on how you count). Boss fights are generally super samey.
I agree that Three House's writing and characters are the best of Fire Emblem. It is like the only game in the series where I never skipped a Support or cutscene. I think the game has problems with mission design and pacing relative to Conquest, though. Conquest is basically trimmed down to nothing but a 15-25 hour gauntlet of well-designed encounters. The story may be skippable, but there's only a handful of main missions and paralogues in TH that match even even the average of Conquest's missions.
Pacing is generally the biggest complaint about the game, but all three of the games this thread is about have broad "pacing problems". OT can get burnout if people approach it too rigidly, TH has a whole lot of problems in Act 2, and Draqon Quest XI frontloads 80% of the content, leaving the 2nd and 3rd act to drag tremendously.
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Disliked almost everything I played of the DQXI demo, but you should download the demo to see for yourself. My vote would be for three houses.
Yeah, that's what I've heard (regarding Conquest, which is unfortunately not the Fates I tried). Hopefully the next FE takes some map design lessons from it!
Octopath if you want an amazing traditional retro JRPG
DQ11 if you want an amazing traditional modern JRPG that you can also play like a retro JRPG if you want to and jump back between retro and modern.
Three Houses if you want a new age turn-based RPG with dating SIM elements.
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Just go with DQ11 for the Switch
DQ11 if you want an amazing traditional modern JRPG that you can also play like a retro JRPG if you want to and jump back between retro and modern.
Three Houses if you want a new age turn-based RPG with dating SIM elements.
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Just go with DQ11 for the Switch
Three Houses is very good, and probably my favorite game this year, so I'd say that. Octopath is... better as a proof of concept than as a game, sadly.
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I kind of agree, but I feel that the main missions repetition is too much. Except some chapters, you'll be visiting a slight variation of the same forest, the same cave, the same mansion... Using a path action before the dungeon segment gets old really fast, and the lack of party interaction during the main quests feels off.
IMO they should have made like 2 introductory chapters for each character and use the remaining development time to create a cohesive story for the 2nd half of the game.
Opinions on Octopath turned around on here quite heavily. Based on the reception and demo, DQ11 seems to be phenomenal. While FE is one of my personal favourites, I didn't play 3H yet. I'd say get DQ on launch and FE after you're finished with DQ. Pick up OT down the line if you're still in for it.
I've never played a DQ game before, nor have I tried Octopath (I read the plot was meh, so I ended up not buying it), but let me tell you a thing or two about FE.
I'm not a huuuge fan of FE series. In fact, the last one I played was Awakening and thought it was just okay. And normally, I'm that guy yelling "another FE character in Smash?! Wtf". Well, Three Houses completely changed that. It's amazing! It's super unique within the series, imo. The story is really cool and there are multiple paths you can take. AND, more importantly, the characters are waaay better than any other in the series.
Imo, if you like: Harry Potter, Persona series, Anime -> go for Three Houses. It's really great
I'm not a huuuge fan of FE series. In fact, the last one I played was Awakening and thought it was just okay. And normally, I'm that guy yelling "another FE character in Smash?! Wtf". Well, Three Houses completely changed that. It's amazing! It's super unique within the series, imo. The story is really cool and there are multiple paths you can take. AND, more importantly, the characters are waaay better than any other in the series.
Imo, if you like: Harry Potter, Persona series, Anime -> go for Three Houses. It's really great
I think one of the strengths of the "multi-protagonist genre" (I don't know if there is a better word) is that plots can be distinct, with vastly different tone, and focus totally on just that character's plot and journey. While the 2nd and 3rd chapter of each story can be kind of samey, I feel like the finales manage to totally nail what they were going for with each plot, with the overall structure of the final chapters and when the "path" part plays into it all, and pacing of plot reveals, etc. totally works.
I preferred the short-story structure of SaGa Frontier and Unlimited SaGa much more than the single epic story of RS1 or RS3, and I think both Treasure of Rudras and Live-a-Live both totally fall apart during their unified finales.
I guess? For me it was one of my favorite JRPGs of all time. It's an absolute masterpiece. The soundtrack and art were astounding. I was delighted every time I could explore a new town. The characters were delightful and endearing, even the NPCs especially after you complete things and see more of their story. The battle system is one of my favorites.
And overall I loved the structure. I felt like I could accomplish something even if I only had a more limited chunk of time. I could choose what to tackle and I always swapped party each time so things felt different and exciting throughout.
I think a lot of people made it even more repetitive than it needed to be, sticking with the same 4 characters and barreling through with just that same party, doing all ch1 then all ch2, etc.
Three Houses, and it's not even a contest. And yeah, Fates kind of sucked. It asked you to buy 2.5 Fire Emblem games to get everything you could out of it, and arguably only one of those (maybe) was worth the money. FE 3H took the opposite tack. Buy it, and you basically get 3.5 Fire Emblems out of it. It's fucking amazing.
Platinumed DQXI on PS4, and FWIW, I thought it was one of the worst mainline DQs (and I've played them all minus X, which was never localized). Octopath I have yet to finish, but has been largely forgettable. Three Houses evolves the FE formula in a lot of interesting and significant ways without sacrificing what makes it great.
That said, you can get a 10 or so hour-long snapshot of early DQXI via a free to download demo, with all progression (and a few bonus skill seeds) transferring over to the full game. Having a demo or full game save file will also unlock bonuses in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. That said, if you opt for DQXI, know that the game is roughly split into three arcs. I highly recommend stopping at the end of arc 2. It includes a whole lot of gameplay, provides a ton of closure, and you miss out on all the retroactive fuckery that ruined arc 3 (and the game as a whole) for me.
You know how some of Avengers Endgame's scenes retroactively make Thor Dark World almost good in hindsight (or, at least, better)? DQXI's arc 3 is like that, but exactly the opposite.
Platinumed DQXI on PS4, and FWIW, I thought it was one of the worst mainline DQs (and I've played them all minus X, which was never localized). Octopath I have yet to finish, but has been largely forgettable. Three Houses evolves the FE formula in a lot of interesting and significant ways without sacrificing what makes it great.
That said, you can get a 10 or so hour-long snapshot of early DQXI via a free to download demo, with all progression (and a few bonus skill seeds) transferring over to the full game. Having a demo or full game save file will also unlock bonuses in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. That said, if you opt for DQXI, know that the game is roughly split into three arcs. I highly recommend stopping at the end of arc 2. It includes a whole lot of gameplay, provides a ton of closure, and you miss out on all the retroactive fuckery that ruined arc 3 (and the game as a whole) for me.
You know how some of Avengers Endgame's scenes retroactively make Thor Dark World almost good in hindsight (or, at least, better)? DQXI's arc 3 is like that, but exactly the opposite.
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OP
OP
I loathe birthright and stopped near the end. It has boring characters, bland story, and the gameplay was boring.
Awakening was my first FE game. The complete opposite of my feelings for birthright.
Both had great music tho
After completing the ridiculously generous free demo I can wholeheartedly recommend Dragon Quest 11
Three houses is a different genre? If you like SRPGs then its one of the best new ones available
Can really recommend Octopath and this is coming from some who bought and played through all of it. It has some great high points (Combat, Art, Music) but the low points really hurt it. Its a better game when played casually in small chunks.
Three houses is a different genre? If you like SRPGs then its one of the best new ones available
Can really recommend Octopath and this is coming from some who bought and played through all of it. It has some great high points (Combat, Art, Music) but the low points really hurt it. Its a better game when played casually in small chunks.