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An incredibly challenging game. |
| Da Ly from Canada says (24/Feb/2002): |
Hoshigami is a very challenging game compared to Final Fantasy Tactics. Beware, you WILL spend a lot of time levelling up your characters. The coinfeigns is an interesting twist on FF7's materia, except unlike the materia, these magic casting items can be uniquely modified and boosted as you desire.
The battles are interesting and challenging as is the battleground terrain. The dialogue is rather simple, thus easy for the younger aged players to understand. The music however is very repetitive and annoying. During the training at the Tower of Trial, I strongly suggest muting the sound and turning on the stereo. Also, if you're going to level up your characters, here's a trick - Group five of your teammembers in a cross-shape, rotate hitting each other and then have one person heal them all at once. It's makes levelling up less irritating.
As for graphics, don't expect too much. It is very similar to Final Fantasy tactic's noseless creations for the battle sprites, but display cel-shaded 2-D anime characters for more of the conversational scenes.
The choices made in the game are crucial. One wrong answer and you could lose your chance to recruit character in the future, so be warned. However, because of this, replaying the game is definitely worth it.
This game will last you quite awhile, especially if you play to keep ALL your characters alive. I've invested about 80 hrs of saved time (and an additional 10 hours from resetting after a mistake) and I've gotten to chapter four so far.
The game is fun once you get use to the levelling up and the deity system is very interesting once your levels get high up there. If you're up for a challenge and have lots of spare time, get this game. If not, good luck with Hoshigami.
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I'm sorry if anyone has bought this game... |
| Joe from Alhambra, CA USA says (22/Feb/2002): |
I personally don't know why anyone would give this game high ratings. The game is somewhat hard, and I give good credit for that, but it lacks flexiblity, variety, originality, and most important in any game claiming to be a RPG--a plot. After a few battles, the script gets way too predictable-if a problem comes up, Fazz just has to fight. It's the same old "I don't want to fight you, but I'll fight you anyway" trite. I did find some of the features innovative (for example, terrain effects) but the button configurations during battle, the lack of visual esthetics in spells and such, and it's effort to emulate Final Fantasy Tactics is just plain sad.
As for the lack of Gameshark codes for this game, it wouldn't really matter if the game--and pardon me for the overly used word--sucks. Coming back to the issue about the plot, the game also takes it's sweet time to explain the legends and what not. What's extremely distressing is that our hero is extremely "slow." His character keeps asking "Why?" and "What?" on things that have already been explained. I almost believe that the makers of this game assume that gamers would be just as slow as Fazz. I wasn't enjoying this game, I was hating it more and more. Slow, boring, and manualy frustrating, I hope the "elemental spirits" don't know about this...
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Hoshigami isn't for the faint hearted |
| Daniel from USA says (23/Jan/2002): |
Hoshigami isn't for people that want to be able to win a game in five minutes. Leveling is simple because you get exp for everything, including attacking your own people and using items.
I enjoy the rap system and find it refreshing compared to the standard action/wait system. The experience and dev are based on the attacker and defenders level making building new characters extremely fast. The effect of adding skills makes a huge difference on battles and there are enough skills to play around with. I like the variety of weapons but the game seems to lack in the variety of armor.
I still don't completely understand the coin system so that makes the game more difficult. However Hoshigami allows you to preview the results of adding seals. So I can powerup my coins.
FF Tactics jobs have been replaced with dieties and for each of your mercinaries depending on thier diety is good with one or two weapons. Also as your dev level increases they will learn skills. Each diety has a different set of skill that can be learned.
Overall this is an incredible game and I have to thank Altus for bringing it to America.
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Why does this game get glowing reviews? |
| Svenson from Maryland, USA says (22/Jan/2002): |
I will admit that the overall gameplay of Hoshigami is decent, but the game is not hard. It's downright impossible. after the first two missions, the rest of the game will require that you lose fighters every battle, and replacing you lost fighters is an extremely tedious process. building levels and devotion is also slow and almost not even worth the effort. In addition, the enemies' stats and numbers are Godlike compared to your team, no matter how much time you spend level busting, because the enemies just plain have higher stats than your characters. Period. It is not uncommon to attempt to attack an enemy and find that you will deal 1 hp damage or have a 0% hit chance, which makes your party of 7 seem like small children when compared to the enemies' party of 28. It is also extremely difficult to enhance coinfeigns to mach your enemies' powers. The origional concept and plot may be great, if anyone could ever get to them without a gameshark, because of these simple, but painfully annoying flaws of Hoshigami.
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Great game! |
| Mark from Palmdale California says (17/Mar/2002): |
Overall i like this game alot because it finally gives me something that i can play for hours even i get bored trying to level up my characters and when i get into the tower of trials like on the 3rd or 4th floor at least one of my people dies for some reason and i dont feel like resetting so i just go and buy another one and start training the RAPgauge is awsome so is the attack session combos and just to tell u people that don have it yet its well worth buying for a long period of time like out for the summer and everyone is gone on vacation or something like that heh and one last thing how do u beat i think its the third or fourth mission where the people are all on like level 5 its damn near impossible for me someone get past the mission and tell me how to do it cause that damn archer above me is what i hate most. THX!
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A Little too hard to be enjoyable |
| 2Lagg from tower of trials says (28/Mar/2002): |
First of all, this game is not a "Final Fantasy Tactics knock-off"; the makers of this game liscenced the tactics engine and the art from Square: that is why half your women look like chemists. The game would be much, much easier if you could ressurect people, either in battle, as in Tactics, or at a temple. As for the complexity of the coin system, if you look around the internet, you can find some guides to what kinds of seal combinations will do what; having a level 2 lightening coin at the start of the game rocks =) The secret to the "main" battles is that all enemies will be at the same level as your most experienced character, so you have to keep everyone on exactly the same level to fight properly. I rented it for a week, think i might take another shot at it sometime... maybe.
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Hoshigami |
| Hoshigami from Singapore says (12/May/2002): |
An incredibly DIFFICULT game even a seasoned player of tactic-based games like me had problems with the game. I have just finished the game and i heard from various sources that there are quite a few endings so. I will be playing it again overall, i feel that the game does not really have a bad plot although it can be VERY predictable at times the new RAP system is quite new and refreshing the difficulty is not really hard at all it just cruel and that is why i had the motivation to finish the game. Overall, the art work isn't too bad, graphics can be improved, gameplay is great and the replay value is superb. In conclusion, this is a game which is not meant for beginners. If u have a REALLY LONG break or something like that, Hoshigami is a great way to help you spend your time.
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Hard game........but thats how I like em! |
| Jono from winnipeg says (4/Nov/2002): |
Most poeple say that this game is hard....and let me tell you now it is. Hoshigami tkaes ALOT of strategy and skill to beat. The main reason I like this game is because it is a game that takes a REAL long time to beat. Please save yourself some money and rent it before you buy it because poeple either love this game or hate it. One other thing that is great about this game is the magic! Basically you collect seals and ingrave them into coins to make the coin more powerful. But the thing I thought was the best was the RAP system. You got a meter and moving, attacking, magic, etc... all cost a certain amount and you spend how ever much you want on a certain thing. This game starts out hard but does get a bit easier when you learn more about session and the RAP system.
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Unique, Different, and HARD!!! |
| Maduin from St. Peters, MO (DA STL!!!!!!!) says (11/Jan/2002): |
I haven't even completed the game, but I'm overall impressed with it. It seems pathetic that I can't beat the third mission, but leveling up my charries is ALOT HARDER than I anticipated...this leads to the term "Well-Balanced". The game is awesome, especially with the RAP Gauge, Skills and Deities. Changing your Deities effects what weapons you're good with and all types of crazy stuff like that. Talk about customizing your characters!!! Besides that, I agree with them needing a Job Class system. But they probably didn't wanna be just like SquareSoft in creating a Strategy game, and they've definately expressed their individuality and uniqueness with this game. I hope to see another Hoshigami come to the US for PSOne or PS2.
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Its like Tactics except different, but still worth the time |
| Jordan Gottfried from Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA says (31/Mar/2002): |
I liked Hoshigami. It was almost like FF Tactics but it was different, but not Necessarily bad. The Confiegn system is really confusing, but part of the game's fun is learning about how you can use the coins to your advantage in battle. Yeah the plot does seem a little predictable, but there are different and unique charicters, it lets you say things to people you meet and change the outcome of the people who will or will not join you. The coin system lets you hamper the game in almost anyway, boosting the stats of a given coin, or creating a whole new one. It was a long RPG but its definetly worth the time and effort. I don't think rookie RPG players could handle it though. I really reccomend this game to advanced players!
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Mission Impossible |
| Cameron from Canada says (26/Jan/2002): |
This game is down right hard. Good but hard.
I made it to the 3rd or 4th fight and then I had to "un-retire" my trusty gameshark. That didnt make it much easier. All I could find was codes for Fazz so I have him around lvl35 and everyone else around 5-10.
This a a good clone of FF Tactics. There should be a sequel to it in which it ISN'T AS HARD.
The only bad thing about the game was that it lacks a good story line. After the first couple fights, i figured out the storyline and have been making predictions that have been coming true as I go along.
Im not finished yet but i plan on finishing it in under 5 hours which will gibe me a grand total of 20 gameplay hours.
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Hoshigami, running blue earth |
| Kenshi from Stafford, USA says (6/May/2003): |
You won't find many tactical rpgs out there, and even fewer that really make you think about your move three turns from now. But thats exactly where Hoshigami left me, pondering " How can this be, i lost?" Where HRBE excells, in chalenging, but not impossible battles, it also has it's faults. Repetitive tower battles are almost necissary to proceed, and the loss of some of your better mercenaries after a long battle might not always seem like a fair price for victory.And the lack of better skills and a small number of spells can hamper the fun every now and then. A better storyline would have helped define this game even more. But nonetheless this game is a must have.
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It's not HARD... it's unfair. |
| Termyte from Quezon, Phils. says (2/Apr/2002): |
Okay im in the last level of the game w/o cheats, Guess what, my frustration has reached its peak and i stopped playing it. All the unfairness will be thrown at at you. Terrain: You always end up down there while the enemy is up there. No save during multiple battles. You must level up to keep up with your enemy and, overleveling, the enemy will adjust to your current level. You are outclassed, outlevel, outnumbered, outcoin and outweaponed by the enemy. The story: The story of the characters is being overshadowed with the confeigms and mardias stuff.
If there is something i like in this game is the battle system and weapons/armor system.
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Loved it and Hated it. |
| Hiro from Vancouver, B.C says (5/Dec/2002): |
Well as for me I hated it in the beginning especialy the dissol level I mean so many units at like lvl 4 against 7? Oucies. After narrowly beating it and losing 2 of my lvl 6 mercs I was about to quit it then I decided to play some more. AS I found out mid way through it definitaly gets easier. So my only advice to "new" players is to not give up. Though the RPG part is very predictable and looks somewhat like the beggining of Legend of Dragoon and the graphics could be a little better given the time it weas produced, the game play is one of the best I've seen. I really hope they bring out a sequel with better graphics onto the PS2 or PSX.
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Patience IS a virtue |
| Seth Byers from Batesville, USA says (27/Nov/2002): |
What's wrong with all you nay-sayers. With all the talk about how much this game is like FFT, you should know how to play. You don't ever rush into an RPG expecting to get vey far. There's always that little aspect of role playing games called LEVELS! One level in this game can make all the difference. But just how do you get these levels? Easy, go to the first tower of trials, cluster your party members and just start hittin each other. You can easily manage a level up or two for all your characters in half an hour to an hour. Now get your tail out from between your legs, follw my (and many others) stratagy, and kick the games butt.
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Not your average "One-Weekend" RPG |
| Ryan from Bedford, MA says (17/Jan/2003): |
I picked up this game on a recommendation, and let's just say I haven't been let down. I love a challenge, and that's what this game is. Yes, the plot is slow ; Yes, the music is worse than a 4th grade recital; but this is a TACTICS game, and at that- a damn good one. It offers challenging battles, and a unique coinfeigm system that takes long time to learn (but it's worth it - having a 3rd level wind coin in chapter 1 comes in handy!). This game is not for the faint at heart, or the impatient. But if you're looking for a challenge, like me, it's definitely worth the time
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I really like this one...although it can be hard. |
| Rune from Chesapeake, USA says (15/May/2002): |
Hoshigami is a great tactical game. Somewhat like Tactics Ogre. Everyone seems to find the game really hard, but to tell the truth the enemies that adjust to your level top out at some point, so it is possible to be 4 levels above everyone else and not lose a character. I highly recomend finishing the first Tower of Trial before you move to the third story battle. I agree that the graphics and effects could have been better, but I'm in it for the game play. This is the best tactics game on PSone since Vangard Bandits.
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Misunderstood... |
| Aric from Pasig, Philippines says (4/Feb/2003): |
The game is great... I think the lack in plot should be credited to its great A.I., which some of the wannabe tactics gamers find IMPOSSIBLE. These people should just try to use their gray matter a little bit more. The game's cool, innovative and the FFT feel is just to help you grasp it better and get you acquainted faster. It's really great and challenging... Took a while to find a tactics game that can kill one of my guys... That rarely happens to me... I really commend this game.
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Hoshigami Rocks!!! |
| JK zim from Bulacan, Philippines says (4/Nov/2003): |
Hoshigami is the best tactic game i ever played! it's graphics are cool and the characters are cute when they are fighting already!(i like it very much)It is also fun when you try to power up your coins and then it will be changed to another type of coin, i like it. even though Hoshigami ia hard, i still like playing it! i like hoshigami very, very, very, very much... it's way too cool! i really like it.
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The Best |
| Kuroro Gerard from Phillipines says (1/Feb/2003): |
Hoshigami is hard and exciting because you will companions like Silpatos,Romleth,Elena, Tinn and others and also i will give you a hint if you want to have high level first go to tower of trial and then attack your party member but in low damage then if one of your member level up higher than the other attack him and you will receive high exp. and dev. this help you to easily defeat the enemy :}
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