I've been putting this game off because I wasn't sure if I wanted to invest the time. But I need a break from ultra-violence, darkness, and pseudo-realism.  I haven't played a game like this in quite a while. You could say I like my JRPGs "old school." That means colorful graphics, abstracted overworlds dotted with towns and secrets, shonen anime sensibilities, charm, a certain innocence to the proceedings.  This game looks to fit the bill on all counts.  I was playing Persona 4, but I just can't stand the dungeon crawling and how you pretty much have to leave and come back another day if you run out of spell power and replenishing items, which is inevitable.  I also had Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne going, which I think is a superior game to P4. I feel it's one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, and I'm not even done with it. So why am I stopping ot play NNK?  I want to raise my PS3 gamer score.

Generally I'm not a trophy hunter. I usually go for variety of games over going balls deep into a single one; I usually finish them with the bare minimum of requirements satisfied, and then they go into storage. But money, and thus games, has been hard to come by recently, so I've switched focus to getting the most out of a game. Trophies help set a goal post for this.  I mentioned that I wasn't sure if I wanted to invest time into a long RPG, and trophies have something to do with it. I've platinumed the last few games I've played, none of them short.  Warriors Orochi 3...insane amount of grinding was required, including getting all 100+ characters to max proficiency. MGS4...you have to play it 7 or 8 times, mandatory. Dragon's Crown...you not only have to have twitch skills, but also luck with gear, play the story a few times, grind levels, keep track of what you've done, repeat stages over and over. RE6..one long ass action game, and it's pretty relentless; also features grinding, of course. Dragon's Dogma. Well, you get the picture.  But you know, it's slightly addicting, despite the time sink and often retarded requirements (still haven't gotten Pure Bladestone in Demon's Souls, which has a 1 in 200 chance to drop from only two specific, tough enemies in the entire game).

Posting this goal for others to witness provides extra motivation. No one wants to be known as someone who doesn't do what they say they're going to do. Not that I really give a shit what people think  , but it still serves as a psychological tactic nonetheless.  Maybe I'll do updates when I get to certain percentages, like increments of 20 or 25%.  I will be using a trophy guide to keep track of what I need to do, make sure I don't miss anything along the way; I don't want to spoil the game for myself, but I do want to make efficient use of my play time.

Most importantly, I'm out for them timeless JRPG feels you get when you embark on a new journey across sunlit, emerald fields; the spirit of youthful adventure, with characters who embody the highest ideals of heroism and goodness. I'll get back to monochrome manslaughter and edgy eccentricity soon enough, but right now all systems are go for color and optimism.