I'm so happy you reviewed this game. I played this game during my early twenties when I was unemployed for a small bit. I was in a weird headspace and I was playing a lot of obscure or under-the-radar PS2 games at the time. When game shopping, I came across it and used my dwindling funds to buy it. I was puzzled when I first played. I want to say it changed my life or it was one of those games was perfect for that moment in time, it didn't really do much for me. I was enchanted by the aesthetic and atmosphere of the game; it was so bizarre. I was frustrated by the gameplay and dungeon crawling tho. I gave up and re-sold it, yet, the game stuck with me in my mind. Every once and a while do a search on the game: its history, what meta-narrative I missed, loving on its art style, listening to the soundtrack, or whatever I can get my hands on. I'm 32 now and all these years later it's still with me. Other than aesthetic and mood, there's something about it that's embedded itself into my brain that I must delve deeply into it every once and a while. Yeah, it was great to see you review this game. Also, great soundtrack to the game th-cam.com/video/5jEVxdm4EGM/w-d-xo.html
So some madlad finally translated all of the PSX version of the game and it released a couple days ago, so if anyone's still curious about the original versions I'd definitely go seek it out!
A few notes on the video. Some are more spoilery, I guess. But that's what the Read More fold is for. First off, there's been a fanpatch for the PS1 version since posting this video. So if you're curious about the original, googling around should get you on your way to playing that! I put it in the description too. But every year, on the day of the incident that's key to the game's plot, the developers put up a new wallpaper on the official site. Just for that day. Several years long. Fans of the series have put them together and shared them on Dropbox, here's a link: www.dropbox.com/sh/ip8v3k8jwi9s5kk/AADtFHqZeGPpd6gq_FG1eMvga?dl=0 And yeah, series. There's also a manga and some other media surrounding the game. Beyond that, yes. I know how to use a Cursebringer Angel. I know the footage in the video I'm messing it up, but I figured that'd be a nice thing for people to find out on their own and just not show. Also one of the main interactions that really filled out information on the world for me was firing the Angelic Rifle at NPCs, like the Koriel.
Notably the Manga came out in 1999, and covers the plot and some backstory for the games, but it still kinda hard to follow and very vague. The character designs from the manga seem to have been carried over strongly to the remake. I do wish the series was more popular because I do wish we'd get a proper sequel or something, and more Alice fan art of course.
A 2019 review for Baroque? Now color me surprised. Baroque has always been a hidden gem, and it was my first introduction to Rougelite games. I remember being in utter shock that my levels didn't carry over. People complaining about the game's stiff combat always felt weird to me. The stiff combat and limited inventory space was basically encouragement to always use and throw your items, and I found that a deeply engaging system. There's the health and vitality systems to balance which have an additional complexity you didn't touch too deeply on in that you had to choose whether to use them when your health and vitality were full to boost your maximum gauges or save them when you needed them later. Naturally, the game tosses so much at you that it isn't that big of a dilemma, but it's a decision you had to make. Another was the usage of the Brands and whether you wanted to implant yourself with one to boost your stats or wait for a better one to come later. Constantly getting new weapons, cloaks, and wings and tossing the old or unneeded ones was a joy. The NPCs are all a bit crazy and slightly sad which made interacting and finding out more about them a delight. And, while the music of the original version may be more atmospheric, the gritty, electric beats of the remake still get my head banging. For instance, the music playing when the Archangel gives the Angelic Rifle is definitely catchy. One note that you could have brought up when comparing the remake to the original is that they did include a first-person mode in the remake for if a player wanted a experience more like the original. And while it does increase the atmosphere and immersion, it's, as you said, far clunkier to control. I was thankful for the option for saving between floors because I used to always play Baroque on my Wii before I went off to school, so the game was very easy to pick-up and put-down. It's a pity that I never actually got to finish this game because my sister took my Wii, and I remember still being obsessed with it even without being able to play like reading over reviews on Amazon, guides on Gamefaqs, and videos on TH-cam which is how I even found this video much to my surprise. That's a sub from me then for revisiting a lost gem
I saw this game in a manga and got curious about how bizarre it was. Your review was a lot of fun to watch and was so informative! Definitely checking out more vids from you.
@Loli Reaper the manga is way easier to follow, it basically spells out everyone's motivations while the game is understandable but still vague and obtuse to the very end. I think it's good to experience both, though i found the most enjoyment out of playing the game, putting the story together in my head and then checking the manga to see if i got it right. One thing manga ignored were the townies as i call them, you see them a couple of times in the manga but you have to interact with them in the game to get true ending.
Baroque reminded me of the PSP Rengoku games (reason why I got interested in Baroque to begin with), even tho those are not strictly rogue-like, the aesthetics/vibes are very on point. Wish that Y2K "rusty" futuristic aesthetics wasn't so rare.
I remember renting this for PS2 and never managing to finish it, but got through some of the NPC story stuff, and it was definitely before I really had a grasp over the concept of what a roguelike was, I just thought it was some weird JRPG that reminded me of Azure Dreams for the PS1 (for obvious reasons). Thing is, I never really thought much about it over the years, but the name, cover, and some details always come fresh in my mind. Seeing this video pop up immediately put the long neck man in my head, the bagged woman, the sitting horned woman, and I could vividly remember being given a super powerful rifle that shot out limited little angel ammo. I don't really recall how much I enjoyed playing it, but it's impressive to me how genuinely memorable some of the details are. Great video as usual.
Great review, you covered the game in great detail. The enemy/NPC design is certainly out-there. Weird, unnerving and even terrifying; more so with the PS1/Saturn version with its atmosphere. The console first person RPGs from PS1/Saturn era haven't aged gracefully, but I appreciate what they tried to do.
Japan's fondness for dungeon crawlers is really contagious, for me anyway, when your teenager self who only know mystery dungeon, as more or less a sort of reference, stumbles on baroque thanks to the internet it really gives a weird feeling of touching something forbidden or taboo, guess the notion of knowledge "staining" innocence has some sort of truth. Thanks for having reviewed this game, my nostalgia meter was off the chart, I wish you happy holidays 'v'/
I just bought a sealed copy of this game for like $40, looking forward to busting it open when I'm ready for a nostalgic Wii RPG trip alongside Pandora's Tower and The Last Story.
I remember wanting this game really badly for Wii when I was younger but I couldn't find it, seems it was too niche. I'm glad I'm finally get to see it.
Estoy viendo este video desde Argentina porque buscaba juegos de culto para la ps3 (tengo un emulador). Y gracias a que tu video esta en español me convenciste con tal magnífico audiovisual de jugar esta maravilla. ¿Parece una mezcla de Dark Souls y Evangelion, no?
Great work on this, I'll definitely keep an eye on your content moving forward! I still have my Wii copy of this and I distinctly remember it being one of my earlier "wtf" moments in gaming. Nobody had heard of the game, certainly nobody I knew. There weren't any guides online. The whole experience was like a fever dream nightmare , the sort of thing that you couldn't explain to another person. In retrospect I can understand why it feels like that but after having experienced much more anime, religious, horror, and art cultures it feels a lot less viscerally terrifying and uncomfortable, and more interesting and memorable.
I'm surprised nobody noticed another game similar to Baroque, at least as a game : Atlus' Maken X that started as an FP Swordfighting game like a DOOM Wad on the Saturn and moved to the PS2 as well, with a similar thing happening to it, with the Saturn version being nigh unplayable but having a rich Kaneko-like atmosphere years before Nocturne but people are mostly familiar with Maken Shao, the PS2 version and unlike Baroque, beyond some tunes and the artstyle, Maken doesn't have many redeeming qualities. It is however an important in Atlus realising how to mae good A-RPGs as seen with the Raidou games later.
I played this game years ago, and despite its jank (slightly decreased by using first person mode), it ended up becoming one of my personal favorites. Figuring out how its story works was fun in a special way, and I don't think there's any other games that does it the way that Baroque does, at least of those I know about.
In the very first run you can disobey the game and not go in the tower, you can go to the sentinel angel and beat him up, he gets annoyed and kills you, instantly ending the 5 floor intro tower, also fun review, i'm sad its not on steam, and i no longer have a Wii with said game, also fun fact you can never get a 100% file (cutscenes) since only 1 of 3 cutscenes can be unlocked from the beginning (Complete floor 5 of the tower, die anywhere, or the sentinel kills you).
Thanks for this. There's been a single copy of this in a store nearby that's been taunting me to buy it for a decade. A nice review for this game was need on this site. I have a question that I haven't been able to answer by looking it up online, like most about this about this game. I'm cursed with preference to play stuff on original hardware and living in a PAL region. I've seen that the PS2 PAL version is 50hz only and can find no info on the Wii version. Do you happen to know if the Wii version has a 60hz option or if not, is the game a proper 50hz conversion and not running at 0.8 the original speed? Wii games are usually good at this but we still got stuff unoptimized 50hz-only games like the PAL version of Madworld so I'm still worried about Baroque.
I'm actually not sure. Only thing I can tell you for sure is that the Wii version supports a 16:9 aspect ratio while the PS2 version is stuck to 4:3. That's the only real difference that I'm aware of between the system versions. Well, that and the Wii version having motion controlled aiming with a Wiimote, and standard controls like PS2 on a Classic controller.
@@Aboveup I see. I like motion controlled aiming on the Wii so, depending on the implementation, that could be nice. The back of the cover art scans not having the 60hz icon thingy makes me think I'm out of luck but I might have to swallow that pill or use the "dark arts" a force it to 60hz.
i love your videos man i remember playing this like 15 years ago and you've brought back some memories i appreciate all the effort you put in all your reviews i hope you keep pushing forward and good luck
absolutely loved the review! was nervous about potentially revisiting it as I never managed to finish it first time around. but you made me excited about the idea again and will definitely follow your advice and follow a guide this time! because going in blind I remember to this day left me truly feeling defeated and lost.
To be honest, i played this game back when i was a kid and i played it because the cover looked cool (there was a guy in a white coat). This game was such a trip.
Your channel is such a hidden gem. I'm glad I began watching Trapt videos because your channel was recommended to me for that! (Also, I will wait for all of your videos to see if you review a certain game that I don't actually remember lol but I slightly have an idea of one of the main characters)
Oh yeah, this game I keep forgetting to check out. I've heard it ever since the days where it was probably new, but keep forgetting about it. Someday I will though, as the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games are some of my favorite games I've ever played, and that's really saying something.
Im glad to see this game get talked about, thanks for covering it. This was my first wii game i bought blindly on a whim. I remember playing it a little, being extremely confused and then returning it. Fast forward to now. Over the years after that i would sometimes think about that game and wonder. I got a WiiU not long ago and then happened to stumble upon a used copy of Baroque and decided to give it another chance. This was less than a week ago. I didnt want to look anything up yet online and i jumped right in. For first 2 hours or so i had died numerous time and had absolutely no idea if i was even progressing in the game and i started to remember why i got frustrated and returned it so many years ago, but i kept playing. Then i realized that indeed i was progressing and right after that i figured out how to get items out if the neuro tower! My opinion of the game completely changed at that point and i realized it was actually kind of clever. Almost like a really simple but poorly done majoras mask in a way. Repeat from beginning with key item and ways to make small anounts of progress each time. Lol if the game had explained it or even attempted to give competent hints about it, i think this would have been a far better recieved game. SO many ppl did what i had done the first time i played this years n years ago. Play for little while, die a few times, got all stats reset and items lost, cursed at the game and stopped playing before anything significant happened to show that they were actually progressing as intended lol.
Found your channel through the Xanadu Next review. Started playing Baroque just from seeing your thumbnail, and I love it! Done a few runs, trying to feel way way through all the story flags. Felt the same way about mines. I think if you could pick them up afterward, even when face up, they'd be a perfectly mediocre option with more uses than a bone. Damage mines were super unwieldy, and I still don't quite know how some of them work. I think Baroque could have frontloaded a tutorial, just because not everyone is like me and willing to be totally baffled, especially since the tutorial is so comprehensive... once you understand where it is. I'm trying to do it without outside help...... but I had to Google how to even walk into the last floor of a dugeon. Orz gonna see how many quests I can clear without breaking, though! Despite its awkward feel and obvious low budget, it's less janky than most RPGs, roguelike or otherwise. Speaking of, I appreciate that what carries over between runs is merely quest progress and some items in storage. It's both rewarding in the longterm without making me feel like the game's beating itself. Even without much in storage, the game feels more fair per run than even more gently procedural, dexterity skill-based roguelites. I really wish Sting would come back with some dungeon games; loved Evolution and others as a kid, and I could always use more low-mid budget Japanese dungeon crawlers!
could you maybe do a video about: Baroque syndrome?? its a baroque game, I think its even connected to the baroque game in the vid, it has an android IOS port, but has no official translation yet
I remembered that I used to play this game. Back in the days as a child, I was slightly disturbed at the atmosphere and creatures in the game. But I still enjoy the game nonetheless.
honestly thank you for this. the only one to actually give a decently comprehensive review. I came across this game and I forgot I had played it before - thinking it was a fever dream
If you ever want to mess with a certain NPC. the angel you see is impaled at the entrance to the final floor. He'll talk to you about what you must do before you enter. That orb, also doubles as an orb you can throw items into for the guy to collect. Throw your gun in it and watch him flip out. Also throwing your gun in the illusion world (first run new game) will have it respawn on the final floor.
I had a Saturn in high school I read about this game in Saturn mag it sounded up my street but I never saw it released I didn’t know there was a ps2 version
I remember playing this game as a child when it first came out and being completely lost I tried playing and seeing if I could get a hand in it but I never could and I’m just now finding out there was a tutorial…
Managed to find this under $20 this week on Wii. It's becoming increasingly hard to find, and I'm sure the price is going to skyrocket on it in the coming years.
I love games like this. It's as if they were made to spawn communities and I love that. Great job bro, watching your video genuinely made me very happy.
Huh, I sought this out because Dungeon Chill just reviewed the original Baroque. Hearing that you were working entirely without any info is impressive. But seeing as some names were changed between the versions, I can see why. There's a website called the Nerve Tower that's full of info on the original game that Dungeon Chill greatly expressed helped him in researching the game. It doesn't sound like too much is different between the titles, aside from the obvious. Which was all I really wanted to know.
This game use to be on ios and i would play it but i remember deleting it and it took me forever to figure out the name of it until about 2 days ago. Thinking about emulating to play it again
When I first played this, I was a child and not fluent in English. I had not idea wtf was going on and hated it. Fast forward to Let it Die, and I sunk 100s of hours in it back in my early 20s. Crazy how much just understanding the language blocked me off from enjoying something that is often referred to as fundamentally mechanical (which it sometimes is, I loved Mario day one).
Bit jank but I really enjoyed this game. Always find something new whenever I pop it in here and there. One of my favorite brands is "Fire Breath" Everytime you level up you gave invincibility and breath fire and kills enemies in one hit. Slap Summon and reap rewards. Neat detail, playing in first person compared to third person. Strafing. Sure it was in the original but I find strafing super handy in the remake. Good review overall. Glad to see folks still reviewing it.
Oh boy. I love this game. I'm willing to overlook a lot of flaws (and this game has quite a bit) for the sake of immersion. Good to see a review, and one of quality. Sometimes reviewers don't understand a particular game's appeal, and they totally overlook what people might find interesting. It looks like you understand my appeal at least. Some fixes for combat - go for first person, which was how the original handled. Also, I have no idea why it was localized... A remake of a Saturn exclusive Japanese-only game? What could they imagine that it would sell at all. Looks amazing on Dolphin with some upscaling and perhaps some added effects if you swing that way.
Really interesting seeming game. I never would of heard of it outside your videos. Keep up the good work. I’m excited to see what you come out with next
Am i weird or is the original saturn felt more atmospheric? This one start with jist too much exposition... Iirc when i play the old one back then, i got confused and have to figure things out on my own and it just felt eerie.. which is good for games like this i guess
Man, I loved this game even if I never ended up playing it for that long, content to just be fascinated by the weird setting and story, I think I was sort of afraid that if I played it too long it'd lose it's mystique and end up having disappointing explanations for some of the weird things(I had a bad experience with reading a webcomic Kagerou where explanation for main character's split personality ended up being very uninteresting).
Ive started playing it. I was surprised its not that hard, or maybe i underestimate my gaming skills or maybe my overly cautious and calculative way of playing lends itself to this game well.
highly recommend the ps1 and Saturn original, i dont really get what hes on about because the game isnt remotely aged as poorly as he made it out to be , espesially movement, when u aactually play it for longer then a second u quickly get used to it an movement becomes very smooth and second nature, the gameplay is actually really fun and not nearly as bad as he made it out to be. idunno i feel like he hates it for not being the same as the ps2/wii game and thats just wrong. if u actually give it a chance and dont judge it based on if the wii game is better based on modern gaming standards u actually might have a lot of fun with the original because in my opinion it has an ageless quality , it is retro but certainly not the type of retro that is hard to go back to , that aged so poorly that its hard to play and enjoy . and iam not saying that out of nostalgia because i'm a 2003 baby i didnt play this growing up . i just think its a cult classic anyone should try and give a fair and honest chance . because as a huge fan of first person dungeon crawlers the original just hits differnt in a way the remake couldnt sattisfy
Got this game sitting in my "box of ps2 and ps3 games" only played about 2 or 3 hours of it and didn't care for it back in 2009, wish I still had a ps2 or a spot in my PC case to put in my old blu-ray/DVD player
I'm so happy you reviewed this game.
I played this game during my early twenties when I was unemployed for a small bit. I was in a weird headspace and I was playing a lot of obscure or under-the-radar PS2 games at the time. When game shopping, I came across it and used my dwindling funds to buy it. I was puzzled when I first played.
I want to say it changed my life or it was one of those games was perfect for that moment in time, it didn't really do much for me. I was enchanted by the aesthetic and atmosphere of the game; it was so bizarre. I was frustrated by the gameplay and dungeon crawling tho. I gave up and re-sold it, yet, the game stuck with me in my mind.
Every once and a while do a search on the game: its history, what meta-narrative I missed, loving on its art style, listening to the soundtrack, or whatever I can get my hands on. I'm 32 now and all these years later it's still with me. Other than aesthetic and mood, there's something about it that's embedded itself into my brain that I must delve deeply into it every once and a while.
Yeah, it was great to see you review this game. Also, great soundtrack to the game
th-cam.com/video/5jEVxdm4EGM/w-d-xo.html
tq for sharing
You could say you were BA - ROKE
So some madlad finally translated all of the PSX version of the game and it released a couple days ago, so if anyone's still curious about the original versions I'd definitely go seek it out!
Same person translated the ORIGINAL Saturn version which is better than the PS1 version too! Featuring less bloat and shorter.
A few notes on the video. Some are more spoilery, I guess. But that's what the Read More fold is for.
First off, there's been a fanpatch for the PS1 version since posting this video. So if you're curious about the original, googling around should get you on your way to playing that!
I put it in the description too. But every year, on the day of the incident that's key to the game's plot, the developers put up a new wallpaper on the official site. Just for that day. Several years long. Fans of the series have put them together and shared them on Dropbox, here's a link: www.dropbox.com/sh/ip8v3k8jwi9s5kk/AADtFHqZeGPpd6gq_FG1eMvga?dl=0
And yeah, series. There's also a manga and some other media surrounding the game.
Beyond that, yes. I know how to use a Cursebringer Angel. I know the footage in the video I'm messing it up, but I figured that'd be a nice thing for people to find out on their own and just not show.
Also one of the main interactions that really filled out information on the world for me was firing the Angelic Rifle at NPCs, like the Koriel.
Notably the Manga came out in 1999, and covers the plot and some backstory for the games, but it still kinda hard to follow and very vague. The character designs from the manga seem to have been carried over strongly to the remake. I do wish the series was more popular because I do wish we'd get a proper sequel or something, and more Alice fan art of course.
A 2019 review for Baroque?
Now color me surprised. Baroque has always been a hidden gem, and it was my first introduction to Rougelite games. I remember being in utter shock that my levels didn't carry over.
People complaining about the game's stiff combat always felt weird to me. The stiff combat and limited inventory space was basically encouragement to always use and throw your items, and I found that a deeply engaging system. There's the health and vitality systems to balance which have an additional complexity you didn't touch too deeply on in that you had to choose whether to use them when your health and vitality were full to boost your maximum gauges or save them when you needed them later. Naturally, the game tosses so much at you that it isn't that big of a dilemma, but it's a decision you had to make. Another was the usage of the Brands and whether you wanted to implant yourself with one to boost your stats or wait for a better one to come later. Constantly getting new weapons, cloaks, and wings and tossing the old or unneeded ones was a joy.
The NPCs are all a bit crazy and slightly sad which made interacting and finding out more about them a delight. And, while the music of the original version may be more atmospheric, the gritty, electric beats of the remake still get my head banging. For instance, the music playing when the Archangel gives the Angelic Rifle is definitely catchy.
One note that you could have brought up when comparing the remake to the original is that they did include a first-person mode in the remake for if a player wanted a experience more like the original. And while it does increase the atmosphere and immersion, it's, as you said, far clunkier to control.
I was thankful for the option for saving between floors because I used to always play Baroque on my Wii before I went off to school, so the game was very easy to pick-up and put-down.
It's a pity that I never actually got to finish this game because my sister took my Wii, and I remember still being obsessed with it even without being able to play like reading over reviews on Amazon, guides on Gamefaqs, and videos on TH-cam which is how I even found this video much to my surprise. That's a sub from me then for revisiting a lost gem
stiff combat is weird
wow
I saw this game in a manga and got curious about how bizarre it was. Your review was a lot of fun to watch and was so informative! Definitely checking out more vids from you.
Haha same! Just finished reading the chapter
@Loli Reaper the manga is way easier to follow, it basically spells out everyone's motivations while the game is understandable but still vague and obtuse to the very end. I think it's good to experience both, though i found the most enjoyment out of playing the game, putting the story together in my head and then checking the manga to see if i got it right.
One thing manga ignored were the townies as i call them, you see them a couple of times in the manga but you have to interact with them in the game to get true ending.
I remember at one point I started logging everything The Mind Reader gave when throwing bones at her, what bones gave what items.
what a crazy game
Baroque reminded me of the PSP Rengoku games (reason why I got interested in Baroque to begin with), even tho those are not strictly rogue-like, the aesthetics/vibes are very on point.
Wish that Y2K "rusty" futuristic aesthetics wasn't so rare.
Very good call there. Rengoku, especially 2, is one of those things I've been meaning to cover for a long while now.
I love the atmosphere of this game. It's like nightmare hell world.
I remember renting this for PS2 and never managing to finish it, but got through some of the NPC story stuff, and it was definitely before I really had a grasp over the concept of what a roguelike was, I just thought it was some weird JRPG that reminded me of Azure Dreams for the PS1 (for obvious reasons).
Thing is, I never really thought much about it over the years, but the name, cover, and some details always come fresh in my mind. Seeing this video pop up immediately put the long neck man in my head, the bagged woman, the sitting horned woman, and I could vividly remember being given a super powerful rifle that shot out limited little angel ammo. I don't really recall how much I enjoyed playing it, but it's impressive to me how genuinely memorable some of the details are.
Great video as usual.
Love how obscure the games reviewed in this channel are, subbed
Great review, you covered the game in great detail.
The enemy/NPC design is certainly out-there. Weird, unnerving and even terrifying; more so with the PS1/Saturn version with its atmosphere.
The console first person RPGs from PS1/Saturn era haven't aged gracefully, but I appreciate what they tried to do.
You absolute LEGEND.
Japan's fondness for dungeon crawlers is really contagious, for me anyway, when your teenager self who only know mystery dungeon, as more or less a sort of reference, stumbles on baroque thanks to the internet it really gives a weird feeling of touching something forbidden or taboo, guess the notion of knowledge "staining" innocence has some sort of truth.
Thanks for having reviewed this game, my nostalgia meter was off the chart, I wish you happy holidays 'v'/
I just bought a sealed copy of this game for like $40, looking forward to busting it open when I'm ready for a nostalgic Wii RPG trip alongside Pandora's Tower and The Last Story.
Ps1 version got a fan patch today
That music in the Archangel cutscene is fire.
It's amazing to finally encounter such a thorough review of this nostalgic game. Loved this video
got this game as a kid and it terrified and schooled me so i never got far but it’s always intrigued me, so thanks !
so, where did you find the site with those images from the drop box? They're really nice
I remember wanting this game really badly for Wii when I was younger but I couldn't find it, seems it was too niche. I'm glad I'm finally get to see it.
Estoy viendo este video desde Argentina porque buscaba juegos de culto para la ps3 (tengo un emulador). Y gracias a que tu video esta en español me convenciste con tal magnífico audiovisual de jugar esta maravilla. ¿Parece una mezcla de Dark Souls y Evangelion, no?
Great work on this, I'll definitely keep an eye on your content moving forward! I still have my Wii copy of this and I distinctly remember it being one of my earlier "wtf" moments in gaming. Nobody had heard of the game, certainly nobody I knew. There weren't any guides online. The whole experience was like a fever dream nightmare , the sort of thing that you couldn't explain to another person. In retrospect I can understand why it feels like that but after having experienced much more anime, religious, horror, and art cultures it feels a lot less viscerally terrifying and uncomfortable, and more interesting and memorable.
I did the same, have the game in a cupboard played it when I was about 11 and was so confused and scared
I'm surprised nobody noticed another game similar to Baroque, at least as a game : Atlus' Maken X that started as an FP Swordfighting game like a DOOM Wad on the Saturn and moved to the PS2 as well, with a similar thing happening to it, with the Saturn version being nigh unplayable but having a rich Kaneko-like atmosphere years before Nocturne but people are mostly familiar with Maken Shao, the PS2 version and unlike Baroque, beyond some tunes and the artstyle, Maken doesn't have many redeeming qualities. It is however an important in Atlus realising how to mae good A-RPGs as seen with the Raidou games later.
I played this game years ago, and despite its jank (slightly decreased by using first person mode), it ended up becoming one of my personal favorites. Figuring out how its story works was fun in a special way, and I don't think there's any other games that does it the way that Baroque does, at least of those I know about.
I was thinking about this game again and found your review. Now I'm onto binge-watching more of your content!
In the very first run you can disobey the game and not go in the tower, you can go to the sentinel angel and beat him up, he gets annoyed and kills you, instantly ending the 5 floor intro tower, also fun review, i'm sad its not on steam, and i no longer have a Wii with said game, also fun fact you can never get a 100% file (cutscenes) since only 1 of 3 cutscenes can be unlocked from the beginning (Complete floor 5 of the tower, die anywhere, or the sentinel kills you).
Thanks for these great reviews
Thanks for this. There's been a single copy of this in a store nearby that's been taunting me to buy it for a decade. A nice review for this game was need on this site.
I have a question that I haven't been able to answer by looking it up online, like most about this about this game. I'm cursed with preference to play stuff on original hardware and living in a PAL region. I've seen that the PS2 PAL version is 50hz only and can find no info on the Wii version. Do you happen to know if the Wii version has a 60hz option or if not, is the game a proper 50hz conversion and not running at 0.8 the original speed? Wii games are usually good at this but we still got stuff unoptimized 50hz-only games like the PAL version of Madworld so I'm still worried about Baroque.
I'm actually not sure. Only thing I can tell you for sure is that the Wii version supports a 16:9 aspect ratio while the PS2 version is stuck to 4:3. That's the only real difference that I'm aware of between the system versions. Well, that and the Wii version having motion controlled aiming with a Wiimote, and standard controls like PS2 on a Classic controller.
@@Aboveup I see. I like motion controlled aiming on the Wii so, depending on the implementation, that could be nice.
The back of the cover art scans not having the 60hz icon thingy makes me think I'm out of luck but I might have to swallow that pill or use the "dark arts" a force it to 60hz.
i love your videos man i remember playing this like 15 years ago and you've brought back some memories i appreciate all the effort you put in all your reviews i hope you keep pushing forward and good luck
Loved the video
but what's the song that plays when they start talking about Let it Die?
Midnight Worry Game. One of the Let It Die lobby songs.
Thank you very much
absolutely loved the review! was nervous about potentially revisiting it as I never managed to finish it first time around. but you made me excited about the idea again and will definitely follow your advice and follow a guide this time! because going in blind I remember to this day left me truly feeling defeated and lost.
To be honest, i played this game back when i was a kid and i played it because the cover looked cool (there was a guy in a white coat). This game was such a trip.
Your channel is such a hidden gem. I'm glad I began watching Trapt videos because your channel was recommended to me for that!
(Also, I will wait for all of your videos to see if you review a certain game that I don't actually remember lol but I slightly have an idea of one of the main characters)
Are we going to ever see a Memories of Celceta review?
I’m sure we will eventually just gotta be patient. Also on that note i can’t wait for the ps4 release later this month. I’m excited to finally play it
Oh yeah, this game I keep forgetting to check out. I've heard it ever since the days where it was probably new, but keep forgetting about it. Someday I will though, as the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games are some of my favorite games I've ever played, and that's really saying something.
Im glad to see this game get talked about, thanks for covering it. This was my first wii game i bought blindly on a whim. I remember playing it a little, being extremely confused and then returning it. Fast forward to now. Over the years after that i would sometimes think about that game and wonder. I got a WiiU not long ago and then happened to stumble upon a used copy of Baroque and decided to give it another chance. This was less than a week ago. I didnt want to look anything up yet online and i jumped right in. For first 2 hours or so i had died numerous time and had absolutely no idea if i was even progressing in the game and i started to remember why i got frustrated and returned it so many years ago, but i kept playing. Then i realized that indeed i was progressing and right after that i figured out how to get items out if the neuro tower! My opinion of the game completely changed at that point and i realized it was actually kind of clever. Almost like a really simple but poorly done majoras mask in a way. Repeat from beginning with key item and ways to make small anounts of progress each time. Lol if the game had explained it or even attempted to give competent hints about it, i think this would have been a far better recieved game. SO many ppl did what i had done the first time i played this years n years ago. Play for little while, die a few times, got all stats reset and items lost, cursed at the game and stopped playing before anything significant happened to show that they were actually progressing as intended lol.
I'm falling in love with japanese roguelikes! Do you plan on reviewing Azure Dreams?
Great video man!
Seeing this, I keep thinking of shin megami tensei. Nocturne maybe?
20:15 Oh it was published by ATLUS
Found your channel through the Xanadu Next review. Started playing Baroque just from seeing your thumbnail, and I love it! Done a few runs, trying to feel way way through all the story flags.
Felt the same way about mines. I think if you could pick them up afterward, even when face up, they'd be a perfectly mediocre option with more uses than a bone. Damage mines were super unwieldy, and I still don't quite know how some of them work.
I think Baroque could have frontloaded a tutorial, just because not everyone is like me and willing to be totally baffled, especially since the tutorial is so comprehensive... once you understand where it is.
I'm trying to do it without outside help...... but I had to Google how to even walk into the last floor of a dugeon. Orz gonna see how many quests I can clear without breaking, though! Despite its awkward feel and obvious low budget, it's less janky than most RPGs, roguelike or otherwise.
Speaking of, I appreciate that what carries over between runs is merely quest progress and some items in storage. It's both rewarding in the longterm without making me feel like the game's beating itself.
Even without much in storage, the game feels more fair per run than even more gently procedural, dexterity skill-based roguelites.
I really wish Sting would come back with some dungeon games; loved Evolution and others as a kid, and I could always use more low-mid budget Japanese dungeon crawlers!
could you maybe do a video about: Baroque syndrome?? its a baroque game, I think its even connected to the baroque game in the vid, it has an android IOS port, but has no official translation yet
Looks cool. I will try to download it.
I remembered that I used to play this game. Back in the days as a child, I was slightly disturbed at the atmosphere and creatures in the game. But I still enjoy the game nonetheless.
yeah, exactly, i feel the same thing.
honestly thank you for this. the only one to actually give a decently comprehensive review.
I came across this game and I forgot I had played it before - thinking it was a fever dream
Huge thanks for a big nostalgia trip. Loved this game then and actually considering to play it again now.
If you ever want to mess with a certain NPC. the angel you see is impaled at the entrance to the final floor. He'll talk to you about what you must do before you enter. That orb, also doubles as an orb you can throw items into for the guy to collect. Throw your gun in it and watch him flip out.
Also throwing your gun in the illusion world (first run new game) will have it respawn on the final floor.
I had a Saturn in high school I read about this game in Saturn mag it sounded up my street but I never saw it released I didn’t know there was a ps2 version
The voice acting is goddamn *perfect* 🥲
I had this game as a kid and written it off as garbage but revisiting its def a diamond in the rough type of gem
You should do a review of nightmare of druga another rouge like for ps2.
I Just found this game. It reminded me of the souls series. Thank you for the review!
nice, I really love this game, and Im supper hyped as a spanish speaker that we got a spanish patch for the ps1 version
Hey, good work! I'm looking forward to more from you!
thank you for reviewing this series
I remember playing this game as a child when it first came out and being completely lost I tried playing and seeing if I could get a hand in it but I never could and I’m just now finding out there was a tutorial…
Great video. This is such a unique game that I wish they'd make of like it. Hope they port it to PC or the switch someday
the first time I experienced the "Stay..." I was so freaked out, great how moody this game can get
also, I would recommend hard mode, it makes the game a real challenge. Also, first person mode adds a really spooky atmosphere
Managed to find this under $20 this week on Wii. It's becoming increasingly hard to find, and I'm sure the price is going to skyrocket on it in the coming years.
I love games like this. It's as if they were made to spawn communities and I love that. Great job bro, watching your video genuinely made me very happy.
Huh, I sought this out because Dungeon Chill just reviewed the original Baroque.
Hearing that you were working entirely without any info is impressive. But seeing as some names were changed between the versions, I can see why. There's a website called the Nerve Tower that's full of info on the original game that Dungeon Chill greatly expressed helped him in researching the game. It doesn't sound like too much is different between the titles, aside from the obvious.
Which was all I really wanted to know.
Holy shit, I was thinking the exact same thing about Let It Die!
This game use to be on ios and i would play it but i remember deleting it and it took me forever to figure out the name of it until about 2 days ago. Thinking about emulating to play it again
we should go to the Neuro Tower and push it somewhere else
Long neck always terrified me as a kid
The fucking moans bro fuck my whole family heard that
This game scared the living shit out of me as a kid
which version is better wii or ps2?
5:38 is this a JoJo reference?
When I first played this, I was a child and not fluent in English. I had not idea wtf was going on and hated it. Fast forward to Let it Die, and I sunk 100s of hours in it back in my early 20s. Crazy how much just understanding the language blocked me off from enjoying something that is often referred to as fundamentally mechanical (which it sometimes is, I loved Mario day one).
Bit jank but I really enjoyed this game. Always find something new whenever I pop it in here and there.
One of my favorite brands is "Fire Breath" Everytime you level up you gave invincibility and breath fire and kills enemies in one hit.
Slap Summon and reap rewards.
Neat detail, playing in first person compared to third person. Strafing.
Sure it was in the original but I find strafing super handy in the remake.
Good review overall. Glad to see folks still reviewing it.
it plays somehow like rengoku, wow, so rengoku was a rougelike...😮
Oh boy. I love this game. I'm willing to overlook a lot of flaws (and this game has quite a bit) for the sake of immersion. Good to see a review, and one of quality. Sometimes reviewers don't understand a particular game's appeal, and they totally overlook what people might find interesting. It looks like you understand my appeal at least.
Some fixes for combat - go for first person, which was how the original handled.
Also, I have no idea why it was localized... A remake of a Saturn exclusive Japanese-only game? What could they imagine that it would sell at all. Looks amazing on Dolphin with some upscaling and perhaps some added effects if you swing that way.
Cool video man.
i played this game because of this review, it was worth it but i didnt finish it. The saturn version looks way more eerie though
LEt IT DIE MENTION RAHHHH UNCLE DEATH THE GREATES MFFF ALIVE
I'm exceptionally grateful to have been recommended this game by a Russian speaking fan of Fear & Hunger=)
Really interesting seeming game. I never would of heard of it outside your videos. Keep up the good work. I’m excited to see what you come out with next
I found out about this game because of the persona 1 manga lol i then got it on ps2 and like a dumbass used all the angelic rifle ammo
Why does the resolution of your game look so much nicer than when i play on the wii?
Emulation has native upscaling for 3D, and Dolphin is one of the nicest emulators out there.
I’m only a few minutes into the video and yeah I can already tell that let it die took some inspiration from this
very good video
I played this when I was about 6 because we had a wii and my older dither picked it out on his birthday and I like it but it is hard and long
Holy Shit I have this game on my PS2 it was frustrating as hell but it was very entertaining as well.
How the hell did I get from hood vids to this?
I like this game
I absolutely love this game!
kings field energy
Id get this game but im baroque
nice
my stupid ass thought this game will be similar like SMT since it was brought by Atlus, i was wrong and i give up the game when dying on first run LOL
Am i weird or is the original saturn felt more atmospheric? This one start with jist too much exposition... Iirc when i play the old one back then, i got confused and have to figure things out on my own and it just felt eerie.. which is good for games like this i guess
Man, I loved this game even if I never ended up playing it for that long, content to just be fascinated by the weird setting and story, I think I was sort of afraid that if I played it too long it'd lose it's mystique and end up having disappointing explanations for some of the weird things(I had a bad experience with reading a webcomic Kagerou where explanation for main character's split personality ended up being very uninteresting).
As a filthy casul who plays the games for atmosphere and ludonarrative im so happy to hear baroque is lenient enough for dummies like me
Ive started playing it. I was surprised its not that hard, or maybe i underestimate my gaming skills or maybe my overly cautious and calculative way of playing lends itself to this game well.
Finished -3900 run it was fuckin easy lol
@@KOTEBANAROT is the game worth it ?
Wait isnt the ps2/wii version can switch to 1st person too?
highly recommend the ps1 and Saturn original, i dont really get what hes on about because the game isnt remotely aged as poorly as he made it out to be , espesially movement, when u aactually play it for longer then a second u quickly get used to it an movement becomes very smooth and second nature, the gameplay is actually really fun and not nearly as bad as he made it out to be. idunno i feel like he hates it for not being the same as the ps2/wii game and thats just wrong. if u actually give it a chance and dont judge it based on if the wii game is better based on modern gaming standards u actually might have a lot of fun with the original because in my opinion it has an ageless quality , it is retro but certainly not the type of retro that is hard to go back to , that aged so poorly that its hard to play and enjoy . and iam not saying that out of nostalgia because i'm a 2003 baby i didnt play this growing up . i just think its a cult classic anyone should try and give a fair and honest chance . because as a huge fan of first person dungeon crawlers the original just hits differnt in a way the remake couldnt sattisfy
Sega Saturn version are scarier.
Got this game sitting in my "box of ps2 and ps3 games" only played about 2 or 3 hours of it and didn't care for it back in 2009, wish I still had a ps2 or a spot in my PC case to put in my old blu-ray/DVD player
If anyone wants to play the PS1 version of Baroque its available on the Japanese PS3 Store.
Baroque is heavily influenced by Alchemy...
the real problem with the game is teh movement, i feel like shooting myself bro
I feel like Elden Ring borrowed this concept ad ran with it as fast as it could and never looked back
I have it on ps2. Got it last night for 60$
ur voice is so lovely