Help deciding new game

So I get my first paycheck on Friday (which is awesome to say. I can't get over that) and I wanted some third-party opinions on what game(s), if any, I should buy from this list I've come up with. I could buy more games for my 3DS, but I'm pretty sure for the most part, besides Legend of Zelda and Pokemon X/Y, it'll be a while before I go looking on purpose for any more games on that handheld.

Back on topic though, this is the list I came up with for games. Some I've played a bit of, others I've heard about:
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey Of the Cursed King
Xenosaga (preferably the first, if it makes the story better)
Final Fantasy VII (On steam)
Growlanser
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana
Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time

They're mostly PS2 games, but that's just because right now I don't plan on spending too much, because I need to budget for gas money, school, car insurance, and the like. I can start saving for a PS4 later as well, and get PS3 games on the cloud system. A lot of these games interest me, and I've played a little of Dragon Quest, as well as about 10 minutes of the 2nd Xenosaga (library games are crap and don't play well), and the last 4 I've heard/read about, and they seem interesting as well. If you guys could help me out here, it'd help, because I can't just buy all of them, and it'd be good to get opinions on how others think about these games.

 

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I would have to recommend Dragon Quest out of that series. To date, it is one of those games that despite finishing the main storyline I can still play it and enjoy it just as much as I did when I first started playing it, something that is odd considering i've owned it for over a year now.

Though if you're not entirely dead-set on that list there, I would highly recommend Fire Emblem: Awakening. It's an absolutely amazing game and is currently my favourite game of all time for the 3ds.

 

So far in that list, I've only played Mana Khemia on the PSP. It's a good game in my opinion, it's battle system is different from most games I've played. At times the gameplay can be a little bit like some harvest moon game, when you need to gather things. The way they make things like a class is also a plus for me. The alchemy bit is also pretty fun, when you're making things. This is for the PSP, so I'm not sure if it's the same for PS2. Sorry if this wasn't any help.

 

Well, the one I'm looking at is for the PS2, but they still have the same basic game system to it. I learned about it a few years back when my family was still going to a game night at a friends in Castle Rock. I saw it on a shelf and took a look, and I figured I might want to give it a try some day. I've also heard the fighting is different, and it's got some kind of time limit because of the whole school thing.

 

There was also a time limit sort of thing in the PSP version, but it wasn't much of a time limit, more of finish the given mission in the given number of days, which is pretty easy to do.

 

I'm biased for Growlanser and against Dragon Quest, but I think you should get Final Fantasy VII.

...I know, it makes no sense. Just go with it.

 

It makes it make somewhat understandable, not better. I see the list mainly consists of PS2 games, so I'll stick to that territory (PSSST JUST GET MARIO AND LUIGI DREAM TEAM OR KID ICARUS: UPRISING).

Ummm... It really depends on what you want.

DQVIII for length. Star Ocean for combat. Xenosaga for writing. FFVII to see what changed the genre forever, if you've never played it.

However... here's the best recommendations: Radiata Stories or Shadow Hearts. Look them up. You will be pleased.

 

Tried Kid Icarus, and I wasn't too pleased it with. I returned it within 12 hours of when I bought it. Ended up buying monster hunter 3 after that. But I'll give those other two a look as well.

 

ATELIER IRIS: ETERNAL MANA
STAR OCEAN TILL THE END OF TIME

 

Lemme guess... Connnntrollls?

That's one of my hot buttons, when people don't try to adapt >.>

But yeah, those two games are super fab, original, and PS2 gems.

 

Partly the controls, but also I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I even messed with the controls so I would have an easier time without the stylus, but I just couldn't follow the story that well, as well the levels seemed a bit shorter than I liked. I couldn't get myself to enjoy it that much.

Also, while it's still fresh on my mind, does anyone know anything about Lost Odyssey? I keep going back to it, but I don't know much about it. I don't know if I'm confusing it with another game my brother played; which had a character that was something like a 1000-year immortal or so, but it still looks really cool. Any advice on that one?

 

It's from Sakaguchi and is one of the top JRPGs of this gen. Easy.

 

Not what I meant. What I asked was were what I was remembering what my brother played and Lost Odyssey the same game? And what about it is great? Because I've looked and haven't found much info that's useful.

 

Sorry, skimmed. Yes, it's the same game.

The dream sequences make it quite the emotional experience, but the cast, combat, etc is all very traditional, yet all find a way to stand out. It's basically Sakaguchi trying to make his own FFIX because he adores that game.

 

Glad I made this thread, because now I have another question about 2 more games that I remembered about: Infinite Undiscovery and The Last Remnant.
I've heard a little about Infinite Undiscovery, and I remember somewhat looking into it, but I've found it slightly confusing with what I've read online. And with The Last Remnant, I'm just basically at a loss for what these are.
I've pretty much made up my mind that I'll be buying Dragon Quest VIII, and since it's only $9.99 at gamestop (of course that's used, but it's better than $30 online anywhere else), I can managed to buy another game as well. I'm basically trying to decide between Lost Odyssey, The Last Remnant, and Infinite Undiscovery. The infinite Undiscovery sounds cool, because you can have different scenarios based on what you do in the game, and of course Lost Odyssey is cool, but while Last Remnant is on there, it's really only a part of that list because it's $9.99 as well, and Infinite Undiscovery is $7.99. Lost odyssey is actually the most expensive being $14.99.
Which of those three Xbox games would you guys say I should get? How would you compare all three of them? Or any of them, if you've played them.

 

The only one of those games I've ever played is Xenosaga, and it was INCREDIBLY overrated. Would not recommend.

 

Of the three, I've heard only good things about Lost Odyssey and only bad about the other two. For what it's worth.

 

I haven't heard anything bad about Infinite Undiscovery, per se, but I haven't heard remarkable things about it either. For the most part it just seems to be one of those games that you influence with every decision, but I've read the story kind of falls a little short, and there's too many characters to work with. But I think I'd still be interested in playing it.