The “Chosen One” factor
A Solo Run tremendously reinforces the
feeling of being THE Lonely Hero who bears on their frail shoulders (or maybe
not so frail, as we’ll see in the next paragraph) the responsibility of saving
the whole world. Wandering alone on the huge world map is an experience like no
other; it casts you as a lone ranger in a massive world and makes you truly
feel like a full-fledged explorer. On top of that, it makes your experience
more cohesive with the story and the cutscenes, where you always appear alone,
and removes the unsatisfying experience of having your party members starring
virtually no role in the storyline and never appearing in the said cutscenes.
The “Overpowered” factor
As I mentioned in my post about the
misconceptions related to the Solo Run, there is definitely a sweet and
exhilarating thrill in controlling a single character that may ultimately
become able to wield every single weapon in the game and to master every spell,
attack and ability, which is achieved by raising both the weapon and passive
skills stats to 100, along with tackling all the sidequests related to the
access to extra classes and special attacks. Even more thrilling is the fact
that you can reach this ultimate and comprehensive mastery much earlier than
you would while playing with a full party, due to the faster leveling-up
process. I personally managed to get the twelve available classes and raise ALL
my stats to 100 after roughly 65 hours of gameplay, thus gaining access to this
delicious state of mastery, and then spent the rest of my playthrough toying
endlessly with the many possibilities that were offered to me and enjoying them
to the fullest.
The “Get the Best Gear” factor
This may be a mere detail, but it is one
that definitely has some importance in RPGs. By playing Solo, you will always
have enough monetary resources to buy the best equipment available right away
in every new town you visit, being thus as fully prepared as you can for the
unavoidable local challenge that lies ahead and avoiding the frustration of
being taunted by tempting yet unaffordable items, lest you spend two hours
grinding for money. If you’ve ever been playing with a party and struggling to make ends meet, all the while despairing
to see your party donning lousy mismatched equipment, you know what I’m talking
about. And believe me, that may be but a detail, but it’s a very sweet one indeed,
and one you may definitely appreciate.
The “Menu Navigation is so deliciously
sleek!” factor
Ever been trudging through the menu system
after you recruited your party, going from menu to sub-menu in a tedious,
time-consuming attempt to get things done? Ever been stranded in a shop,
wracking your brain in a desperate attempt to keep your focus and get whatever
gear suits each one of your character without ending up entirely confused and
lost in the process? Ever raged and fumed about the whole unbearable unwieldiness
of anything related to menu navigation?
If yes, then the Solo Run will undeniably make your life better, o yes
precious. One Character, One Menu to rule them all: plain and simple, and
definitely enjoyable.
The “Fresh Strategies” factor
Playing Solo will definitely lead you to
use creative thinking, and come up with specific strategies tailored to that
way of playing. Instead of going for the traditional “buff-debuff-attack-heal”
combo, you will have to figure out the most efficient way to take down foes
with a more limited set of abilities, since you can only don one class at a
time; doing so may involve a class change in order to get the most fitted
abilities to beat a specific boss, or the resort to some moves that you would
never have used in a classic playthrough with a party. It globally forces you
to use your resources and abilities to the fullest, and creates some very
interesting challenges that make a Solo Run all the more interesting and
exciting.
The “Originality” factor
Traditionally, Turn-based RPGs are party
affairs, while the whole “lonely hero” thing rather graces the realm of Action
RPGs. The juxtaposition of a single hero and turn-based battles that comes
forth in a Solo Run is thus a highly innovative configuration, and has to be
enjoyed as such. One again, this may be a detail; but in the RPG landscape,
where most titles tend to routinely recycle the same features and
characteristics, any change that brings a new and fresh experience to the genre
is always welcome.
That will be it for the good reasons that
make a Solo Run enjoyable. In the next post, I will conclude this feature by
giving a few useful tips for the road. Thanks for reading, and be my guest
anytime!
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