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A simple, often frustrating, but sometimes very enjoyable experience.
Silviera- 07/28/2009 12:37 AM
- 598 views
Battle System- 1/5
Easily the worst aspect of the game, and unfortunately you'll be spending most of your time here. The battle system is standard rm2k3 with no twists. You only have two characters, a swordsman who will rarely do anything but attack normally, and a mage who learns about the entire default spell list. Since elements don't make much of a difference except on a few bosses, it does not particularly matter what you are using most of the time. The worst part is there is a great deal of forced grinding, there is even a point where the game will not let you progress until you have reached a certain level.
Storyline- 3/5
The story is frequently stereotypical. It begins with the hero living alone with his father, until a strange girl shows up on their doorstep. After living with the two of them for several months, she is suddenly kidnapped by an evil wizard, and the hero borrows his father's sword and sets off to rescue her. This conflict is swiftly resolved and the two return home, and what follows is a series of random adventures over the span of several years, sometimes with purpose and sometimes without. The interesting part of the story is that although you are constantly thrust into stereotypical situations, they are often resolved in unexpected ways.
Characters- 3/5
The characters are developed excellently even though the game is far from dialogue heavy. This is largely due to the fact the game frequently uses actions rather than words to define the characters, and makes use of emotion bubbles and movements for further characterization. The only real flaw is that the only three characters that matter throughout the entire game are the main character, the female lead, and the main character's father. All three all quite likeable, but their relationships are ultimately predictable. It is worth noting that the game lacks a central villain, which works well enough considering the way the storyline is set up.
Level Design- 1.5/5
Absolutely hideous, from the towns to the dungeons. Every city exists only to offer an inn and a shop, most buildings seem to be haphazardly placed and NPCs wander around at random. Dungeons are the real offender in this category, most of them being randomly generated mazes which will force you into the horrendous battle system far too frequently. It does earn a few points for the rare puzzles that exist. Although they are not very complicated they provide a desperately needed diversion in the dungeons that do have them.
Graphics- 2/5
The game uses 99% RTP and the default animations. There are a few nice touches here and there, such as blood staining your sword after you defeat one of your early foes, but for the most part you won't be seeing anything new.
Music/Sound- 3/5
Filled to the brim with songs ripped from various videogames, including several remixes. Some of them are far too recognizable, including frequent songs from Link to the Past and even One Winged Angel for the final boss theme. To the game's credit, the music changes frequently as you revisit old areas, and it always sets the proper mood for the scene.
Random stuff I liked-
The game contains a great deal of small touches that constantly brought a smile to my face. The first of which is upon leaving your house for the first time to chase after the first villain, your father remarks after giving you his sword, "bring it back to me, covered in the kidnapper's blood". Aside from being a great line, after you actually defeat the villain your sword's graphic in battle is changed to be stained with blood. When you do finally return the sword to your father, he hangs the blood soaked blade up on the wall.
Random stuff I hated-
The game uses the Guage battle type in rm2k3, which slows down combat and is just plain ugly.
Final Thoughts-
Although the game itself is often a chore, the unique method of storytelling and likeable characters, combined with decent writing, kept me playing until the very end. It would have benefited greatly by shifting the focus away from the constant battles and endless mazes, but I can think of worse ways to kill 5 hours.
Easily the worst aspect of the game, and unfortunately you'll be spending most of your time here. The battle system is standard rm2k3 with no twists. You only have two characters, a swordsman who will rarely do anything but attack normally, and a mage who learns about the entire default spell list. Since elements don't make much of a difference except on a few bosses, it does not particularly matter what you are using most of the time. The worst part is there is a great deal of forced grinding, there is even a point where the game will not let you progress until you have reached a certain level.
Storyline- 3/5
The story is frequently stereotypical. It begins with the hero living alone with his father, until a strange girl shows up on their doorstep. After living with the two of them for several months, she is suddenly kidnapped by an evil wizard, and the hero borrows his father's sword and sets off to rescue her. This conflict is swiftly resolved and the two return home, and what follows is a series of random adventures over the span of several years, sometimes with purpose and sometimes without. The interesting part of the story is that although you are constantly thrust into stereotypical situations, they are often resolved in unexpected ways.
Characters- 3/5
The characters are developed excellently even though the game is far from dialogue heavy. This is largely due to the fact the game frequently uses actions rather than words to define the characters, and makes use of emotion bubbles and movements for further characterization. The only real flaw is that the only three characters that matter throughout the entire game are the main character, the female lead, and the main character's father. All three all quite likeable, but their relationships are ultimately predictable. It is worth noting that the game lacks a central villain, which works well enough considering the way the storyline is set up.
Level Design- 1.5/5
Absolutely hideous, from the towns to the dungeons. Every city exists only to offer an inn and a shop, most buildings seem to be haphazardly placed and NPCs wander around at random. Dungeons are the real offender in this category, most of them being randomly generated mazes which will force you into the horrendous battle system far too frequently. It does earn a few points for the rare puzzles that exist. Although they are not very complicated they provide a desperately needed diversion in the dungeons that do have them.
Graphics- 2/5
The game uses 99% RTP and the default animations. There are a few nice touches here and there, such as blood staining your sword after you defeat one of your early foes, but for the most part you won't be seeing anything new.
Music/Sound- 3/5
Filled to the brim with songs ripped from various videogames, including several remixes. Some of them are far too recognizable, including frequent songs from Link to the Past and even One Winged Angel for the final boss theme. To the game's credit, the music changes frequently as you revisit old areas, and it always sets the proper mood for the scene.
Random stuff I liked-
The game contains a great deal of small touches that constantly brought a smile to my face. The first of which is upon leaving your house for the first time to chase after the first villain, your father remarks after giving you his sword, "bring it back to me, covered in the kidnapper's blood". Aside from being a great line, after you actually defeat the villain your sword's graphic in battle is changed to be stained with blood. When you do finally return the sword to your father, he hangs the blood soaked blade up on the wall.
Random stuff I hated-
The game uses the Guage battle type in rm2k3, which slows down combat and is just plain ugly.
Final Thoughts-
Although the game itself is often a chore, the unique method of storytelling and likeable characters, combined with decent writing, kept me playing until the very end. It would have benefited greatly by shifting the focus away from the constant battles and endless mazes, but I can think of worse ways to kill 5 hours.
