Alter A.I.L.A.

This game is just too freaking cool.

From the opening cutscene to the final boss(es); from the battle system to the storyline--this game is just too freaking cool. As the criminal-assassin codenamed "Blue", you are forced to play in deathmatches for the entertainment of the populace, day after day, until suddenly you are given the chance to escape. Do you run? Do you stay? Or do you rebel? Your decision will set into motion one of three distinct, yet equally stellar storylines, and determine which of 8 alternative characters will join your party. This premise is easily Alter A.I.L.A.'s #1 feat, and provides the game with a high amount of replayability; you can easily rack up 20+ hours playing through each storyline.

The battle system pays homage to the Shin Megami Tensei series, placing your party against an opposing number of humans, robots, mutants, and/or combinations who all possess elemental weaknesses waiting to be exploited. You can zone in on these weaknesses using explosive rounds found and bought throughout the game, such as grenades, incendiaries, and shock grenades. In addition, each character in your party possesses a unique ability and weapon setup, which allows for some creativity in your offensive approach. Abilities range from "Analyze", which lets you read your foe's weaknesses, to "Sharpshoot", which allows a shotgun-toting character to blast off all rounds on one foe. There are also 6 different types of guns, of which you can equip two for each character.

Combined with original graphics, a cool, albeit slightly-obscured interface, awesome settings and grim themes in a post-apocalyptic world, and the lengthy, engaging storyline, Alter A.I.L.A. hits its mark pretty much every time. There are minor quirks and bugs, such as an unoriginal soundtrack (though it is still cool as hell), a glitchy "AI Attack" system, and a rather underdeveloped main character--just to name a few--but the overall experience is simply far too superior to be undermined by these issues; don't let anything but the most fatal of reasons get in your way from playing this stellar Sci-Fi RPG.