Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis

Introduction
Good holy flaming flying zombie ninja Jumpin'-Jack-Flash Jesus riding a pogo stick from the tip of Everest down to the depths of Hell with no return ticket, this was a good game. I mean... wow. Flawless? No, don't be silly, of course not, but if RPGs were schoolkids THIS would be the big guy who comes along, takes one look at the Final Fantasy gang and flattens them for their lunch money. That being said, I'm still going to point out all the bad stuff 'bout the game since where's the fun in being too positive? Seriously though, BRILLIANT game. Anyway, let's continue.

Story
This was more a relaunch than a remake. In 2007, Alter A.I.L.A., an above-average though flawed RPG was published. Genesis, while using the same cast and setting, changes the story quite significantly, generally for the better. The plot is very engaging and compelling, and the dialogue is so well written it's simply a pleasure to read. There's comedy, drama and twists, which is surprising given that I played the original beforehand and assumed I would know all the twists. Nope! There's one reveal in particular early on that is absolutely -amazing- for anyone who's played the original, but wouldn't be thought of by newcomers (One word: Black.)

The only issue plotwise is that some characters are missing chunks of development. The developer acknowledges this and isn't too fond of it, but it is slightly uncomfortable for a dramatic subplot or two to be glossed over too quickly to really engage the player. The main story is brilliant, but sidestories are not handled well.
Score: 3.5/5

Characters
The characters in this game are all quite compelling and diverse, bringing a lot of life to the game. As they were mostly taken from the original, there were some issues as personalities had to be changed to fit into the new story. In one case (Dread) the character simply did not work, brilliant though he was in the original game. Other characters were vastly improved, however (Scott comes to mind, as well as Tinder's crew who were all handled terrifically.)

All in all, the characters themselves were terrific, though some of their stories were not properly addressed, as I said earlier.
Score: 4/5

Gameplay - Out of Battle
This was brilliant. The side-scrolling nature of this game is very rare for RPGs, and made for some truly challenging puzzles. The process of exploring and building a map in your mind to keep your way was terrific for me, as was hunting down shards - this game's hidden collectables. A lot of people complain about the difficulty of these, but honestly? Grow a pair, people! They're not that bad! Also terrific was the random encounter system, as the ability to catch the enemy off-guard and strike first was cleverly made into a timing reflex as opposed to a matter of luck, like in most random encounter systems.

Apart from the main game, there is plenty of postgame content and secrets to find in the maps. These all added to a wonderful experience, and I honestly can't fault this section.
Score: 5/5

Gameplay - Battles
Wow. This was done with RPGMaker2003? I'm astounded. While not perfect due to the horribly buggy system it was based on, these battles are terrific. The unique AP/Exceed system of ability use, the various party setups with 'Sync' and 'Mode' items, the element resistances... this is a game that requires a lot of strategy, though there are methods of breaking the game. Regardless, finding a good setup is very satisfying and though complex, the battle system is not too difficult to get a hang of. The game does an impressive job of teaching you, since I couldn't begin to explain the system myself here. Play the game, people!
Score: 4.5/5 since it WAAAAS still 2k3, and there were still bugs.

Music
Most of the music here was great and suited quite well, though the final battle music was a very poor choice and quite disappointing. That was the only track that bothered me, however.
Score: 4.5/5

Graphics/Mapping
Again, amazing. Creating such a rich and rewarding exploratory experience is an incredible feat, and the side-scrolling added so very much to it. The look of the game was brilliant, and the complexity of the maps simply breathtaking.
Score: 6/5, and not a goddamn typo.

Conclusion
I am in awe of this game. There weren't many negatives in that, huh? Yeah. Exactly. I don't want to come across as a fanatic, and I will happily say that aspects of the story let me down, but the good far, FAR outweighed the bad and I eagerly await the sequel. Brilliantly done, Neok.
Score: 4.5/5