The Great Chronicle of Console RPGs Thread

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Game No. 155

Spoiler

Title: Dragon Ball Z: Kyoshu! Saiyan
Developer: TOSE Software Co.
Platform: Famicom
Release Date: October 27, 1990 (Japan)

Comment: Released exactly a year after Goku Den, Kyoshu! Saiyan was the first console game to be based upon the Dragon Ball Z portion of the anime series. In terms of gameplay, the title both preserved and altered the card game mechanics of the preceding installments but abandoned the board game progression in favour of an openly traversable overworld.

The story is set during the Vegeta Saga and details Goku's attempt to thwart a pair of Saiyans, extraterrestrials with a warlike bent, who are searching for the titular Dragon Balls.

While still viewed from a top-down perspective, TOSE appears to have taken a cue from contemporaries such as Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy and endowed the game with a freely navigable overworld. In conjunction with this more open-ended approach, a journal has been added to the menu system in order to help players keep track of their current objectives. Actual movement is still card-based though, as one must still draw cards which decide how many squares one may move. But cards also fill other functions this time around, oft acting as items do in other role-playing games. Some are battle-specific, others can only be used outside of combat, and some may be used under both circumstances. Scattered throughout the world are various mini-games that serve to provide Goku and his allies with opportunities to gain experience points and cards. In addition to Goku, the party stars six other characters from the manga and anime, including his former adversary Piccolo, his oldest son Gohan, as well as brothers-in-arms Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu. The battle system has been subjected to a number of revamps. Firstly, fights are now presented with the use of animated sequences. Second, the numerical values of cards don't dictate who gets to attack any longer, as both sides get their offensive turns, but the one who draws a card with the higher value gets to strike first. Should the player and the computer controlled opponent draw a card of the same value, the player gains the initiative. Also, defensive values are given at the bottom of the same card, instead of separate ones. Furthermore, distinctions are now made between Regular cards, which execute attacks whose symbol does not match that of the currently chosen combatant; Master cards, whose symbol do match that of the currently selected fighter and thus will produce a much more powerful attack; and Ki cards, which unleash special attacks at the cost of Ki points.

Yet again, I have been unable to find any sales figures for this title and critical examinations keep eluding me.

 

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Game No. 156

Spoiler

Title: Dragon Ball Z II: Gekishin Frieza!!
Developer: TOSE Software Co.
Platform: Famicom
Release Date: August 10, 1991 (Japan)

Comment: Continuing the rapid release schedule, Gekishin Frieza!! kept the gameplay elements of the first Dragon Ball Z title in an unaltered state but handled plot progression in a manner different from any previously released Dragon Ball themed role-playing game.

The plot straddles the Namek and Frieza sagas of the anime, starting out with the party's journey to the planet Namek and eventually culminating in Goku's battle with Frieza.

Still viewed from a top-down perspective, the game alternates between freely navigable overworlds and areas where the party must traverse a single linear path. The title is divided into fifteen such subdivisions, each forming an individual part of the new chapter progression. Each chapter features its own area, accompanied by objectives that the player must complete in order to progress to the next one. These objectives involve reaching certain destinations, training your party to reach a specific goal (experience level etc.), and defeating bosses. Apart from Goku, returning party members include Gohan, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu.

As much as I hate to sound like a broken record, I have once more been unable to find any sales figures for this title and critical examinations keep eluding me.

 

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Game No. 157

Spoiler

Title: Dragon Ball Z III: Ressen Jinzoningen
Developer: TOSE Software Co.
Platform: Famicom
Release Date: August 7, 1992 (Japan)

Comment: Largely sticking to the gameplay formula that had infused the two preceding installments, Ressen Jinzoningen is notable for having Gohan assuming the role of main protagonist rather than Goku.

The story yet again encompasses two anime sagas. Starting off at the conclusion of Gekishin Frieza!!, after which it follows Gohan and his allies in their struggle against a new adversary named Cell.

Once again viewed from a top-down perspective, the game retains the freely traversable overworlds and chapter structure of its immediate predecessor whilst it scraps the linear segments. The party roster has been expanded to include Vegeta, a Saiyan warrior, and Future Trunks, a son of Vegeta from an alternate timeline. This particular entry introduces an automated battle feature.

Unsurprisingly, I have found neither sales figures nor reviews for this installment.

 

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Game No. 158

Spoiler

Title: Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans
Developer: Tose
Platform: Famicom
Release Date: August 6, 1993 (Japan)

Comment: While Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans was the last entry in the series to be released on the Famicom system, the title also marks a first for the franchise in that it was the first video game that did not derive its story from the manga or anime. However, in terms of gameplay, the card based mechanics remained firmly in place. The game was later adapted into an original video animation.

The plot relates the emergence of a new threat towards Earth in the form of Dr. Raichi, the sole survivor of the Tuffle race, which was eradicated by the Saiyans. Shortly after Raichi's arrival in the solar system, machines emitting toxic gas begin to appear across Earth, prompting Mr. Popo to seek out Goku and Gohan to inform them of the danger they pose to all organic life. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Goku and Gohan set out to investigate.

The game is yet again viewed from a top-down perspective. It appears as though the freely traversable overworlds and chapter divisions have been discarded in favour of a larger world map divided into five smaller, open-ended areas coupled with a more seamless narrative. The party lineup has been reduced to five characters, including Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Future Trunks. In other areas, the core gameplay seems to remain in an unaltered state. That said, the game also features a tournament multiplayer mode featuring the series' signature battle system, allowing players to face off against computer controlled opponents.

As usual, sales figures and reviews elude me when it comes to this franchise.

 

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Game No. 159

Spoiler

Title: The Legend of Dragoon
Developer: SCEI
Platform: PlayStation
Release Date: December 2, 1999 (Japan)

Comment: A retroactive inclusion to this chronicle, courtesy of [URL="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Cycloptomese" (title,target)]Cycloptomese[/URL]. The Legend of Dragoon is a role playing game developed by Sony Computer Entertainment of Japan which has managed to attract a comparatively large cult following, especially in North America.

Set in the fictional continent of Endiness, the story follows Dart Feld, a Dragoon in his twenties who was orphaned at an early age when his village was beset by a creature called The Black Monster, leaving him with a red, glowing stone as the only reminder of his parents. As the game starts, he is returning to the town of Seles after several years of searching for the aforementioned beast. However, his journey is interrupted when he is assaulted by a dragon named Feyrbrand who is controlled by a group called the Sandorans, a faction in an ongoing civil war. Arriving to Dart's rescue is an woman named Rose, who only remains in his company long enough to inform him that Seles has come under attack. Scrambling to reach his destination, he learns that the town has been razed to the ground by the Sandorans and that Shana, his childhood friend, has been brought to Hellena Prison. Determined to free her from imprisonment, Dart begins his trek towards the southern coast of the nation of Serdio.

Like a number of its PlayStation contemporaries in the genre, the game features three-dimensional graphics for the overworld and the character models, but once players enter smaller locations environments are presented by way of pre-rendered, two-dimensional backdrops. The overworld is reportedly not freely traversable. Rather, movement across the larger landscape is conducted along predetermined paths which are strung together by numerous nodes that represent various smaller locations, such as towns and dungeons. Towns are encounter free zones wherein the player may restore hit and magic points at inns, cure status ailments at clinics, and purchase various gear in shops. Throughout his travels, Dart will come across assorted individuals which join him on his quest. These come with certain predefined armour and weapon specializations and so called Dragoon forms unique to them. These forms are in turn tied to different elements which interact with each other according to a rock-paper-scissor mechanic. Dungeons are where battles occur and encounters are randomized, but a rotating, colour-shifting arrow serves as an indication of in how close proximity foes can be found. These engagements are turn-based, and allow for players to bring three characters into fights simultaneously. Note, however, that the game lets one swap between active party members at any time. A central mechanic to the combat system is the so called Additions system. When players choose the attack option, they will receive visual cues in the form of blue squares that when aligned allow combatants to execute more powerful attacks. However, such strikes require precise timing in pushes of certain buttons. More powerful Additions will allow for further strikes. But as these Additions get progressively numerous, players must be prepared to deflect enemy counters by using equally strictly timed pushes of buttons in order to avoid having their chains terminated. After an Addition has been successfully executed twenty times it gains a level, thus increasing its potency. When in Dragoon form, the Addition mechanic is altered so that players must perform three successfully timed pushes of the correct button, lest the power of the strike will not reach its full potential. It is also only in Dragoon form that spells become available for use. In their normal states, characters have to rely on items to provide them with defensive as well as offensive magic. As party members emerge victorious from battles they will gain experience points, which will work towards raising their levels. Just as the battle related capabilities of the characters in their normal state and their Dragoon forms are tracked separately through the stats screen, the title features two separate levelling systems. While the one tied to the party members in their normal state works according to mechanics common to other levelling systems in the genre, the system that keeps track of their Dragoon levels will not activate until the character in question has obtained the appropriate Dragoon Spirit. Doing so will allow party members to accumulate SP (none of the sources I've perused have bothered to elaborate upon what this acronym stands for), which not only allows them to raise their Dragoon levels, but also to increase the number of magic points they possess, as well as determine how often and how long they can achieve Dragoon form.

The Legend of Dragoon has amassed worldwide sales in excess of 1.8 million copies. The game appears to have been particularly commercially successful in North America, where nearly a million of these sales occurred. The majority of all reviews I've found are retrospective and they seem generally favourable. Praise has been directed at the game's plot and the cutscenes, the former of which has repeatedly been considered a thoroughly solid piece of work, while the latter has been argued to enhance the presentation of the storyline. However, the battle system appears to have left critics divided in their opinions towards it, as some approvingly consider the various types of Additions to present players with a multitude of tactical considerations, while others argue that the timing based mechanics of the very same feature render combat a tiresome exercise in repetitive button mashing. Finally, while reviewers usually differ in what features they aim objections towards, they seem to unanimously agree that a chief shortcoming of the game is its English translation, which has been shown to contain numerous grammatical errors.

 

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Game No. 160

Spoiler

Title: La Pucelle: Tactics
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: January 31, 2002 (Japan)

Comment: Sharing the same setting as the games in the Marl's Kingdom series (including Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure), but set centuries later and featuring a completely different cast of characters, La Pucelle: Tactics is a tactical role-playing game which features elements of monster capturing and training. Prior to the title's release in North America, certain visual details were subjected to censorship; Latin crosses were removed, depictions of cigarette smoking were erased, and spell animations underwent revisions.

Taking place in the fictional realm of Paprica, the plot follows a handful of members of a religious order called the Church of the Holy Maiden. More specifically, players are cast in the roles of Prier, apprentice Demon Hunter and the primary protagonist, Culotte, her younger brother, and Alouette, their instructor. Prier has joined the order with the express ambition of fulfilling a prophecy which has foretold that a warrior maiden will rise to challenge a malevolent prince who will wreak havoc upon the kingdom.

Outside of battles, the game is viewed from a side-scrolling one-point perspective, and graphics in these segments are entirely two-dimensional. Plot progression is divided into chapters whose endings are dependent on the decisions made by the player, even though the story's finale always remains the same. Travel between various locations is instantaneous and is executed by choosing one of the available predetermined destinations on a world map. The game starts in the aforementioned church which is situated in a small town that will serve as a hub for the rest of the game. The title's equipment system is slot-based and allows players to outfit their characters with whatever four offensive or defensive items they see fit. Battles are viewed from an isometric projection perspective where combatants are rendered in two-dimensional sprites, while terrain is three-dimensional. Combat is turn-based, and puts emphasis on positioning of party members, as characters that stand next to each other will assist one another when confrontations with the enemy ensue. When two or more combatants clash, the attacking side and the defending side receive one attack each. In addition to the assorted enemies one need to vanquish, each battlefield sport a number of dark portals which must be closed by way of a special ability called Purification, lest enemies keep spawning ad infinitum. These portals come in three different types, each aligned with a particular school of magic. Furthermore, the portals emit a flow of energy which party members may redirect by standing on them and face a given direction. Should a portal get destroyed while another combatant relays the flow towards an enemy or back against the flow itself, a powerful magical effect will be executed. All battlefields are measured according to a so called Dark Energy Index, which calculates the amount of dark energy in the area. Actions such as leaving Dark Portals unpurified and attacking members of one's own party will increase Dark Energy, while purifying the map will reduce it. Some stages are so saturated with Dark Energy that they produce Dark Gates, which lead to the Dark World, randomly generated levels that may, upon completion, bestow the party with item rewards. Purification can also be used to convert enemies to your cause. Once under one's control, these creatures can gain experience just like any other party member. But, in order to prevent them from running away, players must maintain their Happiness level by training them after battles. Training has other benefits as well, as it may raise stats for the monster in question. It is also possible to sacrifice one's former foes in return for various items. Successful battles yields experience points, which are gained collectively. Of note is that the European release of this title is based on a Japanese re-release, which comes with added boss battles and a New Game Plus feature.

I have only been able to find partial sales figures for this title, as I have been unable to locate statistics for the Japanese market. Nevertheless, in other regions, La Pucelle: Tactics has mustered sales closer to 200,000 copies. Professional critics appear to have given the game generally favourable reviews. Most praise appears to have been aimed at the battle system, with reviewers citing the dark portal and monster converting systems as welcome additions to what they deem to be otherwise conventional, yet robust, turn-based mechanics. Nearly as frequently, the plot has been lauded for its blend of serious drama and humorous antics, characterizations, and the presentation of its world. Additionally, the title has repeatedly been opined to offer a good amount of replay value, as the task of covering all the pursuable branches in the storyline has been estimated to require at least forty hours of time investment from players. Other commonly commended aspects include the English language localization, the voice acting (both the English and the Japanese), and Tenpei Sato's soundtrack. Yet, critics have recurrently referred to the game's graphics as dated, oft comparing them to the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics, arguing that they do not take full advantage of the hardware capabilities of the second PlayStation. Reviewers have also expressed doubts regarding the title's prospects of attaining a greater degree of commercial success. They have maintained that the overall difficulty and learning curve presented by the battle system render the game unsuitable for players unfamiliar with tactical role-playing games, thus potentially limiting its appeal to a niche audience.

 

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Game No. 161

Spoiler

Title: Grandia Xtreme
Developer: Game Arts
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: January 31, 2002 (Japan)

Comment: Released on the same day as the preceding entry in this chronicle, Grandia Xtreme is a spinoff to the first two installments in the series. During development, Game Arts decided to put a heavier emphasis on dungeon crawling than earlier entries in the franchise in an attempt to broaden the title's commercial appeal.

As with the earlier installments, the story is set in a fictional world. Populated by humans, the magically inclined Arcadians, and the tribal Hazmans, the world has enjoyed a fragile peace for some time. But the emergence of a natural disaster called the Elemental Disorder threatens to deteriorate relations between the three races. The humans mobilize their army in an effort to investigate the source of this calamity while representatives from the other races offer to provide aid. Yet tensions remain, as some suspect the disaster to be a product of scheming rather than a natural occurrence. Players are cast in the role of Evann, a teenage ranger who has been recruited by the human army to examine various ancient ruins that dots the realms, as the military believes they are somehow connected to the current calamity.

The game is viewed from an overhead perspective which occasionally shifts to a third-person perspective and graphics are completely three-dimensional. Players progress through the title by exploring assorted dungeons, combating the enemies there, and solving various puzzles within. Throughout the game, the party will rely on the town of Locca as their base of operations. The settlement allows players to equip their characters (this is apparently not possible anywhere else), replenish hit and magic points, purchase new gear, customize one's mana eggs and skills, and engage in assorted mini-games. Once again, the character progression system has been reworked. Special Coins have been scrapped in favour of items called Vellums, which can be found in dungeons and brought to a particular shop in Locca. There, Vellums can be used to generate randomized skills, which players may incorporate into Skill Books. Characters are able to develop these skills by gaining experience points in combat, given that they've first equipped the relevant Skill Book to a designated equipment slot. Mana Eggs return and are as per usual divided into different magical elements. They may still be traded between party members, but the Magic Coin mechanic has been discarded. Instead, Eggs can be brought to a magician in Locca where they can be combined into more potent variants. As with skills, Eggs must first be equipped to a designated slot before they can be used. The revisions to the battle system made in the second installment appears to have been left unaltered, but the bar at the bottom of the screen which had dictated when each combatant take action has been replaced by a clock-like design that otherwise works in the same manner.

Grandia Xtreme has sold nearly 400,000 copies worldwide. Critical reception appears to have been mixed. Most praise appears to have been directed at the battle system, but Noriyuki Iwadare's soundtrack has also garnered repeated laudations. From there on, sentiments seem to have become increasingly divided. While the graphics doesn't appear to have been outright panned, critics seem to have regarded them as relatively lackluster compared to those of its contemporaries in the genre. The size of the game's dungeons appears to have constituted another divisive issue among reviewers, with some arguing that fans of dungeon crawling would get their money's worth, while others have maintained that the developers ought to have trimmed down their dimensions in order to lessen what they have found to be a monotonous experience. Furthermore, while the revisions to the Mana Egg mechanics seem to have met an overall positive reception due to the numerous customization possibilities they have been perceived to offer, the mobile nature of battles, where combatants constantly shift from one position to another, has been deemed to render offensive spellcasting largely luck-based. Yet, the most recurrently disliked feature of the game appears to have been its plot, as critics have frequently regarded it as predictable while also lacking in character development. As for the latter, reviewers have further argued that the voice acting, which they have commonly referred to as second-rate, does little to enhance the characterizations.

 

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Game No. 162

Spoiler

Title: Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
Developer: Monolith Soft
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: February 28, 2002 (Japan)

Comment: The debut title of Monolith Soft, a company founded by Hirohide Sugiura and Tetsuya Takahashi after they left Square, Xenosaga was intended as a reimagining of Xenogears and the first part of a planned hexalogy. Takahashi's decision to leave Square was reportedly primarily based upon his doubts concerning the likelihood that the company would greenlight the development of a sequel to Xenogears. Several members of his former team at Square joined as development progressed. While the game garnered predominantly sympathetic reviews from critics and became the commercially most successful entry in the entire Xeno series, the North American release of Der Wille zur Macht wasn't without complications, as several depictions of violence in cut-scenes were censored in an attempt to avoid a Mature rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board.

Taking place somewhere between the 61st and the 73rd century (sources doesn't get any more specific than that..), mankind has colonized space and is engaged in an armed conflict with a species known as the Gnosis. At the same time, several human factions are struggling amongst themselves for control of an enigmatic artifact called Zohar. Players are cast in the role of Shion Uzuki, a computer scientist and programmer who works for a business conglomerate named Vector Industries. She is performing tests on a new android named KOS-MOS, designed to combat the Gnosis, when Woglinde, the ship she is travelling with, is boarded by said aliens. Along with KOS-MOS and her research assistant Allen Ridgeley, Shion manages to escape the vessel before it is torn asunder. But as it turns out, this incident was merely their first encounter with groups vying for control of a number of devices called Zohar Emulators.

The game is viewed from an overhead perspective which occasionally shifts into a third-person perspective and graphics are completely three-dimensional. Many genre staples are present, including exploration of various environments, assorted mini-games, and optional side quests. The game apparently lacks an overworld map or the like, instead presenting the universe through smaller, interconnected locations. The active party may consist of up to three characters simultaneously, but these can be substituted even in mid-battle as players see fit. Battles occur when the party physically collides with enemies in different locations and are turn-based. Action Points have been carried over from Xenogears and once more determine the number of attacks that may be strung together during a single turn. As before, they can be stockpiled for use in subsequent turns. A new feature of combat is the so called "Boost" system. By repeatedly attacking foes, party members fill a gauge that once it reaches full capacity allows them to skip the turn-based queue, thus letting them strike more frequently. Note, however, that enemies possess the ability to counter such attempts. Also returning from Xenogears are mechs, this time called A.G.W.S., although here they reportedly work more like summons, meaning players can switch between the two combat styles. A.G.W.S. feature their own types of weaponry, but cannot chain attacks, have limited ammunition, and can only be deployed for a limited amount of turns. Furthermore, characters cannot use spells or restorative items while occupying A.G.W.S. and the damage they sustain in battles must be repaired. Another retained feature of Xenogears is the Ether magic system. However, the accompanying Ether Points are no longer used to cast spells. Rather, they are used to acquire new ones. Successful battles net the party with experience points, cash, Ether, Tech, and skill points. Finishing battles on certain turns will bestow players with additional points to spend. Tech points are used to raise stats, while skill points allow party members to obtain new special abilities.

Worldwide sales figures for Der Wille zur Macht exceed 1.7 million copies. Reviews appear generally favourable, with the game's plot receiving the most frequent praise. Other oft lauded features include the graphics and the battle system. Less widespread, yet still recurrent commendations have been directed towards Yasunori Mitsuda's score and the audio department as a whole, as well as the over 40 hours of content the game has been gauged to offer persevering players. But, although critics have expressed their approval of the storyline and its twists as well as the various themes it touches upon, it has, like Xenogears before it, received criticism for what has been perceived to constitute a heavy use of cut-scenes, with some arguing that they ought to have been cut back in favour of sequences that involve active gameplay. Additionally, several reviewers have expressed dissatisfaction with what they refer to as a lack of resolution to the events depicted within the title, oft cautioning reader's that it forms but the first part of a longer narrative.

 

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Game No. 163

Spoiler

Title: Wild Arms 3
Developer: Media.Vision
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: March 14, 2002 (Japan)

Comment: The third installment in the Wild Arms series marked the franchises debut on the second PlayStation and provides an example of a visual trend among video games released during the first half of the noughties where graphics were subjected to a non-photorealistic rendering technique called cel-shading.

Like previous entries in the series, the game is set on the planet of Filgaia. This time, the plot follows a teenage adventurer named Virginia Maxwell who, after having prevented a train robbery, teams up with three other individuals of disparate origins in an attempt to find fabled ancient relics that may steer the planet's barren climate in a more fertile direction.

During exploration, the game is viewed from a rotatable overhead perspective. Graphics are entirely three-dimensional and cel-shading has been employed for character models. It seems game progression have taken on a more explorative approach in this particular installment, as players now must ask around for information on various locations, such as towns and dungeons, followed by tracking them down on the world map. For the first time in the franchise, all party members use the franchise's trademark ARMs. Purchasable armor has been replaced by so called "Mediums", which bestow individual characters with improved stats, summons, spells, and allow them to learn special abilities. Likewise, instead of selling different weapon types, shops now feature various upgrades for each character's unique ARM. As before, battles occur through random encounters and play out in a turn-based fashion while the action is presented through dynamic camera angles, but the underlying mechanics have been subjected to alterations. This time around, a stat called "Reflex" dictates the order by which combatants act. A twist has been added to combat in that although the party travels together, individual party members can "wander off" and thus face enemies on their own for three turns before their comrades comes to their aid. As combatants now move randomly across the battlefields, players are advised to choose their attacks while taking the distance between individual characters and their opposition into consideration. Reloading is now a factor players must take into account when relying on ARMs to inflict damage, as such an act takes an entire turn to accomplish. The Force Bar is still in place and allows party members to deploy magic spells and special abilities once it has been increased sufficiently. Successful battles net the party with experience points, cash, and the occasional item.

Wild Arms 3 has garnered worldwide sales in excess of 600,000 copies. The game appears to have been met with a generally favourable reception among critics. The two most frequently praised features seem to be its visual presentation, including the animations and cel-shaded character models, as well as the quantity of its contents, deemed to present more thorough players with closer to fifty hours of activity. Other recurrent targets of laudations include the English translation, the plot, and the portrayals of the title's various characters. And although the battle system has detractors, most reviewers appear to find it to their liking. Yet even if I find it hard to identify any feature or mechanic which examiners have directed any severe objections towards, the puzzle solving elements of assorted quests seem to have induced disagreements, with some referring to them as providing a welcome departure from the otherwise relatively battle oriented dungeon exploration segments, while others have found them frustratingly cryptic, arguing that they constitute a hindrance to game progression.

 

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Game No. 164

Spoiler

Title: Kingdom Hearts
Developer: Square
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: March 28, 2002 (Japan)

Comment: A critically well-received and commercially successful fusion of material culled from Square's own Final Fantasy series and the various works of The Walt Disney Company. Originally envisioned by producers Shinji Hashimoto and Hironobu Sakaguchi as an action-role playing game that would allow for freedom of movement comparable to that of Super Mario 64, Kingdom Hearts started to take form after Hashimoto gave a successful elevator pitch of the game's concept to a Disney executive. With Tetsuya Nomura, the chief character designer for the main Final Fantasy installments since VII, at the director's helm and a development team that involved employees from both Square and Disney Interactive, work commenced in February 2000. The project would reportedly gradually grow in scope; an increasing amount of characters and backdrops drawn from established sources were incorporated, further supplemented by original content.

Players are cast in the role of a teen by the name of Sora, who lives in a world called Destiny Islands. Sora, along with his friends Kairi and Riku, plan to explore other worlds by raft (?) when their preparations are disrupted by the sudden onslaught of beings called the Heartless. The attackers proceed to lay waste to their world while Kairi and Riku vanish in the ensuing mayhem. Sora, on the other hand, comes across an enigmatic weapon called the Keyblade which proves effective in combating the Heartless. Even so, he is too late to save his world and drifts into space. Elsewhere, Mickey Mouse, reigning king of Disney Castle, has grown alarmed by the recent activities of the Heartless and set out to find a way to prevent further incursions. Before leaving, he leaves written instructions to Donald Duck, his court magician, and Goofy, Captain of the Royal Knights, which tells them to search for the "key" that will protect other worlds from the Heartless.

The game is viewed from a third-person perspective and graphics are entirely three-dimensional. At the start of the game, players must choose their preferred weaponry and answer a questionnaire. These choices will determine which of the main attributes (strength, defense, and magic) will be Sora's foremost and his weakest, as well as dictate his starting stats and when he will learn abilities as he gains experience points and raises through levels. All other party members will be preset in this regard. The core party members are Sora, Donald, and Goofy, but as players progress through the different worlds the party will be joined by temporary party members plucked from various works in the Disney canon. Also, some worlds the party visits have them adopt unique traits in the form of altered appearances and/or abilities not found anywhere else throughout the game. Game progression is reportedly fairly linear, but there are apparently a substantial amount of side quests to pursue as well. When travelling between worlds, the party utilizes the so called Gummi ship, which can be upgraded with progressively more advanced armour, engines, and weapons. Travel using this craft incorporates gameplay elements more commonly found in rail shooters, as players must obliterate hostile ships and dodge obstacles in order to reach their destination. Later in the game it is possible to obtain a warp drive which allows for instantaneous travel between worlds. Battles play out in real-time, but players are able to pause the action in order to use items and select magic spells. Furthermore, as Sora is the sole party member that players can control directly in combat, the pause menu also allows one to customize the behavior of the other party members according to one's preferences. In a fashion similar to latter day Zelda titles, combat features a lock-on system which allows one to target specific foes. Summons are also present in the form of assorted Disney characters, each endowed with their own unique abilities. Upon defeat, enemies net the party with experience points and drop coloured orbs; green replenish hit points, blue refills magic points, and yellow yield cash rewards.

International sales figures for Kingdom Hearts amount to roughly 6.4 million copies, with more than half of those sold in the North American segment of the market. Professional reviews appear generally favourable. The fusion of Disney and Final Fantasy elements seems to have been nearly universally embraced by critics. The most regularly praised facets of this brew appears to have been the graphics, particularly the character models and their accompanying animations, followed by Yoko Shimomura's soundtrack for its mixture of Disney related themes and original compositions. The voice acting seems to have been another frequent target of laudations along with the rest of the audio effects department. Other features, such as the plot and the battle system, although greeted with overall approval among reviewers, are not without detractors. Some examiners have thought of the former as a fractured affair, likening the visits to the various worlds to a series of isolated short stories held together by a relatively basic overarching conflict. Meanwhile, the latter has been looked upon by certain writers as a tedious exercise in button mashing with comparatively few underlying layers. Yet, objections against these features appear to have been raised fairly seldom compared to a pair of other issues. For one, several critics have voiced disapproval of the Gummi ship-based travel segments, arguing that they quickly become a repetitive task that must be endured rather than enjoyed. However, the most common source of discontentment in my findings is the camera system, which reviewers has referred to as unresponsive to such a degree that they've recurrently regarded it as an impediment to combat rather than an aiding facet of it.

 

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Game No. 165

Spoiler

Title: Shining Soul
Developer: Nextech
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Release Date #1: March 28, 2002 (Japan)

Comment: After Camelot Software Planning had entered a partnership with Nintendo, Sega retained the Shining trademark and decided to hand development reins to Nextech. Instead of following the original plot continuity, the company decided to reboot the series. The first Shining title developed for a Nintendo system, Shining Soul would offer players an action role-playing take on this diverse franchise, an approach that had not been attempted since the release of Shining Wisdom seven years earlier.

The plot takes place in the fictional lands of Runefaust, where the malevolent Dark Dragon has turned the once fertile realm into a barren wasteland. Aided by his Five Generals of Darkness, their destruction of Runefaust is nearly complete when the Four Warriors of Light arise to oppose them.

The game is viewed from an isometric projection perspective and graphics are entirely two-dimensional. At the start of the game, players must choose one of four predefined character classes: archer, dragonute, warrior or wizard. Each come with their own unique special abilities, as well as weapon and spell restrictions. While the single-player mode features a lone protagonist, up to four players may join forces by way of the Game Link Cable accessory to tackle the game cooperatively. Game progression is performed on a world map, where players fast-travel between predetermined locations. Battles occur through exploration of floor-based dungeons. Fights play out in real-time according to mechanics that has been likened to those of titles in the Diablo, Mana, and Zelda games. Opposition consists chiefly of assorted monsters led by more powerful mini bosses, while each dungeon usually ends with a major boss fight. There are means that allow for instantaneous travel back to town in order to sell off excess items or recuperate, but doing so penalizes players with having to start over from the beginning of the dungeon in question. Defeating foes net their character with experience points, various items, and cash. Certain items must be identified by way of identifications scrolls or the like before they can be put to use. Upon levelling up, players are bestowed with points that can be distributed among their character's stats or abilities as one see fit. Finally, upon completion of the main quest players may choose to engage in a New Game Plus feature called Advanced Mode, in which their character retains experience levels, stats, and abilities, yet loses all equipment while the overall difficulty is increased and the order by which dungeons and monsters appear is reshuffled.

Shining Soul has sold closer to 150,000 copies worldwide. Professional reviews appear to exhibit decidedly mixed opinions. I have actually found it particularly hard to find a single feature that critics have shown some measure of consensus towards, be it to the game's advantage or disfavour. On the other hand, two facets have stood out as especially divisive. The combat system has been frequently praised and criticized for its perceived simplicity, as its adherents argue that it serve to increase its appeal to newcomers to the genre and people who'd like to have something to play while they are commuting or the like. Conversely, its detractors have found combat a tiresome exercise in button mashing which they have deemed to hold little of interest for any longer span of time. Second, the plot has garnered roughly equally recurrent laudations and disapproval for its comparatively straightforward structure, with those in support asserting that it serves to underscore the linear game progression in a manner they find fitting, while those opposed to it commonly dismiss it as a thin justification for the numerous instances of dungeon crawling.

 

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Game No. 166

Spoiler

Title: Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Release Date: March 29, 2002 (Japan)

Comment: The Binding Blade could be argued to have signaled both the end of an era and new beginnings for the series. It was the last installment in the franchise produced before it made its official international debut. On the other hand, it is the first game in the series released on a handheld console, and also the first to have been crafted without Shouzo Kaga, the lead designer of every title up to and including Thracia 776, at the helm. Thus, it fell on Masayuki Horikawa to shape the next entry. The game was originally intended for the 64DD peripheral for the Nintendo 64. But due in part to the aforementioned peripheral's substandard commercial performance, development started over, with most of the material assembled up until this point getting discarded in the process. Instead, the team began to outline their product around the hardware capabilities of the Game Boy Advance. In terms of gameplay, the developers made a number of tweaks and additions to the formula, of which two are perhaps more immediately evident. Firstly, they sought to decrease the series signature difficulty in order to attract a wider range of consumers. Second, the title introduced the first iteration of the Support system; a staple of future entries. Although, as mentioned above, this particular entry in the series has to date not been released outside of Japan, fan translations reportedly exists. Yet even though the game itself has remained a Japanese exclusive, the inclusion of its protagonist, Roy, in the roster of Super Smash Bros. Melee has frequently been cited as a major contributing factor in Nintendo's subsequent decision to bring future installments in the series to Western shores.

The story is set on the fictional continent of Elibe. A millennium before the events depicted during the course of the game, humans and dragons were engaged in an armed clash known as the Scouring, the outcome of which led to the banishment of all dragons from the realms. This victory for mankind was made possible by the so called Divine Weapons, which were dispersed across the continent after the war had come to an end. At the start of the game, King Zephiel of the nation of Bern has just completed his military conquests of the lands of Ilia and Sacae. Shifting his gaze towards the federation of Lycia, he mobilizes his troops for another invasion. In the Lycian region of Pherae, the reigning marquess Eliwood is stricken by illness, leaving him incapable of partaking in battle. He thus recalls Roy, his fifteen year old son, from his studies in the region of Ostia to lead the Pheraean forces alongside the armies of their Lycian allies in defense of their domains.

The plot is related through twenty five chapters/missions. Some missions come in two variants; which one players will receive depends on their performance during the preceding chapter. Also, there are an additional seven side chapters which can be unlocked by meeting certain criteria. Gameplay is yet again viewed from a top-down perspective. As mentioned earlier, this entry marks the debut of the so called Support system, which nets units who remain within three squares of each other with Support points that in turn bestow the units in question with increased stats. This mechanic is commonly considered a successor to the Romance system that had previously been featured in Genealogy of the Holy War. Restrictions on the number of units that can be brought along during missions have been reinstated, but vary from chapter to chapter. Inventory management is handled differently compared to preceding installments in the series. An otherwise defenseless unit will carry around whatever equipment players have decided to keep in storage, thus necessitating protection of the unit in question. Other than this, the core gameplay mechanics of prior entries appear intact, although the scale of battles has reportedly been reduced compared to those of Genealogy of the Holy War and Thracia 776. Upon completion of the campaign, the game unlocks a higher difficulty for players to try out; further completions unlock hidden characters.

Japanese sales figures for The Binding Blade have settled close to 400,000 copies. I have only been able to find four professional reviews of this game. Since I do not deem such a quantity sufficient to comment on how this title was received in a greater perspective among professional reviewers, I will abstain from doing so. Nevertheless, most of the examinations in question appear to view the game in a positive light.

 

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Game No. 167

Spoiler

Title: Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku
Developer: Webfoot Technologies
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Release Date: May 14, 2002 (United States)

Comment: The first Dragon Ball Z themed role-playing game to be released in nearly ten years, The Legacy of Goku was also also the opening title in a trilogy of games for the Game Boy Advance. Development was handled by American developer Webfoot Technologies, who deviated from the the card-based mechanics which had permeated prior role-playing adaptations in favour of a more action oriented approach.

The story of the game is reportedly a retelling of the beginning of the Dragon Ball Z saga up until the obliteration of the planet of Namek.

As with the games developed by Tose, gameplay is viewed from a top-down perspective. Players control Goku as he explores a series of interconnected locations, interacts with NPCs, and tackles various quests. Combat occurs in real-time when Goku run in to assorted enemies. His attack options range from basic strikes to various special techniques which depletes his ki meter when used. While there are no weapons and armour present within the game, an assortment of items can be found which will replenish hit points and ki upon use. Also, scattered throughout the game are power-ups that grant Goku the ability to fly. Completing quests and defeating enemies in fights nets Goku with experience points, which serve to raise his hit points and ki meter every time he gains a level.

I have only been able to find partial sales figures for The Legacy of Goku, as statistics for the Japanese market have eluded me. Elsewhere, the game has amassed nearly 1.7 million copies in total sales. The title appears to have been met with a tepid critical response. While most features seem to have been viewed in neither a particularly positive nor negative light, I have found a few exceptions. The sound effects have repeatedly been considered one of the stronger facets of the game. On the other hand, the linear nature of the main quest paired with its relatively short length, estimated to last roughly ten hours, has recurrently been thought to leave the title with little lasting and/or replay value.

 

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Game No. 168

Spoiler

Title: Final Fantasy XI
Developer: Square
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: May 16, 2002 (Japan)

Comment: The eleventh main entry in the Final Fantasy series marked Square's first stab at adapting the franchise formula for a massively multiplayer online context. Although the game's basic concept originated with series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, game design was led by Hiromichi Tanaka. Tanaka looked to III, the last Final Fantasy title he had assumed design responsibilities for, in his search for a gameplay foundation to elaborate upon. The game marks a first among MMORPGs in that it was the first title in the genre to achieve cross-platform play, allowing owners of the original PlayStation 2 release and the subsequent PC version to meet in-game. Additionally, it became a cross-generational game four years later when it saw a release on the Xbox 360. Largely met with approving nods by critics upon its original release, XI has, according to Square representatives, become the most commercially profitable installment in the series due to its monthly subscription fee, despite that its combined sales (including expansions) across different platforms has peaked short of every main title put out before it since VI. An enduring title, XI was the last game on the second PlayStation to have active online servers, lasting until March 2016. Yet this shutdown has not signaled the end of this online community, as servers are still running for the PC version. While the game has received five expansion packs, this article is delimited to the original core release.

Taking place in the fictional world of Vana'diel, the main plot line begins two decades after an armed conflict known as the Crystal War, during which a demonic spirit called the Shadow Lord and his minions of so called Beastmen laid waste to the realms. Initially, the three major political powers of Vana'diel, the Federation of Windurst, the Kingdom of San d'Oria, and the Republic of Bastok, attempted to combat the Shadow Lord's invasion independently, but the numerical superiority of the Beastmen left their armies with an ever increasing number of defeats and rising casualties. Realizing that this situation would soon become untenable, the three nations decided to put aside their differences to unite under one banner against their common foe. The alliance eventually emerged victorious, thus throwing players into the political aftermath of this costly struggle.

While still containing several familiar ingredients, gameplay mechanics have been subjected to a range of alterations due to the title's massive multiplayer direction. As with previous entries, there is a main quest to pursue rounded out by various side quests. Advancement throughout the main quest leads players to gain rank, bestows them with item rewards, and unlocks new areas for them to explore beyond their chosen home nation. Side quests net players with assorted rewards and fame among NPCs. Increased fame will in turn unlock new ways to interact with said NPCs and additional side quests. Additionally, both main quests and side quests yield monetary rewards. There are also various instanced activities in which up to sixty four players may partake in cooperative PvE battles to achieve certain predefined objectives and obtain rare loot. Furthermore, there are two types of PvP activities. The first is called Ballista and involves players competing for the highest score whilst engaging in an artillery-based castle siege. The second is named Brenner and reportedly plays out like a game of Capture the Flag. Periodically, the game throws events, often in the form of festivals with different underlying themes. These festivities last for a limited time span and may grant assorted rewards for those who participate. Returning into the mix is a selection of minigames, among them fishing and gardening.

As this installment features no predefined player characters, it is to a greater extent up to players themselves to shape their play style by utilizing the title's character creation system. First off, players must choose which of the game's five races they wish to play as: the Elvaan, the Hume, the Galka, the Mithra, and the Tarutaru. Each race comes with its own preset strengths and weaknesses. Players may further determine their character's face, hair colour, height, sex, what Job they should pursue, and which of the three nations they swear allegiance to. A reworked variant of the Job system, last seen in V, has been incorporated into the game. Initially, players may choose between six basic Jobs. When players reach level 30 and accomplish a requisite quest, nine advanced Jobs become available. Players can also switch between Jobs as they see fit by entering their houses or by interacting with Nomad Moogles. Each Job comes with its own unique abilities, spells, and passive traits. While abilities and traits are gained automatically as characters raise experience levels, spells can only be learned by first obtaining magic scrolls. Both abilities and spells come with cooldown periods after use, and the latter deplete magic points whilst also requiring the player to stand still for the duration of the spell casting. A new addition to the Job system is a form of dual-classing called Support Jobs. This feature becomes available upon reaching level 18 and allows players to enhance their characters with a secondary Job, along with some of its abilities, spells, and traits. Yet, it should be mentioned that Secondary Jobs cannot be raised beyond half the experience level of a primary Jobs.

While acquisition and merging of items has played a central role in the series since the beginning, it has apparently been brought even more to the fore with this entry by way of a crafting system. Items can be obtained through activities as diverse as combat, digging, harvesting, lumbering, and mining. They can subsequently be combined into armour, food, and weapons through a mechanic called Synthesis, where they are fused together with elemental crystals. Players can also opt to trade items in the game's player based economy by buying and selling them in auction houses. Yet, the developers have reportedly also taken precautions to prevent economic inflation by incorporating services that serve to eliminate Gil, the series' recurring currency, such as fees charged for auctions, item storage, and transportation.

As with other features, the battle system has undergone substantial revisions. The Conditional Turn-Based Battle system has been scrapped in favour of a real-time combat system, where players engage in PvE confrontations by approaching roaming monsters and the like. This departure from the utilization of random encounters as a core facet of combat would become a staple of future main entries in the franchise. Items, spells, and special abilities remain important aspects of confrontations, but a pair of new mechanics has been added to accommodate the new multiplayer dynamics. First off, once a member of a party attacks a given monster, said part lays Claim to it, thus ensuring that players outside of the party cannot steal a kill. Second, as individual party members inflict damage upon a given monster, it will build up Enmity towards them. Consequently, monsters will direct their strikes against that particular party member which has amassed the highest amount of Enmity. A party may consist of as few as two and as many as six players. Parties can be further expanded into Alliances by linking up to three parties together, thereby allowing a possible grand total of eighteen players to join forces. Parties allied with one another are able to aid each other whilst fighting monster which either party has laid Claim to. The Overdrives of X have been discarded in favour of another new take on Limit Breaks called Weapon Skills. As with previous variations, the system requires one to fill a gauge. This can be accomplished by dealing out or receiving the necessary amount of damage, thus acquiring Tactical Points. Any value exceeding a hundred of these allow one to execute a Weapons Skill, whose nature is determined by the given player character's Job, weapon, how filled the aforementioned gauge is, and the character's skill with the equipped weapon. Furthermore, Weapon Skills can be chained together by multiple party members in so called Skillchains, thereby increasing the damage inflicted to foes. Also, Skillchains can be strengthened even further should someone cast a magic spell with appropriate timing, thus unleashing a so called Magic Burst.

The original PlayStation 2 release of Final Fantasy XI has sold approximately 320,000 copies internationally. I have been unable to locate sales figures for the original PC release, but statistics for the first Xbox 360 issue of the title are readily available and gives figures landing around 190,000 copies in worldwide sales. The game appears to have been met with a generally favourable critical reception. Recurrent praise has been leveled towards the sheer amount of content included within it, along with its potential for further development by way of expansions and content patches, factors that have led critics to estimate that the product could keep dedicated players occupied for years. Yet, certain facets appear to have divided reviewers. The graphics, for instance, were lauded for the detailed character models, extensive draw-distance, and overall texture quality, but at the same time frequently criticized for inconsistent framerate. Likewise, the new real-time battle system was met with enthusiasm regarding its collaborative Skillchain mechanic, yet also disapproval for its largely automated nature. Additionally, the title's suitability for newcomers to the MMORPG genre has been called into question, with some examiners pointing to the lack of tutorials as a major potential disincentive for such players. However, others have pointed to the various activities players may engage in that necessitate team work, maintaining that these should serve to encourage a relatively helpful community. Nevertheless, the most severe objections have arguably been directed towards the monthly subscription fee. While such measures constituted a common business model for MMOGs at the time of XI's release, critics have cited this particular aspect of the game to present prospective consumers with a potential deal-breaker, especially when coupled with the time investment required to develop player characters and explore all Vana'diel has to offer.

 

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Game No. 169

Spoiler

Title: Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Release Date: June 28, 2002 (Japan)

Comment: Released less than a year after the first installment in the series, Golden Sun: The Lost Age was highly anticipated by the video game press. In terms of gameplay, the developers kept the formula of the preceding title in a largely unaltered state.

Again, the game takes place in the world of Weyard, the plot picks up directly after the end of the first game. But from this point on, events are told from the perspective of Felix, a teenage Adept who aided the antagonists of the first title, who takes it upon himself to complete his former masters' task of lighting the Elemental Lighthouses and pave the way for the return of Alchemy.

Again, the game is mainly viewed from a top-down perspective and graphics are entirely two-dimensional. Players who possess the first title may transfer attained Djinns, cash, character levels, character stats, and items to The Lost Age by way of either the Link Cable accessory or a password system. The gameplay foundation established in the first game has apparently been left generally untouched, sporting a mix of overworld exploration, interaction with NPCs, and spell-infused puzzles. The Djinn system returns in a seemingly unaltered shape, although eleven new Djinns have been introduced. Likewise, battle mechanics appear nigh identical to those of the first game, occurring through random encounters while being presented from a third-person perspective, yet again incorporating the aforementioned Djinns along with their "Set" and "Standby" modes, and featuring the same victory rewards as well as defeat penalties. Finally, the cable-based arena and multiplayer modes of the first title make reappearances in this entry as well.

International sales figures for Golden Sun: The Lost Age exceeds 1.2 million copies. Critical reception appears to have been generally favourable, with critics once again directing particular praise towards the graphics, oft citing the spell effects and detailed overworld as stand-out features. On the aural side of things, Motoi Sakuraba's score has yet again gained seemingly widespread approval among reviewers. Other recurrently lauded features include the plot and the game's estimated lasting value, gauged to provide exhaustive players with roughly forty hours of questing and other assorted activities. Further commendations have been levelled against the characterizations and the minor tweaks made to the battle system. While neither directly praised nor criticized, the title's difficulty appears to have repeatedly confounded examiners, where they on the one hand point to the battles as relatively unchallenging affairs, whilst on the other they oft cite the spell-based puzzles as occasionally frustratingly cryptic. Lastly, even though I have been unable to identify individual gameplay elements that seems to have met with any significant degree of disapproval, the game has as a whole been frequently criticized for what reviewers have referred to as a strict adherence to the first installment's gameplay formula, arguing that the lack of any major additions to the mechanics contribute to a rehashed experience. But even so, most writers appear to have viewed this particular issue in a forgiving light, as they have recurrently considered the product, judged on its own, to exhibit craftsmanship of such caliber that they've still awarded it with high recommendations.

 

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Game No. 170

Spoiler

Title: Suikoden III
Developer: Konami
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: July 11, 2002 (Japan)

Comment: The third entry in the Suikoden series marks the franchise's debut on the second PlayStation and was the last title in the series directed by its creator Yoshitaka Murayama. Beyond developments in the audio and visual departments made possible by the more powerful hardware, several new gameplay mechanics were implemented while some elements carried over from the first two installments were subjected to alterations. Never officially released in physical format in Europe, players in that particular part of the world had to wait thirteen years for a chance to experience the game, when it saw a re-release on PlayStation Network.

The story is set sixteen years after the second title in the so called Grasslands region, where an armistice has prevailed for several decades. The region is divided between three major political powers; the six clans, a loose union consisting of a largely rural population; the Zexen Confederacy, a more urbanized state which has secured its independence mainly through mercantile endeavours; the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia, a vast theocratic realm. The events depicted in the game are told from the perspectives of three different protagonists. The first is Hugo, son of the chief of the Karaya Clan, who has been entrusted with the task of easing recent tensions with the Zexen Confederacy through diplomatic means. The second is Chris Lightfellow, a Captain of the Zexen knights, who commands a military detachment that is present at the Karaya-Zexen meeting. The third is Geddoe, a mercenary of the Twelfth Harmonian Southern Fringe Defense Force Unit, who has been assigned with investigating rumours regarding the reappearance of a military unit called the Fire Bringer, which clashed with the army of Harmonia in the past. What follows is a series of events that will bring these three individuals and their respective nations on a collision course with one another.

With III, the graphics have become fully three-dimensional while gameplay is viewed from both an overhead and third-person perspective. Despite the generational hardware shift, the data transfer feature has been retained, allowing players to boost the stats of those characters who return from II. As the plot of this particular outing features three separate protagonists, the first chapters depict the same events viewed from differing perspectives, after which the story threads converge during the last chapters. During the course of these chapters, players will have to make a number of plot-related decisions that will dictate what ending they receive.

Exploration no longer takes place on an overworld; instead the game utilizes a world map featuring numerous interconnected nodes that represent smaller locations, such as towns and dungeons. As with its predecessors, III features a grand total of 108 recruitable characters. A notable new feature of character customization comes in the form of a skill system that provides passive enhancements to offensive, defensive, and magical combat capabilities as well as bestow party members with various special abilities. Each character comes with preset affinities towards certain skills, and they also feature individual limits to how many skills they can learn. Another new mechanic is Support Characters, who provide the active party with assorted exploration benefits, such as shop access in dungeons, and post-battle bonuses, like health restoration.

Yet again, the three battle modes are all present, although in reworked forms. While Regular Battles still feature active parties of up to six characters, combatants are now able to move freely around the battlegrounds, and weapon range is reportedly no longer a factor. But even though parties are still organized in front and back rows, each row is now controlled as a unit, essentially leaving players with three controllable entities. Certain commands issued to one party member will cause the character they are paired with to perform actions in response to these. Also, some pairings might produce so called Unite attacks. Army Battles have been substantially overhauled. The grid-based battlefields have been scrapped in favour of a system where combat units occupy interconnected nodes. Some nodes provide units with certain advantages, such as defensive bonuses and the like, but they may also come with assorted drawbacks. In order for units to clash with each other, they must move into nodes occupied by opposing units, whereby combat proceeds in an automated fashion. Additionally, friendly units in neighbouring nodes may provide offensive bonuses to the attacking unit. Duels appear to play out much like they did in prior entries in the series, but they now feature a gauge which hands the initiative to participants who manage to land hits consistently onto their opponents. Overall, the Rune system has been left unaltered, but in accordance with the revisions made to the Regular Battle system, a pair of additions has been implemented. First off, all spells now come with a charge time during which the spell's execution can be delayed or outright halted if the caster is struck before the completion of the chant. Second, area-of-effect spells have been introduced, which may affect allies as well as adversaries if they are caught within the spell's striking sphere.

International sales figures for Suikoden III fall just short of the one million mark, thus making it the best-selling installment in the series. Critical reception appears to have been generally favourable, with reviewers once again directing particular praise towards the game's story, recurrently citing the narrative approach of retelling events from multiple perspectives as especially engrossing. Other lauded features include the characterizations, the graphics, and the game's perceived lasting value, estimated to require over seventy hours of dedication from players who wish to exhaust everything the title has to offer in terms of side quests and mini-games. Having said that, even though examiners has repeatedly found individual tunes featured in the score compelling, on the whole they seem to have regarded the soundtrack as laden with bland filler material. However, the perhaps most frequent criticism I have found has been levelled against the revamped mechanics of the both Regular and Army battles, with the former receiving negative feedback for its pairing system, which have been argued to reduce the tactical options present in preceding entries; oft attributed to the ability of controlling all six party members individually. Army Battles, on the other hand, have met with disapproval for their shift to a structure thought to resemble that of board games, which has been opined to lessen the interactive element of these engagements.

 

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Game No. 171

Spoiler

Title: Summoner 2
Developer: Volition
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: September 23, 2002 (North America)

Comment: The second and to date last installment in the Summoner series featured reworked gameplay mechanics and an all new female protagonist. The following year, the game was released for the Nintendo GameCube under the title Summoner: A Goddess Reborn.

The story is set two decades after the first title and players are cast in the role of Maia, a goddess reincarnated in human form and queen of the province of Halassar in the empire of Galdyr. A prophecy has foretold that Maia will be instrumental in restoring the Tree of Eleh, from which all life sprang, and she responds by rising to the challenge.

The game is viewed from a third-person perspective and graphics are entirely three-dimensional. The overworld of the previous entry has been removed in favour of world map system with numerous interconnected nodes that represent different locations. The maximum active party size has been reduced to three characters, but there are now seven party members to choose from; players may switch between these every time they enter a location. Separate from the main quest is a new feature which allows players to engage in activities related to Maia's position as queen of Halassar. Players can donate cash to the realm's coffers in order to improve the state of the public health care, schooling, and army. Also, one can issue edicts on various state affairs, which in turn will impact events that occur later in the game. Battles now occur in real-time and commence once players physically encounter assorted foes. The chain attack system of the first game has reportedly been streamlined, so that multiple presses of the same button allow one to execute combos. Taking a cue from the three-dimensional installment in the Zelda series, a lock-on mechanic has been incorporated. The ability to switch between active party members on the fly has been retained. Combat pauses when players choose to cast spells, employ special abilities, and use items. Both weapons and spells are character-specific this time around, and while summons are still unique to the protagonist, their mechanics have been altered. Instead of expanding the party, Maia transforms into whatever creature she has summoned and remains in this form until it expires or it is slain. As with the previous installment, character progression is comparatively flexible, featuring multiple options for skill point distribution as party members raise experience levels.

The original PlayStation 2 release of Summoner 2 has sold roughly 200,000 copies worldwide. Reviews appear generally favourable and critics appear to consider the game to be an overall improvement compared to the first. The most frequent laudations seems to have been aimed at the plot, which has been thought to exhibit a well-considered balance between the pace at which the story unfolds and attention dedicated to providing players with exposition and lore. As with the first game, the amount of side quests and other activities players may busy themselves with seems to have been deemed satisfactory. Examiners have also expressed approval for the soundtrack, voice acting, and design of the various locales one encounters throughout the course of the title. However, some features seem to have left writers with mixed impressions. The graphics, for instance, were commonly deemed visually appealing, yet plagued by assorted graphical errors. Likewise, the battle system, while generally regarded as a step up to the one of the first game, has still been described as an exercise in button-mashing by several critics. Yet even so, the seemingly most frequently criticized aspect of the game appears to be the returning issues with camera control, which in the eyes of numerous reviewers impacts combat adversely due to its observed tendency to get stuck in all manner of environmental structures, thus confusing the action rather than supporting it.