Treasure Hunter G marked Sting Entertainment's initial venture into RPGs - pivoting around segmented, AP-driven tactics with the option to move/attack diagonally. Other components, both in-battle and out, further prove that this is far from the usual SRPG. Its creative weapon functions (e.g. spear attacks that also hit those directly behind the user) are backed by concepts not normally found in the genre, including DnD-esque item throws, tile-trapping, variable AP consumption (influenced by enemy proximity), random teleports and knockbacks. No less distinctive is their economy. Money is earned not via battles but by collecting/selling loot salvaged from environmental objects; interesting (and thematically sound) if not particularly exciting, a quality that also applies to its shops (purchasing items on display rather than from a menu) and puzzles (centered on riddles). They also craft detailed towns and interiors much like their publisher - but in general, combat is the prevailing feature here. With the help of preset fights a la Chrono Trigger (i.e. mob-activated & fixed ambushes taking place on the current map), these battles fuse the concise nature of encounter-based strategy with the design variety of their mission-based brethren, somewhere between Arc the Lad and Tactics Ogre.

On the other hand, its story and characters are hardly memorable, despite the amount of cutscenes and despite some truly strange moments - and, given their myriad variations in layouts, encounters are potentially hit or miss (with boss fights leaning towards the latter end).

Great first ten hours or so. Had a lot of fun with it's light Srpg gameplay while still being an rpg with towns, dungeons, and overworld. Enemies color tiles around then making it more costly to do anything near them. Movement,healing,and throwing items from afar is cheap. Getting in range with your sword can be costly. But if you start your turn in range you can spam attacks rapid fire.

Unfortunately by the backhalf everything but Red's Sword seems underpowered. Ranged weapons miss constantly, or do miniscule damage, and magic spells from a decent range cost a lot of SP. Enemies litter the entire field red and have attacks that push you away making getting in range and staying there a chore. No escape button, either. It's going to throw a lot of these battles at you.

It's not hard, I never died in my playthrough, it's just tedious, and the story (or at least the fan translation I had) stops being interesting by this point.

I reccomend trying it as it's first half is great, but I don't blame anyone for shelving it after that.