I remember playing this when I was a young teen, it seemed like the coolest thing ever. This replay has dulled some of the shine but it still goes hard.

The music is unmatched, the main theme is unforgettable even after all these years. The mech anime story is unreal, localisation is hilariously bad and the voice acting is really ropey, but given that script I don't blame them.

I still think ZoE has some special features to it that The Second Runner lacks, such as the ring world level selection map and the open exploration type gameplay which I found really immersive.

The Second Runner has an undeniable cool factor and a much more cinematic feel to it, with the anime cutscenes feeling a lot more dramatic.

Definitely play it, watch the opening trailer thing (though it's got spoilers all over the place, it's still amazing... reminds me of how good The Phantom Pain trailer was) all the anime cutscenes. It's fantastic.

Finished Soul Blazer 🗡️

At one point in the final town, you find someone performing with a harp in the church. His sprite animates charmingly and the generic town theme music fades away as he begins to play. The music he plays is a powerful, profound composition that immediately strikes you from your ears to your heart.

Later, It was no surprise that, as the credits rolled, this beautiful piece began again. It was the conclusion to an epic journey and the theme seemed to encapsulate all those feelings of adventure, peril, love, sorrow, and occasionally a layer of absurd amusement.

I loved all the spiritual themes flowing through this game, lots of stuff about reincarnation and appreciating the little parts of life. Mixed in with all this was the charm of a slightly dodgy translation, and the joy of surreal moments like when the goat tells you that she used to be her owner's husband in a past life. You'll smile all the way through but you'll also pause a moment to consider the belief of reincarnation as you do.

This is a very fun action adventure RPG that is beautiful to behold and will stick around in your memory for a long time after playing thanks to its unique gameplay aspects. The game is developed by Quintet, who had also created ActRaiser, and would go on to create two (spiritual?) sequels to this game. Illusion of Gaia (known as Illusion of Time in Europe) and Terranigma continue on the path laid by Soul Blazer, and both are still today very highly regarded SNES Action RPGs.

I have not played those other games, so I can't comment on their quality, but while reading up about them, I discovered this game, Soul Blazer. I thought it was interesting that people didn't seem to mention it as much, but when they did it was usually in positive terms, so I decided to give it a go. And I'm glad I did. I will definitely play Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma some time in the future.

The game has a great sense of rhythm. Each world or "zone" was relatively short; some of the earlier ones could be completed in a single night. The character progression was paced well too, with a regular supply of level-ups, new weapons, armour and magic spells trickling in as you progress. Each new item brings its own unique perks.

There were some less polished aspects of the game, though they didnt mar the experience all that much. Sometimes, controlling the character was a bit difficult. Struggling to get him to point the direction you want him to when in the midst of a boss fight can cost you your life. Thankfully, the checkpoint and saving system is very generous and forgiving, so it's not the end of the world.

The graphics constantly impressed me, especially the backgrounds. At one stage, you get to look out over the horizon and see the Aurora Borealis glowing beyond the mountain tops. At another, you'll see the blue depths of the ocean shimmering beneath you.

The boss fights also feature superb illustrations and sprite work, with some huge, intricate bosses filling up large portions of the screen. These are also a lot of fun, gameplay wise. They generally require some trial and error and learning the boss's different attack patterns in order to effectively avoid damage while picking the right moment to strike and land a hit.

The game has a gentle difficulty curve which I thought was very pleasant. For example, in the first few worlds, you can often adjust your sword positioning in order to defeat a wave enemies without having to move a muscle - simply let them walk towards you and impale themselves on your sword! Some may think this is a negative, but I enjoyed it. It meant that playing the game could sometimes be very relaxing - less stressful, reaction-based battles and more slow-paced positioning puzzles. That being said, there is an enjoyable level of challenge to be found here, in the later levels.

I rate Soul Blazer a GGGg. That's a Great Good Game with garnish. I really enjoyed my time with it!