Modern Gamers' Guide to 8-Bit RPGs #5 - Chaos World
I bumped up my rating of Lagrange Point after playing this because, to me, Chaos World is the very definition of mediocrity.
There's very little separating this from the likes of Dragon Quest I or Final Fantasy I. High encounter rate turn-based battles (actually, it's not even really turn based. You press "Fight" and the game auto battles based on your chosen strategy preset), an overworld map that gradually opens up, a few maze-like dungeons . . . Your party is even referred to as the Warriors of Light and the big bad is named Chaos, for crying out loud!
Perhaps the only worthwhile difference to mention is that you have a total of 16 recruitable party members--most of whom will spend the remainder of their days getting plastered in the bar you leave them in. Once you have a party of 4 there's very little reason to change them out. There's a replayability factor thanks to the 8 different classes your party can be comprised of, but the Thief and Shaman classes are woefully lacking in late-game weapons and, let's be honest here, you're unlikely to want to replay this anyways.
My Enjoyment - 4/8 Bits. Chaos World is a mundane RPG that came out 5 years after Dragon Quest I and did little to evolve that game's formula. If fast-forwarding wasn't available to me I highly doubt I would have finished it.
Difficulty - 3/8 Bits. Grind up around a town with a cheap inn every once in awhile and you'll be fine.
Modern Accessibility - 3/8 Bits. Your mileage will vary depending on how much you can stomach random battles that, in this case literally, play themselves. There are also no in-game maps so you'll be relying on memory or shuffling through various maps online.
Final Verdict - Modern gamers need not apply. While I didn't outright hate my time with this game, I didn't really enjoy it either. It's a very safe entry in the JRPG timeline by developer Natsume. I love quite a few of Natsume's later games but this one ain't it chief.
I bumped up my rating of Lagrange Point after playing this because, to me, Chaos World is the very definition of mediocrity.
There's very little separating this from the likes of Dragon Quest I or Final Fantasy I. High encounter rate turn-based battles (actually, it's not even really turn based. You press "Fight" and the game auto battles based on your chosen strategy preset), an overworld map that gradually opens up, a few maze-like dungeons . . . Your party is even referred to as the Warriors of Light and the big bad is named Chaos, for crying out loud!
Perhaps the only worthwhile difference to mention is that you have a total of 16 recruitable party members--most of whom will spend the remainder of their days getting plastered in the bar you leave them in. Once you have a party of 4 there's very little reason to change them out. There's a replayability factor thanks to the 8 different classes your party can be comprised of, but the Thief and Shaman classes are woefully lacking in late-game weapons and, let's be honest here, you're unlikely to want to replay this anyways.
My Enjoyment - 4/8 Bits. Chaos World is a mundane RPG that came out 5 years after Dragon Quest I and did little to evolve that game's formula. If fast-forwarding wasn't available to me I highly doubt I would have finished it.
Difficulty - 3/8 Bits. Grind up around a town with a cheap inn every once in awhile and you'll be fine.
Modern Accessibility - 3/8 Bits. Your mileage will vary depending on how much you can stomach random battles that, in this case literally, play themselves. There are also no in-game maps so you'll be relying on memory or shuffling through various maps online.
Final Verdict - Modern gamers need not apply. While I didn't outright hate my time with this game, I didn't really enjoy it either. It's a very safe entry in the JRPG timeline by developer Natsume. I love quite a few of Natsume's later games but this one ain't it chief.