An enjoyable RPG with excellent pixel art and a great soundtrack.
The presentation of this game is easily its greatest strength. Simply some of the best pixel style backgrounds you will see with lovely lighting, even perhaps beating out Square-Enix's 2D HD style.
The story is decent, with lots of interesting ideas. However, these don't always get expanded on fully. The characters are a mixed bag - the two main characters don't have much personality, nor do they develop much throughout the story. I personally found Garl very irritating, which lessened some of the emotional impact of the story. The side characters are often the most interesting, with Serai and the pirate crew my personal favourites.
The battle system employs a twist on turn based as you can increase or reduce damage by timing your button presses. Unfortunately, there are not many abilities to unlock and so many battles feel the same, and you never really feel like you're developing your characters much.
If you enjoyed The Messenger, there are some fun cameos and references, but you will be able to understand the story of this game even without knowledge of the game. A fun final surprise awaits for fans who unlock the game's final secret.
There are mini games throughout that add to the experience, making this a charming call back to early Final Fantasy games and the likes of Chrono Trigger. But ultimately, the one dimensional characters and limited options for customising/developing your character over time means this game falls short of its influences in my eyes.
I enjoyed the game, but I can't say it's an all time classic. Worth a go though for fans of the genre.
The presentation of this game is easily its greatest strength. Simply some of the best pixel style backgrounds you will see with lovely lighting, even perhaps beating out Square-Enix's 2D HD style.
The story is decent, with lots of interesting ideas. However, these don't always get expanded on fully. The characters are a mixed bag - the two main characters don't have much personality, nor do they develop much throughout the story. I personally found Garl very irritating, which lessened some of the emotional impact of the story. The side characters are often the most interesting, with Serai and the pirate crew my personal favourites.
The battle system employs a twist on turn based as you can increase or reduce damage by timing your button presses. Unfortunately, there are not many abilities to unlock and so many battles feel the same, and you never really feel like you're developing your characters much.
If you enjoyed The Messenger, there are some fun cameos and references, but you will be able to understand the story of this game even without knowledge of the game. A fun final surprise awaits for fans who unlock the game's final secret.
There are mini games throughout that add to the experience, making this a charming call back to early Final Fantasy games and the likes of Chrono Trigger. But ultimately, the one dimensional characters and limited options for customising/developing your character over time means this game falls short of its influences in my eyes.
I enjoyed the game, but I can't say it's an all time classic. Worth a go though for fans of the genre.