This game is really confusing to me. The most obvious confusing element to this game is its story, I have just finished and beaten playing this game with a total of over 5 hours of play time, yet I still have barley a clue on what the story of this game was about. My best interpretation is that its kinda like Evangelion? I mean I like the ascetics and the cheesy voice acting, but it just drops you into this world and explains nothing, with this story going a million miles an hour. Maybe it was explained in thr Japanese manuals, but I’m probably watching a youtube video explaining after I finish writing this. The gameplay though is actually really well thought out for a first stab at a 3D run and gun using the N64 controller. It can be kinda confusing to control a lot of the time, but it isnt overly complicated (not to mention I suck at this game too). But another confusing element is. why was this game fully translated into english dialogue, but only released for a Japanese audience. I can kind of understand that maybe after NOA translated the game, they realized that it would be way to confusing to realize in the west, but then why go through with implementing english speaking VA for the whole game? Overall, I really suck at this game, but I can admit that it holds up really well for a N64 3D run and gun. I am also just intrigued by it and want to know more about its history, because Treasure has always been a pretty big blind spot in my video game history knowledge. I’m really looking forward to trying Star Successor out one day because I feel like that could cure a lot of my gripes with the game.

I've tried on a few occasions in the past to play through this, though each has been well after the the game's original release. This was my furthest effort so far, and I got near the halfway mark before I finally gave up.

It's a little frustrating reviewing this, because there is so much to like. The game is gorgeous; it has aged incredibly well thanks to the art style, which makes fantastic use of Yoshida's concept and character artwork. The score is another strong element, as is the story and localization. The script is frankly a wonder for a game of its time, when localizations were still often rushed and threadbare. You can tell that genuine care went into it, and the story deserves it; the characters are interesting, and the political/religious web of intrigue is compelling.

But the gameplay. I don't doubt that at a younger age, I would've had more patience to navigate the game's obtuse and granular combat system, exacerbated by the cumbersome menus you have to navigate on a constant basis. It took some effort to overcome one of the numerous walls in the game, spending several minutes sorting through a half dozen weapons one by one, looking for the one with the right array of parameters to deal more than a single point of damage against an enemy at hand. Eventually it was just exhausting, especially when little more than bad luck found me without such a weapon, and even more particularly when trying to navigate maps where said enemies respawn, hamstringing me in the throes of being hopelessly lost.

I think some of the elements of the combat design are very cool and interesting, and some amount of streamlining might've really clicked for me, but as is I just grew tired of it, and found myself trying to simply run past whatever fights I could, its own exercise in frustration. I simply wasn't having fun at a point, and I had to call it.

But I did immediately go to YouTube and find a cutscene compilation so that I could experience the rest of the story, visuals, and soundtrack. I can't give the game a bad rating in light of that, but I also just can't say I love the game like I wish that I could.