I finished the game a week or so ago, and here's my thoughts on it...
Synopsis:
Ellen, after getting a letter from her mother who she believed abandoned her heads over to the town of Doolin to find out about her past. But as soon a she gets there, she instead finds a dead person which in turn begins a chain of events that slowly reveals her connection to the town.
Keats, editor of the magazine Unknown Realms receives a mysterious phone call that takes him to the town of Doolin and becomes witness to unusual events that seems to be related to another person who arrived the same time he did. Pushed by his own personal curiosity, he begins to investigate the events that unfold in front of him.
Storyline:
Interestingly enough, the story I described in the synopsis gives you a rundown on what is basically going on... although there is definitely more than that. You choose from either Ellen or Keats to begin with, and the story gets told from their perspective until closer to the end (a bit of a spoiler, but eventually, their stories will merge together by the end). I will be very frank and say that even if the storyline seems a little wonky... it is very interesting to the point that you want to keep playing just to see how the story will continue to unfold. I am slightly disappointed on the ending, but still... it ended alright (but I'm still a little confused about the last portion of the ending... I may have to play it again just to get a clearer picture). I will not spoil anything about the story, but there are certain twists in the game that I didn't expect... and that I really liked. Just when I thought I got it figured out, I get proven wrong. This was why I had to finish it because the story kept me interested. It's a rare thing in games nowadays...
GRADE: A
Sound:
Unfortunately, this one is a mixed bag. Opening cinematics feature voice-acting which was done fairly well. The problem is there was to few and far between. Most of the cutscenes are told in a comic book/story board way, and not hearing any voice-acting during those scenes kinda took away from the experience a little. There is not much music to talk about but what little music is there, it was quite good. Moving around the stages, you can hear all the ambient noises of the surroundings and any nearby enemies, which enhances gameplay. At the same token, your character will spout little blurbs once in a while after defeating enemies. The problem with this part is the said blurbs are very very few, so it becomes repetitive. All in all, there are upsides and there are downsides, so it averages out.
GRADE: B-
Graphics:
This is not the best looking game out there, but it's certainly very easy on the eyes. The character design and movement were done very well and it shows as you play the game. The various stages have their own identity, but some of them seem to look like the other stages. Enemy designs also vary, although there are some that is just a variation of the same thing. The cinematics are nicely animated... kinda wish there were more, but the cutscenes were also done very well. It does kinda look weird to see some characters look somewhat static yet moving in the cutscenes... but interesting enough to be fairly ignorable. I do enjoy looking at Livane though... I enjoy it very, very much... hehehe... *drools*
AHEM... anyways, the graphics are nice and certainly look next gen, but I think they could have done a lot more with it. Good job nonetheless.
GRADE: B+
Gameplay:
This is where the game both shines and suffers all at the same time. I will explain...
You character's attacks are based on the Ids or "souls" of monsters that you've defeated which you in turn map into one of the 4 buttons. Each monster grants a different ability, so the mixing and matching of the monsters becomes crucial, especially when going up against bosses. As you use the monsters, it unlocks their Karma which enables added abilities (more damage, additional combos, reduced MP consumption, etc). The problem is whichever monsters you end up choosing, it seems that the damage they do is not significantly different from one another, so sometimes it seems to be better to stick to faster attacking characters to deal the most damage. Also, acquiring the monster's Ids requires using the Sixaxis controller to "yank" it out of them. This is a very innovative approach, but as you go along, it becomes tedious, especially when you face multiple enemies where certain ones you have to do a "mini-game" of sorts before you can defeat them. It's a fairly small complaint, but it does affect the gameplay experience. The fact that you play 2 characters, though, makes up for it a little as each monster's abilities is different between characters, making the experience different from one another. I would recommend to alternate between characters as trying to play thought just one and then playing the other might confuse you with regards to the story and may ruin the overall experience. To add a little replayability, they included a dungeon creator, but this seems to be more of a timewaster if anything since it seems a little simplistic. But I'll give it the benefit of the doubt as I may have to play through the game again to unlock more. You can share whatever dungeons you created to other users by uploading it to the game's homepage in the game. Users can then choose to download and play the dungeon.
Generally... it's a good experience if you don't get annoyed by the constant "soul-sucking" with the sixaxis.
GRADE: B
FINAL VERDICT:
This is a well-crafted game with a very interesting storyline which is sadly marred by the funky soul-sucking gameplay and lack of voice-acting during the cutscenes. It's a nice addition to anyone who plays action/adventure games, although it's gonna be hit or miss to other players. Rent it and give it a dry run before you decide to invest in it. But be forewarned... once you get hooked by the story, you may have no choice but to play it through the end.
And yes... I will still enjoy looking at Livane... *drools*
GRADE: B
iRO Chaos Characters:
IdyotAko - 99/67 Lord Knight.............................Aima Lichu - 75/45 Sage
Aeag Sedah - 73/39 High Wizard................................Aima Taikdat - 81/50 Gank Rogue
Vendi Productus - 95/44 Forge Blacksmith.............Aima Bardu - 57/26 MS Bard
I_R_teh_1337!!! - 90/46 FS Priest.......................Aima Whupyah - 61/46 Battle Acolyte (Monk)
mAnUnUmPiT - 73/45 Hunter..............................Aima Alchy - 99/50 Battle Alchemist
Synopsis:
Ellen, after getting a letter from her mother who she believed abandoned her heads over to the town of Doolin to find out about her past. But as soon a she gets there, she instead finds a dead person which in turn begins a chain of events that slowly reveals her connection to the town.
Keats, editor of the magazine Unknown Realms receives a mysterious phone call that takes him to the town of Doolin and becomes witness to unusual events that seems to be related to another person who arrived the same time he did. Pushed by his own personal curiosity, he begins to investigate the events that unfold in front of him.
Storyline:
Interestingly enough, the story I described in the synopsis gives you a rundown on what is basically going on... although there is definitely more than that. You choose from either Ellen or Keats to begin with, and the story gets told from their perspective until closer to the end (a bit of a spoiler, but eventually, their stories will merge together by the end). I will be very frank and say that even if the storyline seems a little wonky... it is very interesting to the point that you want to keep playing just to see how the story will continue to unfold. I am slightly disappointed on the ending, but still... it ended alright (but I'm still a little confused about the last portion of the ending... I may have to play it again just to get a clearer picture). I will not spoil anything about the story, but there are certain twists in the game that I didn't expect... and that I really liked. Just when I thought I got it figured out, I get proven wrong. This was why I had to finish it because the story kept me interested. It's a rare thing in games nowadays...
GRADE: A
Sound:
Unfortunately, this one is a mixed bag. Opening cinematics feature voice-acting which was done fairly well. The problem is there was to few and far between. Most of the cutscenes are told in a comic book/story board way, and not hearing any voice-acting during those scenes kinda took away from the experience a little. There is not much music to talk about but what little music is there, it was quite good. Moving around the stages, you can hear all the ambient noises of the surroundings and any nearby enemies, which enhances gameplay. At the same token, your character will spout little blurbs once in a while after defeating enemies. The problem with this part is the said blurbs are very very few, so it becomes repetitive. All in all, there are upsides and there are downsides, so it averages out.
GRADE: B-
Graphics:
This is not the best looking game out there, but it's certainly very easy on the eyes. The character design and movement were done very well and it shows as you play the game. The various stages have their own identity, but some of them seem to look like the other stages. Enemy designs also vary, although there are some that is just a variation of the same thing. The cinematics are nicely animated... kinda wish there were more, but the cutscenes were also done very well. It does kinda look weird to see some characters look somewhat static yet moving in the cutscenes... but interesting enough to be fairly ignorable. I do enjoy looking at Livane though... I enjoy it very, very much... hehehe... *drools*
AHEM... anyways, the graphics are nice and certainly look next gen, but I think they could have done a lot more with it. Good job nonetheless.
GRADE: B+
Gameplay:
This is where the game both shines and suffers all at the same time. I will explain...
You character's attacks are based on the Ids or "souls" of monsters that you've defeated which you in turn map into one of the 4 buttons. Each monster grants a different ability, so the mixing and matching of the monsters becomes crucial, especially when going up against bosses. As you use the monsters, it unlocks their Karma which enables added abilities (more damage, additional combos, reduced MP consumption, etc). The problem is whichever monsters you end up choosing, it seems that the damage they do is not significantly different from one another, so sometimes it seems to be better to stick to faster attacking characters to deal the most damage. Also, acquiring the monster's Ids requires using the Sixaxis controller to "yank" it out of them. This is a very innovative approach, but as you go along, it becomes tedious, especially when you face multiple enemies where certain ones you have to do a "mini-game" of sorts before you can defeat them. It's a fairly small complaint, but it does affect the gameplay experience. The fact that you play 2 characters, though, makes up for it a little as each monster's abilities is different between characters, making the experience different from one another. I would recommend to alternate between characters as trying to play thought just one and then playing the other might confuse you with regards to the story and may ruin the overall experience. To add a little replayability, they included a dungeon creator, but this seems to be more of a timewaster if anything since it seems a little simplistic. But I'll give it the benefit of the doubt as I may have to play through the game again to unlock more. You can share whatever dungeons you created to other users by uploading it to the game's homepage in the game. Users can then choose to download and play the dungeon.
Generally... it's a good experience if you don't get annoyed by the constant "soul-sucking" with the sixaxis.
GRADE: B
FINAL VERDICT:
This is a well-crafted game with a very interesting storyline which is sadly marred by the funky soul-sucking gameplay and lack of voice-acting during the cutscenes. It's a nice addition to anyone who plays action/adventure games, although it's gonna be hit or miss to other players. Rent it and give it a dry run before you decide to invest in it. But be forewarned... once you get hooked by the story, you may have no choice but to play it through the end.
And yes... I will still enjoy looking at Livane... *drools*
GRADE: B
iRO Chaos Characters:
IdyotAko - 99/67 Lord Knight.............................Aima Lichu - 75/45 Sage
Aeag Sedah - 73/39 High Wizard................................Aima Taikdat - 81/50 Gank Rogue
Vendi Productus - 95/44 Forge Blacksmith.............Aima Bardu - 57/26 MS Bard
I_R_teh_1337!!! - 90/46 FS Priest.......................Aima Whupyah - 61/46 Battle Acolyte (Monk)
mAnUnUmPiT - 73/45 Hunter..............................Aima Alchy - 99/50 Battle Alchemist
How long is the game?
iRO Chaos
Karusho - Future Rogue /omai
Karusho - Future Rogue /omai
About 30-40 hours, not including the quests...
iRO Chaos Characters:
IdyotAko - 99/67 Lord Knight.............................Aima Lichu - 75/45 Sage
Aeag Sedah - 73/39 High Wizard................................Aima Taikdat - 81/50 Gank Rogue
Vendi Productus - 95/44 Forge Blacksmith.............Aima Bardu - 57/26 MS Bard
I_R_teh_1337!!! - 90/46 FS Priest.......................Aima Whupyah - 61/46 Battle Acolyte (Monk)
mAnUnUmPiT - 73/45 Hunter..............................Aima Alchy - 99/50 Battle Alchemist
iRO Chaos Characters:
IdyotAko - 99/67 Lord Knight.............................Aima Lichu - 75/45 Sage
Aeag Sedah - 73/39 High Wizard................................Aima Taikdat - 81/50 Gank Rogue
Vendi Productus - 95/44 Forge Blacksmith.............Aima Bardu - 57/26 MS Bard
I_R_teh_1337!!! - 90/46 FS Priest.......................Aima Whupyah - 61/46 Battle Acolyte (Monk)
mAnUnUmPiT - 73/45 Hunter..............................Aima Alchy - 99/50 Battle Alchemist
o_O if only i have the console, the money and the game... oh and the time... >.<
I want a PS3... but Dyne's reasons are also my reasons, more-so the later for me though.
"Even though, Passed this time alone
Somewhere so unknown, It heals the soul"
-Foo Fighters "February Stars"
Somewhere so unknown, It heals the soul"
-Foo Fighters "February Stars"
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