Perhaps that's the advice our hero, Joseph, would have most liked to have before that fateful day he summoned the demon that not only destroyed the enemies who came to attack his town, but also without mercy slaughtered Joseph's own people. Joseph, although he did not know his own powers at the time, was destined to be a Summoner, and this power would not only force him on his quest to learn about his power, but it would make him the target of those would seek to destroy the "marked" boy.

Summoner, the highly praised PS2 RPG published by THQ, has come to PC. The RPG crowd can be one of the hardest to cater to since you can have anyone from people who just like point systems and skill building to the hard core pen and paper D&D crowd. Summoner successfully appeals to both and has created a game which will appeal to not only the most meticulous and detail minded Dungeon Master but also has been made simple enough for the novice or unexperienced gamer to hop in and join. 

Summoner's plot takes you on Jospeh's journey to learn to use and control his gift as a summoner while overthrowing the evil that wants to subjugate his land (not to mention wanting him dead). Gameplay is hardly what can be called linear, since the game gives you plenty of distractions, people to talk to and places to wander around for hours on end if really feel like exercising your free will. While your journal neatly keeps your personal "main" quest at hand, you will have a sizeable number of mini-quests to build up you character's skills and get much needed money for armor, skill-enhancing jewelry, weapons, and the usual lot. 

The point and spell casting system is true to the heart of RPG gaming and this help to make that part of the learning curve a bit easier to handle. As your characters build experience points, they can distribute their point to gain higher physical combat skills or increase their spell casting abilities. Each character you acquire has a different set of skill specialization (e.g. thief), another staple part of a successful RPG. 

The control system is a love it or hate it system when it comes to camera angles. The camera will pan and rotate in harmony with your movements. Which is, essentially a good thing most of the time, but it is really cumbersome when you get into a strange corner or spot where you can't easily turn around but your enemies have no problem reaching you. Yet this isn't a syndrome I've seen exclusively to Summoner, so I can't single the game out with it. While the control system is slightly bulkier than the PS2 version, it still handles well. 

The actual menu system is accessed either by symbols or buttons clicked on or by keystrokes. Due to the fact that you will have to access the menu any time you wish to cast a spell (like the ever valuable cure), and the vast nature of some of the towns you will encounter, you'll get used to the keystroke system fairly fast. Actually you'll have to get used to it whether you like it or not, and it can be hard since it takes you a couple clicks and targeting to get yourself healed. In real time battling, it would be nicer to have hot keys which trigger certain spells (similar to Ultima Online, for instance) since your enemies don't wait for you to find the right buttons. 

Visually, the game pretty much attains current industry standards, although installation kind of scared me with threats of possible video card insufficiency. The lands were rendered well, and the landscapes faded in and out nicely in proportion to distance from your character.  The only thing that struck me strangely was the exceptionally macabre or almost dead pallor/look of the characters in their closeups. Actually, in general the PC didn't seem to have the vivid tones that the PS2 release did. The cut scenes were occasionally "rough around the edges", but otherwise ran smoothly. The system handily adjusts the graphic detail it feels your system can handle so there were no choppy moments of gameplay.

There are almost no voice overs to Summoner for the most part - this could be due to the fact that there's a lot of text for many of the characters you will interact with during the game. The voices are pretty much standard when you do hear them, and this applied to the sound effects as well. The soundtrack is above par with a good variety of the medieval, exotic, and dramatic tracks to match the moods.

Multi-character control has also been made as manageable as possible. Control of party members can be cycled through a simple meystroke. Solo mode is especially useful, especially when you might have a new character starting out and they become more of a healing liability than worthy as a fighter. I saw this quite early on with Fleec, my first character I acquired. Yet, I want to establish one thing: the AI of the characters you aren't controlling was well done by the creators of Summoner. Early on I heard some early comparisons drawn up between Summoner and Vampire: The Masquerade and I shuddered. Multi-character control was far simpler in Summoner as my characters usually stayed put and didn't run off into the shadows to fight something far off instead of staying by my side where I needed the help. You can actually control how you want your allies to act (such as causing them to behave as a caster/healer as opposed to a melee warrior).

Summoning is, to be frank, fun. Why do all the dirty work yourself when you can summon all manners of beasties to do your work for you? Everything from Blood Elementals, to minotaurs, to dragons, it's like going back to my UO or Diablo exploits and making them more personal. You do have to follow rules though (no summoning in town - as if Joseph didn't learn that the hard way), temporary hit point reduction, and more. Well, nothing is free! The AI on the summoned creatures is fairly well done which is refreshing compared to some experienced I have had with the summoning classes in other games. There's nothing worse than your summoned creatures wandering off when you really need them and having to wait until they die before getting the new help where you need it.

In conclusion, Summoner, succeeds as an RPG. If you were always drawn to the Summoning classes in RPG games - this game gives you the chance to play a game the puts that character class in the spotlight. While keeping the very essence of RPG without having to learn all the nitty gritty details, Summoner can give you a good show for your gaming money without causing beginners to take Gaming Math 101. So throw those heavy manuals and books away and start adventuring!

Installation: Easy

Game Play (8): Summoner's gameplay stays true to RPG fashion. Experience points are distributed as attained and when you build your party, the computer does a good job at maintaining your party's AI. Controls and camera angles can be a bit slow/awkward to handle at prime moments. The game itself was skilfully made to appeal to both D&D gamers as well as beginners.

Graphics (7.5): From the third person view, this game looks pretty good. The cut scenes seemed a bit pixellated on occasion, but otherwise up to the market standards.

Sound (9.0): The music team for Summoner was chosen well. The soundtrack is more than the common ordinary "fantasy/medieval" drivel.

Difficulty (8): As long as you get your points in the right places and master the ability to control multiple characters, you should find Summoner a painless play. It's a little hard in the beginning when your characters are young and vulnerable, but once you get them built, the multiple character control becomes less daunting. The menu system also needs to be mastered quickly.

Concept (7): The actual concept of Summoner attracted me a great deal since I always tend to play that character class in many RPG games I play. The actual plot and character interactions, while soundly constructed, didn't particularly jump out at me or get me involved.

Overall (8): Summoner is worth going out and buying for RPG and "summoning" class fans: It will not disappoint. The game system will make perfect sense to the new and expert RPG gamer, making it a quick game to jump into.