The soft
melody. The thunderous sounds. The increasing tempo. The joyous feeling that
comes with being taken to another time and place.
It’s true –
Romancing SaGa is another iteration of the only RPG series that’s had as many
versions as Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. This time, however, the series is
aiming to reinvent itself with an exceptionally large cast (including eight
main characters and eight individual quests); a beautiful and original graphic
style; and a soundtrack that’ll make you want to hunt down the Japanese OST
(original soundtrack).
The game
begins with the selection of one of the eight leading characters. Albert is a
young nobleman, the traditional character that every RPG has. Gray is an
adventurer – another RPG staple, though not all of his traits mimic that of
other characters. Claudia’s journey starts in a woodsy area that inhabits bird
and beast (and odd combination if I do say so myself). She’s a ranger. Jamil’s
thievery gets him into trouble when he’s caught stealing. He hardly cares,
doing whatever it takes to escape. Sif is a strong barbarian, while Hawke is a
pirate who’s not to be messed with. Barbara, the traveling dancer, has her own
set of unique abilities that enable her to protect herself. Lastly there’s
Aisha, a young nomad who will explore the world.
This
unusually large cast is joined by several other playable characters. Each has
their reason for fighting, though not every detail may be explained. Claudia,
for example, teams up with two beastly animals in order to take down the evil
monsters that are threatening their lives. Up to five characters may join a
party at one time – this is very helpful when you begin to encounter the
dozens of thick-skinned creatures that wish to turn you into dinner. From
large plants and little beasts to enormous dinosaur-like creatures and creepy
hovering things, Romancing SaGa is filled with reasons to run away scared… Or
rise to the challenge and prove that you are the ultimate RPG player.
That’s one
of the things that has never changed in this series – its challenge. Romancing
SaGa gives players the chance to learn the ropes. Each quest begins with a
brief introduction of the story (which tells you very little about the
characters and their reason for whatever it is that they’re doing), followed
by an NPC (non-playable character) who can tell you the basics of the gameplay.
The greatest thing of all is that you don’t need to talk to him/her/it.
Romancing SaGa is deep without throwing strange twists into the mix that take
time to learn. It gets more complex later on in the journey, but like any RPG,
you grow as it grows. The more you play, the clearer everything becomes.
You may (and
should) take the time to talk to some of the locals, but if you’re dying for a
battle, the first one occurs a measly 10 minutes after the game begins. Some
occur sooner – it all depends on who you’re playing as and what they’re
mission is.
Romancing
SaGa’s battles are 100% turn-based. There isn’t a timer in place to determine
when your characters and your enemies should attack – they only get to make a
move when their turn comes around. This makes the experience considerably
different from Final Fantasy, a game where players are used to working their
butts off to get as many attacks in as possible. Romancing SaGa is a different
story. Since you can’t attack several times before your opponent strikes, the
challenge is deciding which attacks to use and when. Is casting magic now
really worth it? Will I need my spell power later? Will I be able to replenish
that power before a more forceful monster is awakened? The fact that, on
average, Romancing SaGa’s monsters are stronger than the monsters encountered
in most other RPGs doesn’t make it any easier.
Final
Fantasy players are used to limit breakers, desperation attacks and the like.
Romancing SaGa has its own special, helpful attack: glimmers. When using a
familiar technique in battle, a new technique may be unconsciously released.
The game refers to that unconscious attack as a glimmer. These attacks could
be anything and may (or may not) have the power to completely destroy the
monster you’re fighting.
From the
very start of the quest players have the chance to upgrade their weapons via
blacksmiths. Upgrades are costly and work both ways: one stat increases while
another one might decrease. I hate making these kinds of decisions – it’d be
great to increase my physical defense, but is the drop in magic defense really
worth it? That all depends on the types of monsters you’ll be fighting,
something you can’t determine until you start exploring. Then it’s back to the
blacksmith to make a purchase! Or you could take a chance and take home a
shiny, upgraded piece of armor, or a superior weapon to cut through the flesh
of those who are evil.
Romancing
SaGa’s graphic style is the most unique I’ve seen all year. It’s like a
typical 3D RPG, yet has the outline of a cartoon. But it’s not cel-shaded.
It’s not quite like a painting either, but close. The backdrops are really
beautiful. And the computer-animated movies – the oversized heads look a
little weird, but the artistic style is truly amazing. Anyone who appreciates
art will love Romancing SaGa’s appearance.
Destined to
turn role-players into night owls (as if we weren’t already), Romancing SaGa
ships this October. Save your energy now – you’re going to need it for the
lengthy quest that this game is going to deliver.
