Shining Force

THE BAD:
Storyline over-tweaked in some aspects, somewhat corny dialogue

SUMMARY:
INTRODUCTION: Shining Force was one of the original SRPGs of the old NES and Genesis days, only following the pioneering Fire Emblem. However, Fire Emblem was only released in Japan, while Shining Force made it to the west. In most eyes, it was the first of its kind. Now, Sega has teamed up with Atlus and THQ to remake the classic strategy game for the Game Boy Advance, to offer younger gamers of what they may have missed in the past.

GAMEPLAY: The game play’s great, though each and every battle seems somewhat monotonous and identical to all the others. Of course, the remake introduces new goals, but not enough to compete with some of the more advance SRPGs existing. The clear bonus is great, but the values of the bonuses tend to decline as the game progresses. The game seems to be too easy for most, and would suit the children of the Pokemon age rather than those of us of the Sega vs. Nintendo age. The leveling system is tweaked, in more than one way, seemingly all for worse. The claimed rebalancing has actually just lowered characters' stats, rather than adding a more impressive AI. The game can be played repeatedly, up to 99 times, gaining difficulty each time, until it's impossible to legitimately win even the first battle. But then, nobody would wait that long.

STORY: Ah, yes, the story. It's one of the better points of this game. The plot is told well, and split into chapters. In fact, the game's story is essentially a book being read to you by a girl named Simone. The story, split into eight chapters, is marvelously executed, with plot turns and twists right when they're unexpected (unless you've played the Genesis version, or if you've already beaten the game). Some complain about the excess of technology (you'll realize it when you see it), but to me, it's fine. A classic Shining story, told brilliantly.

GRAPHICS: The new graphics are great, mostly on the interface, town-exploration, and arguably the battle scenes. However, the colors are too vibrant for most, and would appeal more to the pre-teen gaming community, rather than the older communities and individuals. Some of the portraits definitely lack work, as they seem sketchy and out of proportion compared to others. Their monotonous yellow backgrounds make them seem kind of... bad. The pastel-style battle scenes are okay. The backgrounds are great, mind you, but some of the animations are just plain horrible, most of them after they've been promoted. They just lack the "awesome-powerhouse-demigod-character" look to them. In fact, it seems the best characters are also the ugliest. Perhaps the game-makers decided to balance out their high stats with a painfully horrible look.

SOUND: Here's one of the more improved areas when compared to the original. This version has a bit more lively feel to it, and seems more appropriate at some situations, though a few iffy spots still do exist. Overall, the sound is tough to describe, so you'll have to go listen to a soundtrack or give the game a try before you really understand.

REPLAY VALUE: The replay value's better than before, with the addition of collectable cards (Ugh...) and a few secret characters and items that may be missed along the way. Also contributing is the New Game Plus system, which, as explained adds to the difficulty each replay. Otherwise, a pretty good replay value, more than most other RPGs, anyway.

OVERALL: This review has taken a look at the more negative side to the game, which I apologize for. This game, unlike many of the other flashy and in-your-face games, has a deeper feel to it, if that's a legitimate description. Not focusing around blood and violence or scantily-clad women, this game is a fantasy-style game, with folklore creatures, legends, and a touch of technology. Most of the negative sides to this game are in the more shallow areas. If you do decide to pick this game up, you'll see what I mean. Overall, a great experience.