I’ve been playing Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden nonstop since that wondrous day I received it in the mail a week ago. The graphics themselves are reason enough to sink hours and hours into this new RPG for the DS. Alright, so maybe I’m hyping this up a bit, because the game certainly has its issues…
Gameplay: 6/10
So, the gameplay in Final Fantasy Gaiden is lacking. For one, you cannot choose your target in battle. This is sometimes frustrating especially when you’re trying to exploit your enemies’ weaknesses. Healing is also like this: when you cast a healing spell, it is spent on the character with the lowest HP percentage. The battle system itself is a little obscure as there is no MP to worry about, only “spheres” that each character gains or loses depending on the action taken. It’s so simple you wish for more complexity. Gameplay is mediocre with nothing new, but while you’re playing, you’ll soon find yourself just selecting random actions in battle just to deal some damage or heal. That aside, the story is pretty good (though it’s hard to fully understand everything because I’m no master at the Japanese language).
Sound: 9/10
The general soundtrack sounds fantastic and really shines on the DS (which is cool because, let’s face it, the DS doesn’t exactly sound like a live orchestra).
Graphics: 10/10
I mean, have you seen the trailer? The graphics in this game are amazing. Every time I’m wondering around in the game, I can’t wait to visit the next “city” to see what’s it’s like. The sugar-coated look and colorfulness of the game is what really saves it.
Replay: 9/10
The replay value of this game is top notch because of the class system. There are tons of classes to choose from that alter the attributes of each character. Also, it’s fun to play around with assigning different types of spells to each character. Not to mention, the characters’ appearances change when you equip them with different things.
Overall: 8.5/10
The game definitely lacks in the gameplay department. The battle system, though something different, is a little too simple with the “sphere” system. However, the visuals, sound, and replay value really make up for this shortcoming. Though it’s out in Japanese now, it may be best to wait for the American release as the story is sort of hard to get a hold on. Also if you know some Japanese, what really hurt is the lack of Hiragana symbols over the Kanji (I got spoiled by playing Japanese Pokemon games). Though it features somewhat repetitive gameplay, if you want a gorgeous looking adventure with a simple battle system, this game is for you. You can get from the great guys over at Play-Asia.com
No comments:
Post a Comment