After 3 years in the making we have a pretty standard turn-based rpg. Quite a few ups and downs.
I was initially so excited for it, being an old school rpg buff who's favorite titles include FF3/6, Chrono Trigger, Grandia, Persona, Valkyrie Profile, etc.
After the three years of being jerked around by the publisher and developer it has finally been released.
Now having been a follower of the games progression, and having been able to play the actual released product, I can honestly say that the game has been basically done for about 3 years, and probably could have been released on the GBA.
Onto my actual review:
Graphics: The graphics certainly accomplish what they were intended to do, which is to instill a seriously nostalgic feeling for the turnbased rpgs of a previous era. This game would look it was in its native environment running on the snes. The spell effects are sharp enough, and some of the combo magic and spells later in game are really fun to watch. I have seen people claim this is using squaresoft textures, and rpg maker texture, this is certainly not the case. The texture in this game all are original, but certainly do get their "inspiration" from other titles out there. The graphics are decent, but even stacking them up against some snes rpgs they lack in some spots. One area that I feel short changed is on the number of frames they used for character animation. This is always important especially when using sprite, a few extra frames could have made a simple animation like Kairu's default attack a whole lot nicer. Though without giving much away, some of the animations are a bit more detailed for example a knife throwing wanderer who you pick up in the first hours of the game, has a nice looking default attack. These graphics belong on a GBA, and were out done by several games released towards the end of the GBA life cycle.
Overall I give graphics a 7.5/10
Sound: I think sound is one of this games weakest areas. I have yet to notice any catchy background music, and the sound effects in battle really leave something to be desired. In fact at one point Kairu is locked in a room and the sound he makes when pounding on the door is the same as his default attack makes in battle, if felt a little short changed when I noticed this. Now sound is not one of the main things that carries a turn based rpg, but it does certainly increase the level of immersion you feel when playing. Other than the sound being present I dont have much good to say about it. It is on a handheld so they get a few bonus points.
Overall I give sound a 6/10
GamePlay: The gameplay is ok. The maps can be a bit hard to navigate and some door ways are a bit tedious to locate at times, the overworld map is really hard to traverse, and that map that they put on the top screen of the DS is practically useless it's so small. The encounter rate is high, really high... This is coming from some one who loves turn based and random encounters. For me it is not really a turn off, but for some gamers it may be too much. All of this is forgiveable though, my biggest gripe is the battle system its self. When it works its really fun, but when you get one or two of your characters in a position where they cannot move or attack, and a few encounters start with your characters this way, well this is just frustrating. The ability to freely move your characters around the battle screen was a creative attempt, but this is poorly implemented and you will find your self letting the characters move on their own alot, or just having them stay put and cast magic. Considering all of these quirks, and the fact that the Dev's took so long to get this published, anything but a nearly flawless experience is not really passable.
Overall I give gameplay a 6.5/10
FunFactor: Lastly, and most importantly comes the fun factor/replay value, and i think this is the most important factor when playing any game. I have to ask myself, "am I having fun playing this?" The answer is yes. The game has a good story, and none of the characters you will recruit on your quest are run of the mill rpg cliches. A few of the boss battles early on felt uninspired, but once the story gets rolling it keeps you sucked in until the end.
Overall I give FunFactor a 8.5/10