An Awesome RPG
User Rating: 8 | Golden Sun: Dark Dawn DS
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is the newest installment to the Golden Sun series. It takes place several years after the last Golden Sun game. The main characters are the children of the Warriors of Vale (the last heroes of the previous game). This game is a turned-based RPG with a lot of puzzles incorporated within. Um, when I bought this game, I originally thought it would be heavy on level-grinding which it wasn't to my surprise. Yes, there are random encounters with monsters, but it isn't as often (or annoying) as Pokemon. Also, the fighting system remains fresh due to the inclusion of Ginni (if I spelled that right). Ginni are little creatures that you find and capture that help you create awesome attacks and defensive techniques to defeat tough monsters. They are very useful and help take the load off of the character attacks. Speaking of fighting monsters...the boss fights are plentiful but kind of easy. I had very little difficulty trying to kill bosses which was a relief but disappointing at the same time. Bosses are supposed to be tough but they really weren't. Puzzles are a big part of this game. They are EVERYWHERE and difficult to puzzle-novices. I've played several puzzle games in my life, but the puzzles still manged to trip me up at times. However, once you figure them out, it's very rewarding. The puzzles, in my opinion, are probably one of the highlights of the game. The only really big gripe I have with Golden Sun is that the main characters never shut up! When they start talking, they continue on forever and it gets frustrating. I found myself skipping through the dialogue very often after just 10 hours of play. The story is good but there needs to be a better way of executing it. Overall, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is a great RPG with challenging puzzles to boot. I recommend this game to Golden Sun fans and even new players to the series. 
