When a game is that good, no Judgement is necessary.
From the mini games to the quirky characters, From the New World has unashamedly recycled what has been a stamp of authority distinguishable with its breakout game- Covenant. But New is something we don't usually associate with a winning formula. It builds on what has been the familiar, but not to the extent that it reeks of it. The result is a fantastic and worthy addition to the grossly underrated RPG series.
Johnny Garland is an interesting character. A bubbling detective who runs an agency with the help of yet another familiarity from the previous game, he may not seem to be the perfect candidate to replace the huge shoes left by Yuri at first glance. But Johnny has his own story to tell, and From the New World obliged in doing so. Those fantastic narratives accentuate the character well, eradicating all those initial worries. It shouldn't take long for players to be charmed by the cheerful protaganist.
Despite the early promise, the game seems to suffer from a slow start. But it would soon gear up, and starts running at some rapid, albeit distorted pace. Perhaps only due to the sheer number of it, the occassional side quest often pops up at the wrong time, threatening to break apart the momentum of the story-telling. It defeats the convention, but side quests were basically what Covenant chewed on, and players are readily reminded of that as its sucessor continues to gnaw greedily on those in this newest outfit.
Strength is in its cast. Not losing to the previous game, players are once again indulged in the most bizarre of characters, hastily put together to form what is known as a party. It works well, with the inclusion of a female Harmonixer, a detective, a ninja, a bat, a gunner, a giant cat, and a guitarist. Each is distinctly different from one another and difference it is from the other games when your main attacker insists in carrying a skewer for his weapon.
Such is the nature of the series. For each dark moment the game so desperately churns out, it is undone by a light-hearted followed up. It nullifies the seriousness of the genre and replaces it with a uncanny ability to make one laugh, even in the most tacky of situations. This cements the series in a league of its own.
Somehow, they managed to make random encounters fun, and credit must go to the imposition of the Judgement Ring system. Each command in battles brings up a Ring and players are tasked to strike the hit regions while an indicator arm flails across the screen. It requires precision, and failure to do so would render most actions useless; an innocuous 'attack' is now definitely harder than the mere press of the button.
Noticeably, From the New World seems to have raised its difficulty bar. Encounter rate has increased and the indicator has grown unforgiving with a faster swing speed. The higher tempo is complemented by a new tweak to game play- the Stock system. Players of the previous game may recall that characters may merge to form combo attacks. This system is similar, but unfamiliarly difficult.
Stocks are like 'licences' which grant characters the go-ahead to perform combo attacks with another team member. They are earned from the Stock gauge, which fills up with each attack executed or blow suffered. Enemies enjoy Stocks too, and this become a strategic affair as blindly attacking them without finishing them off would only mean that they could return the favour with some devastating combo moves. Together with other concerns such as characters losing their sanity after a number of turns, the influx of status effects, and the positions of enemies in battles, the strategic aspects of the game are well-rounded.
Graphics in From the New World come close to being Next-Gen. From the exotic Grand Canyon to the plush city of Chicago, it captures the spirit of each, and at the same time injects elements of fiction to them. The end result is a captivating masterpiece, and perhaps with this, it signals that Nautilus means serious business in breaking into the RPG market. Even so, the nasty momentum of the ridicule and humour just doesn't stop here. Purr-ramount pictures, anyone?
Equipped with the brilliance of Yoshitaka Hirota and team, the game marches in with some fluid consistency and delivers in the audio department. The originality of the game is mirrored in the sound aspect, which says something when one considers the tremendous depth of it, having not less than sixty music scores in total. Right from the start of the game, players are treated with a little appetizer- a delicious opening theme which captures the exotic and fast-paced nature of the game all in one short musical piece. The battle music rings well, pumping up the adrenaline when it matters. For anyone who manages to complete the game, it also rewards you with an end-of-game desert- an exciting song which looks to be taken off straight from a very good J-pop album. Such impecabble selection of tunes ensures that players are well immersed into the world of Shadow Hearts, from both the visual and audio fronts.
The side quests department is beyond desciptions; there are just too many. The main quest is fairly short, but much playing time can be included if one decides to finish all the optionals. It is well intended to happen this way; whoever can resist the charm of a flying fox game, a sushi-eating brawl, or a snapshot competition?
Fans of the RPG genre would be delighted and surprised by what From the New World brings on the table, while fans of the series may have a feeling of seeing it all before in Covenant. Nonetheless, it manages to stay true to its elements and as far as the surprise package falling short this time, it's still a great game by all standards. Comparisons with the previous game are inevitable; and it must be said that this third game is perhaps just a little weaker, albeit not by much.