We attempt to make our way to Mount Olympus with a ragtag band of immortals in tow.
Glory of Heracles is a series that began back in 1987, but this is the first time the game has made it to North America. It's the fifth game in the series based in the world of Greek mythology, and the story follows the silent legendary hero Heracles who has amnesia--surprise! We were able to spend a few hours with this turn-based role-playing game to get a feel for the battle system, which should be very familiar to anyone who has played a lot of Japanese RPGs. We're pretty sure Zeus has to make an appearance at some point--given that he's our hero's dad--but anyone who has an interest in Greek mythology or is curious about this unique take on ancient Greece might want to keep a close eye on Glory of Heracles.
Our journey begins with our hero washed up on shore, lying face down in the sand. His luck doesn't get any better as he is knocked off a cliff by Leucos--a feisty young boy who is often mistaken for a girl. Although judging by the character art, one would assume that he is a girl. Because Heracles is immortal and a man of no words, he picks himself up to continue on his way, only to bump into Leucos again. We learn that Leucos is an immortal as well, but he has no idea why and decides that they should both head to Mount Olympus to see get some answers. On their travels, they bump into another immortal--one that is so beautiful the ladies can't seem to get enough of him, but he also has no idea why he has been cursed, or blessed, depending on how you look at it. Even though the story of an amnesiac hero has been done many times already, the dialogue is entertaining and there are some colorful characters that you'll meet.
The game isn't very hard when you start off because you can basically get away with just attacking, and you'll level up relatively quickly. You'll have access to skills and spells, but what's different is that even though you have your own set of magic points, each time you cast, you're drawing from the pool of magic that is in the area indicated by the numbers at the top of your screen. For example, when you're fighting at sea, you can cast more water-based magic than fire. The overkill system is interesting and very helpful because when a character kills an enemy--if you have another party member lined up to attack the enemy as well--another party member will jump in for an additional attack and then be able to draw some magic from the corpse. When you're casting magic, you have the option to just cast or you can tap the bottom screen to play a few quick minigames to max out the potency of your spell. Using the stylus, you can move roman numerals around or tap them in order. One thing to note is that you can use the stylus or the D pad to control your character and access menus so you're not forced to use the stylus if you don't want to.
Up to five members can join your party, and you can position them to stand in the front row or the back row, which is indicated by a two-by-five grid on the touch screen. The setup looks a bit complicated, but it isn't, and there are two rows of commands at the bottom that are self-explanatory. A description of every new skill, item, and ability that you encounter will appear so you can learn as you go. Once you get access to a glossary, you can always refer to it for more info. The layout of the menus and battlefield do feel a bit outdated, though, especially when you see the log of the battle scroll by on the bottom screen. It's not as streamlined or nice looking as some of the recent RPGs, but it's different and provides an interesting change of pace.
The game has a very simple look to it, with a map at the top screen and the action on the bottom screen. The character sprites are outlined in black and have good detail in their outfits, but at the angle that you play, you never really seem to get a good look at anyone's face to get an idea of what the characters look like. Character portraits appear when characters speak, which is the only time you can place a face with the person you're controlling. The dialogue is funny, though, so you get an idea of each character's (other than Heracles) distinct personality.
There definitely isn't a lack of Japanese RPGs on the Nintendo DS, but the RPGs just keep on coming, and you'll be able to start off the next year with another one when Glory of Heracles is released on January 18.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
No comments:
Post a Comment