Loading ...Radiant Historia Review
For a system loaded with top notch RPG's, it isn't easy to stand out to the masses. Tons of fresh RPG's get pushed to the wayside and are never heard from again. However, Atlus, the creators of the Shin Megami Tensei games, decided to take a shot and created Radiant Historia. This game, inspired by the 16 bit RPGs of days past, is their secret weapon; one that may have put Atlus at the top.
The game puts you in the shoes of Stocke, a young man who works with the nation of Alistel as their main intelligence agent. Due to his high level of skill, he is the agent often dispatched on the most dangerous missions. Initially, the player is tasked with various missions to complete, and must go out into the world and solve them. Soon after this first venture, he is faced with an impossible task and is heavily injured. He then discovers himself in Historia, a magical place where two young children grant him the ability to travel through time and space. At this point in the game, Stocke is then asked whether he wishes to remain an intelligence agent, or join his old friends' platoon.
This juncture is when the story splits. Stocke must navigate between the two timelines in order to progress through the story and keep Alistel safe from the ever present army of Granorg. At various points in the story players may be forced to switch timelines in order to progress in the other. For example, Stocke must penetrate Granorg defenses with a group of traveling entertainers. He almost gets through but is then asked to do a trick. Stocke must then travel to the other timeline and discover where and how to learn this trick. The game follows this pattern all the way to the end. Note that at times, the game story does gets slightly confusing as timelines are switched, due to the fact that Stocke is almost always traveling in the same areas in each. Remaining in one timeline too long sometimes fogs up the other story but the game generally does a nice job of reminding you where you are in the story.
The battle system is one of Radiant Historia's strongest points. Enemies are placed on a 3x3 grid and Stocke and his two companions are placed stationary on the other side. The closer the enemies are to the protagonist in the grid, the more powerful and therefore, much more dangerous, they are. Stocke and most of his companions have the ability to push and pull enemies in order to gain a tactical advantage and decrease theiir strength. Pushing all the enemies together to deal damage to all of them is a must as the game gets harder.
Another fantastic aspect to this game is the music. Yoko Shimomura, who previously has done music for Super Mario RPG, does a superb job of setting the mood of the game. Every track in the game's score is unique and well scored, and matches the on-screen action near perfectly. We often caught ourselves humming along with the included soundtrack CD.
All things considered, for a brand new IP, Radiant Historia really stands out on the DS. Atlus took a bit of a creative gamble, taking their cues from such RPG greats as Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger, and in this case, it has certainly paid off. This game has created an amazing universe, and one that we hope will be visited again sometime in the not-too-distant future.
| Radiant Historia | |
|---|---|
| Gameplay |    |
| Running around in the overworld is not entirely exciting, but it doesn't hinder the overall game experience. The battles are really where this game shines. | |
| Sound | |
| Yoko Shimomura did an amazing job composing music that fits well into the Historia universe. The game simply wouldn't be as amazing without the tones that all of the music sets. | |
| Graphics | |
| Nothing too mind blowing by DS standards, but as a whole visuals are clean and well done. The battles stand out with the various magic spells and certain enemies are well detailed. | |
| Controls | |
| Controls are responsive, and easy to use. Functionally speaking, everything works as one would expect. | |
| Overall | |
| Atlus truly has created a gem. Interesting characters, an intriguing story, and music that really sucks you into the game world.The slight repetition traveling between time lines is the only flaw, and a slight one at that. | |
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