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Deep in Dead
Man’s Spire, a cave with various twists and turns, with monsters around almost
every bend. Ahead you see a wizard embroiled in a fight, and – being a good guy
– you lend a hand to the effort. The wizard scoffs and says that he could have
handled them himself, but thanks anyway and as your reward, he will join you in
the adventure.
Another
corner, more monsters and suddenly you realize – you are out of mana with no
potions to heal it and no tent to camp and recover. Oh-oh, looks like someone
forgot a primary rule for dungeon crawling – go with ample supplies and be
prepared for any eventuality.
This is an
early bit of exploring in Crimson Gem Saga, a PSP release from Atlus, but it is
one of the foundation principles for the game. On its surface, CGS (abbreviated
for the sake of quick referencing) looks like your typical Japanese RPG, with
cutesy characters and a so-so storyline. You may almost feel, upon first
launching the game, that you are playing a title intended for the younger
role-playing gamers. Go into it with that mindset and the game will whip you in the
blink of an eye. Oh, and should your principle character die, it’s Game Over
(hint: save often to avoid losing loot, experience and having to start from the
beginning).
Certainly
the game is a bit linear and the story and dialogue falters along the way. But
given half a chance and you will find a game with a lot of charm, a great deal
of challenge and solidly entertaining.
The game
centers on Killian, a young chevalier freshly graduated from the Greenhills
Academy with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He was ranked second in his
graduating class, a feat that might be an honor for some, but for Killian it is
a major disappointment – almost to the extent that it’s a failure. But the
principal of the academy from which Killian is graduating sees great potential
in the lad and recommends him for the renowned Excelsior Force, which is
headquartered a fair distance from the town the academy resides in. En route to
present his letter of recommendation, Killian helps ‘rescue’ (it’s not really
clear she really needs that much help, but she plays the role – at least
initially) Spinel, a comely, elven-eared maiden. They exchange a few
pleasantries, Spinel leaves (with Killian’s coin purse; she calls herself a
treasure hunter, but she seems more of a rogue class – if you are looking to fit
the characters into the traditional RPG niches) and Killian moves on. Soon he is
en route north to meet up with the Excelsior Force. No sooner does he arrive
outside the Dead Man’s Spire than he learns the Force is entering the dungeon in
search of the “Wicked Stone.”
But there is
a hiccup in these plans. A mage, accompanied by a vicious beast minion, taunts
and then destroys the Excelsior Force. Fortunately, for the story, Killian is
the only surviving member, and is found by Spinel. They eventually team up, and
Killian agrees to help Spinel find the Wicked Stone.
And that is
merely the prologue to the game. After that, you jump into the first chapter and
the game really starts to ramp up the difficulty.
Crimson Gem
will allow players to form a group of up to four party members. The leveling
system is a bit different in that for all the kills, you get SP and you can use
the SP in skill trees, but not all skills can be identified immediately. Once
you get into the third tier, you have to spend SP to identify the skill, and
then fill in the bar of the skill (again with SP) in order to add that skill to
your repertoire. And where the combat is concerned, there is your basic mana bar
that determines the type of skill you can use (they all cost mana to launch),
plus when it’s each character’s turn, you have the option of using an item
(healing potion or mana potion), a trained skill or your basic attack. You can
also just go into a defensive stance.
In addition
to the exploration factor that will have you traveling around the map, you can
visit towns where you can sell gear, replenish supplies and health and find your
quests. Once you embark on a mission, the world has some load times, but they
are not too long.
While the
game does track along some of the familiar routes taken by Japanese RPGs, the
game is deceptive in that it does sport a strong tactical element.
Crimson Gem
is a vibrant visual treat that should have a
broad appeal to different age groups. It is easy to
pick up and play, can be saved at any point (so playing in small time doses is
possible), and has a nice flow to it. The storyline is alternatively driven by
pop-in static character portraits that typically have text dialogue you will
have to scroll through. And yes, you do get that stock screen where the dialogue
consists only of (quite literally) “ …” That is silly and needs to be dropped
from a developers’ repertoire. Deliver the story and leave the superfluous
silliness on the dev room floor.
The rest of
the game’s sound is minimalistic.
Crimson Gem
Saga is indeed a ‘gem;’ it is a portable JRPG that should delight players from
the newcomer to the genre to the veteran looking for a game to take along on
travels.
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Gameplay: 8.5
It looks simple
on the surface, is easy to pick up and play, but the game has tactical depth
that will have you thinking in advance of your forays into the field.
Graphics: 7.0
The character
portraits are solid, and the live action is reminiscent of the old sprite-driven
games. No pop-up monsters, though – you can see them and avoid several if you
are quick enough. The effects are handled nicely.
Sound: 4.0
Minimal sound
effects and text-driven storylines give no real reason to increase the volume on
your PSP.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.8
Give the
development team a lot of credit for creating a game that is easy to jump into
and play, and yet has some solid strategic layering.
Overall: 8.5
An enjoyable
adventure for the PSP, Crimson Gem Saga does have flaws in its storyline and
dialogue moments, but the game does a great job of delivering a
thought-provoking adventure. Killian is a bit arrogant to start with, and you
may not initially care for his “always second-best” attitude that drives him (in
the storylines), but while the characters are not always that sympathetic, it is
the gameplay that truly shines here. This is an entertaining and challenging
portable RPG.
