Being one of the first launch titles and an RPG to make it to the XBOX 360, you would think it would show the raw power the 360 can handle. Sorry, but that isn’t really the case for this game. The graphics are sub-par with the standards of what the 360 can show, and the online feature isn�t all that great. What is cool is the fact that you get a free manga to go with it, although reading first doesn’t help with the game play or story at all. So, let’s go ahead with the story since we are dealing with an RPG.Your main character is a college student, who apparently sleeps his way through classes, has a set of static friends and a secret power to fight Golems. The two friends that you have in the beginning are somewhat useful, but as you obtain more Golems you soon realize you don’t need your friends as much, for now. What are Golems? Golems are like Pokemon, but more “mechanical” and “mystic” in some ways. For example, you can start off with either a Fire, Earth or Light based Golem during the beginning of the game, almost like Pokemon. As you progress through the game, you can either buy or fight the Golems in order to have them in your Pok- I mean Golem list. Of course, there is the BIG and BAD Golem of them all, which by unoriginal means is called “Omega”. We’ll get to him later, but for now let’s continue on with the story.
So you have your two friends at the beginning, who you will soon lose interest as you gain more awesome and powerful Golems, and then due battle with the story’s antagonist, the Ice Queen. Out of all other female villains in most RPGs, she on the borderline of mediocre and sexiness. Most times you might think “Just shut up and fight me, damn it!”, but she’s all talk and no play through out most of the game. True, that you get to see yourself pounded into the ground the first time you meet up with her, but after that it’s a walk in the park. As you get another set of friends after a certain story progression, you won’t need them for long because your Golem buddies can kick anyone’s butt till kingdom come. Though it is a wise idea to still level your human pals time and again because of certain story battles.
The story itself is a bit on the unoriginal mainstream anime side, meaning that you have a loud mouth kid that can wield the most powerful being in existence in his arm, a friend that is considered the strongest and smartest guy in college. Another guy who, although acts like a girl, can be one of the most powerful Enchanters, a strong minded tomboyish princess and her personal big sword swinging bodyguard. With all that aside, the mix is somewhat “unique” in certain story events and can be frustrating at times. Ignore what they say and do in the story and concentrate on those Golems!
Ah yes the Golems, this is what you really wanted to hear, right? Those Golems sure do look tough and most damn fine! But get ready for some major disappointment and flaws within these great helpers of battle. The ones you start off with are of course, basic and simplistic. As you spend your points to level them up, which you should know how to in order to make the perfect type golem, you get to know just what their limits are. Don’t go wasting your time trying to get that first Golem at the highest level possible, because once you get something better you should concentrate on that. Find what Golem is best suited for the type of party you want, and keep in mind that you can NEVER switch the main character out until nearing the end of the game. Certain stages contain Golem monsters that have either the same or somewhat familiar attribute. For example, once stage will contain nothing but Water and Earth Golems and you will need to have Fire and Air to compete with that. It’s simple really, as long as you have the right type of Golem with you or in your list.
What’s that? You want to know about “Omega”? Well to start off, he’s THE most broken Golem ever. Once you beat the daylights out him he’s yours forever, or until you beat the game. Which is kind of sad because you get him near the end of the game, if you want. Omega’s attack consists of a hit that will drop the enemy’s HP down to one, and this also works for bosses and the last boss as well. The other two that deal massive damage, but not as useful as the first one mentioned. Getting him requires patience and five hours of your life, which is the same rule that goes for almost any secret and powerful character/weapon. It is definitely worth obtaining Omega for the last boss, since that hit of his can make the battle so much easier for you.
Now onwards about the graphics, and as I mentioned before it’s nothing too special to awe about. It does look pretty from time to time, but you start to get annoyed with the fact that some environments could have been better detailed. The characters look and act too “anime-ish”, though the story seems to derive from the manga. Having CG characters act like that doesn’t seem to fit unless the characters were Cel-Shaded, then that would be a different story- I mean review. I never once played the game using the American voice acting, mainly because I loathe American voice acting for anime. Besides that, the Japanese voicing was greatly done and scripts were written out very well. There are spots in the story that the voice acting seem to not fit, but that’s just a minor opinion.
The battle system is a mix of Final Fantasy and some other spin-off RPG that deals with battle grids, which makes this game have some thinking involved. Yes, I’m afraid you have to use your brain for the game in order to progress through. The grid is made up of three rows and four columns of squares that you are able to move about. Your main character and your human friends only take up one square, while some of your Golems might take up from one to four squares. So think seriously about what type of party you’d want in battle, because just throwing any Golem in without thinking of their size might get you a “Game Over” really fast.
The music is nothing to gawk at or feel like you’re really in a battle against an evil yet sexy Ice Queen. No, because what would be best to do is to turn on those anime remixes on your I-Pod or computer, and turn off the TV’s volume. The voice acting isn’t much to miss also, in case your wondering. Just read the subtitles or in fact, ignore what they’re saying and go through the linear pathways in the game towards your goal. Not much exploring in this game, except for the special dungeon that contains Omega. At that time you might have another game on your mind you wanted to play, but you feel that you are oh so close to the end of the story that you are compelled to finish. Trust me, get Omega and use him to kick the last boss’s butt so fast you’ll still have time to order that pizza and beer for the next game.
All in all, this game is an “Ok” title and had the potential to stand out, but lacks so much. Hopefully the sequel will have more game play and plot.
