Each character can move an enemy in a certain direction (back, forward, left, right, or up). Enemies in the back do less damage but you'll also do less damage to them. Players are placed in a column of three and the enemies stand in front of them on a 3-by-3 grid. The second unique element in Radiant Historia is the grid system in battle. Characters and hints would sometimes be too vague so I'd have to go back and read notes on the storyline over and over to figure out where I needed to go and who to talk to. That being said, I occasionally found myself confused about what to do next. Most of the time, this is very rewarding and seeing as it's required in order to complete the story, it comes across as an integral and unique feature and not just tacked on. In order to continue the story, you'll often have to switch to an alternative timeline and complete a task, gain a skill, or obtain an item to unlock the next chapter in the other history. Stocke wields the White Chronicle which allows him to travel back and forth in time along two journey lines with an additional third available only in this Perfect Chronology remake. Two elements of gameplay in Radiant Historia are quite unique for the genre. No one will notice if I push these giant blocks around, right? It comes across as unpolished and although the visuals and audio aren't great, Radiant Historia manages to maintain a constant urgent atmosphere while throwing in a little joke to lighten things up every now and then. It just sounds like a static, muffled scream when some of them die. The voice acting is great but the sound effects from some enemies are downright laughable. Otherwise, the landscapes and towns leave much to be desired as you'll feel constantly reminded that you're playing a DS game. Visually, Radiant Historia excels only in the character art and some of the sprites and you can tell the character art was redone for Perfect Chronology. For more on the highly underrated modern day masterpiece, read my full Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE Review. Radiant Historia was co-directed by Mitsuru Hirata who also directed my personal favourite JRPG of all time: Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE. However, some characters feel a little useless such as Eruca, someone whose gun skills prove to be weak and she doesn't excel at healing or magic either. These are just a few of the many characters that will join your cause. Stocke carries a traditional sword, Raynie wields a spear that can inflict poison with high success, Aht can set traps and use magical healing spells, and Gafka is a giant ape with fists that deal heavy damage. So, what are you still doing with your pants on, then?Īn interesting cast accompanies him along the way, each with their own weapons, skills, and styles of fighting. At first, his heart belongs to his home town but as the story unfolds, he starts to see how the potential complete desertification of the continent is much more worrying than any man-made fight between people. You play as Stocke, a spy from Alistel who very quickly becomes seriously involved with the political arguments between the two big nations. Combine this with some maniacal leaders that let power get to their heads and you've got a recipe for a deeply entertaining storyline with many twists, turns, and surprises along the way. The land of Vainqueur is slowly becoming engulfed in sand and the nation of Alistel believes the realm of Granorg is to blame. This tale is almost relentlessly political and serious, bouncing between different characters that are dealing with a major "natural" disaster (desertification) and the outbreak of war at the same time. It certainly isn't your stereotypical JRPG storyline of a troublesome young man saving the world from a bad guy with his unlikely pals. Thankfully, Radiant Historia has been re-released with some upgrades and a little more fanfare in the hopes of adding to its existing dedicated fan base. Enjoy your stay and visit us again soon! □ Silly, Stocke you'll wake him up if you do that! │ We value your experience at Video Chums so we display very few ads. Reviewed by Mary Billington playing a 3DS on February 17, 2018Īs a big fan of JRPGs, when I picked up a copy of Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology and did a little research, I was surprised to find that the original had gone completely under my radar.
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