"Action-RPGing at its finest!"

It's very rare to find a good Action RPG, but, I've found it! While getting sick and frustrated with Diablo 2, I thought I'd give this game a try. After all, my brother bought the game to look good in his collection, and boy does it ever!

Record of Lodoss war has about everything you need for a good Action RPG and the best part of it is the multiple sub-quests and item, which makes the game really fun to play hours at a time.

Me, Dabegh, have a mission to conquer the God that has risen in Marmo to destroy Marmo, Kardis. On your way to find Kardis you come across many sub-bosses all tied into Kardis' plot. Given plenty of items to help you on your way, you obtain your own personal blacksmith! (You save his life and he still makes you pay for material!) You will find that the Ancient Inscription system is great in making your character a better fighter and magician.

This game deserves a great rating for not getting much hype, but being a really fun, addictive game. It does have its flaws, but overall, it rocks! I never finish games because I get sick and frustrated with them, but this one is definitely a finisher.

Here is how I graded: (RPG Style)

Graphics: 9
The graphics are superb and your characters fighting motions are right on! This is ARPG graphics at its finest. Enemy detail is excellent, while there could be a little work on the ugly terrain..

Control: 10
The control in this game is very well done. You have many different strategies to use as far as using magic spells to create an advantegous environment. Many custom attributes and an awesome Ancients system to upgrade your equipment.

Fun and Motivation Factor: 9
One of the games many flaws is how far you must walk to different dungeons and what not, and dying is a real bummer.

But, everything else makes up for it. A huge system of subquests is great for the ''item ambitious'' gamer looking to not only beat the game, but KNOW the whole game. Losing in a dungeon 30 times to the boss can be frustrating, but once you beat it, you'll wanna play for 2 more weeks. There is plenty to work for if you are an ambitious gamer.

Overall: 9
Although this game was close to making my 10 rating, it barely missed due to a couple of glitches in the game. One glitch had me searching for hours because I thought I was doing something wrong, so I read a FAQ and it wasn't my fault. So that is what gave it a 9.

If you need a great ARPG while you are waiting for the release of Dungeon Siege, I highly recommend this game. It's taken me almost 2 months to beat it because of lack of playing time, but keep at it, its a great and motivational game full of surprises and challenging massive battles!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/08/02, Updated 03/08/02