Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage

"THQ is starting to get a handle on RPGs"

When I first heard that the Nintendo 64 was going to get an RPG, I was thrilled! Then I found out that THQ was making it and it shot my dreams down. Thoughts of Quest 64 flooded my mind. But, in my extreme need for a N64 RPG, I decided to give it a shot. Needless to say, my fears started to dissolve.

Graphics: 7
The graphics, in a way, aren't too bad. The characters are very jagged and stiff though. The best part of the graphics is that whenever you enter a town or forest it doesn't have to load up. If you have played the N64 Zelda games, you may have noticed that when you enter in an area it looks like a cardboard backdrop then the screen fades out then you are in your new location. In Aidyn it all runs smoothly. To me it seems to add to the realism.

Sound: 3
This is the category where the game stumbles and falls flat on it's face. The music is very odd and not memorable. At times there is no music which really isn't a problem. I think that it sets the mood. The noises that the characters make is not very desirable. The grunts and groans may get on your nerves.

Playability: 8
The battle system is good. Unlike the final fantasy games or other RPGs you don't stay in one spot. Moving around on the battlefield really adds to your battle strategy. You can use long or short range weapons to suit your style. Some enemie's long range weapons may do more damage so you may want to move in close so they won't use them. Just beware! All the battles will take time. Usually you start at the opposite end of the battlefield from your enemies. It may take a few turns before you actually get to fight. Also, don't rely on reviving characters. If a character dies, he/she is gone forever. That causes me to just hit the reset button. You will also tend to miss alot, especially at the beginning. Just try to stick with it and your accuracy will increase.

Replay value: 7
Being an RPG usually hurts the replay value a little bit. But with this game, you get 4 characters at a time. The others you have to let go. So, you can replay the game with differents combos of characters to see all the different strengths. The bad thing is, the game starts off so slow that you may not want to go through all of it again.

Story: 6
To me, the best part of an RPG is it's story. Aiyden's story starts off very slow. The first few hours are boring. Stay with it and the story gets a little better. There isn't much character development and that is a bad thing. The character's personalities just don't show. You just don't feel an attachment to them. The dialogue could also use some help. The way characters talk can be very confusing, and that takes away from the flow of the story. You're too busy trying to figure out what has been said.

Actual score: 6.4

This game is a good attempt for THQ to make an RPG. I think they need a little more work. I think that if they learn from their mistakes then they could pull off a decent sequel.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 10/19/01, Updated 10/24/01