"A living, breathing world awaits."

Introduction: I bought this game on a whim while browsing at Wal-Mart one night, I neither knew who developed it nor when, I just knew it was cheap and I needed a game fix. Damn am I glad I decided to purchase it. Had I known that Tri-Ace designed it, a company I largely loathe for their lackluster title, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, I likely would've passed it up without so much as a second glance. Ignorance is bliss, however, and within just one hour of playing, I knew this was going to be a brilliant experience. The characters, the music, graphics and gameplay, virtually every aspect shines the way Star Ocean should have; this game truly did restore my faith in real-time RPG's, and I now won't be so hesitant to purchase such a title in the future.

Story; 9.0/10: I feel that it isn't so much the basic plot of Radiata Stories that shines as it is the world that surrounds it. Virtually every character contained within the game has their own unique appearance, personality and schedule that is completed throughout the in-game day. You feel a true sense of meaning within the world, a true sense of life bustling inside every corner of every town. Indeed, when I was first given the opportunity to explore the main town of Radiata in a meaningful way, I spent much of it following the various patrons throughout their normal life. It brings so much more meaning to the standard RPG world, that every character you see has their own life, rather than simply a single phrase they say while walking the same three step path over and over.

However, this brilliant world contained within Radiata Stories is simply part of the story; the basic plot itself is still quite meaningful, and impresses just as much as a great RPG would be expected to. You play as Jack Russell, a largely normal child hoping to become a great knight like his father before him. Upon reaching his sixteenth year, he decides to head to the central city of Radiata to attempt to become a knight in the kingdom. He fails miserably, losing to a Ridley Silverlake in the first round of the trials, but gets accepted on his father's name. The plot elaborates from there, taking several twists and turns, with the various characters, including your own, taking their own separate paths based on their own desires and ambitions.

Gameplay; 7.0/10: The great majority of Radiata Stories is spent battling while exploring the various areas and completing the various tasks presented by the characters within the game. Luckily, the battle system within Radiata Stories isn't something that will bore you easily; the system is in real time, and requires quickness on your feet, as well as strategic planning in regards to what equipment you will wear, in combination with which attacks, with what coupling skill. Choosing which characters you take into battle with you is a task in itself, as there are 177 in all, each with their own defining equipment, characteristics, and skills which define them as an active party member. Unfortunately, the characters you choose are also largely dummies, good for nothing other than dealing more damage to the enemy, as you cannot alter their equipment, attacks, or skill. Their most useful function is the ability to join you in battle formations, called “Links,” where you can arrange them in a variety of ways, including one that surrounds the enemy, one in a straight line, one in a defensive position surrounding you, and many others. Some offer abilities that normally wouldn't be attainable, such as the “Arrow Link” which permits your characters to dash forward in a concentrated, forward offensive manner that deals extra damage.

I'm somewhat disappointed by the exploration aspect of Radiata Stories, which limits you to taking a linear path that the game provides. You see such marvelous landscapes lying in the distance, but the game provides no method of exploring them; they're used merely to set the mood, and nothing more. There's still a great deal to see, however, and the wide and varied regions with the various villages inhabiting them leaves very little to be desired. Likewise, the linear path makes transportation much easier, as I'm sure one would be getting quite lost if the game provided you with the ability to explore every region in full. Even so, it feels rather… strange being forced to follow one or two paths throughout a massive region, and I feel this area of the gameplay could've used improvement.

As I said briefly earlier, there are a grand total of 177 characters that you can attain throughout playing Radiata Stories. Many of them can be recruited simply by talking to them, but others require long and difficult tasks to finally get on your side. This provides a massive number of side quests to complete during your stay in the world of Radiata, and I'm sure many will have fun trying to collect every character they possibly can. I, personally, never really bothered to get any of those characters that require serious effort, instead opting to simply play the game and see where I end up. Since those few useful characters require a degree of work beyond what could be called unreal, it generally seemed pointless to try. The game is not so difficult that you need them on your side; indeed, it's quite easy enough to complete with Jack alone.

Graphics; 9.5/10: The entire world presented in Radiata Stories is filled with beautiful and varied landscapes, all doused in this unique graphical style that is similar to, but different from, cel-shading. Likewise, everything seen within the game, such as weapons, characters, cities, villages, enemies and everything in-between is all very well detailed. Within the city, you can see wear on the doors, mailboxes, and houses themselves; you see clocks hanging on walls and beds that may or may not be made. On the characters you can see jewelry, weapons hanging from their sides and backs, small dents in armor, and other nice details. The landscape is filled with creatures living in the distance, with the beautiful green fields and mountains and rivers seen with great clarity. Storms can be seen in the distance in some areas, or trees blocking all but what's right in front of you. In addition, your main character's outfit will change depending on what armor you have outfitted, all littered in a level of detail that is difficult to describe in words. It truly is an amazing world, and must be seen for yourself.

Music; 8.0/10: The music is largely upbeat and generally fits the mood well. You can feel the light hearted nature while within Radiata, the sense of exploration within the first regions, a sense of danger within the later ones, a sense of urgency when there is one, and just that general ‘RPG' feeling. The music really helps to expand the experience, and sets the mood within the game in general. Likewise, the music is very entertaining, and for the most part, decent enough for its purpose. I have very few qualms in this regard.

Replay Value; 8.5/10: There is a large amount of tasks to complete even after the game is done. To some, playing again to attempt to collect the 177 characters might sound appealing, and there is an optional dungeon that is unlocked upon defeating the final boss. There are also certain tasks here and there, such as recruiting two or three characters, that can only be done after beating the main game. Above all else, the game splits into two separate and different parts about half-way through, and the game must be restarted to see both paths. There's at least enough to keep you interested for, perhaps, ten or twenty hours after completing the main quest.

Overall; 8.0/10: Radiata Stories is a great work of art that excels in most aspects. Its story is interesting and in-depth, filled with loveable characters, and just enough comedy to keep you interested. The gameplay is designed well enough to keep you interested throughout the experience, though possesses certain flaws that should've been fixed. The graphics are amazing, and present the wide-open world in a wonderful light. The music fits the game very well, and at the same time is very well written and catchy. In addition to all of that, there's plenty to do after the game is done, and I think it can be said that it will keep your interest for at least a small amount of time upon completion. Overall, a great buy, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good RPG.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/27/06