The Legend of Alon D'ar

"Difficult Game, but awesome playability!"

Wow… This game was HARD! When I first played it, I said: “No way! I must be missing something!” Sadly, I wasn’t. It’s a great game, if only it wasn’t so hard!

Graphics: 8/10
The graphics in this game were pretty good, but I did have some issues. For example, when the movies played, the graphics tended to get a little rough. But when the characters were on the field, they were superb! Although graphics don’t necessarily make a game, this time they did. (Partially, at least.)

Sound: 9/10
Beautiful. Simply Beautiful. The music in this game was extraordinary. It almost made up for the high difficulty. However, the sound effects sometimes went blank, as if it was wiped out. They soon came back, however. The dramatic musical score makes this game very hard to put down. I actually found myself listening to the game, without moving a finger.

Difficulty: 6/10
As stated in the intro, this game is very hard. I died a total of thirty times going through this game. Most of them weren’t even boss fights! The normal enemies are like bosses, and usually do more damage than them. The puzzles are easy, but can sometimes stump you for a bit.

Battles: 10/10
I don’t know about you, but I loved this battles system. The characters get one action, and depending on the weight of their equipment, have to wait a certain time before they can use an action again. It can be a bit frustrating at times, but it does add an element of realism to the game. The enemies were creatively designed, and I liked the way that the battles occurred without switching to another screen. It was a great idea. As stated above, however, the battles are quite difficult. The magic graphics are ok, but not the best.

Story: 8/10
This game starts out in a rather unique fashion, with the main character having a dream. Once he wakes up, he is confronted with a series of events, which cause him to leave town, searching for the answers to the mark on his hand. He meets up with three other creatures, and together, they try to find the source of the Changelings, beings who can take any shape, but cannot talk or use magic. With several nice plot twists and a few good side quests, The Legend of Alon D’ar has a great storyline.

Replay Value: 7/10
Since there are so many ways to customize your characters, you’ll want to play this again, although probably not right away.

To Buy or to Rent?
Buy. This game cannot be beaten in a single rental. Also, it’s only $20. What do you have to lose? (Besides the $20, that is.)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/21/03, Updated 02/21/03