Shining Tears

"Less than Shining"

In this less than shining action/rpg, you play the typical unlikely amnesiac hero who must save the world against his will. Gameplay consists of a 2-player action scenario (computer controlled or player controlled) where you battle hordes of enemy monsters on a 2d map.

4/10
Gameplay: The basic flow is this: you uncover a clue about the plot, then battle a few maps, then fight a boss, rinse, wash, repeat. The action is all on a 2d map using little pixelated sprites for characters.

Just a warning, expect MANY MANY "Now Loading" screens. The game is full of them, and sometimes the wait is up to 20 seconds. I think it's pretty inexcusable for a game of this generation to have so many loading screens and for such a lengthy time.

The AI here is horrible. Using the radar, you can see where enemies are positioned and prepare for them on nearly every map. There's also a certain radius where the enemy just won't act. It would add immensely to gameplay strategy if enemies were constantly moving, trying to outflank you or whatnot, but it's just not here. They blindly run up to you when you get in their activation range, and mostly just push you back (not really attacking you). I've had instances where 20+ more enemies were blocking my path, and was able to just stand there and hack away while maybe 1 or 2 would hit me at a time. However, enemy archers or spellcasters generally fire right at you, or in front of you if you're running, so you tend to get hit by them quite a bit. The AI for ranged units are decent if you don't manage to wipe them all in the initial engagement.

The game offers you single skills (which must be charged, but can be used by each character), and dual tech skills, which both characters must meet certain requirements (range, spell points, enemy position, ect) to use. The one drawback with this system is that although the dual skills are easy to use, it makes for a boring game when you can spam them as much as your SP will allow, but the single skills require a bit of a charge to be effective. In the 2 player game, the dual skills require a bit of timing on both people to execute, but the game is somewhat forgiving. It allows you to stand there ready to execute while waiting on your partner to press his or her corresponding button.

Level ups and skill allocations are a unique feature to this game. You get to decide where to allocate stats and which skills to level up as you progress. This allows a certain customization of the characters. Unfortunately, stats really only matter to wear equipment (equipment has stat requirements), and a lot of times, you must save your stats for that new piece of equipment you might find later on. Skill level ups power up your moves immensely, much more than stats will. You are also allowed to customize weapons and armor to a certain degree. It's not entirely open-ended on the equipment, but you do have a selection with certain patterns of upgrades.

I think the level up system and the fact that you can play 2 players co-op optionally helps the gameplay immensely. I would have given it a lower rating had it not been for those.

3/10
Graphics: What can I say... the hand-drawn graphics of the characters are true to Shining tradition. They look beautiful, with bright, vibrant colors and anime style artwork. However... the combat graphics are really lacking. Everything is 2d isometric in combat, and the special skills (such as the guardian summons) aren't that impressive. In fact, I think you could even port the combat graphics to a 16bit machine such as the Genesis and still not see any difference. For a game to tout the combat system like it does, more work is needed in the eye-candy department. If it weren't for the lush backgrounds or character detail while in chat, I doubt I would play this game. Also, new equipment you don will not show up. If your weapon is elemental, it will change to have an elemental effect added to it (such as burning for fire, or electricity for lightning), but that spiffy new helmet or shiny new armor you just bought won't be visible.

5/10
Sound: It's passable, with nothing memorable. It would be nice to hear some of the older Shining Force music or themes, but they aren't present. The music is basically midi-emulation. There's no character voices (except for a few one-liners from the shopkeepers no less), and the combat sounds are pretty bland. Or maybe it's just hearing the same clang or slash of the sword a million times over makes it sound duller...

7/10
Control: Controls are easy to navigate, and you are allowed to control your computer friend that accompanies you on every mission. In the 1-player mode, sometimes the computer is pretty stubborn where it wants to move itself. It can get frustrating for example trying to keep your healer in the back. It might take a while to get used to, but the game literally uses every button the PS2 has to offer.

In summary, this game has a lot of great concepts going for it, but the graphics, pretty generic plot line, and repetitive gameplay all make for a lacking experience. I really wanted this game to be more than what it was, and kept looking for redeeming qualities. But it seems like every time I would find something, I would have to wait for another loading screen...
Pick this one up in the bargain bin or a weekend rental. You can probably finish it in a few days, and I promise you won't be sore for bringing it back.

Gameplay: 4/10
Graphics: 3/10
Sound: 5/10
Control: 7/10
Avg Score: 4.75 (5)

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 06/19/05