Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome

"A good effort by NIS!"

After hearing news of a new NIS strategy rpg, and being a bit jaded by my experience of phantom brave, yet enthralled by Disgaea, my decision to try out Makai Kingdom was quite mixed. After seeing it on the shelf for a few days I decided that since I had some cash to spare and I wasn't going to be spending it on a social life, that Makai Kingdom deserved a shot. I now know that I made a good decision in purchasing this game, and while it isn't for everyone, it fit the bill for me. In this review I'm going to discuss what I found where Makai Kingdom's (MK's) Ups and downs and why overall I found it to be a good game. First I'm going to go over story, then graphics, sound and finally game system.

Story

The story, as expected by NIS games, is quite lighthearted with few, if any,serious overtones. While there are some moving parts to the story, it mainly keeps up with being humorous, and somewhat in your face with the arrogance and rivalry that comes with being an overlord. The story's characters do have their own personalities however, and do stick out as being unique in and of the game itself. If I were to compare it to other NIS games, then yeah some characters are very similar. Overall, I don't mind the story, I can go with deep stories or shallow ones in games. If you like a deep enthralling story, MK might not be up to par with that criteria.

Graphics

Graphics in MK are a mixed bag, somewhat typical of NIS strategy rpgs. There is a fair share of 3-d and 2-d graphic examples in MK. The plot characters, game character, weapons and vehicles are very 2 dimensional, and I for one find not real issue in that regards. While they are 2-d there are quite a bit of angles that are represented so any 2-d models don't look terribly chopy. The 3-d qualities mainly come in for special effects, special moves ect, and I find they do their job well. Also, the game is quite colorful in it's atmospheres and they are quite varied. The only gripe I can think of, and it's a small one, is that I think that it's about time a color editing mode was put into place for your generic characters, as some of the better color schemes belong to weaker classes. Overall, if you want a graphically rich experience, you won't find it here, but you won't find a poor one either.

Sound

This sound that goes on in MK is pretty average, it gets the job done though. The music I found mainly catchy though I did find the main castle theme a bit annoying at times. There are some sound tracks in the game that I found quite grating, but they are few. Most of the music is good to go. Some of the voices in battle I found to be a bit annoying too, just up to personal taste I guess. The voice acting in plot scenes is quite good I found, better then the japanese voice option. While MK does nothing groundbreaking in sound or music, I like it overall and most players probably won't have a problem with it.

Finally, what makes a game, for me anyway...

Game system.

MK's game system is unique to an extend, and a bit of a mixture from pas NIS games. While comparing MK to other NIS games isn't the focus of this review, I feel it does help to this extent. MK incorporates what some players might of found preferable in regards to movement. It uses a free range system, similar to phantom brave in that your characters aren't limited to being on one square. They are free to roam, you can move them up a millimeter, or across the screen if their movement is high enough. Gone are the squares of area of effect situations, now area of effects can be globe shaped, cylindrical, triangle, plenty of different areas. I feel it adds to the strategy and makes things seem more realistic. (as far as can be expected in a NIS game.)
Now, as per most strategy rpgs, MK does have a generic character creation system, where you make your team and develop your own party members. Unlike, disgaea, however, this time it seems more enforced. In Disgaea you could very well just use the plot characters in the game and enjoy it from there (or just play with generics, up to the player). In MK the plot characters you can get on your team are done through various secret options, and while I apologize if I spoiled anything, but most of these can't be done on the first playthrough. Thus you are stuck with your generics. I am a huge fan of generics, and I won't be using the plot characters (though they are better,they are also less customizable, that is, you won't be able to give one rifle expertise if they don't already have it). Still this can be a let down for those who like to involve characters in the battle. It does go back to the fact that the main character is a non moving book, so he can't fight, but I think the other special characters should of been more available. If not the strong overlords that are in the plot, then less special plot people that you can get normally, instead of in secret. Once again though I find it acceptable based on my playing style. Others may not.

Overall I am very impressed with MK and I now have more hope that NIS will once again create good quality games such as this one! As usual I always recommend renting befor buying. This game should cater to most srpg fans, but I could see this not being a cup of tea for others.

Cheers!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/23/05