"Forgettable harmless action/puzzle RPG that has great music and colourful graphics."

Granstream Saga, The
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Ah, this game I played in my brief Japanese gaming addiction phase, after I'd finished FF7 in Japanese but before it came out in English. To be honest, I didn't know much about this game before I bought it, but when you're buying them for *ahem* very low prices *ahem* you can afford to take risks now and then. Anyway, I was mildly satisfied with it, it was certainly different to most RPGs of the time in that it was action-based. Enough that I bought it in English, despite being released by THQ (I still hadn't really forgiven them for James Bond Jr., despite being released a good 5 years before).

The story's something like this: You're this boy, Eon, who's had this strange object since birth, called the Scepter. Basically, it's a bracelet. You live in a world where a series of catastrophic events in the past has melted the icecaps and seen the world flooded. Only four pieces of land were saved, by causing them to float in the air, and they've been managed for generations by Wise Men. But the Wise Men have disappeared, and the island's flotation power is slowly fading. So it's up to you to find why the disappeared, who made them disappear, and what the hell that weird Scepter-thingy is. You're met on your journey by two love interests, a quiet little girl who was trained to know the Wise Men's ways, and a brash loud girl who works with a bunch of sky pirates. You've also had, since birth, a little flying bird called Korky. It looks like some sort of bizarre parrot.

(True story: Because I thought Korky was so bizarre in experience, and because he kept vanishing into Eon's body, I thought he was Eon's conscience, and thus 'a figment of his imagination'. Really. Which isn't too far from the truth, really, because everytime you do something which isn't 'right', or go somewhere you 'aren't supposed to go', he'll always have something that'll prevent you to do it)

First impression? The animated sequences are great, but I couldn't really appreciate them because of the influence of FF7's cinemas, which I had just finished before I started this in Japanese. But then, however, one's launched into a world where people's faces are a series of polygon ridges on a head, and everything looks strangely square and geometric. However, I'm the type to complain about the lack of noses in Final Fantasy Tactics, so perhaps for some this wouldn't be such a bad thing.

The world is totally 3D, so you can rotate the world on the 8 points and sub-points of the compass. But there is one thing which separates tGS from other 3D games, and that's how colourful and exotic the graphics are! Eon's robes are in hues of red, blue and yellow, and they fit very well into the alien culture of Granstream Saga. In fact, throughout the game, you get the impression you're wandering through some sort of ancient Incan ruins, what with runes everywhere and ancient-looking arches, and it's a very different touch to the tried and true medieval approach of recent RPGs. A beautiful game to wander through..

The battle system is interesting as well. It plays a lot like Secret of Mana with some elements of Chrono Trigger. As you wander through the dungeon, you can avoid enemies, by just dodging them (they often run as fast as you). Once you're in a battle, however, your movement area closes down to a small box, and you transform into your armour (thanks to the rather nifty Scepter). From there, it's a kind of a tactical duel, as your shield can block *every* attack from the front except 'unblockables' when it's in use, but the enemy has the same capability as well. Then it's a timing of sword swiping, then throwing up the shield again. It's actually a lot more intriguing than it sounds, because the diversity of enemies and the varying AI keep you interested (about 3 or 4 types in a dungeon, although after a few dungeons they tend to repeat). There's magic as well, but you don't tend to use it, because unlike most other RPGs, magic points practically have to be bought. And besides, a good-placed swipe is often as good as many of these spells.

The music is wonderful. It's literally captivating. Again, it seems somehow Peruvian in texture, what with pipes and synthesiser, but altogether enthralling. If there was a soundtrack, I'd get it. Maybe sometime I'll record the music off the game, because it's something worth keeping. The sound effects aren't that interesting, in fact I think they tend to reuse the swordswipe quite a few times.

The game's also littered with puzzles, but it doesn't outweigh the fighting - rather, I think it's a rather fitting contrast. Most of the time it's either 'use A with B', or 'find A to put in B', so it isn't really that taxing.

(True story: THQ cut a certain scene out of the American version, a shower scene when you first meet/see/oggle at the pirate girl. Yes, even games have gratuitious shower scenes.)

I must admit, the story isn't that interesting, in fact it's almost forgettable. I can't even remember the names of characters beyond Eon and Korky, and I only finished it about four months ago! The ending is really terrible though, the voiceacting and the scenario are very, very tepid. Some of the dungeons are *very* interesting though, like the castle which is turned on its side, or the poisoned interior of a volcano.

Verdict? Try before you buy. You'll either hate it, or tolerate it. It helps if you're somewhat experienced when it comes to playing console RPGs.

--- 7/10 (10/10 for the music)

Alternatives? If you're looking for action RPGs, I wouldn't go beyond Brave Fencer Musashiden. Also, I'd recommend a little game called Blaze 'n' Blade. Although none of them offer quite the same experience, they're still excellent games.

When playing this game, look out for: Torpedo Mask! He's the mind-controlled captain of an evil airship, the mind-controlling mechanism an ornate Zorro-like mask. His mannerisms and dress style tends to remind oneself of a certain popular Japanese cartoon character... Also look out for the Giant Chocobo, who is treated like a god (like a giant chocobo would).

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99