Beyond the Beyond

"My favorite game of all time. THANK you Camelot Software"

Beyond the Beyond was the first traditional RPG released for the Playstation and it is most certainly one of the best. I play this game all the time and I just could never give it up. Beyond the Beyond is a true RPG classic which every RPG needs to play at least once.

Story 10

The story relates to an old Shining Force game which I immediately liked. The classic boy and his dragon search out the world in order to uncover the evil villains applies here. There are many varied characters here (swordsmen, mages, monks, clerics, soldiers etc.) which liven up the total gaming experience. Four generals haunt you through out the game and Beyond the Beyond has in it one of the coolest characters ever, the head knight of Marion, Lord Kevins. The vast world that you explore is varied in its landscape and is like no other. With plot twists and surprises this storyline is a masterpiece in of itself. Also the ending to this extraordinary game is breathtaking and very emotional.

Characters 10

Like I said before, the characters in this game are very unique. Your leader Finn is a bit juvenile at first, but you will see him mature before you. Steiner is your dragon
and he will also mature from his lovable self into your loyal protector. All of the characters grow, change, and aspire to be better than they are in Beyond the Beyond. Also I enjoyed how the characters were not one sided for they had many sides to them, but I would have liked to have gotten more insight into the four generals .

Music 10

The music in Beyond the Beyond is phenomenal. Varied tracks and rich tunes heighten the already wonderful atmosphere of Beyond the Beyond. Almost every piece of music fits into this game perfectly. The opening movie for example has some of the best music I've heard in an RPG! The battle music is very nice especially towards the end. Also the ending of Beyond the Beyond has very emotional music to it.

Graphics 8

While the battles are rich and extremely detailed and the map scenes are done in a nice 3D effect, walking through towns have graphic capabilities only a little above Final Fantasy 3. I mean come on that was a SNES game the graphics could have and should have been much better.

Gameplay 8

Well here I am, the part were most people hate Beyond the Beyond. BTB has a unique life system and battle addition; most people strongly dislike it, but I happen to enjoy it. Your life parameters are set up with VP, LP, and regular MP. When you are hit you loose VP, when you are out of VP you become groggy, you come back, but you then loose LP. When you run out of VP and LP you are dead until a priest can revive you. MP is just your simple magic points. The battle system is turn based with an interesting effect. You can randomly press a combination of buttons to inflict double damage, do a critical hit, or cut down you LP dissipation by half. Many do not like this, but if you know the simple combination then you can turn battles in your favor. This game suffers from the same flaw as many others, there are far to many random battles. They aren't as bad as some people say, but still they're a great annoyance and can discourage many gamers from continuing.

Final Result 9

If you can see past this battle flaw then I highly recommend
Beyond the Beyond to any player that is up to a serious challenge and a great traditional RPG. This game is somewhat
rare, but it is by no means impossible to find at a used video game store, or the Internet. Buy this wonderful game before it vanishes.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/28/03, Updated 05/28/03