Shining Force III

"One of the Saturn's best RPGs"

Shining Force III was a very late entry into the US Saturn catalog. It appeared at the end of the Saturn's run in the US, but it did have two subsequent scenarios that were released in Japan only. All three are heralded as some of the better titles on the Saturn. It has since become a pricey title, so is it worth adding to your Saturn library? Let's check it out:

GRAPHICS: 7/10
Not bad, but not great either. The different towns and battlegrounds you traverse look good and have some variety to them. During battles, you are treated to a 3D rendering of your character and the opponent when you attack. These look pretty good, even if the characters are blocky. The spells and summons look pretty good, but aren't on the level of FFVII or such. The characters are really 2D sprites on the battlefield, but this actually works well to see where each character is stationed. The water effects in this game are very good. The movements of the characters is pretty fluid in the 2D and especially 3D renderings, so this adds to the experience. Honestly, this isn't a title you'll be getting for the graphics alone. However, they do the job and don't detract from the experience.

SOUND: 6/10
First off, the music tracks aren't bad, but you will be hearing them so often during battles that they become repetitive. Still, there seem to be a good amount of tracks over the course of the game, so it works out. However, the sound effects and voices are bad. A lot of the lines characters shout out before they attack are not up to par, and on some of them the quality is bad. Synbios, Masqurin and Noon are prime examples. There are only a handful of sound effects throughout the game, and there are times when they are used at the wrong times and don't sound good. The audio component might be the worst aspect of Shining Force III, but it isn't so bad that the game becomes unplayable.

GAMEPLAY: 9/10
The heart and soul of SFIII. The battles consist of different maps and a grid system that allows your character to move a certain distance. Some characters can move further than others, like a horseman can move further than an archer. After each move, you have four options: attack (if you are next to an opponent or in range in the case of an archer/magician), an item menu, magic, and a hold option. Just about all of these are self explanatory and work well. There are many different classes of characters as well- swordmen, horsemen, magicians, warriors, etc. You fight your opponent until either your leader (Synbios) is defeated, or until all of the enemy troops are defeated (or sometimes just killing their leader will end the battle). The battles are well done. The many different areas you encounter during the story make for good battles and make you devise different strategies to win. Your characters gain experience for attacking enemies as well as healing each other and using items. Every 100 experience gains you a level. At level 10, you can promote your character and begin leveling him from level 1 with upgraded statistics. There are many items to buy at shops and find in tombs as well as secret characters to find. The gameplay of Shining Force III is simple, but that's what makes it so easy to enjoy.

LASTING VALUE/REPLAYABILITY: 7/10
I'd say you're looking at about 30 hours of gameplay in the story. I've heard of much higher though, if you are into leveling up more and searching for all the items. It isn't one of those games that you're going to want to play again right after, but it's a good title to pop in from time to time to enjoy. There are about 5 secret characters to find, and some are difficult to find, so that may have you coming back. It's probably a little longer than your average RPG, and that's really all you can ask for. Also worth noting is that the story is good- it features a lot of characters that become fleshed out over time, and the game ends with a lot of untied ends that are resolved in sequels.

WORTH BUYING: YES
SFIII runs at $60+ for a copy with the case and in good condition. Honestly, I don't know if I would shell that out for this. I got mine for $15 as a disc only, and that was a steal. If you're not a collector, this one is worth picking up disc only, because it is a good game. There aren't a lot of US RPGs for the Saturn, and this one ranks near the top, so most people will want to add it to their library.

At some point, you're gonna wanna pick up SFIII. A lot of the hype you hear is well founded, and since it connects to Scenario 2 and 3, you may find yourself picking up the whole set.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/18/08

Game Release: Shining Force III (US, 05/31/98)