Shining the Holy Ark

"A worthy successor to the Shining series"

The Shining series made its grand debut on the Sega Genesis, from there it underwent several titles, each game a slightly different genre. The first in the series, Shining in the Darkness, was a first person RPG. After that the games went in different directions such as adventure and strategy RPG. With Shining the Holy Ark, Sega returns to what started it off and presents a spectacular first person RPG.

Players take control of Arthur, a swordsman whose current employment is as a mercenary. From your first mission in the depths of a mine shaft hunting down a renegade ninja, the game launches into a story that will keep you captivated until the grand finale. Everything is presented in a glorious first person perspective, which truly allows the player to view the game firsthand. During battles, you witness members of your party run up and perform their command, starting from when they would be in the corner of your eye to slashing at the monster in your direct line of sight. My only complaint with this is that Arthur has an exceptional character design, and the viewpoint prevents you from basking in its presence. An auto-mapping system is also provided and can be accessed with the start button. For the newer RPG players, it eases the frustration that occurs when wandering through a maze for hours while totally clueless. Veterans can simply elect to not use the map.

The character designs are splendid and fans will take an instant liking to them. When characters speak, a face portrait derived from the artwork accompanies the speech and adds some charm to the game. Character development is barely touched, perhaps because nearly all of the dialogue is used to present the story, what little development is there consists of a few mentions of backgrounds.

Shining the Holy Ark allows you to gather a band of eight warriors to be used in the conflict with the dark force troubling the land. Only four of these can be used during a battle at a time, however characters may be substituted between rounds if you suddenly decide they would be more effective or if you need to withdraw a wounded comrade. Along with the standard attack, characters will obtain special moves. These are triggered randomly and deliver more punishing blows to the enemy. The basic collection of magic spells are found here, fire, healing, ice etc. As characters advance in levels stronger versions of spells will be made available that can target more characters and have a greater impact. As with the other games bearing the Shining name, the promotion system is in effect. Advance a character’s levels high enough and they can earn a promotion. Promoted characters are capable of using stronger equipment and can learn the more complex spells.

The innovation present in Holy Ark is the Pixie system. By searching various walls, pots, floors and so on, the player will discover Pixies. These can be called to assist in battle. There are five different groups of pixies, and each is used for a specific form of encounter. Enemies can attack from behind, left or right, in front, or rise from the ground. Each pixie type is only effective on one of the mentioned types of encounters. Quick reflexes will be needed to select the pixie group and attack the enemy in time. Collecting all of the pixies is a difficult task that requires extremely thorough searches of dungeons, but the player is well rewarded with additional damage. A proficient player can shorten battles considerably with this system.

Travel is made on a world map with all locations displayed and paths leading to each. There are no random battles to be found here, although sometimes you will need to traverse through dungeons to reach a certain area.

The graphics are simply gorgeous and stand up well even against some of the more recent RPGs. The monster designers did an excellent job of developing suitable monsters and gives the various locations enemies that truly look like they inhabit the area. FMV plays a minute role as the game relies on its story to impress players. The introduction is a spectacular FMV that will be made understood as you progress through the game. Aside from the introduction, FMV is only used to showcase the designs of the bosses that insist on making your life harder.

The music in this game is enjoyable, notably the battle music. I occasionally found myself longing for a random battle to partake in the pleasant tune. The rest of the score sets the atmosphere of the dark shadow lurking over the land and the determination of the heroes to purge the land of evil.

Challenge is reasonable, proper leveling of your characters will keep a nice balance between your band and the vast hordes of monsters insistent on ending your journey. There are still some times when life will be really tight and it’ll take everything you have to make it through in one piece. The auto-map feature is also invaluable in some of the later dungeons, as they grow ever more extensive.

Shining the Holy Ark does a magnificent job of keeping the player entertained. Visually and aurally this game is a masterpiece. Whether you’re new to the genre, or an old veteran looking for a good time, Holy Ark will consistently amaze you with its exemplary presentation.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/09/01, Updated 01/09/01