Shining Force CD

"An incredible experience from start to finish"

Let me start off by saying that I've never been and probably never shall be an RPG fan. I tend to favor action games, and apparently have too short an attention span for these types of games. I just can't stand repetitious battles in set formations with minimal to no strategy involved. I also severely dislike the ''exploring'' aspect of many RPGs - the ones with random battles and other similar traps set to catch you while you try to find whatever it is you need to in order to advance in the game.

The Shining Force CD...is for gamers like me. Eliminated from this particular Shining Force release is any concept of exploring whatsoever. Left intact...is the well-known and properly lauded strategic battle system, which every RPG should take a lesson from (FF Tactics did, and look at the reviews that game gets...). In other words....just the good stuff, no waiting, no nonsense, all action.

Sure, there's a bit of plot - don't let me mislead you into thinking this is a game without story. The story is actually not half bad, and sometimes even surprising. However, you really don't _have_ to pay attention to it if you don't want to, since the game takes you from epic battle to epic battle, and basically all you really need to know is how to fight.

There's just sooo much that's right about the Shining Force CD. The music is perfectly suited to each situation without being annoying or cheesy (how many times can you say this about videogame music, honestly?). The graphics are basic but excellently drawn - even though it's a turn based game, you can nearly feel the hits during some animations. The sound effects are also quite perfect - the ''THUMP!'' of a hard hit really catches you right in the chest. And the game really _moves_ - there's never a point during this game when you'll be bored. The action and story move along seamlessly, and it's a thing of greatness.

I could of course go on and on. The subtle improvements for characters as they advance in level, the tough choices about who to include in your party and who to ditch, choices during battle about when to heal, who to send to what quadrant of the battle map, what enemy to focus on...it's a fantastic game. It'll keep you glued for hours per session, and after it's all done you'll feel a sense of accomplishment and appreciation for the quality of the game.

If you've got a Sega CD, you definitely should pick up this little gem - the best edition of one of the best RPG-type games ever made.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/21/02, Updated 03/21/02