Shining Force CD

"An embarassment to the family"

You know how we all have that uncle we don't like to talk about? Or maybe we are embarrassed of our parents. Well, Shining Force CD is a disgrace to its brothers, Shining Force I and II. This game has stolen the Shining Force name and turned it into something unworthy of the great title.

Graphics: 8/10
This game had some good graphics. The graphics were pretty much the same as Shining Force I and II. Well, that's fine, except for one thing...This is a Sega CD game! So why is it that a Sega CD game had Sega Genesis like graphics? Also, the characters were crudely drawn. Rather than dump on the graphics anymore, I'll just call for a NEXT!

Music: 7/10
I liked the music in this game. You could tell that Sega really took the time to compose some nice music to give a backdrop. The only problem is that they have reverted back to the problem that Shining Force I had. This game contains the same music again and again, and that really starts to get under your skin after a while. When I say after a while, I mean a SHORT while.

Characters: 3/10
The worst character set I have seen to date in a Shining Force game. The main character had a personality of a rock, and Lowe, the loveable healer from Shining Force I who now serves as the advisor to the force, has something shoved up his behind. He has turned into a real jerk. The rest of the characters are so forgettable that I might as well not even mention them.

Story: 4/10
The story is another yawn. I swear that I almost fell asleep trying to play this game. I needed to drink Pepsi just to get through some of the plain, unimaginative dialogue. I'm getting bored even thinking about it, so I'll move on.

Originality: 2/10
Okay, Shining Force CD completely discards the feature that made the game unique. There is absolutely no walkabout feature in this game. The game is just battles! You can't even walk around in the towns. There is no challenge whatsoever presented in this game. I think they try to be original in one battle by making you fight with no weapons. That's not original, that's just irritating.

Difficulty: 2/10
One of the easiest RPGs I have ever played. Not only is there nothing to go look for and find, but the battles require no strategy and the movements of the bosses are predictable. I'm surprised ''Fisher Price'' wasn't written outside the box.

Replay Value: 0/10
None whatsoever. I'm surprised I could muster up the will power to make it past the third battle.

Are you a Shining Force fan? Well, if you are, then this game might change your mind. I loved I and II so much that this game didn't damage it too much for me. However, Shining Force CD is a game that you can rest comfortably in the fact that if you haven't played this game, you're not missing a thing.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 04/07/04