ActRaiser

"Holy Diver"

Action and Simulation games are two very noticeably separate entities. On one hand you have typically fast paced twitch-oriented gameplay; and on the other you have more slower paced strategic manipulation. The two are almost polar opposites. This is where ActRaiser comes in. In a bold move of pure originality, ActRaiser is a combination of these two notably different genres in a fusion that surprisingly works rather well. The game isn't perfect mind you; there are some glaring flaws and both ends of the game aren't exactly up to par with most other games of their respective genres. However, the game is still solid and a testament to Enix's undying approach to originality in their games.

In ActRaiser you play as God. It is up for you and a little cherubic helper to guide civilization from humble origins into the future. However, the world is a scorched battleground filled with nonbelievers, dastardly monsters, and areas of dubious magical energy. It is up for you to clear out such obstacles from the land before humanity can actually safely settle in and deal with growing their economies. Take for instance the first act, Bloodpool. After your character goes in and vanquishes the enemies and the final evil Centaur boss, it becomes possible for your people to begin transformation of the land into hospitable areas.

Neither of the two areas of the gameplay really overshadows the other tremendously, so it's not in any sense a means of superiority that I will talk of the action elements of the game first. The action element entails your fights against the evil beasts and demons that torment the villagers. The game consists of twelve acts and each act has two action levels attached to them. Initially it is clearing out the land, and the second action scene is usually a monster still in the land that is killing off villagers.

Typical of action games of the Super Nintendo era, the game is a side scrolling slash ‘em up. It isn't too far off from Super Castlevania IV, except in the fact that the game trades the Belmont Whip in favor of a more traditional sword. You progress through mostly linear levels vanquishing devils, lizardmen, and all other sorts of beasties that are currently inhabiting the region. And as no action game would be complete without, after the completion of the level of choice you must face off against a boss. The boss fights are the highlight of the action mode, as they are typically very well designed and animated. Also, besides the first few, the bosses tend to be large and distinctively intimidating.

In the action stages you are typically aided by magic spells, the likes of which are determined by the number of scrolls in your possession. Some of the spells are noticeably overpowered, and some can defeat bosses in a cast or two. However, there is a limited amount you can use, determinate by said scrolls. Don't accentuate this aspect of the action games, as the game can be very hard in some places. Good level design is the factor in this, as you must get your character's timing and sword swinging down to a T if you hope to stand any chance in some of the later levels. Automatic death spikes, pits, and tricky beasts tend to come into play a great amount and can make you a goner in seconds. However, once the player gets the hang of the game it can eventually be breezed through. It is an optimum level of difficulty, not too hard and not too difficult.

After the completion of an action stage, you are brought to the simulation mode of the game. In it you take the role of a divine city planner. You must guide your villagers into developing certain areas of the land. You don't actually build houses, roads, and buildings yourself. Instead, it is the villagers who are guided by you to do this. It's like you influence, but don't actually do the building and placing. While you might have defeated the monsters in their lair earlier in the mode, it doesn't necessarily mean that all evil creatures have been eliminated. Throughout the level there are bats, dragons, and devils which are out there to thwart humanity's city building efforts by consuming villagers or destroying houses. This is where your angel sidekick comes into play. You control him in the simulation mode by shooting arrows at these creatures, stopping them dead in their tracks. That is of course until they respawn in their beastly headquarters. However, all is not lost. You can guide your villagers to the monster respawn points where it is possible for them to seal away the lairs of monsters and get you much needed points for city building.

Typically sealing away monster lairs reveals items and the like. These items can either help the current or other civilizations in their progress, such as medicinal leaves, or they can aid you in battling evil monsters in the action mode, such as new spells or scrolls. Sometimes villages will develop on their own with progression such as bridge building and the power of music. These can be transferred over to other civilizations and they can benefit from them. For example, if one city is having trouble with people being very angry and convoluted, the sound of music might be able to sore their troubles. Such elements are given to you by way of offerings from the respective villages. These offerings are not to be taken lightly as the civilians typically have given their all in administering them to you.

In each level there are obstacles which may impede civilization's progress. One example early on in the game is extensive shrubbery surrounding the town center preventing buildings and roads from developing. It's up for your little cherub to direct your omnipotent powers, in this instance lightning, to get rid of the overgrowth. Each divine power is determined by your amount of SP, which is replenished by defeating monsters or having nations progress in civilization's developments. If civilizations reach a certain population level, their overall levels increase, which makes bigger and more advance buildings possible.

That's basically the gist of the simulation mode, progress a nation by fighting off monsters, sealing off lairs, destroying obstacles and completing tasks which the citizens ask of you. Eventually you will have to fight the second monster lair. That's the main problem with the game. It's very repetitive. While different nations may have different things to ask of you, they typically all have the same basic plan of developing. Once you get the hang of the civilization mode of the game, you can really get through all of it. It's not exactly difficult by any means.

Perhaps that is a problem with the game's presentation. It sets out to be a really immersive experience in two different fields of gameplay, but it really ends of being really derivative in both the action and simulation aspects. This is especially true of the simulation mode. You essentially get two lesser games packed into one admittedly solid game package. Fortunately, as far as the rest of the presentation goes, the graphics and sounds do not disappoint

Visually the game is rather impressive; especially for a launch-era Super Nintendo game. The sprites are large and colorful, especially in the action mode. As previously mentioned the bosses are bright and colorful, albeit menacingly. Each level is rendered nicely and there is exceptional variety in the environments. Remember this is a whole world we are talking about, so diversity is necessary. While the game may have been trounced graphically in as little as a year or two, this is 1991 we are talking about. For developers not knowing the true potential of a fledgling system, they definitely created a nice looking little game. Though I probably shouldn't say little, after all it is as big as a God.

For many gamers the most memorable part of the game is the soundtrack. This is Yuzo Koshiro at his finest, and believe me, his finest compares with many of the more recognized names out there. Notably, the first level of the game demonstrates an awe inspiring powerful number that really goes along with the demon crushing carnage of the level. It really puts you in the shoes of a God, and you really feel like you are defeating these monsters for the good of humanity. There is only one misstep in the music department, and that is INCREDIBLY repetitive music for the simulation section. It's not a bad piece in any means, but the loop is regrettably short and kind of makes you want to end the civilization mode as quickly as possible for the next sonically magnificent action stage composition.

So in the end this game really attempted to be a bridge between two polar opposites, and surprisingly its very solid. Sure, both elements are noticeably dumbed down from what was expected in games that were strictly placed in each genre. But this is a game that is split between the two genres, so it's not as bad as if each of these were on their own as games. It's a testament to the game's quality that each entity of the game could not exist on its own. Unified they are one very solid game, if not perfect. The amazing soundtrack and graphics really help this solidness out. If you don't already have this and happen to see this with a bunch of Super Nintendo games at a used game store, don't hesitate to pick it up. You'll thank God for a fun and memorable experience.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/27/08

Game Release: ActRaiser (US, November 1991)