Illusion of Gaia

"Live the Illusion..."

Intro
A lot of people claim this one to be a ''Zelda'' clone. I can see it, sort of. This game is actually quite a bit different from Zelda in certain ways, especially if you've played the prequel, Soul Blazer. This game had some different concepts than Zelda, it was a lot more linear than Zelda, a different storyline (not a bad one, at that), and maybe a few other basic ideas.

Need Some Pills for Those Illusions?
This is the second game in the Soul Blazer Trilogy (Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia, and Terranigma). In this one, you play as a boy named Will whose father was a great explorer. His father has not been heard from since he went on his last exploration to a place called the Tower of Babel. Eventually, Will and his friends all find themselves on the run and heading toward a major adventure like his father. On the way, he discovers many evils that the world has forgotten...

Well, it's Sorta Like Zelda, and Sorta Not
The gameplay is about all this has in common with Zelda, or at least it's the main thing it has in common with it. You run around on in a 2D environment a lot like Zelda and attack enemies. As you kill them, they leave behind orbs. Collecting all the orbs in a specific section can gives you permanent bonuses to your attack, defense, or health. You can also find a bunch of useful items like herbs and such scattered about the areas. There are even event items which need to be used to solve certain puzzles. One thing I found fairly unique in this is the ability to use telekinesis by pushing on either of the R or L shoulder buttons. This allows you to move certain objects in the game.

Transformations
As the game progresses, you gain the ability to transform into other character such as a knight named Freedan or a strange dark mass called Shadow. Both have different advantages and disadvantages. For example, Freedan has the ability to hit at a longer distance, but Shadow can seep through cracks in the floor.

Abilities
As time goes by, you can also learn special abilities for each of your forms. Will can learn abilities like the ability to slide or spin like a tornado while Freedan can gain the ability to shoot projectile.

Game Elements
The graphics exhibit some beautiful colors and nicely worked detail for 16-bit. They also had some lush environmental graphics. The sounds were well put together. This game has one of the best soundtracks for any SNES game and some great sound effects to boot. The controls are very easy to master. Nothing too extremely complex in the game plan, really. The story is nothing beyond simplistic, but very well done for a simple plot with average developments. The character development was probably one of the strongest points of the game. The game itself is pretty amusing.

FINAL JUDGMENT
Graphics: Beauty with detail 9/10
Sounds: Well put together 10/10
Controls: Easy to handle 10/10
Plot/Storyline: Simple, but well done 9/10
Gameplay: The only thing that detracts me here is that it seems fairly easy to get stuck without a walkthrough of some kind. Thankfully, this game actually came with a walkthrough of sorts in the instruction manual. 8/10
All Together: 9/10

Recommendations
A superlative Zelda ''clone.'' I wouldn't call it a full clone since it does have some independent ideas from Zelda, but it's still a bit close in the gameplay department. If you like action/adventure of any type (not just Zelda), then you just might enjoy this game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/25/01, Updated 04/25/01