Illusion of Gaia

"Can't sleep... Moon Tribe will get me..."

Illusion of Gaia is definitely one of the only games I have ever played that is truly unique. Do not be fooled by its remarkable similarity to Secret of Mana in terms of the Graphics, as well as basic Game Play mechanics. This is a remarkably different game than Secret of Mana, in almost every way possible. Besides having the wonderful Graphics and basic mechanics as the awesome Square adventure, Illusion of Gaia also features many original, pleasing qualities, such as an innovative story and nice music and sound effects. This strange combination of Secret of Mana with its own new features makes for an excellent game that I would definitely recommend to anybody looking for a good Adventure.

As I said before, the Graphics in Illusion of Gaia are remarkably similar to Secret of Mana, another excellent game. This is an overhead view of characters that look very nice for its time-more like Chrono Trigger than Final Fantasy VI. Some of the levels in the game look extremely fine, such as Mt. Temple, with its sprawling giant mushrooms that you walk across. Some of the bosses look very nice as well, such as the first boss in the Incan Ruins as well as the huge final boss. Another superior point to consider is the backgrounds, full of plenty of detail. For example, the mansion in one of the final towns includes plants in the background, as well as multiple jars. This game truly shows the power of what the Super Nintendo can do in terms of Graphics.

Most of the music in Illusion of Gaia is very interesting, and fitting with the dark atmosphere of the game. In fact, one might go so far to say that it creates the atmosphere of the game. For example, the main dungeon theme that plays over about half of the dungeons in the game is spooky, giving a wonderful sense of urgency to the level. The theme for most of the darker areas of the game, such as a shrine or some ancient ruins, is absolutely perfect for the mood of the level. This doesn't mean there's no light hearted music in the game, though. The town theme is excellently calm, yet not overdone so much that you start feeling bored with it.

I usually have the music and the sound effects together, but I feel that they are so insanely different in this game that they don't deserve each other. Illusion of Gaia does NOT have good sound effects, in any way. Hitting the enemy with your flute (yes, Will uses a flute, more on that later) makes an annoying, simple sound that one would expect from the original Nintendo. When characters speak, they should have left it with text, but nope. The game makes a simple, single note, which differs for the different characters. It was a pitiful attempt at representing the characters, except about 90% of the characters have the same one, be them story characters or just random people. I will never like the sound effects in this game.

Illusion of Gaia controls very well. The A button talks to characters, and attacks when in a battle. The B button lets you use items chosen on the menu, reached by the select button. The Start button brings up ''monster radar'', showing how many monsters are on the screen you currently are on, as well as treasure chests and save points. However, it only shows the nearby monsters on the map. Pressing the control pad in the direction you want to move... moves you. Press it twice to run in that direction. The game would have been better if the run button wasn't a double press, and used the X or Y button instead, but no matter. The L and R button spins your flute, to drag things towards you with psychotic power. With the exception of the running problem, everything controls wonderfully.

The story in Illusion of Gaia is amazing. It's a once in a lifetime experience that I see a story in a game that is completely different from every other, but this game has done the impossible. You play as Will, a young boy whose father was an explorer. One day, you, your father, and a team of other explorers went to the Tower of Babel. Your father and his party met with disaster. You somehow made it back to South Cape, your hometown. One day, the king of Edward Castle summons you, asking you to bring the Crystal Ring from your father's possessions. You don't know about it, but you go anyway. Without it, you're thrown in jail. While there, your father speaks to you through your flute, telling you to save him. He wants you to go to each ancient ruin of the world, and collect the six Mystic Statues. They can lend you the power to destroy the comet that is approaching the planet, and find your father. The princess who you see earlier in the game gives you a key to get out of jail. Thus, the game begins. It gets deeper and more original, going through a labor trade organization, a tribe of people bathed in the comet's light, and a wonderful cast of characters. It should also be noted that this game is very dark in nature. It has plenty of sad deaths, heartless cretins, and the closest thing to Russian Roulette a video game ever has gotten to, so it shouldn't be played by young children (8 and under). Truly, this is an excellent game like no other before in this department.

Illusion of Gaia is an extremely fun game to play. It doesn't get repetitive once through the game, because of the plentiful town exploration and plot that comes with the battling. The battles differ from each other as well. In some, there are lots of puzzles for you to finish and figure out. In others, the level is a huge maze, and you must get to the end in order to get the item to bring you further along your quest. Still others are simply good for their difficult battles. Each one is extremely different and enjoyable to go through. The only problem is the existence of tons of long, annoying places in the game that you cannot skip, and just much wait. This includes, but isn't limited to, waiting in line to gain some special powers in a shop (longest 3:30 in your life) and listening to the melodies that you play on your flute. Other than this notable problem, the game is awesome, and doesn't get boring or repetitive whatsoever.

Illusion of Gaia isn't actually that difficult. Most of the challenge in the game comes from mazes and puzzles in the game, which take some thinking to finish. The monster radar really helps limit the challenge on the mazes, though, reminding you that you completed an area and you're going backwards. It should also be noted that while most of the regular enemies are pitifully easy, the bosses are an immediate step up. Instead of taking two or three hits each to die, these beasts take 20 hits to kill. In addition, most of them confine you to a miniature space, and send huge attacks after you that can hit you easily anywhere. This is confusing to those breezing through the game.

While the game is mostly the same every time through, Illusion of Gaia has immense Replay Value. This is mostly because of the length of the game, as well as the non-monotony of it. Illusion of Gaia certainly doesn't ''get old'', and each battle is quite different from the others. This, combined with the length of the game, makes it a game that isn't too easy the second time through-you won't remember the area very well, and you might need different techniques. The Replay Value is also brought forth via the inclusion of ''Red Jewels'' in the game. There are 50 Red Jewels scattered around in places you would not expect them to be, such as in statues or barrels. If you get all 50, you uncover a hidden area, a plot twist, and the toughest boss fight of them all. It's definitely worth it, and you're almost guaranteed not to get all of the Red Jewels the first time through. These two important points heighten the game's Replay Value to many heights up.

Overall scores
Graphics: 10/10
Music: 5/5
Sound Effects: 1/5
Play Control: 19/20
Game Play: 28/30
Challenge: 12/15
Replay Value: 15/15
OVERALL: 110/120, 91 2/3%, 9/10
Illusion of Gaia is a true work of art, bringing out some of the best storytelling ever in a Super Nintendo game. It's amazingly original and dark for a game cursed by Nintendo's censorship rules, and plays just as perfect as its pseudo-prequel made by a different company, Secret of Mana. Sometimes I think this may even be better than Secret of Mana and take the crown as second best Adventure game ever (next to Zelda). Whatever it is, I recommend this to everybody. You will regret it if you don't play this gem. It's a shame that the company that developed the game, Quintet, is no longer around.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/13/01, Updated 07/13/01