Radical Dreamers

"Simple and touching, and just SO GOOD"

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RADICAL DREAMERS
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Set on the Satellaview attachment of the SNES, it is the long forgotten sequel in the Chrono series. But it was too beautiful to be ignored. It was like an underground river in the dry, soulless desert of the game world, pulling in the unwary explorer through quicksand. Once you're in, there is no escape.

However, this game was deep, deep into the sands, a few whole layers comparable to its Japanese language, until one heavy traverser by the name of Demiforce came along.

It's his patch, his translation, his digging of these sands that leads me to what I am today: A Radical Dreamer geek. But it was worth it, twice and thrice over.

Story: 10/10

It's a text adventure, so the story is, I suppose, pretty important. The Radical Dreamers, Serge, Kid, and Magil, attempt to steal the Frozen Flame from Lynx's stronghold at Viper Manor. Ah yes, we all remember this scene from Chrono Cross. But this game is, in no way, Chrono Cross.

Characters: 9.5/10

Serge speaks. In fact, he speaks a lot, since this story IS told from his point of view. He has a dry humor and cares for Kid deeply. I can't say the same for Kid, however. I found her quite irritatingly bitchy the first time around. But a few more times, and she grew on me. Now I hate the CC Kid for lack of characterization o.O;;

Magil, ah Magil. I love him so much. Can't say too much, or I'll spoil the plot.

There are a few minor characters, and I felt for two, three of them, but Miss Venus...WOW. I can't believe how attached I became to her after talking to her for three times. Powerful.

I took off .5 for all the open ends that didn't add anything to the story. Don't want to tell us who Vera is? FINE THEN. But they can't leave out EVERY SINGLE PERSON'S MOTIVES! That was overdoing the ''you think it out'' here. A definite weak point

Sound: 10/10

William can vouch for me here, if you do not trust my biased obsessive personality(not that I'm biased at all, of course). The score is fantasmicalistic. It's simple, clean, and so moving ;.; The story was in no little part enhanced by it. A little like Terranigma, except much more stringbased (and better synthesized). Many were remixed into Chrono Cross, but I like this one better. It sounds so much more pure.

Graphics: 9/10

Well, being a text game, it doesn't have many graphics to begin with. But what landscape it does have is rich. All the rooms are beautifully done, and the forests and bridge no less! However, the people are done pretty badly. They looked like scarecrows :S Oh well, I never did get to see anyone's faces except for Kid and Lynx, two which I don't particularly care about, so~

Gameplay: 9/10

I know what you're thinking. ''9/10? wtf have you been smoking? I mean, what gameplay IS there to speak of?'' Yes, yes, I understand. But I'm grading from a textgame basis, and for a text game, it was VERY FUN to see all the different outcomes :D There should've been more, so I minused one.

Presentation: 10/10

Even the title screen with the Frozen Flame struck me. Its boldness, its ominous black, and its hopeful gem, peeking into the spotlight. You don't notice it the first time, but it's drenched in an emotion I still can't quite put my finger on.

The intro was great too, a nostalgic one. The ending was also nostalgic too, but a hopeful one, that seems to stare into the future. And GOD THE MUSIC!

Tilt: 3/0

Radical Dreamers is a bit like a free hand drawing of a simple bottle. You look at it, and it looks perfect, except for that liiittle unevenness on the sides...ooo, fix fix, but then, you notice other tiny spots! And you go :S It's something like that. It's so beautifully done, but there are too many holes, therefore it does not get the maximal tilt of 5, but it is enough for...

Story: 10/10
Characters: 9.5/10
Sound: 10/10
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Presentation: 10/10
Tilt: 3/0

Overall: 10/10. I have yet to see a text game be as powerful as this one. Scenario writer Masato Kato, I bow at your feet, even if you've left Square!

And a very, very special thanks to Demi! He and Adam(MO!) translated this entire several hundred page game, and they've done it so beautifully that if demi/Adam wrote a book, I'd get it preordered!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/05/04