Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy

"Warning: Game Induces Vomiting in Fullmetal Fans!"

It's painfully truthful that within the first five minutes of this game I became rather nauseous. As a fan of the Fullmetal Alchemist series, I put up with the craptacularness of Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel, but not even I can sit through a lame re-telling of an amazing story captured in manga and anime form. The game not only falls flat on it's face, it mucks itself up so badly that it's own mother wouldn't recognize it.

When you first pop in the game, any gamer would see that the menus are plain and poorly done. Even a Fullmetal Alchemist fan would find disgust in it, and that's saying something, as the ability to change menu characters would be a great addition in a better game. By the time you start the game, you'll know you're in for a ride straight to gaming doom. Choppy, ugly spliced-together cut-scenes make hackmeat of what was once a compelling adventure.

The in-game graphics, for a DS game, are pitiful. Perhaps on the Gameboy Advance these graphics would have looked clean. A 2D game on a 3D console can only be rectified by an amazing battle system and story like seen in most Altus and Nipponichi games, however, with nothing redeeming about the story or the battle system, which has you stumbling through enemies hitting two buttons, there will be little to no joy while playing this game.

A surprising upgrade from it's Playstation 2 counterparts uses the touch screen to untie knots, draw transmutation circles (astoundingly easy compared to the circles required of you to draw in last years' Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow) and use your alchemical skills like building a wall in order to climb over spikes conjured onto the floor. While not exactly innovative, these things give the game the touch it's 3D counterparts couldn't carry. Yet, even with these improvements, Fullmetal Alchemist Dual Sympathy is a waste of time and money. I would say effort, but the battle system and enemy difficulty is so watered-down, you'll feel like you're playing a turn-based RPG. I kid you not.

In a day of Final Fantasy III and Phoenix Wright on the DS, Dual Sympathy falls short where most franchised games do: everywhere. Except this time, it's absolutely unbearable, an extremely brutal case of caveat emptor. If you've already purchased this game, by all means, please join me in prayer for our mortal souls; you might feel better if you do.

Graphics: 6/10 (The DS can pull off more than this, but they're good for what they are.)
Story: 1/10 (A rehash wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so minced.)
Sound: 6/10 (Forgettable music, but hey, voice actors? Counts for something.)
Gameplay: 3/10 (Buttonmashing sidescroller, and there's nothing good about it. Save for a few redeeming spots every few levels, you'll be more bored than an Amish Techie.)
Overall: 3/10 (Practically unplayable. Not recommended even to the strongest of Fullmetal fans.)

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 01/02/07