"Not a bad game, not a great game, just a short little romp through the world of FMA"

Let's face it. Things that try to do more than one form of media don't usually work that well. Generally, the original will be awesome, and all the adaptations will be terrible. Movies that turn into games are usually very bad games. Games that turn into movies rarely have good results. Anime games can be some of the worst offenders of this trend. Broken Gameplay is rampant. There have been exceptions, but the common case is that of badness. So if I hadn't found Full Metal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy in the bargain bin at Circuit City, I wouldn't have messed with it. But I did. So here we go.

Equivalent Exchange

Dual Sympathy is an old school beat'em'up in the vein of the classic arcade games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and X-Men. You control Edward Elric in his quest for the philosopher's stone. The storyline from the anime remains almost completely intact. The game starts in what is essentially the first episode, and it takes you all the way through to the end of the anime series. So you get your closure (I'll leave out the comments about my feelings regarding the anime ending).

Gameplay starts out pretty well. Ed is assisted by Al, though he isn't playable in most instances. Control is solid and expected from the genre. Stage progression is strictly left and right, but you can move up and down the field as you please. Ed can jump and attack, as expected, but he also has a bit of alchemy at his disposal. Ed starts with two alchemic formulas, wall and cannon. Wall is always there and is generally used more as a tool for Ed's puzzle solving than for combat. The cannon, however, can be traded out for one of several other formulas, like a different cannon, Fire or a Stone spike, all based on the alchemy of another character in the series. All of these won't be accessible from stage one, of course, they are given to you over the course of the game. As you progress and beat up enemies, you'll be able to collect little seals that will allow you to cast higher levels of the alchemy by holding down on the symbol for longer (all alchemy is controlled through the touch screen).

The game's progression is simple. Move to the end of the stage and beat up anything and everything that gets in your way. Several alchemy mini-games and spread throughout to help break things up. Some involve drawing symbols, while others involve simply running from traps. Now, those of you who have seen the anime may be wondering about something at this point. Beat'em'ups require you to punch your way through waves of enemies constantly. But FMA didn't really have that very often. Well, if you're thinking that, you're right, and this really gets in the way of Dual Sympathy. As I said, it starts out well. Running through Liore beating up the cultists makes sense, and then beating up the hijackers on the train is also satisfying. These stages even end with an appropriate boss battle. But after that point, things start to fall apart. There just aren't enough grunts to really satisfy the requirements for a beat'em'up. At this point, the stages become haphazard. Some contain no enemies at all, just maneuvering around traps and such. Other stages are ONLY boss battles. It's important to note that none of these stages are really bad, it's just that, well, it's a little disappointing.

The game's also very very short. It follows the path of the anime pretty much to the T. Scenes that can't be a stage are simply talked about (though some minor points are skipped over completely). This means that there's just not much content here. Replay value is scarce as well, as while there are unlockables, there's only the same few stages to be played through. You can try for a high score in the various mini-games, but in the end, this is really only going to be a distraction for a couple of hours.

Summary

Pros
++ Solid, Fun Gameplay
++ Good integration of Alchemy into the game
+ Follows the story well
+ Fun Mini-Games

Cons
--- WAY too short
--- Too Easy
--- Gameplay is still pretty simple

If you've seen Full Metal Alchemist and are a fan, then this game will provide you with some enjoyment. It's definitely not a bad game. The makers have put some work and serious thought into this game. They really worked to make a game for more purist fans of the show. And they succeeded. Little to nothing is changed, the story follows all the major points of the show, and there's some solid gameplay backing it up. But it's just too short. You can breeze through the main game quite quickly, and there's really little to do after that point. If you see it lying on the ground or something, then pick it up and play. Or put it on your gamefly queue. But I wouldn't spend much money on this one.


6/10

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 05/27/08

Game Release: Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy (US, 12/12/06)