Duration: 7:54

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Original Air Date: September 28th, 2009

This series of game samples continues right after the introduction. In our usual style, when it comes to games that are either long, long-winded, or slow-paced, we tend to either make multiple gameplay samples or condense numerous events into eleven minutes with transitions. Anyhoo, the videos will go from the intro through the first major event in the game (accidentally using the amulet and awakening Yuura/ユウラ).

The anime stills are decent, but this game is faaaar from pretty, so we brought up something about the gameplay during the introduction. What is this game about? Well... it's a dungeon-crawling ARPG game that can't decide whether it's a Rogue-like or a straight-up action game with RPG elements, but it feels kinda sloppy considering that it wants to do a lot. Considering that the original game was on Japanese PCs, this game has some of that PC aesthetic transfered over to the cast, but it makes things more cumbersome. Let me talk about some o' dat.

The game incorporates different shortcut commands and the like to access items in the heat of battle, but you have to clumsily toggle through with the analog to do so, as the pad is used for navigation. The dungeons generally aren't randomized and the fighting is pretty straightforward, but you'll lose all your items if you die like in several RRPGs. The game provides a lot of micro-management more akin to a PC game than your typical console RPG. You have a lot of freedom in determining how your character will grow and can increase his attributes with gems, upgrading his equipment at shops, and enhancing his skills with an impressive item list (800 items to be precise). As such, you can expect to find a lot of treasure in the game.

Actually, that's another problem; You find too much treasure. Sure, in games of this kind, leaving items behind is inevitable, but when you have to make room every few seconds for a healing potion or wade through menus that freeze a little with every move you make just to dump stuff (although you can shortcut dump with the L trigger and the analog can select the stuff you don't want), it becomes a bit of a pain. I just find myself eating every piece of food I find and using up my potions on moderate injuries because I'm expecting to get it back a minute later.

Let me get back to loading... this game has too much loading for what it is. Besides the game pausing just to change items in your inventory, every room you enter gives you these ridiculous load times on top of the games already slow pace. Most RPGs usually have very short load times when entering minor buildings or almost none at all. Even worse, there's slowdown in random spots in the town and dungeons... this game should not have ANY slowdown period IMHO.

Still, this game is a bit interesting. I might examine it further in the future... oh yeah! One more thing: This game has an unusual save system. You can't even play this game unless you have a VMU and the VMU has to have free space on it. The game initializes a file to the VMU that offers three save slots. The game auto-saves, so when you die and the like, you're screwed. Games like Azure Dreams did something similar, but it wasn't as intricate as it is here (if you were about to die in AD, I believe you could just reset your game before losing your stuff). I know I'm forgetting something... anyway, enjoy.

Notes about this video: Hyde enters the sanctum and discovers the mysterious Yuura who possesses two forms; One is of an enigmatic, omnipotent being with unknown origins, and the other is that of a normal girl. Hyde doesn't know what to think of the situation, but he thinks that the amulet given to him by the dying man in the cave holds the answer. Yuura gradually loses strength until she becomes unconscious. Hyde takes her to the hospital afterwards.