Post by Bytor on Nov 16, 2009 15:37:26 GMT -5
-Visuals- 7.5/10
A true case of what it is and not what it isn't. I'm going to be honest, if you are expecting great graphics then look away, because by no stretch of the imagination are the graphics good. However, if you are old school and love the look and feel of 8 bit and/or 16 bit Japanese Manga characters then you will absolutely love it! I did think the characters in the cut scenes (although 2D) were extremely well made and combined with their personalities tons of fun. Now, here's the big problem, and I'm going to include this in visuals even though in a sense it could be labeled gameplay, the camera angles are horrific, the terrain in battles is 3D represented and often your view will be blocked and/or you'll find it impossible to actually zoom in on the area you need to see, EXTREMELY frustrating! So, as I stated, it's one of two views, strictly old school graphics warrant a higher score, but the bulky interface brings it down a lot.
-Sound- 8.5/10
The voice acting is awesome, and I mean awesome, I simply loved Flonne, Laharl and especially Etna and Mid Boss, awesome fun and so over the top it's simply great to listen to them go back and forth. The music can be a bit repetitious but over all it not only fits well but often adds to the general feel/
-Gameplay- 9/10
OK...now get ready for one of the most complex, convoluted strategy RPG's to ever be created! At it's heart the game is a relatively simple strategic RPG, but with a few twists. The game is essentially divided into three parts which interconnect, although to be honest you could, given time and fortitude, finish the game by simply doing one aspect. The three parts are the main story/combat, the assembly and the item world. Here's how it works, you, Laharl, are attempting to become Overlord and then consolidate your position (there is another storyline going throughout but I refuse to tell you, because it's simply so much fun to let it unfold as the game advances!). You do this through combat which for the most part is pretty typical turn based strategic RPG gaming, however, the customization of your characters and weapons.items is where the game really shines! The Assembly will allow you to summon "senators" who will do everything from allow you to create new characters, somewhere around 120 different types believe it or not, buy items cheaper, buy more expensive items, raise your own level etc, you do this by convincing them to allow you to do these things, either through bribery or simply battling them (of course if you defeat them they reappear next time with even more animosity toward you, lol! The item world allows you to customize your weapons and items, the way it works is pretty simple, you can "enter" an item and then fight your way through ten levels to raise the items attributes, it's also a great way to raise your own level, which by the way will go all the way to level 10,000, simply crazy! Over all there are 13 main chapters to the story, each with it's own environment. enemies and terrain, and each chapter has it's own quirky storyline and main goal, hours and hours of fun. Oh, and I didn't really mention everything to be honest, transmigration, Geo symbols, different attributes for each class of character and endless customization.
-Story- 8.8/10
You are the prince of the netherworld and you awaken after a 2 year nap to discover your father has died...you decide to make yourself overlord and....wink wink, not gonna tell ya the rest, it's too much fun to discover on your own
-Overall- 9.1/10
OK I admit, this game is NOT for everyone, and while most gamers would have some fun with it I'd say it's more for the serious RPG'er. The shear amount of stuff to do is simply mind boggling and the time to spend to do it as well. Don't expect (unless you spend at least 150 hours or so I'd imagine) to get anywhere near finishing everything, and even simply following the main story will probably take you 90 hours or so at least (unless you're much faster and better than me, lol!