Faithless
Wendy's Hole
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Location: World 1-1
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 Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:38 pm |
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| Heather Campbell in Play Magazine wrote: |
When reviewing Rogue Galaxy, I came up against a very specific frustration. After hours and hours of playing through the latest Japanese RPG by Dragon Quest development gurus Level 5, it was easy to be swept away by the production values of the game. It’s clearly well-made, with an expansive, diverse world, extraordinary graphics, typically beautiful character design, a sweet battle system, charming music, and an unbelievable localization. Even at a close distance, the game seems destined for high marks.
But somewhere around the mid-point of the title, I found myself under the cloud of an unusual boredom. This game, with canyons of depth and play options – this game, which allows you to (gasp!) control battles during fights with monsters in the over world – this game which goes so far out of its way to impress you … was just not enticing anymore. I put the controller down, I paced; I went out for coffee and considered what it was about Rogue that was upsetting me so.
When I sat down again with my PS2, dropped in the disc and began again, I realized what was off-kilter about the RPG. Rogue Galaxy is slow. Not in a plot way – but by way of execution. There are plenty of reasons to Ferrari from set-piece to set-piece, but the game doesn’t let you get from point A to point B without significant lethargy. Every piece of dialogue is an island, every sentence (well-acted though it may be) is met with a few seconds of silence before another character responds. Every door-way takes a little too long to open, every menu drags like cloth under water. This isn’t loading time, at least not directly. There’s no icon that pops up in the corner and announces, “Accessing.” Instead, it’s like Level 5 thinned out the loading times, and spread them over the entire game. This is especially clear when you compare it to a game like Final Fantasy XII, which gallops along so quickly that even 100 hours of gameplay feel breakneck.
Once I came to terms with this pace, however, the game’s other strengths were less obfuscated. The unmistakable refinement of Rogue Galaxy makes it a worthy addition to any RPG library. The story is recognizable jRPG faire, sure. And the supporting characters and side quests are nothing new or groundbreaking. But sometimes a game doesn’t have to smash expectations to be good. A game can be solid, like RPG furniture. You rely on it to provide you with a good time, but it doesn’t blow your mind or reorient your outlook on life. And if you can enjoy an unhurried voyage through the galaxy, or are a fan of Level 5’s other extraordinary projects (Dragon Quest VIII, Dark Cloud), then Rogue has plenty to offer. Just don’t expect the quick-paced combat of, say, Kingdom Hearts II, or the open-ended grandeur of Oblivion. This is a fast-paced Journey of the Cursed King; it’s an action-RPG for those with few hard-core combo skills.
The story of Rogue Galaxy is the story of Jaster Rogue, a bounty hunter on the desert planet Rosa. Rosa has been commandeered by the Longadia Commonwealth, so he harbors little remaining love for his former home. After a few chance moments of mistaken identity, he is whisked away by Space Pirates to find the intergalactic source of eternal life. He’ll need to stop Walkog Drazer, president of the Dytron Corporation, before this would-be ruler of space itself ends up with the coveted fountain of youth, and enslaves the galaxy.
Rogue Galaxy features a mash-up of many familiar RPG elements in its gameplay, all streamlined to speed up the pace of the Japanese original. Weapons synthesis plays a big part in the game (a tradition of Level-5) as does item synthesis. New moves for combat are unlocked via a would-be Sphere Grid called the Revelation Flow. Combat is real-time, with character switching possible mid action. There’s a Pokemon-style mini-game, Insectron, which gives players a chance to rest from the main quest, or play PVP style using a new password feature, which isn’t an online commitment, but rather for players at the same PS2.
In fact, the laundry list of available options for Rogue is staggering. What’s more, publishing of the game in the states was held back until Level-5 could tweak the gameplay, which shows the level of affection they held for the title. The team even added an entirely new planet, outside of the main quest. The localization is intense; it’s almost as if there’s a full new version of the game available for fans in the west.
My only gripes about the whole game are the plot and pace. In terms of gameplay, puzzles, graphics, music, options, and sheer combat control, Rogue Galaxy has a lot to offer. It’s Level-5, after all, and every game they’ve released has been a success. It’s a shame, then that the game feels plodding. With sped-up cutscenes, or a more unique story, Rogue wouldn’t have just been exceptionally built. It would have been maddeningly addictive. |
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