Light Crusader INFO BOX SYSTEMS Genesis (Megadrive) RELEASE DATES NA - 05/25/95 Japan - 05/26/95 PUBLISHER Sega Umm, what happened here? Treasure, what happened? Actually, this isn't really that bad. It's an action RPG from a 3/4 view of the action. It's kind of like Equinox, or other older games that I can't remember the names of, and newer ones such as Diablo. You run around slashing enemies, and solving puzzles the whole time. Treasure was definitely trying something different for them, but I'm not quite sure it was a good idea. You start off in a town, and get a little info about what is happening to the people. Nothing terribly interesting going on around here, and talking to the town's people offers little more. You'll end up wandering around the town for a while until you solve your first puzzle and head down into the dungeon, the only one in the game by the way. This is where all the action takes place as you fight your way to the bottom while solving rather annoying puzzles. The thing about this game is that it's just not very fun to play. You spend most of your time solving puzzles that are just annoying, and are often harder then they should be because of the camera angle, and the controls for the game. When you aren't solving puzzles, you'll be fighting off enemies, but that's no better then solving puzzles. To fight, you just move next to an enemy and keep slashing him. It's dull. Graphics Hmm, the graphics are said to be very good by others, but I'm just not seeing it here. The main character is ugly with his blue clothes and armor, and everyone else is very generic. Enemies don't come in too many different forms, and are also rather dull to look at. Even the backgrounds don't offer anything too exciting, although they are the best graphics in the game. Even if the backgrounds are the best, it's the same walls almost all the time, and it begins to get boring to look at. Sound There are only a few actual good songs within this game. Most of the songs just kind of play in the background without you even noticing that they're there. Other songs are just bad. The few key songs that I enjoyed actually had me humming along with them, but there simply weren't enough of them to give the game an even decent soundtrack. The amount of songs is even limited, as their attempt at being moody failed horribly, kind of like in the Zelda series with their dungeon music. Sound effects were, well about as generic as everything else in this game. Nothing in stands out. Your sword goes swish, you go ugh, enemies go boom, or plop or something, and stuff makes noise. Very dull, and there's very few effects as well. Gameplay This is just not very fun to play. You have to get to the bottom of the dungeon and face off with the final boss, just like in Diablo. Unlike Diablo, you solve puzzles along the way, and get into fights that are even less engaging then in Diablo. How is it possible to have fights even less fun then Diablo you say, well, I'm not quite sure, but fighting in this game is just a chore, and boss fights aren't up to the usual Treasure standard. I don't know why Treasure decided to make this game because it doesn't have the opportunity to include all of the great things that Treasure is known for such as crazy nonstop action, and amazing boss fights. As for amazing action, this game is incredibly slow paced with puzzles all over the place that are more annoying then interesting. Many times you come into a room and simply have to push a few block around onto switches to open up doors. Other times you'll be pushing balls around that don't stop till they hit something, and barrels that explode after a certain time, well they're just in the way. Other puzzles aren't so hard to solve because they are well thought out, but because the controls for this game are pretty bad. Playing from the perspective makes pushing things around harder then it should be, and judging where things are below you is very difficult. I often found myself doing puzzles multiple time just because I pushed a box at the wrong time, and it missed it's intended landing spot. It's very aggravating. Overall There is only one Treasure game I loathe more then this, and that's their McDonald's game. Nothing is less fun then solving generic puzzles over and over again, and fighting battles that are so plain, and uninvolved that it hurts. I'm very sad that Treasure made this game, but everyone makes mistakes, now lets just hope it never happens again.