PixlBit

Another great RPG from Quintet and Enix 

The developer Quintet put out a lot of great games on the SNES. You might remember their first game on the console, the beloved Act Raiser. Well, most of their games on the system were RPGs, and one of those was Illusion of Gaia. Released in 1994, the game is an action RPG that also borrows heavily from Zelda. It has a great story, excellent level design, and an endearing cast of characters that go on an adventure together. 

The story is quite bizarre, yet intriguing. The game takes place in a fantasy world. A boy named Will lost both of his parents, and now lives with his grandparents. His father mysteriously vanished at a strange place called the Tower of Babel. Will travels the world acquiring mystic statues in order to find his father, and the game uses this to keep the story moving along. Is his father alive? Who is the mysterious voice that keeps speaking to Will? You won't know the answer until the very end of the game, which gives incentive to keep going. 

The story seems cliche at first. Will runs into a spoiled princess who wants to run away from home, he discovers the world is an evil place, etc. We've seen it all before. However, the game has wonderful character moments, such as when Will and Kara (the princess) are stranded out on sea, and must survive and keep their sanity. The game also has some dark moments: you find a village that enforces slavery; another town gambles with life and death just for the fun of it; and one scene was especially surprising when a character is burned to death right in front of Will and Kara! The story really focuses on life and death. By the end of the journey, you've grown along with the characters, most of which have clear character arcs. The ending is wonderful, and there's even a post-credits scene. 

The gameplay here is very strong. Will attacks with his flute (an instrument that doubles as a weapon, great!). But what's cool is that Will can transform into the dark knight Freedan, who is much stronger, and uses a sword. As you progress through the game, both Will and Freedan will gain new abilities which they must use to defeat enemies or access new areas. Later in the game, Will can transform into a second character, Shadow, who is a strange figure from another dimension. Playing as the different protagonists keeps the game from becoming monotonous. 

Level design is excellent. The game will throw at you very good puzzles, and each area feels unique and offers different challenges. One place has you jumping back and forth between the top of the level to the underside. What you do on the bottom affects something on the top. Sometimes you will have to defeat all the enemies in a room in order to open a new path. At other times you will need a key or a certain item in order to move forward. Should you die, the game generously starts you at a checkpoint. Unfortunately, you will have to fight all the enemies that you previously killed, which can be a chore. The enemies are great and varied, but some of them can be annoying. The bosses are very good too. They're usually large and detailed, but the problem is, most of the bosses are very tough. This wouldn't be such a problem if the bosses did not do so much damage with just one hit. I found myself fighting the same boss over and over. 

The game is quite linear, which will be disappointing for some. You will constantly be moving from one town to the next, then to a dungeon, and on to a new area. Very rarely will you revisit a location. For completionists, the game has red jewels to collect, which you can exchange to the traveling jeweler in any town. By collecting a certain amount of red jewels, you will become stronger in certain areas. But these are optional. You don't gain levels here; instead, by defeating enemies, your strength, defense, and HP will be increased one at a time. This gives you incentive to kill as many enemies as possible, as you never know which ones are required to defeat in order to become stronger. 

Finally, the sounds and music are very good. The soundtrack is orchestral throughout, with beautiful town themes, haunting themes for many of the dungeons, and exciting music for boss encounters. I found myself singing along with some of the tunes, which is always a good thing. The overall presentation is very good, and the graphics are often detailed and large. While the game pulls ideas from many other franchises, it manages to feel wholly unique. 

Final Verdict: 4 Stars--Recommended 

This game should not be missed. Once you get into the story, you will be intrigued, and you will want to see the game to the end. I am so glad I finished this one! It's not a hard game, although some of the bosses can be tough, but the ending is worth it. The strong gameplay, the endearing characters, and the charming story all add up to a great package. The game also strikes a good balance between kid-friendly and dark realism. It's impressive.