Riviera: The Promised Land Game by Atlus/STiNG Reviewed by Philip "Pocket Squirrel" Wesley Size: 128 megabits Save: batteries (3 slots and a quick save.) Released: 2005 Works with: Game Boy Advance and up. Rated: T (Drug Use, Thematic Elements, Sexual Content, Language) Quick Opinion: OWN **************************************************************************** Opening Snide Remarks: The RPG (Role Playing Game) genre is a bit hard to review these days because a lot of RPGs tend to be very similar to each other in terms of gameplay. Most of the time, we just judge them on storyline and other production elements. However, there are times when truly unique RPGs make it to our desks. Games like Great Greed, Lil' Monsters, Mario Golf, and others that make us re-evaluate what the RPG genre can be. Riviera is certainly a unique addition to the RPG genre. How is it unique? Please read further into this review. **************************************************************************** Gameplay Description: There are really only two main gameplay elements to this game. Those would be MOVE & LOOK, and the standard RPG battle elements. Before I get in-depth on the battle system, I have to comment on the MOVE & LOOK system. The game takes place in a screen by screen basis and you are given a few options. Instead of moving your character directly on the screen, you select MOVE mode or LOOK mode and push Up, Down, Left, or Right to select a direction to move or object to look at. In a way, this reminds me of point and click games like Monkey Island, Broken Sword, The Incredible Journey, and others. You are given a certain amount of points to use in LOOK mode though, so you are only able to do certain events the first time through. In Move Mode, you do not use up those points. In a way, this is an RPG on rails, as you have limited exploration in it and no free movement like in other RPGs. However, this is easy to get used to and feels much better as you get deeper into the game. The amount of lookable items increases and there are small events that require you to follow a pattern, time a button press, press multiple buttons in a sequence, or other small challenges. These add a little bit more challenge to the game and are a welcome addition. The battle engine is full of item management as all items have a set number of uses before they break. There is also a limited amount of items that you are able to carry at one time. All characters can use all items, and how they use them changes between characters. There are five different characters and you can only use three of them at once in a battle. An interesting thing to note in this game is that you only level up by learning new moves. You learn new moves by using specific weapons/items a set amount of times. There is a practice mode where your weapons do not deplete in usage to help you level up. Inside a battle, each character has a "wait" bar that determines when they are able to attack. None of the enemies will attack you when it is your turn. When you take or inflict damage, a top "Overdrive" bar slowly fills up, like in a fighting game. When you level up weapons, you gain "Overdrive" attacks/spells that are controlled by the "Overdrive" bar. These are almost ridiculous in the amount of damage they do. Some enemies are also weak to certain types of elements and many of the weapons have elements assigned to them as well. This sounds more complex than it actually is. Oh, the game assigns you a letter grade that determines the TP you earn after a battle. None of the battles in the game are random. As an added bonus, the ending and other events in the game, are controlled by an affection meter. The main character, Ein, has four female companions traveling with him. Your choices and responses affect how they feel about you. So, choose your responses wisely. The game also tallies a score depending on how many turns it took you to finish a chapter, how many events you found and completed, and the affection ratings of your companions. The gameplay is entirely story and character driven. Thankfully, the characters are fun and interesting. The main character, Ein, is a "Grim Angel" sent to Riviera to activate the Retribution in an effort to prevent demons from invading and destroying . Of course, the simplicity of the plot must have already raised some red flags in the minds of many an RPG aficionado and they would be right. There is a lot more to it than that, Liked: Loads of things to do, multiple endings, creative take on the RPG genre. Hated: Feels a little like an RPG on rails at times. It is a bit difficult to describe how the game engine works in writing, but the first level tutorial explains everything perfectly fine. Although it explains it to the point of being irritating. **************************************************************************** Graphics Description: Since this is a port of an old Wonder Swan Color game, the backgrounds are a little mono-tone. They look good though. The attacks, enemies, character animation, and anime style cutscenes and close-ups are pretty well done. The Overdrive attacks are nicely over the top and flashy. The text is easy to read and the game does not look bad in the Game Boy Player. Some areas look a little bit drab in comparison to other isometric view RPGs like Tactics Ogre. Liked: It looks pretty good! Some of the anime cutscenes are pretty nice. The character designs are classy. Some of the areas -like the only town in the game- are very impressive. The whole look of that area is very lush and detailed. Hated: Some of the backgrounds are not as colorful or as detailed as we would want in an RPG. In fact, a lot of the backgrounds are simply different shades of one color. I thought we moved past that when the Game Boy Advance replaced the Game Boy Color? **************************************************************************** Sound/Music Description: Some excellent voice samples that are crisp, clear, and easily understandable. The music is also up to par with other RPG games. The music is appropriate for the situations that they appear in. A CD was available in Japan, but a lot of the music just does not seem to stick in my mind like the music in games like Great Greed or Breath of Fire. The voices are the highlight of this game and are among the better voicework on the Game Boy Advance. Liked: The voices are rather nice and the music fits the game well. Hated: There seems to be a lack of a cohesive THEME in the music. A lot of the best RPGs have a cohesive structure that underlines each character. For example: Melodies of Life in Final Fantasy 9 works its way into a lot of the other musical compositions in that game. In Final Fantasy 6, each of the characters themes were variations on a central overture. Also, there is no central theme for the MAIN characters themselves. While Hector, Hades, The Grim Angels, and Ursula get their own themes, Lina, Fia, Rose, Serene, Ein, and Cierra do not have individual themes. I feel that the lack of individual themes for each of the girls is a troubling thing to leave out. Especially, since it would help with the emotional impact of sequences in the game. **************************************************************************** Play Control/Game Design: A huge majority of this game is operated out of menus, much more than other RPGs, and that can be both a good thing and a bad thing. This is really an RPG that you can pick up and play at anytime and it suits the portable market perfectly. The game is very story and event driven, and this makes it somewhat tedious when you replay it. You will have to replay it if you intend to get everything in the game. Despite, that, you will discover lots of interesting new things your second time through that you may have missed the first time. This title definitely has some legs on it. The game is divided into self contained chapters and areas. It also gives you an over all score for how quickly you beat an area and how well you did in that area. This adds a lot to the replay value, even if you will wish you could skip the extremely in-depth tutorial in the first level. Just hold down the L button through most of that and you will be fine. The story is the thing in this game and the story is pretty epic, but also pretty typical of the RPG genre. It feels like bits and pieces of other RPGs were sewn together to make this game. I found myself comparing the characters to the cast of Love Hina. You have Ein, our hero, playing the part of Keitaru. Fia is Shinobu, Serene is Motoko, Cierra is Mitsumi, Lina (Inverse! he he) is Suu, and Rose is a bit like that horrible flying cat that Kanako keeps around, but with a lot better lines. Actually, Rose would be one of the best written characters as I found all her lines to rather good. She reminds me a bit of Nall from Lunar, except better. Character comparisons aside, the bulk of the storyline is about preventing a prophecy from coming true and engulfing the entire world in an age of demon controlled darkness. Or is it? The plot changes to some reasonably drastic degrees as it progresses. There will be no spoilers here, so you are better off just playing the game. Some of the plot twists are fairly obvious to people who play a lot of RPGs. I thoroughly enjoyed the story in this game though, and I think a majority of the people reading this review can say the same thing. The game has a lot of memorable moments to it, mostly in the way of how the game is worded. "Sweet! Free Bread." I really enjoy cleverly written scripts and this one has a fairly good one. Since the game is mostly story and menu selections, it HAS to have a good script. The little random challenges that pop up remind me of Shen Mue or Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga. Those are well implemented into the game and -unlike those other games- Ein does not want to meet any sailors. Some of the challenges influence the path you take through the levels. This adds a nice dimension of urgency to these events. Liked: Good, if only slightly stereotypical, story driven gameplay with lots of replay value. The "affection" aspect of the game is also coupled with a few sequences in which Ein finds himself in awkward moments with the female cast. It is safe to say that fans of "harem" anime like Love Hina, Tenchi Muyo, Maburaho, and Ai Yori Aoshi will be right at home. Heh. Ein's a perv. The translation has a quirky sense of humor to it as well. Couple it with memorable, light-hearted scenes and you have a real winner. The game is designed to appeal to the same crowd that dress up as characters at Anime Conventions. We even have the obligatory character that refers to herself in third person. I know people who do that in real life and I still have not decided if I think that is cute, or creepy. Hated: The first stage gets more and more tedious the more you play through it. The limited amount of items you can hold adds to both strategy and frustration. Some elements of the story may be offensive to the overly sensitive. I was a little sad that Ein did not get the tar beaten out of him by the female cast more often. Heh. Ein's a perv. **************************************************************************** Improve: The ability to hold more items would be greatly appreciated. RIYL: Point & Click Adventures, RPGs with strategic micro management, and storylines like the ones in the "Tales Of" Series, Grandia, or Lunar. **************************************************************************** Final Words: The Game Boy Advance has a lot of good RPGs and many of them, like Riviera, are extremely unique. This said, the game may be difficult to find. Once you do see it: BUY IT. You will like it. There is a lot to love in Riviera: The Promised Land. The game is not perfect by any means, but it is a well translated, innovative, and extremely agreeable way to spend 40+ hours of your gameplaying life. **************************************************************************** Score Gameplay: ****1/2 Graphics: **** Sound/Music: **** Play Control/Game Design: ***** Personal Opinion: ***** Total: 22 1/2 out of 25 Final Score: 90% **************************************************************************** Currently Known Codes: Keep on the look out for a bottle in one of the later stages. The all important sound test is hidden inside of it. You better snag it as soon as you see it!