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Review: a rare game of pure divinity
Behold the holy trinity - platforming, simluation, and counseling?
Behold the holy trinity - platforming, simluation, and counseling?
Play ActRaiser Online
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a rare game of pure divinity
Game's Ratings
Overall
Graphics
Sound
Addictiveness
Depth
Story
Difficulty
Average User Score
8.9
8.2
9.2
8.4
6.8
6.3
6.2
07-06-14 05:48 PM
endings is Offline
| ID: 1046287 | 892 Words
endings is Offline
| ID: 1046287 | 892 Words
endings
Level: 58
POSTS: 14/829
POST EXP: 193341
LVL EXP: 1511635
CP: 19865.5
VIZ: 1245887
POSTS: 14/829
POST EXP: 193341
LVL EXP: 1511635
CP: 19865.5
VIZ: 1245887
Likes: 0 Dislikes: 0
This is a game you do not want to play with the sound muted. The opening orchestra gives you a prelude that you are in for an epic adventure.And what an adventure! You are a deposed deity, god dethronedby a rival collective of evil demons. Its time for you to reclaim your followers, and save the world from darkness. While it sounds preachy, its really not. You don't have to convert anyone, and other than kicking evil butt and listening to the simple townspeople's needs, you are just a powerful ruler of the world, who happens to have power over natural elements, making lightning storms, drying swamps with intense sunlight... and making statues walk, that sort of thing. Actraiser is two game styles in one. Each country you visit has an opening and closing action sequence, where your spirit possesses a conveniently placed statue of a warrior, who with a powerful sword, slashes and sometimes uses magic to blast through a small group of platforming stages. Each stage is unique in design, and features its own music and enemies. At the end of each action stage will be a boss, and upon beating it, you go to the second part of the game -- which is totally different. The second game is more simulation type, though there is some light combat. If one is familiar with the game, its like Populous. You direct your chubby cherub sidekick, who can use a row of menus to direct the townspeople how to reclaim the land. There are many things the God you play, called Master, does for them. Bringing rain, earthquakes, telling them which direction to build their cities and make roads on, you do a lot. And while you're playing this little sim-lite situation, some flying monsters come by and cause trouble. They range from stealing peasants to burning the houses down outright. You direct your people to build towards the monster lairs and there they will close them, so no more monster will appear out of that one. Sometimes a river or something blocks access, and you have to wait till your people come up with a solution before you can press on. Once all monster lairs are done, you usually get word from the people that the big boss stage is ready. The game goes back into the side-scroller action scene. Beat that and that particular country can be free of evil once more. Repeat for each of the six kingdoms, each in a different climate or region. The six combat stages are great, and each sub-boss and main boss are different and use different attacks. Your sword is fairly strong, able to kill most enemies in a single hit. You also can learn magic spells from the simulation stage, which you use here in the platforming. From shooting flames to raining comets on your foes, they are often like a special move to clear the screen or add breathing room. Your hero, though wrought from a statue, still gets hurt by touching enemies, spikes and a few instant death pits. None of the stage enemies will hinder you much, but each boss requires many hits as they have a ton of life. Fortunately there are breakable orb-like containers in the stages that might hold apples, which heal our hero in full or mid-way. All while you are liberating villages and traveling in your floating sky palace to another one, the sound. The dynamic arrangement for stages like Fillmore and Bloodpool, its so good. The Mode 7 graphics were super awesome for its time, seen when you While the main enemy, Tanzra, is almost a nonentity until the end of the game, I would still say this game has a good story. After all, every stage you play your role to pacify the main area in combat, begin to rebuild peacefully, and then finish the whole stage by one last glorious battle against a unique boss. The people you talk to address you as a deity, and the miracles you perform for them tie in with that. Nothing you do seems out of place, you even take offerings from your subjects if they find something for you. You can also use your powers in the sim game for hidden rewards, which your devout willingly give you. And in some stages where needed, kind God that you are, the Master gives an item to the village that needs help. There is not much in the way of depth, but the few secret items are a plus. Actraiser is a fantastic game from Enix, while some may be put off by the slower pace sim aspect, and some who like sim games might be put off by the required action - its not jarring for me and works well enough. I actually prefer Actraiser 1 over its sequel, which was all action stages and even less story. This is a game that deserves a loving, modern remake. And anyone who loves video game music should definitely give this soundtrack a listen. Actraiser is two game styles in one. Each country you visit has an opening and closing action sequence, where your spirit possesses a conveniently placed statue of a warrior, who with a powerful sword, slashes and sometimes uses magic to blast through a small group of platforming stages. Each stage is unique in design, and features its own music and enemies. At the end of each action stage will be a boss, and upon beating it, you go to the second part of the game -- which is totally different. The second game is more simulation type, though there is some light combat. If one is familiar with the game, its like Populous. You direct your chubby cherub sidekick, who can use a row of menus to direct the townspeople how to reclaim the land. There are many things the God you play, called Master, does for them. Bringing rain, earthquakes, telling them which direction to build their cities and make roads on, you do a lot. And while you're playing this little sim-lite situation, some flying monsters come by and cause trouble. They range from stealing peasants to burning the houses down outright. You direct your people to build towards the monster lairs and there they will close them, so no more monster will appear out of that one. Sometimes a river or something blocks access, and you have to wait till your people come up with a solution before you can press on. Once all monster lairs are done, you usually get word from the people that the big boss stage is ready. The game goes back into the side-scroller action scene. Beat that and that particular country can be free of evil once more. Repeat for each of the six kingdoms, each in a different climate or region. The six combat stages are great, and each sub-boss and main boss are different and use different attacks. Your sword is fairly strong, able to kill most enemies in a single hit. You also can learn magic spells from the simulation stage, which you use here in the platforming. From shooting flames to raining comets on your foes, they are often like a special move to clear the screen or add breathing room. Your hero, though wrought from a statue, still gets hurt by touching enemies, spikes and a few instant death pits. None of the stage enemies will hinder you much, but each boss requires many hits as they have a ton of life. Fortunately there are breakable orb-like containers in the stages that might hold apples, which heal our hero in full or mid-way. All while you are liberating villages and traveling in your floating sky palace to another one, the sound. The dynamic arrangement for stages like Fillmore and Bloodpool, its so good. The Mode 7 graphics were super awesome for its time, seen when you While the main enemy, Tanzra, is almost a nonentity until the end of the game, I would still say this game has a good story. After all, every stage you play your role to pacify the main area in combat, begin to rebuild peacefully, and then finish the whole stage by one last glorious battle against a unique boss. The people you talk to address you as a deity, and the miracles you perform for them tie in with that. Nothing you do seems out of place, you even take offerings from your subjects if they find something for you. You can also use your powers in the sim game for hidden rewards, which your devout willingly give you. And in some stages where needed, kind God that you are, the Master gives an item to the village that needs help. There is not much in the way of depth, but the few secret items are a plus. Actraiser is a fantastic game from Enix, while some may be put off by the slower pace sim aspect, and some who like sim games might be put off by the required action - its not jarring for me and works well enough. I actually prefer Actraiser 1 over its sequel, which was all action stages and even less story. This is a game that deserves a loving, modern remake. And anyone who loves video game music should definitely give this soundtrack a listen. |
Trusted Member
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 04-30-13
Last Post: 24 days
Last Active: 17 days
| A reviewer prone to flashbacks |
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 04-30-13
Last Post: 24 days
Last Active: 17 days
(edited by endings on 07-06-14 05:53 PM)
07-06-14 06:41 PM
SacredShadow is Offline
| ID: 1046309 | 101 Words
SacredShadow is Offline
| ID: 1046309 | 101 Words
SacredShadow
Razor-987
Razor-987
Level: 152
POSTS: 5606/7753
POST EXP: 960743
LVL EXP: 43800972
CP: 34604.9
VIZ: 985840
POSTS: 5606/7753
POST EXP: 960743
LVL EXP: 43800972
CP: 34604.9
VIZ: 985840
Likes: 0 Dislikes: 0
Nice job on this review, I must say that it came out quite detailed and it also looks professional as well. I like your setup for the review and the way you broke it down and explained the game in depth from there. Organization wise, your review is nice and neat and also easy to read because of the spacing and large font. Overall I think this is a fantastic review and you explained everything very well, you have grasped the right idea when it comes to reviewing, and that is the key. Keep up the great work and keep writing! Overall I think this is a fantastic review and you explained everything very well, you have grasped the right idea when it comes to reviewing, and that is the key. Keep up the great work and keep writing! |
Vizzed Elite
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 01-14-13
Last Post: 401 days
Last Active: 368 days
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 01-14-13
Last Post: 401 days
Last Active: 368 days
07-06-14 07:03 PM
saldek is Offline
| ID: 1046320 | 98 Words
| ID: 1046320 | 98 Words
saldek
Level: 54
POSTS: 544/648
POST EXP: 41633
LVL EXP: 1191772
CP: 1328.6
VIZ: 402434
POSTS: 544/648
POST EXP: 41633
LVL EXP: 1191772
CP: 1328.6
VIZ: 402434
Likes: 0 Dislikes: 0
After all you're reviews now, I think you're qualified to become a game reviewer......to me at least. (I mean really....everything he said was very, very accurate) Anyway, I have played this game from and must say that it is one game any action/adventure fan would not want to miss it (and the awesome musics!!!). Enix really did a fine job in this game, although I kinda wished that would have made the second game, the "Simulation" type more entertaining. And I have to agree about this game being better than its sequel, it was kinda disappointing to me. Anyway, I have played this game from and must say that it is one game any action/adventure fan would not want to miss it (and the awesome musics!!!). Enix really did a fine job in this game, although I kinda wished that would have made the second game, the "Simulation" type more entertaining. And I have to agree about this game being better than its sequel, it was kinda disappointing to me. |
Member
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 01-07-10
Last Post: 2945 days
Last Active: 2718 days
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 01-07-10
Last Post: 2945 days
Last Active: 2718 days
