Legend of Legaia Review by: huygeb - 10/10
My Intro to RPG GamingLegend of Legaia was my first introduction to turn-based RPG's, and am I glad for that!
Created by Contrail in 1998 (makers of Wild Arms 2 and 3), it might have received the attention it deserved if not for its Square soft counterpart, Final Fantasy VII. It has a fairly unique battle style (that I know of) and, while it does follow a formula to an extent, it has left me wanting more from the first play. Naturally, since Final Fantasy is the most renowned of the genre for the system, there will be plenty of those comparisons.
Graphics: 9
While its polygons may look like Legos by today's standards, I daresay it easily rivals or even beats those of the Final Fantasy games for PSX. The camera shifts from a wide field-view, to a closer town detail, with battle cameras getting up close and personal. These three different cameras and designs give the player just the right amount of picture to see the whole world, or to watch as each Fire Blow sinks into your foe's gut. As for summons, no two act or look the same. Even though there are four of each element, no two are really even comparable. Not only that, but the only "glitch" you will find here (even on emulators) is if an arm is hidden by a nearby wall. Ooo...so glitched.
Sound: 7
Do you enjoy yelling? By Link? Because you will hear a lot of it. And yes, you read correctly: the "voice actor" for the first protagonist (notice I didn't say "main") is the voice of Link - so grab your Ocarina!
All seriousness, the yelling and the grunts with every hit and victory are the second most prominent sound here, and while it is nice hearing the attack names said three different ways each, the game loses points for the same thing; this is where the game most often freaks out. Whether disk or emulator, it is not uncommon for (Frost Breath, for instance) to freeze up and lag almost due to a sound barrier effect, where the noise of the blast is trying to catch up to the blast itself - by the time it does catch up, you're half way into the next turn. That glitch alone is what drops the score.
The music is another matter. I could easily come up with at least one that I would submit as best retro track if I currently had the PS item. Sure, there is a dungeon track, mist track, cave track, battle track, etc., which means that they do end up getting reused a bit (in the case of battle track, shall we say if you are moving you will hear it a lot - nature of the beast).
Addictiveness: 10
My brother and I originally had this game as a Christmas present, and we played the crap out of it (and it still runs fine). I've had files all over the place, although I have personally never beaten it for various drama reasons. We got stuck on one boss because we couldn't get past his shield (granted I was ten and he was eight). I even had one file where my whole goal was to gain ten levels every boss, meaning by Zeto I was 20 or 30. TALK about grinding!
Before coming here, I downloaded the PSX Emulator basically just for this game, and kept up with six to seven files even though the game invariably crashed before going to Past Concram. That reminds me...
Story: 9
Look out Chrono, we time travel too! And (not to spoil too much, hopefully) it turns out that the story that takes place in the past leads directly to the events you are currently playing. This happens roughly 3/4 into the game, but it sets up the rest of the plot quite nicely. The plot itself does not deliver much in terms of twists, and it is pretty straight forward. That said, it is also very well developed and easy to follow, but not cliché in any way. Throughout the game, you are following the story of the three heroes, and each ultimately have their own history, their own villain, and their own destiny; watching it unfold actually makes me wish it were an actual movie - except there is no way a movie can have random battles of any kind, so the summons would just feel forced and the whole thing would suffer for it. Ultimately, though, it is the story that keeps me coming back to it.
Depth: 10
While undertaking the screenshot challenge, I realized that almost three hours of game time had passed before I got close to the third character. It is easily a 40 hour play, plot and all. The map of Legaia is essentially cordoned off into four separate areas, each having a different layout. The last section is just a single town and dungeon, but rest assured the journey is far from over (not counting extra content)! With extra spells, hidden items and Arts, and about as much information you can fit onto a PlayStation disk (it is a single disk), this will keep you busy for a VERY long time if you went for all of it - and you won't be disappointed. ;)
Difficulty: 7
As far as controls are concerned, the in-game tutorial does a pretty good job of assuring the player that it isn't so tough. What it is is unique to a style I have only seen in its sequel. The turn basis means that if you need to get up in the middle of an intense battle, you can do so and not come back and not be welcomed by the title screen. This also gives all the leeway you will ever need to decide and re-decide your strategy for that turn. And for first time players, you will be more than glad for the extra time and chance for redoes. Each boss has his own pattern, his own style, and it's up to the player (or Gamefaqs) to figure it out through much trial and error. While this title only has a handful of instant death moves (at least for a given level), they will all have some tell or pattern; until the pattern is learned, the difficulty could easily earn a 10. All things considered, however, I am satisfied with its 7.
There you have it, Legend of Legaia! I hope you experience it for yourself, rather than just being told about it. If I went on any more, I would have to put a serious spoiler warning, but it would be much better to find out on your own - HAPPY GAMING :)
Graphics
9 Sound
7 Addictive
10 Depth
10 Story
9 Difficulty
7
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