Shining Force is in the top three of my favorite video games. I first played it in Sega Smashpack II on the family's PC when I was a kid and played it often since then. All of the Shining games are great, but this one is the best in my opinion. You play the role of the hero Max who leads the Shining Force to defeat the evil Dark Dragon. Along the way, you recruit friends and allies that join your party and battle with you in the fight against darkness.

This game is turn-based, and you control every character in your party during battle. You move by square spaces; how many squares each character can move depends on terrain and that person's Move stats. There is a variety of classes in the game like Mages, Archers, Warriors and even some secret and promotional classes that might surprise you. At certain levels, some characters including Max (the main character) can be promoted to better a class. Besides battle, you get to walk around, explore, and interact with people and things like in many other RPGs.

Graphics 8
The graphics in this game aren't spectacular, but I rate them as I do because they are clear, interesting, and don't look flat. Many classic RPGs characters don't look very much alive or detailed in battle and their graphics look rather dull, but in this game, you see them move in battle scenes and actually believe they are attacking. The characters almost seem to have actual souls, each of them are unique visually. Every item has it's on appearance, and you can see each unique weapon in battle when it is equipped.

Sound 8
In this game, you are leading your own army, the Shining Force, and the music goes really well with it. You really feel like you're are really participating in a war with the battle drums sounding in the music because it is very military like. The music also changes to fit other parts of the game. For example, when someone passes away the music gets very emotional and sad.

Addictiveness 9
I have played this game many times and still enjoy it from time to time. Other Shining games are addictive as well, but this one is really the most solid and playable one to me. Even though I know what is going to happen each time, I can play it again and again because the characters are so lovable and the humor makes me smile every time.

Story 9
Though the story of the game is quite simple, it still goes beyond just saving the world from evil. You meet and save many characters, and sometimes things aren't exactly what they seem. Many things in the game will surprise you and you will find yourself actually caring about your fighters, friends, and the civilians. You will learn a lot about characters and their background by talking to people in different towns and villages. Many RPGs give you too much story and you get bored throughout the game, Shining Force has just enough story and text to give you insight without drowning you in too much talk and not enough play.

Depth 8
There is plenty to explore in the game and so many people to talk to and get hints from. You can get cursed from equipping certain dark items, there are variety of spells that only certain characters can learn and use, some weapons and rings have magical powers that allow non-magic users to use magic, and much more.  Some items are "secret" and hard to find if you don't take the time to find them, they can easily be missed. There are hidden characters as well, one of them a ninja. The first time you play Shining Force, it is not likely that you will find everything and everyone. Each place you visit in the game has it's own challenges, so it isn't too repetitive. It isn't a very long game, but it is one that you can spend hours playing if you aren't trying to skip through to the end (which you can do if you want because you don't have to defeat all enemies to win every battle).

Difficulty 7
Shining Force is like other RPGs in the way that if you don't take the time to level up, the game can be very difficult. Besides that, the game's difficulty isn't very hard unless you get stuck in figuring out how to move on to the next battle. Some foes are difficult to get rid of and some enemies like Dark Mages and Master Mages can easily wipe out your party's HP, but once you get them out of the way, most of the battles should not be too challenging.

Overall, I give this game a 9. I have based many RP's off this game when I was a teen and have spent many hours enjoying it. I love the characters, the colors, the story, and how it is simple yet very interesting, special, and great. If you are looking for a game that is not too complicated but still keeps you interested and entertained, this is a good one to try.

Very well-done review! It's clear, you give good examples, and I like your comparisons; it gives your reader a better idea of what things may be like in the game.

I do wonder, though, about the game itself. The way you described it made me think it is somewhere between Suikoden and Final Fantasy Tactics in terms of gameplay and tactics. Is that true? If so this may be one I want to check out.

Like Yuni said, this is a very well-done review! I don't particularly see anything wrong with it, so very good! It's very long, and the perfect amount of words to be a review! I hope to see more reviews from you in the future! I haven't played much of this game yet, but so far, it's really good.

Yunimori : I haven't yet played Suikoden, but I have played Final Fantasy Tactics and can say that the gameplay is a lot like that of Tactics (but, thankfully, no Laws! LOL). I definitely think you should check it out.

LunarDarkness2 : Thanks a lot.

Yunimori : Thank you, too!

A good review from a game I also liked - but Shining Force II was superior in every aspect, especially the music.

Otherwise, you gave it enough details to be worthy of a 4. However, I would have liked a few more details about the music - was there a track you like more than the others? And how would you compare the graphics to other games at the time?