Review of Spectral Force 3 - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

I really, really enjoyed this game.

Let me preface this first by saying I am not a fan of JRPGs; the linear storyline ("interactive movie") doesn't appeal to me. And I confess I am a fan of strategy games. Simple strategy with lots of applications really interests me. I'm an avid chess player as well, though, so take my review with a grain of salt.

I loved this game.

Spectral Force 3 breaks a lot of conventions. Its non-linear storyline will keep you interested for replay after replay. Its character customization will put the burden of power on you. Its completely open-ended gameplay will frustrate you, and reward you.

The storyline is fairly basic you're a boy, given control of a mercenary unit, and told to save the world. However, what "save the world" means can differ significantly from replay to replay. You have the option to ally with any one of the nine (!) kingdoms, or none of them. You can switch alliances mid-game. You, alone, decide which kingdom wins the ultimate battle and, therefore, saves the world.

The gameplay is actually simple, and, like all good strategy games, can quickly add up to some fairly deep turn movement. Much of your turn will be used deciding which character to "teamwork" in to the turn. You'll also have to consider placement, status effects, and weapon types. There ends up being a surprising amount of complexity for a simple system.

I admit the graphics are fairly weak, although not as horrible as other people have made them out to be. The budget's been spent on animating movement, rather than cut scenes (and, lord, those cut scenes are horrible). But what animation exists is very tight. Archer units step back and brace themselves for a shot. Spear units lunge forward and strike solidly. Enjoy the bits of animation, and (please) ignore the awful cut scenes.

Finally, the instruction book is bad. Bad. Horrible. Bad. I can't-there aren't enough words in the English language that I can call here to properly give you an idea of how bad the instruction book is. Throw it out; that's my advice.

Keep at it, though. It took me about four hours to really understand the battle system and the various implements I can bring to bear on the combat. If you persevere, you'll be rewarded with a shockingly good game.

I know it's not for everyone. I know it's difficult, and picky, and suffers from the anime-cliche. I know, furthermore, that the instructions are nothing short of a biblical atrocity. I know that this game won't sell very well. I know.

But Spectral Force 3 is good for gamers who want a choice; gamers who enjoy pitting strategy against a computer. If you're looking to get the powerup and win the game, this isn't necessarily the game for you.

If, however, you're looking for a surprisingly innovative and deep set of challenges with high replay value, this is a good game to pick up.

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Spectral Force 3 slipped under my radar for quite a while because of the horrid ratings it got accross the board. I finally gave it a try, and I'm sure glad I did.

The 360 is lacking solid tactical rpgs, this is a great addition to a very under popluated genre.

Yes, it has a steep learning curve. The instruction manual is horrid and not helpful, but with guide sites up all over the place, five minutes online will get you everything you need to know to get rolling.

So, if you love Tactics games, give this a try. (Although it can be found for $20 new several places now.)

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This game left me with a pretty nasty first impression, so I can understand the bad reviews. The cutscenes are pretty annoying, you're given pretty much no direction on how to use the fairly complex battle system and my game froze up during a post battle cutscene less then 2 hours into the game (I restarted my 360, replayed the mission and skipped the post battle cutscene the second time around.)

However if you can get past the initial first impression this is a pretty good, tougher then average SRPG with quite a bit of depth, alot of battles, characters and customization. Many of the battles are serious battles of attrition where just when you think you've won hordes of new enemies will appear. If you're a newbie to SRPGs this game will probably be pretty frustrating considering the lack of direction and difficult battles that hit you fairly early in the game.

For the cheap price tag this game is currently going for give it a shot if you're looking for a challenging SRPG. If you're looking for something a little more user friendly however I would probably recommend trying Operation Darkness (Also for 360) or one of the Disgaea titles for PS2/PS3.

Honest reviews on Spectral Force 3 - Xbox 360

As one of the few SRPGs for the Xbox 360, I am pleased to say this the purchase was certainly worth the money; especially at the low price it sells at now.

The SRPG genre is one of my favorites, and Spectral Force 3 delivers in many repects. However, the game also lacks in some ways, as other have mentioned. Here's my run-down (Note that some of these are opinions):

Pros:

+ Easily 40+ hours of gameplay

+ Appealing art style (The 3D character sprites resemble and compliment their respective anime portraits, adding a lot of personality to the large cast of recruitable characters)

+ Challenging and rewarding difficulty

+ A good deal of character customization (equipment, skills, and specials)

+ Open mission selection, allowing you a few options in how you wish to progress.

+ Has a New Game+ feature once you complete the game. (I've just started this and find it very enjoyable compared to the first playthrough)

Cons:

Game starts out difficult due to lack of funds, skills, etc. You will likely have to replay a few battles. (Hint: Keep your party members close together, and don't let one member get surrounded!)

Little to no tutorial. You will need to invest some hours before picking up the battle mechanics.

Story is really weak. Unfortunately, you don't get much background information on any of the characters.

Equipment menus should have been devised better. (Hint: Look at the bottom of the screen for controller buttons that provide you more information)

Difficulty can spike at certain missions, resulting in frustrating experiences. (Hint: Keep multiple saves!)

Overall:

Not a perfect game but it has a lot to offer. Now that I invested hours into understanding the battle mechanics, member recruitment, and menus, the game is a highly enjoyable experience. New Game+ is a perfect opportunity to try out the many members you add to your group. I highly recommend this game to any SRPG buff, and to other RPG fans interested in a challenge.

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this isn't like final fantasy or anything, so you shouldn't expect that much from this series, as a strategy rpg, i'd say is a very decent rpg and i had fun with it, i wish the game has more content and more missions, anyway for 15 bucks is definitely worth it, that's why i gave it 5 stars