Record of Agarest War is a Japanese SRPG (Strategy Role Playing Game). What this means is that you have a team of characters strategically placed on the battlefield and one by one you move them to a position and attack. The enemy will be doing the same. With Agarest though, they treat it a little different than the big boys (namely Disgaea). For starters, turns are broken into a couple steps. You begin your turn by moving all of your characters. When you are finished moving, you and the enemy move at the same time (so where an enemy is standing when you begin moving might not be where he is when you finish). After the movement phase, comes the action phase. You are given action points to do certain things. There are no free attacks, each attack will use points, as does using potions, and items. You can chose to bank points and do nothing that turn and use them for the next round, but you can never go above your maximum point count x2. Sometimes this is a good strategy on bosses, but on small mobs you won't need to do this. Another important part of attacking is that you can link up attacks depending on where you are standing in regards to other players. So, when you move, be sure to pay attention to not only the enemies position, but also where your teammates will be positioned. This all sounds a little complicated but there are some tutorials that taught it well.
So that is the quick and dirty description of the battle system (which in my opinion is the biggest part of a SRPG game). It's not the best, I'll be the first to admit, but I feel it's adequate. Disgaea does it better with obstacles and blocks, plus the maps in Agarest are pretty boring, but for some reason I had fun playing Agarest. The battles never lasted too long and I never felt I was at the end of a cheap attack by a computer. You can upgrade your characters individually after each level they receive, which is a welcome addition to any RPG fans playing the game. The system reminds me of Mass Effect where you have a couple different options and you receive a certain number of points per level you need to sink into each level of your character. As you level up you will unlock more skills and such. It's nothing revolutionary, but it works.
The other draw of the game is the dating sim that is apparently present. I haven't encountered much of it since I'm still very early in the game. I have met on e of the girls you can woo and a decision I made to go around a fort instead of threw it made her like me a little more. I'm sure there will be more choices down the ro ad with girls who like different actions at different times. I doubt you can please them all. The story also ranges across generations. So, at the end of the first generatio n (first of five parts of the game) you will need to pick a woman to have a child with. This will then move into the next generation where new girls will be present and new characters to continue your journey. This was one of the major selling points for me in getting this game, so I'm excited to see how this works.
So, there you have it, my quick and dirty first impressions of Record of Agarest War. If you aren't a SRPG fan, avoid this game. If you are an SRPG fan and ha ven't played Disgaea 3, maybe you should start there to experience one of the best SRPG games out. This game is for the rest of us. We've played Disgaea, maybe it wasn't our thing and wanted something a little toned down, not as serious...maybe you like the dating sim aspect, whatever it is, there is a lot to like with Agarest. Unfortunately, there are also some things to not like and if you are one to be brought down by the small things, you may not like this game.
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Since the RPG "Thousand Arms" for the original Playstation first ported to the United States in 1998, the RPG world was forever changed/corrupted/made super awesome with the introduction of one of the greatest inventions to video games; dating sims. Granted it was in its early years and did not advance the game (it allowed you to forge weapons), but it did allow you to offer your date "to see a blue flame" when they asked if you would fart in front of them (no joke!). This spawned a new sub-genre of questing within the RPG world known as the "romantic interest." Games like "Knights of the Old Republic: Sith Lords" allowed players to choose and pursue their love interest and, in the case of Record of Agarest War, consummate the completion of the quest in order to advance the game.Record of Agarest War ("ROAW") passes itself off as anything but truly serious RPG if not downright perverse. One look at the box and any potential buyer will instantly get the idea that the sole purpose of this game is to play on the greatest of sexual innuendo whilst still (somehow) maintaining the "Teen" rating. One picture on the side shows an attractive animated woman attempting to shove an over-sized sausage into her mouth playing, leaving the meaning behind the not-so subtle meta-message to the perverted imagination of nerds like myself. The name of the limited edition, "the REALLY naughty limited edition," speaks volumes as does the description on the back stating the game is a "cornucopia of debauchery." I am NOT making any of this up!
In short, this is a game is not marketed to anyone belonging to the AARP. Parents should utilize caution when purchasing this game for their teenage sons living in their basement and, if you choose to ignore said warning, don't be surprised when their minds (and hands) are NOT on their chores, studies, or global warming.
Continuing with the gratuitous level of sexual innuendo contained within ROAW, the contents enclosed in the "really naughty limited edition" are akin to something one would find in either a vending machine located in Tokyo's red-light district (don't ask how I know) or at every booth at CostCon. The first 'item' that I pulled out of the massive box of sin was the mouse pad. While the added gel pad proved comfortable for my wrist, it should be noted the picture printed on the mouse pad was one of the female characters with her... um... you know... better parts as the gel pad. This is really interesting to note since the double peaks in the gel actually proved quite helpful in preventing carpel-tunnel.
The next item on our list of enclosed suggestive trinkets is a pillow case of a "yearning" character from the game. While this is handy for anyone wishing to marry a pillow (legal in S. Korea), the pink color scheme did not bode well with my urban dark blues and blacks in my living space. That and any chick I bring home from the bar will see the pillow and wonder if they'll become my next wind chime. Still, a cool trinket.
Then there's the last item, the soundtrack CD... not much I can make fun of here so we'll move onto the next section of the review; the game itself.
OK, so the game itself is the latest in tactical RPGs, albeit with the main emphasis on overtly suggestive themes and the dating simulator. Similar to Stella Deus, it's a very simplistic tactical RPG although the environments all seem to be the same. Not to mention everyone goes in the same turn with "move" and "action" phases as opposed to one elongated battle with turns divided by who is the fastest. This is an interesting break, but it kinda negates the purpose of being fast since everyone goes once per turn.
Also, ROAW has the element of combos, something not exactly new to TRPGs but what separates ROAW from others is that you must be in specific formation in order to achieve this. Due to the weird nature and oddball formations required to combo, it almost becomes more trouble than it is worth as you then use up all your character's energy to take out one person. Combos are definitely ideal for boss fights and not regular stand-up fights.
Also, the experience system is stretched out and, in many instances, it takes bloody forever to level. Even early on in the game on the easy setting, it took me an hour to level and I was barely a few dungeons in. This makes farming a long and egregious, if not monotonous, process. It's annoying and, to make matters worse, it is required if you wish to advance in the game without worrying about your characters constantly dying.
Another interesting aspect of ROAW is the equipment and adventure guild system. While you can purchase armor as you go, you can also create/smith you own as well. Early on I was able to make fairly decent silver armor and so forth, which gave me somewhat of a competitive edge over the relatively difficult battles that ROAW offers. You also can visit the adventure guild and gain titles that render rewards that make progressing a LOT easier. Farm and develop these things early.
Lastly... the dating simulator.
I should state flat-outright that it took me forever to get there. I was three hours in before I even got to the first date. I remember having a Randall moment from Clerks II, where I would be going through yet another mundane battle and then I would yell out, "Where the (expletive deleted) is the chick!?!?!" When it finally ca-.... er... happened, I was intrigued by how you actually "woo" women; through actions in the game. However, it just got really suggestive after that. I wonder if Barry White would contribute his music to ROAW to make the moment more right.
I'm still playing through the gameplay, but I'm progressing slowly as the battles are long and monotonous and I have to take several breaks since the game really doesn't hold my attention long during farming... until I hit the wooing part, which is what we all got it for to begin with.
All in all, a B-.
Best Deals for Record of Agarest War Limited Edition -Xbox 360
Ok, this game definitely has a target demographic. For you to find this review helpful, you probably should fall into most of these categories:-You like LONG games (50 hrs minimum)
-You like STRATEGY RPGs (moving around on squares, turn-based)
-You like JAPANESE RPGs (anime style)
-You like JAPANESE styled stories (sometimes corny, slighty perverted romance-type)
-You DONT ABSOLUTELY NEED English dialogue (its all japanese, subtitled)
-You like VARYING ENDINGS based on your decisions throughout the game
Alright. So if you satisfy 4 of those traits, you don't want to miss this game.
Before getting into the specifics of the game, I'll say that Xbox360 doesnt have enough RPGs in the first place, so if you are like me, you will feel like you HAVE to at least try it. I don't think you will be dissappointed in most cases.
GRAPHICS/AUDIO/ETC
It's all anime style drawings. The graphics aren't impressive. The audio isn't impressive. It's all gameplay focused, and looks like you are basically playing Final Fantasy Tactics on a nintendo DS. The 'cutscences' are basically just a visual novel. You have to read a bunch to get the story.
THE STORY
It is what you expect from a Japanese RPG. One defining factor, though, is that you aren't the same hero the entire game. The story spans over several generations. Each new generation present a new hero. He is NOT the same guy as the previous one. You will like some of them and you won't like others. The story is DEFINITELY good enough for most people to get over the fact that its all text instead of cutscenes.
I am the kind of guy who hates the play through a game twice. I pretty much lose enough interest to play another 40 hours if I already know the story. But there is even enough variety in this game's story for me to play again. Thats saying alot for me.
Overall, you have to like the Japanese tyle of storytelling to really get into it. As long as you aren't taking it too seriously, you will love it.
THE BATTLE SYSTEM
With enemies constantly changing from area to area, the battle system delivers the diversity necessary to play a game for 100 hours. STRATEGY is extremely important, more so than brute strength. This is a very good thing, as it eliminates the necessity to grind levels before moving on. You can grind if you want to, and end up powering through your next few enemies, but it isnt at all necessary on easy or normal difficulty. That is even more important, for reasons I will get to later.
Basically, you are on a big field of squares, where you use action points(AP) to move and attack. Each turn is divided into a movement stage and an action stage. You have to use AP to move, and to perform attack skills. The amount of AP a character has is determined by their agility, weapons, armor, *and* the location of their teammates. Each character has a unique set of "extended areas," which give them more AP if one of their teammates is located in them. It is the main reason you must strateically think out every movement you make. In addition, you can do combination attacks with the teammates that are in your extended area. These are the most important attacks, and are absolutely necessary to defeat powerful enemies. In some cases, you will have to risk recieving greater damage by turning your back on the enemy in order to link up with your teammates. All things must be considered.
Throughout the game, you will even uncover new battle formations and fields, allowing you to choose a differently-shaped 'field of squares' that best compliments your battle style.
Overall, if you appreciate the strategic elements of the battle system, and don't mind that it looks so old-school, you will never get bored with the fighting.
THE OVERALL GAME SYSTEM
Your decisions are important. Some decisions that dont seem important end up affecting you later in the game in ways you didn't expect. You can make decisions that move you between the "dark" and "light" side of the guage. Unfortunately, sometimes you cant really tell which way a decision will send you. There are even some decisions that you must make during actual battles, such as not attacking a certain person. I did not fully comprehend the consequences of alot of actions until it was too late, but that is a good sign that you have to be thinking about more than battles to get the results you want.
Your actions affect how the female characters in the game like you. This is important because at the end of every generation, you have to choose a bride to make the hero of the next generation! You will choose your bride based on her strengths and yours, and that will determin the strength of the next hero. So if you like to use physical attacks, it is better for you to do the things the more physical heroine likes. If you want a magic user, then you need to get on the good side of the more mage-like females. It is more in-depth than it seems: That bride's level of affection for you also determines how strong the next hero will be, so you can't just ride the middle fence the whole time, or your son will not be as powerful.
Each generation, you have 3 brides to choose from, leading to 3 different next-generation heroes. The bride from the 1st generation, though, also affects your options for EVERY generation after that. The variety of possible end-game heroes, therefore, is unprecedented.
Throughout the game, you collect items, weapons, armor, and even monsters that can be upgraded, augmented, and converted into new items, with which you can create more powerful ones. The amount of customization in this game is impressive.
Back to the grinding issue. Every battle and even in the story consumes "1 turn." The game keeps track of how many turns you use. If you spend a bunch of turns grinding levels, you will miss some big events, and eventually change the ending of the entire game! Getting to a certain point in the game too late may cause you to miss a new partner, or a variety of other events. If you skip too many optional battles, you will find yourself underpowered in the next boss battle, or you may miss some powerful items. You have to consider all of these things with every move you make.
The story is not presented in a very interesting way. Basically, you just move from battle to battle, with various events mixed in between.
It's a stragy game, and RPG, a great story, and partially a dating sim. None of these elements are ground-breaking in themselves. But when you combine all of them in this manner, you have something that hasn't quite been achieved before.
THE GOOD
-Strategy based battles emphasize your decision-making instead of brute strength. (no grinding required)
-Decision system makes your decisions from every generation important for the entire game
-Immersive storyline holds the player's interest for the duration, and is interesting enough to play through multiple times
-HP is restored after battles, preventing the need to use recovery items outside of battle
-Plenty of different characters to team up with, allowing you to choose how to fight your battles
THE BAD
-All japanese dialogue, and no subtitles during battles. Archaic system of story-telling that you expect more on a handheld game without cutscenes.
-Sometimes hard to figure out whether your choice is going to be considered 'dark' or 'light'
-Characters have limited amount of slots to assign skills to, causing you to use the same attacks over and over again.
-Graphics and audio quality are mediocre compared to the console games of this era
-Relatively limited selection of the most powerful move combinations in battle
CONCLUSION
This is a game that requires alot of strategic thought and patience. And there is no focus on impressive visual/audio effects. You definitely have to really commit to playing it, but if you do, you WILL NOT be dissapointed. You will be immersed, challeged, and satisfied.
