Posted Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:14 AM
I tried it and my feelings were mixed.
I think I like the basic engine of the combat system. I appreciate the importance of positioning. I could do without the timed button banging But, for the basics, I think they generally work.
However, there are elements of the combat system which really mar my enjoyment. The main one is the guarding mechanism of hitting B at the precise moment to reduce damage. I feel mechanics like this are flat out stupid, and the people responsible for them should be murdered by cheese grater.
I like the fact the game waits before starting to run down the timer on your turn. However, the game could have done just as well without the timer altogether, and used some sort of action point system along with an engine like the first PS2 Arc the Lad game.
The other hurdle for me were the graphics. To be honest, they didn't look as spectacular as I thought they would. Plus, there's the standard problem as with any game featuring cel-shaded graphics. The movement of the characters looks unnatural. Everyone looks a bit pasted on to the scene. Fortunately, the backgrounds are lush and don't have anything resembling the same problem. The game still looks nice, but the still shots made it look a bit better.