|
|
PLATFORM
|
Xbox360
|
BATTLE
SYSTEM
|
|
INTERACTION
|
|
ORIGINALITY
|
|
STORY
|
|
MUSIC
& SOUND
|
|
VISUALS
|
|
CHALLENGE
|
Variable
|
COMPLETION TIME
|
Less than 20 Hours
|
|
OVERALL
|
+
Excellent combat
system
+
Fun soundtrack and
sound effects
+
New remix mode improves
combat
-
Can't access pause menu in
online co-op
-
New graphics a little bland
-
Short even with multiple
playthroughs
|
Click
here for scoring
definitions
|
|
|
Guardian Heroes
is an RPG-flavored brawler that was originally
available for the Sega Saturn back in the 90s.
Like many games for the system, it has lived on as
a cult classic. Now free of the constraining
Saturn system, Sega and developer Treasure have
made the game available to a wider audience. This
HD update provides new features like online
multiplayer that refine the classic for the modern
era. However, this brawler-RPG-fighter hybrid is a
bit on the short side, and isn't without some
annoying issues. Still, the game proves to be one
of the best beat-em-ups available today.
Guardian Heroes
proceeds like many brawler games that ate many
quarters during the golden age of arcades. The
player proceeds from level to level, fighting
enemies and bosses at a quick clip, with a limited
number of lives to complete the game. What makes Guardian Heroes
different from other games in this genre is the
way it incorporates mechanics of both RPGs and
fighting games. Players gain levels and are able
to select which stats to increase as they proceed
through a playthrough. Increases in health and
magic points occur as soon as a player levels up,
while the stat gains are selected between stages.
It is important to note that all this leveling
only happens for one playthrough, and there's no
transferring of leveled characters for a new game
plus mode. This is a shame given the game's short
length.
Guardian
Heroes' versus mode is great
hectic fun. |
|
Furthering the genre
mash-up style of the game, players can use various
commands for special moves, very similar to games
such as Street
Fighter. This is accomplished by
restricting player movement to left and right,
eliminating the usual method of including depth in
a beat-em-up. Up and down buttons instead
function as jump and crouch, with moving between
the foreground and background relegated to
shoulder buttons. These seemingly minor
adjustments allow for a surprisingly deep fighting
system, with juggling of opponents and the ability
to combo regular and special attacks.
Further adding depth to
the fighting is the selection of playable
characters, who fit fairly well into the
typical RPG fighter, mage, cleric and thief
classes. Aside from having different selections of
spells, they each have a unique set of special
moves. On the easiest difficulty, players won't
need these special abilities much, but on the
normal and hard difficulties players will need to
make use of all the character abilities available
to them to succeed. In addition to the standard
story mode, there are also arcade and versus modes
to pad out the experience. Arcade pits the player
against all the enemies in the game in a massive
fight, and serves as a fun distraction. On the
other hand, Versus mode is almost its own game. Up
to twelve players, along with computer-controlled
characters if necessary, can duke it out in a
massive brawl incorporating just about everything
in the game as a selectable combatant. What
depended upon having plenty of people and
controllers in the original version is given a
whole new life with the option of online play.
As far as the story
in the game goes, it sticks to a lot of typical
JRPG beats. A group of plucky young heroes
accidentally gets thrown into a greater
conflict when a mysterious sword is
discovered. From there the adventure goes on to
explore some history of the world, the origins of
the sword, and a missing royal lineage. The
characters and dialogue help to spruce up what is
otherwise a rather bland and straightforward
story. There's a lot of funny dialogue to keep
things lively, and an updated localization helps
as well. Dialogue is always kept short, and is
easily skippable so that players are never far
from the action. What's also nice about the story
is how the game branches at the end of most
levels, with more than a score of different
stages, multiple endings, and the inability to see
anything close to all of them on one playthrough. The story
may be simple and bland in premise, but Guardian Heroes finds
a way to make its presentation entertaining.
The
updated graphics are missing a
bit of punch. |
|
On the audiovisual
front, this update fares mostly well. The original
2D visuals still look nice, but they are showing a
bit of age, and some of the backgrounds look
particularly bad. The original graphics have the
nice addition of a widescreen capability,
enlivening the proceedings somewhat. more modern
look that resembles something pencil-drawn, but
end up feeling a bit too plain. The music and
sound of the game fare much better. The fun and
peppy soundtrack is as entertaining as it was in
the original game, providing a great backdrop for
the hectic battles. The sound effects do the same,
with battle voices, spell sounds, and other
effects rarely being repeated enough to become
annoying. The audiovisual quality of the game has
aged quite well, with the caveat that the visuals
haven't weathered time's passage as well as the
sound.
In the end, Guardian Heroes,
despite showing signs of age in the graphics
department, plays just as well as it did back in
1996. More of a brawler with RPG elements than an
RPG, it provides quick and fun entertainment, with
plenty of features to encourage many rounds of
replay. With the addition of online play for the
story and versus modes, the multi-player elements
of the game can finally show their worth. The
remix mode provides updates to the original
gameplay, meaning that those both new and old to Guardian Heroes
will find plenty to love.
Review
Archives
|