Radiant Historia DS

1. Japanties

   Mar 20, 2011

   10

   "If Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy Tactics had a baby, Radiant Historia would be it."
   
   I can't remember what critic wrote that, but It's"If Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy Tactics had a baby, Radiant Historia would be it."
   
   I can't remember what critic wrote that, but It's pretty spot-on. Radiant Historia is a fantastic game.… Expand

   • 10 of 10 users found this helpful
2. f_type

   Aug 22, 2011

   10

   Radiant Historia is the best RPG I've played in ages. Being a huge fan of PS1 and SNES RPGs, this game is a true embodiment of what an RPGRadiant Historia is the best RPG I've played in ages. Being a huge fan of PS1 and SNES RPGs, this game is a true embodiment of what an RPG should have: engrossing story, complex characters, fun battle system and a gripping ambiance. The story involves some familiar elements, such as time traveling to save the world, but it does a lot to stand on its own. You not only have to travel time to prevent the end of the world, you have to balance two alternate timelines (due to the meddling of an evil third party) because events in one impact the other. Each choice you make could lead to a sudden end, in which case you have to go back to a key point and figure out the correct path. Don't worry, it's not at all confusing or tedious because you're given a detailed record of events and you can skip nearly any event or cut-scene to avoid repetition. To bring it all together, a varied and complex cast provides unique personalities and nuances to the story. The grid based combat, which allows you to move enemies around and combine them into slots to build combos and damage multiple enemies at once, provides a simple, fast, deep and incredibly fun battle system. The visuals are very vibrant and artistically marvelous, though the character animations are a bit limited. The music is simply amazing. It's probably one of the most beautiful soundtracks ever (listen to "Memories of the World", "Blue Radiance", and "And Earnest Desire of Grey" on YouTube). I've played all the great RPGs of the past decade... the Final Fantasies, Mass Effects, Fallout 3, Oblivion, Kingdom Hearts. But sometimes I don't care about the latest technological advancements facial animations, complex decision making systems that can change the whole universe, finding dirty water in demolished buildings, exploring huge lands or Disney/Square-Enix fan service. Sometimes, I just want a simple, absorbing RPG and that is what Radiant Historia is. Atlus deserves a standing ovation for not only taking a risk, but also for creating one of the best RPGs of all time.… Expand

   • 2 of 2 users found this helpful
4. Ironmonger

   Jun 27, 2011

   10

   When i first saw this game on the shelf, i thought, "why not give it a shot, it looks like my kind of game." After i got home, I WAS HOOKED!When i first saw this game on the shelf, i thought, "why not give it a shot, it looks like my kind of game." After i got home, I WAS HOOKED! The storyline grabbed me, the combat was genius, and even though there is one flaw in the "time-line crossing", just ignore it and you continue to love it. P.S.: the flaw is that if you save a man in one timeline, that would mean in order to be safe in the other timeline, he would have to cross timelines. He does however say "haven't i seen you before?" That kind of makes up for it, but in reality, it doesn't matter. Hope you love it!!!!… Expand

   • 3 of 3 users found this helpful
5. JudasKiss12

   Jun 28, 2015

   9

   A well-written, heartstring-tuggin' turn-based RPG that is, perhaps, the best on the DS. Still holds up well today, and has one of the bestA well-written, heartstring-tuggin' turn-based RPG that is, perhaps, the best on the DS. Still holds up well today, and has one of the best storylines in JRPG history. Main story takes roughly 35-40 hours to complete, but you're looking at over 80 if you complete every timeline "node". Well worth the money.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
6. HitomiNoRyu

   Dec 31, 2011

   9

   This game is fun and easy to pick up. It doesn't fall into the trap that other RPGs have done where they made either the story pretentiouslyThis game is fun and easy to pick up. It doesn't fall into the trap that other RPGs have done where they made either the story pretentiously over-the-top nonsense or made the battle mechanics ridiculously complex that half of the elements and characters are pointless. Radiant Historia however has a well-rounded story that's willing to make fun of itself at times. The battle mechanics is set up so that strategy DO make a difference in how successful you are and all the characters have a purpose so you're willing to put the time in leveling EVERYONE up. This is a breath of fresh air in RPGs. I recommend it.… Expand

   • 2 of 2 users found this helpful
7. mr_dad

   Aug 28, 2015

   9

   It's George R R Martin's Chrono Trigger...sort of.
   
   Radiant Historia, despite being on a handheld, puts even most console JRPG to shame. ItIt's George R R Martin's Chrono Trigger...sort of.
   
   Radiant Historia, despite being on a handheld, puts even most console JRPG to shame. It has it's slow moments, but those are quickly forgotten amongst the clever time-traveling mechanic, and several additions to the standard JRPG gameplay make for an incredibly engaging experience. Add on a politically-driven war story filled with complex characters, backed up by a score from Yoko Shimomura of Kingdom Hearts and Mario & Luigi fame, Radiant Historia is both a loving throwback to JRPGS of the 16-bit era, while also bringing a lot of new innovations to the table.
   
   And no colored weddings!
   
   THE GOOD
   + An fantastic political war story with no clear right or wrong side.
   + The time-travel mechanic is tons of fun to traverse.
   + Combination of grid-based and classical-turn based combat makes every battle require strategy.
   + Yoko Shimamura is at her absolute best when it comes to the music.
   
   THE BAD
   - The story has the occasional slow points.
   - Gameplay and story progression are rather linear.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
8. Cale

   May 27, 2011

   7

   While far deeper and better done than what I've come to expect of Atlus, this game reminds me more of Xenogears or Chrono Cross than CTriggerWhile far deeper and better done than what I've come to expect of Atlus, this game reminds me more of Xenogears or Chrono Cross than CTrigger or FFTactics.. It lacks a true polished feel from moving around, and the combat system, while gimmicky (admittedly par for the course nowadays) is at least playable and as the game progresses, increasingly enjoyable. The story is extremely slow to get started, and I found my palm on my face more than a few times wondering why I should bother to try to save this game world once it did. The characters, while strange-looking, generally lack the two dimensional quality I've been forced to endure all too often as of late in the genre, even though it takes a very long time for some of them to be fleshed out. Learning when to back off, move forward or backward in time or change story lines can be frustrating, and while sometimes you have a few leads, there were several times where I simply got lost. The ability to skip through long-winded exposition is definitely a saving grace, given the inherently repetitive nature of some parts. It's not the best ever made, but it's definitely above mediocre, and should be on the purchase list of fans of the genre. Just be patient when you're getting started.… Expand

   • 1 of 3 users found this helpful

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