Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator
by Interplay
|
List Price: Our Price: $8.79 You Save: $40.21 (82%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.70 (click here) Category: Video Games See more product details |
|---|
Video Game Reviews of Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator
Customer Review: a good game...
Summary: 4 Stars
This game is pretty good but...it needs good and different music... Overall the game is fairly good. ... I've played better games like final fantasy VII i would suggest for you to get that instead if your thinking about buying this.Customer Review: Excellent Story... hampered by tedious battles
Summary: 3 Stars
This is an odd mixed bag. You have, on one hand, an honest-to-God intriguing story, with original characters and above-average voice-overs. You got side-quests, hidden treasures, and deep background folklore... Everything to please those who like a good book. The graphics are good, except I would have preferred more animation frames on some characters... Oh well...Then you have the battles. This is where the pain starts. It is somewhat reminiscent of the real-time/turn-based hybrid battle system from the Final Fantasy series, with the added depth of having characters "build-up" three levels of power with time. Like Final Fantasy, battles build up your characters' stats, to prepare for that ultimate final battle against the big boss. Unlike Final Fantasy, the battles aren't that much fun. The creature types are more or less the same, with minor color variations. And you don't feel compelled to fight in the first place. You don't want to fight; you just want to continue with the adventure...
The only thing that (may) push you forward is the top-class story. The Story is what drives this game through, just like a good book. Want to turn to the next page? Well, must fight about 20 creatures 20 times to know what happens next.
This is the problem (for me at least). An excellent story matched with a boring battle system make the final product a game of patience. Recommend you download the demo first! If you feel that you can enjoy this game based on the demo, by all means, buy-it! If you are more of the impatient type, well either buy this game and download cracks or cheats, or look elsewhere.
This game would have been a better adventure game than an RPG.
Customer Review: An intriguing RPG in an impossibly fantastic world
Summary: 5 Stars
I can remember a few years ago, reading an article in PC Gamer about an RPG called Septerra Core. The game was still in production, but from what I saw it had the potential to be one of the most unique, complex, and fascinating RPGs I'd ever played (and I'm pretty hardcore when it comes to RPGs ;)). I'm glad to say that when I purchased Septerra Core, I wasn't the slightest bit disappointed.Created by the virgin company Valkyrie Studios, Septerra Core takes place on a planet known as Septerra. The planet is made up of seven distinct layers of continents called world shells, which orbit the core, an immense bio-computer. A giant bio-organic spine runs the axis of the core and turns on its own accord, providing power for the core, which regulates the rotation of the world shells. Every one hundred years, the world continents are aligned in such a way that sunlight is able to penetrate the core, activating it. At this time, the "Core Keys" can be used to communicate with the core, allowing the person who possesses them to obtain the Gift of the Creator. Now, a Chosen Lord known as Doskias will attempt to gain posession of the keys and create an artificial conjunction in order to achieve the Gift, fabled to be the Kingdom of Heaven. And it is the destiny of Junker Maya and friends to stop him. The story of Septerra Core is very fantastic and touches on many aspects of the world, such as religion, war, prejudice, and even love. The mythology of Septerra, which is very intriguing, plays a vital role in the story of the game. And the fact that ALL of the dialog in Septerra Core is spoken with, in my opinion, skilled voice actors, really adds emotion to the story. The nine playable characters and four villains (Here I refer to Balcaam, Kaleb, Doskias and Connor) have very distinct personalities and motives. My only complaint lies in character development, which this game boasts. Although it does have a lot of character development, it's sometimes very stale and impersonal, unlike that of the average Japanese RPG, and isn't prone to leaving lasting impressions.
The science of Septerra Core is very warped. The technology the Chosen use is based on bio-engineering, to the point that their armor, ships, and even buildings are engineered using the Helgak, a beast of burden in the world of Septerra. The fact that the planet itself is bio-organic computer really adds to that twisted idea. Of course, some technology is still simple metal and steel-type stuff like we're used to, so the game's not a total mind-bender to understand. However, it makes you think on an entirely different level from any game I've ever played.
Gameplay is very atypical of RPGs, most levels in Septerra Core being labyrinths of levers and corridors that make it almost like a puzzle game. Unfortunately, the game is pretty linear, involving Maya being sent to find a specific item before she can move on to find the next item, and it goes on like that. But between the story and battle system, and the complexity of the levels, this rarely gets tiring. In fact, the gameplay is quite addictive, and can have you happily running back and forth for hours on end.
The graphics of this game are mediocre when compared to other games, and looks very outdated. However, as RPGs typically rely heavily on story and gameplay and not on graphics, this isn't much of a problem.
The battle system of SC is superb, combining the ATB-type system of Final Fantasy-type games with a new system that allows three levels of attacks. For instance, a character can attack three times with a level one attack, or one time with a level three attact, in the same amount of time, allowing varying applications of strategy. The magic system is also well thought out, involving the use of fate cards, which can be used to cast magic individually, or combined to form more powerful spells and even summons (This combination makes use of two characters at one time, similar to Double and Triple Techs in Chrono Trigger). Thankfully, because the battle system keeps you on your toes instead of letting you down a button like some games, battles aren't boring, and rarely play out the same way consecutively. Also, battles are not random. As in Chrono Trigger, the enemies appear on screen, and you can sneak around them if you're good enough ;), avoiding combat. My only complaint about the battle system is that character placement in battle is random, and you can't move, so attacks that involve hitting multiple enemies in the character's line of sight (i.e. Runner's beam attack) seem useless at times.
The music of Septerra Core, though usually ambiance, is gorgeous. It could be noted that TotalAudio, the company that produced the music for Myst and Riven, also did the music for Septerra Core. The music presents a mystical atmosphere, with an emotion of strife behind it. Also, unlike most RPGs, there are several different songs that play during battle, so listening to it never gets tiring. No complaints about the music, except there could be more actual music at different parts of the game.
One of the game's only downfalls is in replay value. Once you've beaten the almost 40 hour game, and realized how much every effort you make in the game has on the story, it almost seems more trouble than it was worth in the first place. But Septerra Core is an experience to be remembered.
Overall, Septerra Core is a fantastically well-composed game with a fantastic story, plenty of action, gorgeous music, and an entertainment value superior to most games of its genre, and is a must-have for any RPG fan, or really any gamer who's willing to tangle the long hours at night to help Maya in her quest to save the fantasticly detailed world of Septerra.
Customer Review: The Very Best I've Ever Seen
Summary: 5 Stars
This RPG game is awesome it is exciting some people say that it is boring and that Final Fantasy or Pokemon games are better(yeah,right) This game is the best,litterally,and I'd go berserk(get it?) before I change my mind about it. The characters are superb and the graphics are superb. Sure,the people there look the same and there are only a few faces in the game and the magic spells and stuff might not look too good but we are playing to enjoy and finish the puzzles not to stare into people's faces and look at the graphics they are superb anyway. Cheers from SepterraCustomer Review: Too linear
Summary: 3 Stars
First off, let me start by saying that I more prefer games like Zork, Myst/Riven, and Monkey Island. While, to some, that may make me an "inferior" game player, I think it's all a matter of taste. I also love Final Fantasy, but I honestly think it's just too slow paced and I lose interest in it quickly, but still love playing it.That said... I'm rather ambiguous on this one. It has the world-roaming capabilities of FF, yet lacks any real unpredictability. The gameplay itself is all linear; there's only one way to go, or so it seems. The world's small size lends itself to being a more compact game, but even that gets old after a while. I found myself growing bored with, as another player noticed, having to kill monsters again and again whenever I went through the same area.
BUT....
There's just something about games where the dialogue is spoken. :) There are also subtitles to read if for whatever reason you like it that way. The movies were good, if few and far between, and I really like the characters. The story is also a really great one; I honestly picked it up just because it seemed so cool! The gameplay itself is easy to learn, which is good as I tend to have a very limited attention span, but the pace of the game itself... well, there were times when I was desperately searching around for what I'm supposed to do to trigger the next part of the game and get eaten up by monsters because it took so long. Royally sucks.
On a whole, I think it's a good game, but mostly if you're big into RPGs like FFVII. It's got an expansive world, I think, but the linear gameplay isn't for everyone. I suppose it *could* merit four stars, but I don't think it's for everyone, so if you're with me on your game choices I'd wait until this was in the sales rack before picking it up.