Post by LueyFubar on Feb 18, 2003 10:54:39 GMT -5
Azure Dreams
A Review By Luey Fubar.
I've been a big fan of Konami's RPGs ever since I played 'Suikoden' a few years back, ever since then numerous other Role Playing Games by Konami have randomly popped up in game shops. Because Konami isn't recognized for its RPGs, no real media frenzy comes to life when one is released, unlike Konami's stealth Action Shooter, 'Metal Gear Solid'. Never-the-less, Konami's Role Playing Games still pack a mean punch.
Visual: 8/10
The graphics, are blocky and a bit crude, but this is one of the Playstation's earlier games, so it can be forgiven (If you're playing on the Ps2, you can smoothen the graphics, like the screenshots below). All the monsters are surprisingly not like Pokémon (Many of the other Monster raising games I've played take off Pokémon too much). The Monsters are well designed, none looking strangely familiar to another, and come in different elements of magic. Weapon and item graphics are more-or-less the same, with a different color or handle, and once you've seen the basic Staff, Sword, shield or herb, you've seen them all.
The magical attacks look superb, every magic spell never looks the same, and with so many there's always a surprise when you learn new spells. The characters have great Anime pictures next to their dialogue (See Below) and each have many poses and animations. This gives the game a great Anime feel.
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Nico, collecting donations for a fountain.
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Eating out, part of Domestic Life.
Audio: 7/10
The sound-track varies around a few specific melodies, just with variations of Instruments and tempo, but they are all pleasing and very catchy. Each monster has its own sound effect, each is average.
Game-Play: 10/10
Azure Dreams has a very unique battle system, set out in tiles. I never liked tile battle systems, and I probably never will, but Azure Dreams' system beats all the others without exception. All battle animations run silky smooth and each monster doesn't just walk into you, knocking you backwards (As seen on Azure Dreams for the Game-Boy).
The game fixates on two aspects of game-play, Battle and Domestic Life.
To start off with the battle aspect, anyone who's played Azure Dreams, will know how hard it can be at times. especially when you just start off. The Player must venture into the Monster Tower, looking for all kinds of treasure and adventure. The rules of the tower are quite simple, you rush and you die. The key is patience. The player will encounter masses of monsters, each different in almost every way, sometimes for the worse. Some of the monsters have the power to disguise themselves as rare items, which is very frustrating when you see an egg, then it reveals itself as a morphing monster, but this rarely happens. The main idea, if you want to get anywhere is to find monster eggs, hatch them, then either train them or fuse them with one of your current monsters (This will unlock secret spells and abilities). You start with one monster collar, and can only use one monster at a time, but don't get discouraged, as you can receive more collars later in the game. In the Tower, you encounter numerous types of items, from swords, seeds, staffs and herbs to shields and quest items.
Domestic Life, is something that allot of Role playing games could do with, to get the idea of what it's like; Mix 'Sim-City' with a Japanese dating simulation, throw in a bit of 'Dark-Cloud' and you have Azure Dreams. As you get richer from the tower, you suddenly have allot of spare gold, but what do you do with it? Rebuilding the village is one of the answers, with structures like Theatres & Temples to build, each triggering key events.
One of the other choices is to be selfish, and treat yourself to a bigger house, new carpets, wallpaper or furniture as-well as a bigger Monster hut for all your companions to live.
Last-ability: 10/10
When in the monster tower, it takes allot of time to get to the higher levels, as I've said before, if you rush up levels, you'll be stopped in your tracks by a monster ten times stronger than you, so take your time and don't rush. There's an immense number of monsters in the game, from ones that you catch in the wild, to ones that evolve from tamed monsters, getting them all is no easy task.
In the town, there's also allot to do, like dating, activities, sports, events, getting friends and eating out for dinner (Plus much more).
Story: 9/10
The story, seems non-existent in the earlier stages of the game, but as you progress more is revealed about the characters, their likes & dislikes and if they are what they really seem. The game Centers around a young 15 year old boy who's father died mysteriously in the monster tower, you long to investigate and explore the monster tower, but the tower has an age restriction of 16 years or older. You awake on your 16th birthday, an official monster tamer. On the way to the tower, you're stopped by a strange monster that can speak human called Kewne. Kewne shows you around the first floor of the tower, in a tutorial style, but after the fist floor, you're more-or-less on your own.
Out of the tower, your friend Nico, who'd rather live the civilian life, wakes you up every morning with a nice Drop kick to the chest, although adding a bit of humor to the game, it gets a bit tedious after 30 or 40 times.
Overall: 88%
Although Konami Role Playing Games are a very rare sight indeed, if you see this and are a big fan of titles like Dark Cloud and Monster Rancher, buy it before someone else does.
A Review By Luey Fubar.
I've been a big fan of Konami's RPGs ever since I played 'Suikoden' a few years back, ever since then numerous other Role Playing Games by Konami have randomly popped up in game shops. Because Konami isn't recognized for its RPGs, no real media frenzy comes to life when one is released, unlike Konami's stealth Action Shooter, 'Metal Gear Solid'. Never-the-less, Konami's Role Playing Games still pack a mean punch.
Visual: 8/10
The graphics, are blocky and a bit crude, but this is one of the Playstation's earlier games, so it can be forgiven (If you're playing on the Ps2, you can smoothen the graphics, like the screenshots below). All the monsters are surprisingly not like Pokémon (Many of the other Monster raising games I've played take off Pokémon too much). The Monsters are well designed, none looking strangely familiar to another, and come in different elements of magic. Weapon and item graphics are more-or-less the same, with a different color or handle, and once you've seen the basic Staff, Sword, shield or herb, you've seen them all.
The magical attacks look superb, every magic spell never looks the same, and with so many there's always a surprise when you learn new spells. The characters have great Anime pictures next to their dialogue (See Below) and each have many poses and animations. This gives the game a great Anime feel.
Nico, collecting donations for a fountain.
Eating out, part of Domestic Life.
Audio: 7/10
The sound-track varies around a few specific melodies, just with variations of Instruments and tempo, but they are all pleasing and very catchy. Each monster has its own sound effect, each is average.
Game-Play: 10/10
Azure Dreams has a very unique battle system, set out in tiles. I never liked tile battle systems, and I probably never will, but Azure Dreams' system beats all the others without exception. All battle animations run silky smooth and each monster doesn't just walk into you, knocking you backwards (As seen on Azure Dreams for the Game-Boy).
The game fixates on two aspects of game-play, Battle and Domestic Life.
To start off with the battle aspect, anyone who's played Azure Dreams, will know how hard it can be at times. especially when you just start off. The Player must venture into the Monster Tower, looking for all kinds of treasure and adventure. The rules of the tower are quite simple, you rush and you die. The key is patience. The player will encounter masses of monsters, each different in almost every way, sometimes for the worse. Some of the monsters have the power to disguise themselves as rare items, which is very frustrating when you see an egg, then it reveals itself as a morphing monster, but this rarely happens. The main idea, if you want to get anywhere is to find monster eggs, hatch them, then either train them or fuse them with one of your current monsters (This will unlock secret spells and abilities). You start with one monster collar, and can only use one monster at a time, but don't get discouraged, as you can receive more collars later in the game. In the Tower, you encounter numerous types of items, from swords, seeds, staffs and herbs to shields and quest items.
Domestic Life, is something that allot of Role playing games could do with, to get the idea of what it's like; Mix 'Sim-City' with a Japanese dating simulation, throw in a bit of 'Dark-Cloud' and you have Azure Dreams. As you get richer from the tower, you suddenly have allot of spare gold, but what do you do with it? Rebuilding the village is one of the answers, with structures like Theatres & Temples to build, each triggering key events.
One of the other choices is to be selfish, and treat yourself to a bigger house, new carpets, wallpaper or furniture as-well as a bigger Monster hut for all your companions to live.
Last-ability: 10/10
When in the monster tower, it takes allot of time to get to the higher levels, as I've said before, if you rush up levels, you'll be stopped in your tracks by a monster ten times stronger than you, so take your time and don't rush. There's an immense number of monsters in the game, from ones that you catch in the wild, to ones that evolve from tamed monsters, getting them all is no easy task.
In the town, there's also allot to do, like dating, activities, sports, events, getting friends and eating out for dinner (Plus much more).
Story: 9/10
The story, seems non-existent in the earlier stages of the game, but as you progress more is revealed about the characters, their likes & dislikes and if they are what they really seem. The game Centers around a young 15 year old boy who's father died mysteriously in the monster tower, you long to investigate and explore the monster tower, but the tower has an age restriction of 16 years or older. You awake on your 16th birthday, an official monster tamer. On the way to the tower, you're stopped by a strange monster that can speak human called Kewne. Kewne shows you around the first floor of the tower, in a tutorial style, but after the fist floor, you're more-or-less on your own.
Out of the tower, your friend Nico, who'd rather live the civilian life, wakes you up every morning with a nice Drop kick to the chest, although adding a bit of humor to the game, it gets a bit tedious after 30 or 40 times.
Overall: 88%
Although Konami Role Playing Games are a very rare sight indeed, if you see this and are a big fan of titles like Dark Cloud and Monster Rancher, buy it before someone else does.
