Latest Reviews
Guitar Hero: On TourSecret Agent ClankWe Love Golf!Ferrari Challenge Buzz! Quiz TVUser Reviews
There are currently 0 User Reviews for Golden SunWrite your own review for this game today and you will receive 100 Gamer Points.
Click here to register
Golden Sun Review
Chris Leyton
00/12/0000
Take a trip down memory lane in this nostalgic RPG for the GameBoy Advance.
Whilst the SNES was home to a large selection of quality RPGās, youād have expected to see a number of these and similar games developed for the technically similar GameBoy Advance. Unfortunately this hasnāt been the case, so whilst weāre waiting for the next Zelda title, weāll while away the hours quite happily on Golden Sun.
Coming from the creators of Mario Tennis and Everybodyās Golf, Golden Sun shows that Camelot know a thing or two about quality games.
Golden Sun is an RPG very akin to Zelda, but shares many elements from several other RPGās to create a truly remarkable nostalgic game that reminds you of the fun you used to have back in the days of the SNES.
Thereās nothing new or original about the story or the way the game is played, itās the usual epic struggle of good versus evil, as you take on the role of a young squire named Isaac. Living in a magical world where alchemy rules and rare individuals called Adepts have mastered Psynergy, or the ability to telekinetically move items and attack. As the game begins, two villainous mages hatch a diabolical plot to use four Elemental Stones to wreak unspeakable horror on Angara. And so Isaac and his fellow Adepts embark on a perilous journey to reach the stones first and save the world.
Of course the age-old saying of ātwo heads are better then oneā applies to every RPG, so you can count on a number of friends to join your party and help out in your adventure. Those pining for a Square game on a Nintendo will love Golden Sun, the look and feel is very reminiscent of Secret of Mana, with crisp and colourful visuals that show a remarkable level of detail yet still have that immersive charm that brings you into the game.
The actual game is a wonderful experience that will keep RPG fans hooked for many hours, the first 20 minutes play-out the opening prologue set three years before the actual game begins.
RPG fans will immediately recognise the game mechanics at work, battles are random turn-based affairs that wonderfully show-off the games visuals. The camera pins around from the usual top view thanks to some superb Mode-7 scaling, as the characters come to life, slashing swords and using a variety of impressive magical spells that makes every fight a joy to watch and participate in.
Iām not usually a fan of random battles, however Camelot has kept them to a minimum ensuring that each one generates the excitement that it should.
Special mention should go to the games sound, the songs are fantastic and sound good on the GBAās tiny speaker. Itās a testimony to the soundtrack that I would rather listen to this type of videogame music, over the licensed trash that features in many of the next-gen gamesā¦
A new element added to the game is the introduction of Djinni, these creatures can be collected along the course of your adventure and used in battle, complete with a variety of impressive special effects. There are four types of Djinni based on the four different elements, you can train them along the way which increases your characters stats and attributes. This element alone makes the combat system more diverse then most other RPGās, and adds a great sense of tactics to the whole affair.
There are a few problems with Golden Sun, youāll frequently have to answer yes or no when speaking to other characters. Whilst this has been designed to draw you into the character, they ultimately become obtrusive and frustrating, as conversation rarely has any bearing on your actual quest resulting in the hammering of the A button to get it over with.
Also Golden Sun feels like itās taken the best bits from numerous RPGās, it does all come together but you canāt help feeling that it is slightly derivative.
