Mystic Ark (ミスティックアーク), launched 7/14/1995, developed by Produce!, revealed by ENIX
Produce!, the developer of this recreation, additionally labored on Elnard (seventh Saga), Mind Lord, and Nekketsu Tairiku Burning Heroes. Though this isn’t an actual sequel to any of these video games, there are some reused property and similarities. Apparently there was a plan to launch the sport within the US as “seventh Saga II” nevertheless it by no means occurred. There’s a translation patch, although.
The opening reveals six characters being attacked by a spinning sq. and teleported away someplace. These are the six celebration members you possibly can have (along with the principle character). None of them have any backstory or dialogue within the recreation; maybe there was some within the instruction guide? This I believe is likely one of the weaknesses of the sport; the celebration members are simply statistics and powers, with no function within the story in any respect. None of them have any traces of dialogue (the principle character can also be silent).
Everybody appears to have changed into these wood collectible figurines in a wierd temple of some type. The primary character Kurisu is remodeled again right into a human. Firstly you possibly can’t choose up any of the figures, and wandering across the church there are numerous rooms, a few of that are open, which have objects in them. You’ll be able to work together with plenty of objects on this recreation on this means:
You’ll have numerous choices — contact, look, shake, and use objects, and so on. This provides an adventure-game like aspect to the sport. Numerous issues proper now can’t be affected, however a fire will discuss, and Kurisu learns that she’s presupposed to get 7 Arks in 7 totally different worlds. She additionally will get the Crystal, which acts because the enemy radar (like in seventh saga) and in addition can warp to totally different locations, however not in dungeons. It additionally seems that by going to the ship above we will attain the primary world — a world of pirate cats.
The fundamental move of the entire recreation is that you just enter a world, remedy some drawback there, after which discover one of many seven Arks. You then’ll have the ability to use that Ark in a roundabout way again in the principle church to open the best way to a different world. When you get all seven arks you possibly can go to the ultimate dungeon and win the sport.
The battle system is kind of normal. Every character has powers they acquire with stage ups that do numerous issues (particular assaults, protection, and so on.) and a few of them get spells. One good characteristic is which you could see the enemy HP. The primary character will quickly get an influence referred to as Figurine that may rework monsters into Collectible figurines. I by no means discovered a goal for these collectible figurines however I believe I didn’t discover optionally available issues sufficient; there’s some monster enviornment and possibly a spot you possibly can commerce them in however for those who simply keep on with the principle quest there’s no level.
There are two units of feuding pirate cats however they’ve forgotten why they’re preventing. Kurisu type of performs each side and finally with the assistance of a witch stops them from preventing…though the world does flood, in order that’s not nice. Finally Kurisu comes throughout a temple that holds the Energy Ark.
Now Kurisu can choose up the six collectible figurines in the principle room of the church. Through the use of the Ark of Energy on one in every of them they are going to come to life. Merely carrying the opposite collectible figurines in your stock will earn them XP; the particular person you even have out appears to earn extra, however the collectible figurines received’t fall too far behind. The six characters are Miriene (an offensive magic specialist), Lux (a robotic with excessive protection), Resheene (A martial arts fighter, who I’m utilizing within the above screenshot), Tokio (Ninja), Kamiwoo (beast fighter), and Meshia (healer).
The best way the celebration members work is considerably irritating, although. Any time you return to the church, they return to collectible figurines so that you’ll need to deliver them out once more if you go right into a world. In the event that they hit 0 hp in battle, they’re returned to the church in figurine type, so it’s a must to go all the best way again to the church to get them. If the principle character hits 0 hp, it’s recreation over (again to the final inn with 1/2 gold). That is actually unacceptable in a recreation that has on the spot demise spells from the enemies. I had quite a lot of occasions the place I obtained a recreation over or a celebration member demise from full HP having taken just one motion in fight (and even zero actions in a single case). I used save states to a restricted extent due to this.
The second world is a wierd “fruit world” the place persons are constructing their houses in big fruits. You must assist them discover seeds, get water, and defeat the evil foxes and beetles which can be making an attempt to assault them. Most bosses at this stage go all the way down to a reasonably simple mixture of assault and heal — a few of them have annoying heal spells themselves, however they’ll run out of MP finally. One the ultimate fox is defeated, Kurisu recovers the Ark of Gentle. This Ark could be put right into a weapon to offer that weapon a thunder aspect and enhance the injury.
Subsequent up is a kids’s world, inhabited solely by kids and one older girl taking care of them. Typically you’ll find hearts on this planet which you’ll be able to take again to the church and put into collectible figurines there to revive the folks to the world. As well as, the Arks can typically be used on objects — as an example, the Ark of Energy might allow you to elevate one thing you wouldn’t have the ability to, and the Ark of Gentle would possibly illuminate one thing. That is extra of the adventure-game like gameplay.
The primary drawback within the kids’s world is that the older girl appears to have made some pact with a Chimera to create this world for the youngsters, however the Chimera desires to make use of her magic energy for his personal finish. Finally she rejects him however we’ve to beat him as much as free her from its energy.
As soon as that is carried out, we discover the Ark of Knowledge, which might get a 3rd celebration member. At this level the boss battles turn out to be a bit simpler as a result of the Energy and Pace buff spells stack, so with a celebration like Kurisu-Meshia-Resheen/Kamiwoo you possibly can have Kurisu heal whereas Meshia buffs the third particular person’s energy as much as max (and velocity if needed). Meshia can even “compassion” to revive her personal MP. I used this technique on many of the remaining bosses.
Subsequent up is the Machine World, which is all black and white.
There are machines far and wide. Going additional via the world we see that one other space of the world has no sound, and a 3rd space turned everybody outdated. All of it appears to be the fault of malfunctioning machines, possibly. Finally with the assistance of the scientists Edison and Einstein, we make it into the depths of a big industrial advanced the place slaves are working to make robots. Right here Kurisu recovers the Ark of Fireplace, restoring the world to regular. The Fireplace Ark is one other one that may be put right into a weapon.
Subsequent up is the Wind World, though the wind has stopped and there’s an enormous big threatening the land. Right here the Ark of Wooden is within the first room you seem in however the villagers received’t allow you to take it till you remedy their drawback. It’s one other world that includes machines; finally you encounter clones, headed up by the Historic One. He’s sturdy however goes all the way down to the buff technique — he says that some “darkness” awoke him sooner than he ought to have. We’ve heard hints of this darkness elsewhere.
The following world, the Darkish World, is a pleasant change of tempo — you solely have Kurisu and the main focus is principally on the puzzle fixing, though you do need to struggle some encounters. As soon as once more this “darkness” appears to be meddling with issues.
Lastly there’s the fairy story world, with a bunch of characters from well-known fairy tales — the ant and the grasshopper, Cinderella, Pinocchio, the Emperor’s New Garments, the Three Little Pigs, Little Crimson Driving hood, and others. Right here the “darkness” comes out explicitly, wanting to show the whole lot into collectible figurines. We’ve to beat the large unhealthy wolf, assist Cinderella get to the ball, and different issues of that nature.
Lastly we struggle the Darkness, after which get the ultimate Ark, because the Darkness retreats to the ultimate space. There are just a few subbosses within the remaining brief dungeon, after which the ultimate boss — the Evil Coronary heart. His purpose is to return the whole lot to a state of stillness, with no will or thought.
He’s fairly robust however for those who use Mirrors to dam his spells after which max Resheene’s energy and velocity, she will be able to Kick with a good sufficient success fee to make it worthwhile.
After defeating him, the voice behind the hearth and the statue that has been giving us hints all recreation tells us what occurred. The church and all seven worlds have been created by this being to check Kurisu, as preparation for her getting into the world she is meant to be in. The “darkness” was presupposed to be the ultimate encounter, created from the evil in Kurisu’s coronary heart. But it surely was too sturdy and it broke the being into seven components (the Arks). Now that the darkness has been defeated, Kurisu can head to the brand new world.
Through the credit sequence, all of the celebration members are proven returning to their house worlds. Then Kurisu goes via a door of sunshine. The display goes darkish; at this level there are sound results that I believe are presupposed to signify a road with honking horns indicating that Kurisu is in our world, nevertheless it was arduous to inform if that was the intent.
This recreation was just a little disappointing, though not unhealthy. Earlier than I began the weblog I might have anticipated one thing like this to be a beneath common recreation; the truth is I might put it within the prime third or possibly even 25% of video games I’ve performed. However the story is moderately skinny. The person worlds are fascinating and have some enjoyable characters, however I want the celebration members had extra presence within the recreation. Additionally the ultimate reveal is type of dumb. The gameplay is general first rate, however the best way the sport offers with hitting 0 hp is annoying, regardless of the thematic purpose for it. The graphics and music are good although, with some memorable BGM.
Subsequent up might be Dunquest, a type of motion RPG recreation that’s a bit just like the Torneko’s Dungeon collection however with out the random flooring.