Seikon no Joka (聖痕のジョカ), launched 4/25/1997, developed by Takara

The following two SRPGs I solely performed the primary few levels of, so there might be one other publish on Wednesday this week with Glowing Feather.

This recreation’s title means “Joka of the Sacred Scar”, though elsewhere within the recreation and directions, 聖痕 is learn as “rune” as an alternative. The sport is predicated off a lightweight novel collection, though one website I noticed mentioned it takes place 100 years after the novels, though that’s not clear from the backstory within the directions.

The background story is that hundreds of years earlier than, the 24 Runes have been sealed away within the Earth’s Navel by a lady named Joka, thus eradicating them from influencing the world. However now, an unknown individual has unsealed the runes from the Navel. In an effort to cease this, the Angel Topuka tried to reincarnate Joka, who had the Clean Rune that would unify all of the runes. However Topuka tousled and break up Joka into two components, certainly one of whom is born as a princess, the opposite as an orphan within the wilds.

One speedy concern with this recreation is the offputting character designs.

Now you identify the primary character, together with his title (I used Scarlet Lightning Kurisu). He’s attempting to get a treasure from ruins, however thieves assault on his manner out.

The system is fairly typical though fairly than a grid, it’s a sphere of motion. You’ll be able to transfer, after which assault or use a particular assault. A few of the assaults have “reverse” variations that apparently can be utilized when you get to the purpose within the recreation the place your characters get the Runes.

Nevertheless, I encountered the primary large drawback with the sport throughout and after this stage. At any time when you’re in any type of standing menu or store menu, the background spins round rapidly behind the home windows (that are semi-transparent). I get movement sick fairly simply and whereas I can’t recall ever getting it from a online game, the spinning background made me queasy — even when it didn’t it’s actually distracting to attempt to be studying textual content within the foreground whereas the background is spinning round at a fairly excessive pace. That is the first cause I gave up on the sport after a couple of missions.

There’s not a lot about this recreation on the Web, however I did discover a couple of criticisms of the digicam spinning together with one Japanese participant who additionally bought sick from it.

Kurisu reaches city to attempt to promote what he bought, however it seems that “cute Topuka” (the angel from the opening) is in it, though with no reminiscence. All he is aware of is that he must get to the city of Silver. Kurisu and he be part of up with a service provider who desires some bodyguards to assist them undergo a forest.

Within the second stage ghosts assault within the forest, and right here we discover the second huge drawback with this recreation — you’ll be able to solely management Kurisu. Everybody else strikes on AI. That is an odd choice for an SRPG; it’s true that there are video games like Ogre Battle that don’t enable direct management of the characters however the system is about up for that. Right here it’s mainly a traditional SRPG however you’ll be able to solely management one character. Additionally whereas the opposite characters (and enemies) are shifting, the digicam is spinning round 360 levels identical to it does when you’ve gotten the menu open.

After the battle we meet up with the wild orphan Joka.

Within the subsequent city we meet the princess Joka who is meant to marry a prince from one other land to unify the alliance between their nations, however she has no need to do this. She feels a reference to the wild Joka and with Kurisu’s assist they escape the palace.

That is the place I finished; I simply couldn’t play any extra with the spinning digicam, and even with out that why play an SRPG the place you’ll be able to’t management most of your occasion? There are apparently two endings based mostly on varied decisions you make all through the sport; it appears to must do with which Joka the primary character will get nearer to. However I gained’t be seeing both of them.