This explains how, if you misuse Gig’s power, you will be punished in some way. “Use his power to slay the mighty World Eaters, but don’t get carried away…” “The God of Death is back, and he’s looking for trouble!” They’re talking about Gig. “Some people just aren’t fit to play god,” declares the back cover blurb. The cover is decent from a design standpoint, but doesn’t really convey the turn-based feel of the game or the real depth of its story.
The background looks like a destroyed village with a hellish crimson laid over it. To his right is a black sword with a somewhat fanciful-looking hilt and a rune-etched blade.
Gig is a jerk, but his one of your main allies in the game, and receives some character development over the course of the story. SNatWE was a strategy RPG, and is still unlike any other I’ve ever played.Īn evil-looking character graces the front cover. It was actually the first NIS game that I ever owned. It’s definitely the darkest NIS game I’ve ever played, and also the least cute, with a different art style from Disgaea, Phantom Brave, and the like. However, the game does have a pretty interesting story with some very dark themes. Why is that? Is it because it was difficult and maybe overly complicated? Coming back to this journal, I realized that I never really felt like I understood the game enough to play it well.
When people discuss PS2 hidden gems, they usually talk about Shadow of the Colossus, or Okami, or Odin Sphere, but never SNatWE.
I don’t even remember any magazine reviewing it when it came out. It seems to have fallen into complete obscurity. Was this recommendation.Nippon Ichi Soft has rereleased and remade some of their older games, even more than once, but they’ve never rereleased SNatWE. Carefully craft the character you envision, be it a versatile generalist, a dedicated spell-caster or a mighty foe-crushing specialist!Ĭustomize your troops' appearance your way, by selecting their portrait, outfit, colors and overall visuals from a wide selection.Įquip your army with over 240 pieces of equipment, either purchased, gathered from fallen enemies or created from crafting. Take control of the Arbiter Kyrie, an agent of the Immortal Council tasked with preserving stability and order throughout the land, and lead your troops through difficult encounters.Įxperience an epic and mature story, unfolding through over 40 story encounters and topped with challenging end-game content.Ĭlassic tactical combat battles, with rugged terrain and elevation, taking place on beautiful hand-drawn environments.Ī deep and complex class system with over 30 classes and 300 abilities lets you truly customize every one of your characters through the selection of their class, sub-class and passives. Was this recommendation.?įell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is a story-driven, turn-based tactical RPG set in a fantasy world with a touch of steampunk. Otherwise, the gameplay is similar to other Tengai Makyou games, featuring overworld map traveling and first person perspective, turn-based combat. If you lose against a boss enemy, the game is not over, but instead, a branching storyline path is revealed. You can tackle many missions in any order you want, and the storyline also changes depending on the outcome of major battles. The most important new feature of the game is a non-linear storyline. The land Jipang is very similar to medieval Japan, and during your adventure you'll also visit Mongolia, China, and other Asian countries. You play as either Tenran or Aoi, a teenage boy and girl, respectively, on quest to defeat the ancient evil that threatens the prosperous land of Jipang, to prove themselves worthy of the legendary Fire Clan, warriors who have been protecting Jipang for many generations from evil demons and warlocks. The game continues the tradition of Tengai Makyou series, also known as "Far East of Eden". It has a unique magic system and different pathways the story can take depending on in-game choices.
Oriental Blue: Ao No Tengaiis an RPG from the Far East of Eden series.