Review Rewind: DariusBurst SP

So, we haven't had a review rewind in a while - but here's a title that has stuck with us for the last year, and will, most likely, stick with us for years to come. Taito's DariusBurst SP. Unfortunately, DBSP hasn't been updated to fit the iPhone/iPod 5's widescreen, but it still plays beautifully on the new hardware, and if you have a 3.5 inch screen device, or an iPad (yes, DariusBurst SP is Universal), this is definitely a game that shines on the iOS's touchscreen, and should be owned by every single hardcore gamer out there. Better yet, with Danmaku Unlimited 2 just released, we've been in a shmup mood lately, and this has definitely come back into play. 

**Note: This review was written after playing Version 1.0.1

With the hardware for iDevices getting more powerful year after year, it’s no surprise that iOS gamers are seeing more and more games ported over from other platforms. Luckily, quite a few of these games that are being ported over, are getting enhancements, and cost a fraction of their original price. Taito, recently bringing RayForce, a shmup from the early 90’s, released in Arcades, on the Sega Saturn, and Windows, over to the iOS, also decided to port over one of their newer titles, DariusBurst, a PSP and Arcade game, released only in Japan. Taito has also added quite a few features to the iOS version, giving it an all new SP Mode with new enemy patterns, and revised boss battles, as well as the Assault ship from the arcade version of the game, and new music.

With DariusBurst SP (Second Prologue) the setting switches between under-water and space levels, with the bosses being mechanical sea-creatures. This makes for 8 possible run-throughs of the game, and is a great change of pace from the standard World War/Vietnam shoot-em-ups that have cluttered the AppStore over the last couple years.

You’re able to choose between 4 ships, with 2 being locked when you first start the game. To unlock these, you’ll need to do a full run-through of the game in either Original or SP Mode, and to get the second locked ship, you’ll need to unlock Mission Mode, and complete 2 missions in Level 3. Each ship has their own strengths, multipliers, and burst shots.

Like other Darius games, you’re able to choose 5 stages while progressing through a pyramid set-up, having 11 levels in total. While blasting away, you’ll come across various enemies that will be colored either red, blue, or green, each powering up your shot, shield, and missiles.

There are 3 different gaming modes; Original, SP, and Mission. With Original Mode, you’ll be able to experience the original PSP version of the game, with the same enemy patterns and music. The SP Mode gives you a chance to blast through different enemy patterns, and revised boss battles, and all with a remixed soundtrack. With Mission Mode, you’re given 8 different levels to play through, each with 4 missions. You’re only given one life, and are put up either against a regular level without a boss, or only a boss battle, and are set to try and score as high as you can within those parameters. Mission Mode is unlocked once you’ve completed two different paths through the game in either Original or SP mode.

The scoring system in DariusBurst is fairly simple, at least, compared to some of the other depthy scoring mechanics some other Bullet Hell titles have. You’re given a Shot Multiplier which increases as you take out enemies throughout the level and each time you’re hit, your Shot Multiplier goes down. The fastest way to increase the Shot Multiplier is to take out large groups of enemies with your burst shot.

Each ship has their own Burst Multiplier, which is added on to the Shot Multiplier. Each ship has their own Burst Multiplier. For instance, Legend and Next Zero ships both have a 6x Burst Multiplier, giving them a top multiplier of 96x. The Assault ship has a 7x Burst Multiplier, topping out at 112x. To take advantage of this, killing the last enemy in a formation, as well as the mid-bosses, bosses, boss pieces and large enemies will give you the highest scores.

You’re also given bonus points at the end of the game for the amount of ships that you have, getting 10 million bonus points for not dying once. There are also some routes that will give players more points than others. Basically, use your Burst to take out large groups of enemies, large enemies, mid and end level bosses, and try to not get hit or die, and you’ll score big.

The graphics in DariusBurst are fantastic. 2.5D gameplay adds more depth than you would think, with ships able to fly by on the “right” and “left” sides of your ship before coming into “firing view”, and the backgrounds that move alongside the foregrounds where the gameplay is taking place looks gorgeous. There’s also areas where you might get dizzy because of the speed and way that the background moves about, giving the illusion of the ship turning down a 3D corridor, and out into space. Animations for the enemies, especially bosses, as well as the explosions, all look incredible. With the game being Universal, it really shines on the iPad 2, with crystal clear and very crisp visuals, it’s definitely one of the best looking games I’ve had the pleasure of playing on an iDevice over the last couple years.

As with most other shmups, DariusBurst comes along with a huge amount of replay value, especially with the Mission Mode Stages. There’s 3 difficulties, selectable in the Options Menu, GameCenter support with 17 leaderboards, and a whopping 59 achievements. With all 4 of the ships having different types of play, learning how to best play with each of them, along with the different paths you can choose from in both Original and SP Modes, the amount of replay value is extremely high, especially if you’re a completionist who’ll go after all 59 of the achievements.

DariusBurst is set up like a quarter sucking arcade game, and because of that, it has the potential of staying on your device forever.

Taito’s release of RayForce had quite a few fans of the shmup genre worried, as the controls were sketchy, and the gameplay not differing at all between iPhone and Arcade modes, but with the release of DariusBurst, and all of the extra effort that went into creating a special game for the device, Taito has re-claimed a spot directly under Cave on my favorite shmup+bullet hell developers list. The price of $10.99 is a GREAT deal, especially considering the PSP version is selling between $30 and a whopping $120, and doesn’t contain all the extras that the iOS version has. If you’re a fan of shmups, DariusBurst is a MUST BUY. Being Universal, beautiful on the iPad, smooth as butter on the iPod, and just a blast to play, Taito deserves to be supported for this. Hopefully other development companies see the support Taito is getting, and will take the iDevice more seriously. It’s games like this that push the AppStore forward, and give me hope that the device I use as my main gaming console will grow above and beyond ‘real’ gaming platforms.

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Review Rewind: Bean's Quest

Back in 2011, a then unknown development team, Kumobious, hit the scene with their breakthrough title, Bean's Quest. Though, at the time, there were very few people willing to take a chance on it. See - Bean's Quest launched at the price of $2.99 and only contained 8 levels. But those who did take a chance were completely blown away by the production values, controls, physics, animations, graphics, pretty much everything about the game was incredibly impressive. But Kumobious stated that they were going to release more levels through updates. This was also a pretty big turn off for a lot of people because, as many of us have come to experience, games that don't release with all of the planned content very rarely see any sort of content in the future. But over the next year, content updates came and shot Bean's Quest up pretty much every single platformer lovers favorites list, finally ending up with 50 stages and 150 hardcore challenges to try and complete. Needless to say, we're incredibly happy about how Bean's Quest turned out, and chances are, this game will never leave our devices. If you have yet to pick up this gem of a game, missed out on it, or just recently got an iDevice and simply weren't around when Bean's Quest was more well-known, you should definitely pick this one up. 

**Note - This Review was written by Peter Toms after playing Version 3.0.1**

In 'Bean's Quest', a delightful platformer by Kumobius, you play as Emilio, who has been transformed into a Mexican Jumping Bean and his girlfriend and pets taken away by a dark wizard. The game was originally released in mid-July with just eight levels, but has since been continuously updated by the developers to now include fifty levels. The latest update added 23 new levels and finished the story. Bean's Quest mixes around between traditional platforming elements and a truly unique and creative execution.

Gameplay/Controls: 4.5/5

The controls are very simple in 'Bean's Quest': touch the left side of the screen to move left and the right side to go right. This is combined with the fact that you are constantly jumping, so you have to time your movements accordingly. The controls work flawlessly, though for those heavily accustomed to normal platformers, the jumping mechanic will take time to get used to. The gameplay and controls work perfectly together in creating a truly unique experience. Different gameplay elements, like enemies, giant wheel-like objects, and tiny blocks help you along the way, even causing some levels to feel like a mix between physics puzzlers and platformers. 'Bean's Quest' is a very fun and enjoyable game, bringing wildly new elements to a somewhat-standardized genre.

Graphics/Music: 4.5/5

 The graphics feel very fitting as well, with a nifty semi-pixelized look. It feels like the perfect blend between retro and modernized graphics. The game looks how you'd want it to by playing it: retro streaked with a cool, new-age flair to it. Different worlds have different looks, giving a nice change-of-pace between them.  The music feels as great as I could imagine, with a chiptune-like soundtrack mixed with the Spanish flair fitting of a Mexican Jumping Bean. Each world also has a separate music number. As a whole, 'Bean's Quest' presents itself in a method pleasing to both the eyes and ears.

Content/Variety: 5/5

 If I were reviewing this game before any updates, the game would definitely be lacking in this category. But thanks to major updates, it's grown in size to become a powerhouse in terms of content. Each level has three very difficult goals: collect all the gems, find your pet Axolotl, and try to do it within the par jump, bouncing as few times as possible. Each of these will take you several tries to achieve, adding a lot of replay value to the mix. Plus there are Game Center Leaderboards for each world as well as 33 achievements to collect. To complete the game alone will take awhile, but to accomplish all three goals for every level will last you a long time in terms of playing time. There's also a lot of variety, with five definedly different worlds and an epic boss battle finale. Worlds feel a lot different too, with different enemies, obstacles, and more in each world. As far as content and variety goes, 'Bean's Quest' brings you a lot of both, giving a game one could play for hours and not get bored with.

Overall: 4.5/5

 Grab your sombrero and start jumping, because this platformer is definitely one of the most creative takes on virtual controls. Hop to it and buy this wonderful gem.

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Review Rewind: Crazy Hedgy

As we said in the intro for our last Review Rewind title; Niko, there aren't too many platformers that wind up staying on our iDevices long after we've beaten them. But the ones that do are definitely stand out titles on the iOS. Today's Review Rewind game; Crazy Hedgy, is no exception. Now, 3D platformers really are hit and miss on the touch screen, but Crazy Hedgy's tilt controls fit the gameplay perfectly, and not only do we consider it the best 3D platformer on the AppStore, but it also looks amazing. Since it's release it's received a huge graphic update that makes Crazy Hedgy one of the best looking games on the iOS. If you haven't had a chance to snag it, or missed it when it was first released, do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

**Note: This review was written after playing Version 1.2**

'Crazy Hedgy', developed by Cybertime Games, is the first great 3D platformer available on the App Store. In it, you play as the delightable hedgehog Crazy Hedgy, traveling through three well-crafted worlds. In each level your goal is to get to the end, but also to collect gems and the three hidden coins. Full of life and variety, Crazy Hedgy doesn't disappoint as the first true 3D platformer for iOS.

Controls: 5/5

As far as platformers go, it's essential to have great controls. On the app store, tilt controls hardly ever mesh well with a platformer, as accelerometer controls don't provide the layer of precision required. Crazy Hedgy is just the opposite, giving you more intuitive controls than a virtual joystick or virtual buttons could ever work. I've found that, when required, you can roll along a tiny ledge, grab a coin, then flip around while on the very edge, and make it back safely. The rest of the controls along with this are very simple as well: touch the left side to punch and touch the right side to jump. When unlocked, you can also use special moves that allow you to do different attacks, like the 'grab' upgrade, which lets you pick up Spankos and throw them. The controls have yet to fail me once, proving to me that accelerometer controls can provide the incredible precision needed in a platformer.

Content and Variety: 5/5

In 'Crazy Hedgy' you fight through more than 35 very large levels, which takes a very long time to complete. Inside each level are a large amount of gems that need to be collected to purchase upgrades and gain a better score. Also hidden in each level are three coins, often found in the toughest parts of the level. These coins are the only way to unlock more worlds, and also the key to unlocking upgrades in the shop. These upgrades feature anything from unlocking new attacks to buying better bubble gum (which can actually be a lifesaver in the game).  There's a total of seven items in the shop, each with four or so upgrades per item. For those that hate In App Purchases, have no fear: there are no iAPs anywhere near. The upgrades in the shop don't feel like a grind to reach them either; each unlock feels like it was timed perfectly to coincide with in-game progress. Another interesting addition in the game shop is magnets, which grab collectable gems (the currency in the shop) and even increase the value of each gem. That means that even after playing through all the game's levels, you can also replay levels for a higher gem score. One tiny gripe with the game is that the previous score on a given level isn't easily accessible, though when you get a high score on a level it does let you know at the end of the level. The total score from all levels is compiled in a single Game Center leaderboard. There's also a fun arena mode, which sticks you up against varying waves of enemies, giant mines, or other obstacles in a small arena.

The game also features a ton of variety. From level to level you'll face different enemies, bosses, traps, trampolines and far more. Even getting near the end of the game, it still managed to throw new elements into it. The many upgrades in the shop also create more interest in playing, as each one gives you something fun and new. Each level is well designed as well, including wildly different elements in each level. Each world is also very unique, with a new look and more types of obstacles and ingenuities. There's also numerous ways to kill enemies, from causing them to get in a fight with each other to hitting them into a trap. Often times the key to killing a tough enemy is either quickly downing a crazy potion or using the environment to you're advantage. The whole game feels complete and full of life, without even a trace of it getting old.

Graphics and Animations: 5/5

Another item to consider about the games is how it looks. This can be a game changer, especially with a 3D game. However, Crazy Hedgy looks exceptional, especially sharp when Retina display is enabled. However, all the rest of the effects work on 3rd generation devices as well, meaning no matter what device you use it's definitely a looker. The characters and environment all have a clean and polished feel, giving it a very likeable look. Everything is also very well detailed and gives the perfect look to represent how well it plays: amazing.

With graphics, animations also have to be taken into account. A game can look great in stills but look horrible in motion. However, Crazy Hedgy finds definitely finds its groove in animations, with it all moving cleanly and perfectly. The enemies also have distinct personalities, looking and moving differently than each other. The great animations of the game just help to build the game up, adding to its personality.

Overall: 5/5

All in all, it's hard to find anything bad to say about Crazy Hedgy. Between it's perfect controls, amazing level design, and great graphics, there's almost nothing to fault. 'Crazy Hedgy' rolls itself along as one of the best games available on the app store. It's an amazingly fun platformer, and one I can't recommend enough.

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Review Rewind: Niko

As I've said quite a few times in the past, platformers are the reason I got into gaming. The original Super Mario Brothers was the very first game I ever played as a child, and Metroid II - Return Of Samus is my favorite video game of all time. So it shouldn't be any surprise to hear that I have around 60 platformers on my iPad right now. However, there aren't too many that wind up staying on my devices after I have completed them. Today's Review Rewind title, Niko, developed by Fabrication Games, the same guys behind Project 83113 (which, unfortunately, has been pulled since it's release), Ionocraft Racing (which has also been pulled) and Free Zombie Hero, among others, has been on my device since its release, and has not been deleted yet. Why? The gameplay is just incredibly fun. There were also leaderboards, but they were through OpenFeint, and the game has not been updated since the OF deletion of 2012, but I still replay levels to try and beat my own scores. I might also be a little worried that it'll be pulled from the AppStore and I'll never be able to unlock the full game since it's an IAP unlock only. 

**Note: This review was written after playing Version 1.0**

'Niko' is a unique platformer published by the Sulake Corporation, also known as the makers of Habbo Hotel, which is integrated into the game with badges and medals. 'Niko' is released with six free levels, with a 1.99 purchase for the full game, which contains over 30 levels in total. In it, you take control of Niko, a lovable little character, in his quest to rescue his friends from the Otherworld. Along the way he can also release the mysterious Sun Sprites, who have been trapped in the Otherworld along with his friends.

 

Controls: 5/5

What makes or breaks a platformer is how good its controls are. Often times when a developer experiments with new control types it ends up reflecting poorly on the game. Luckily for the player, the controls work great. There are two options in the controls. One utilizes tilt to move left and right with two buttons to drag to jump. The other one, my personal favorite, is left and right arrow buttons on the left side of the screen with a draggable button on the right. To jump in the game, you simply drag the button down for power and sideways to jump directionally. A dotted line indicator allows for precision jumping as well. Another nice touch is the ability to drag off the character to jump as well. The drag-to-jump mechanic works surprisingly well, and combines perfectly with the game's ingenious level design.

Graphics and Animations: 4.5/5

The graphics of 'Niko' look very good, with a pseudo-3D effect on the otherwise 2D graphics. The animations are also great, particularly the jumping animation, which has you spinning like a ball through the air. At times I almost wish it allowed you to do this when running as well, but I think that would make it look too much like Sonic. Some of the art may take a little time to grow on you, but it does look nice, particularly the Niko character on the menu screens. 

Content: 4/5

Though the game does have decently large levels, it does feel a tad bit low on content. With 30 levels, you might go past them a little quick. However, with a 3 star rating to attain each level and 3 switches to find, it does make up for itself. Game Center achievements and leaderboards are also available, along with Open Feint, allowing you to compete against people around the world. Overall there's a decent amount of content here, but I think a little bit more would make it better.

Overall: 4.5/5

'Niko' combines several game elements to make an enjoyable game experience for even someone who isn't a fan of platformers. There's no risk in just trying it out either: Niko comes in a free to play model, with six levels completely free before a $1.99 purchase for the full game. Sulake and Fabrication Games team up to bring us an inventive and enjoyable platformer.

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Review Rewind: Fantasy Chronicle

If you haven't guessed it yet, Kemco is one of our favorite RPG publishers here at TAS. With titles like Alphadia, Symphony Of Eternity, Grinsia, Dark Gate and others, they've secured their spot in our hearts right next to the old-school Square titles like Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire, Chrono Trigger, Secret Of Evermore and others. However, there are certain titles from Kemco that definitely stand out above the rest, and Hit-Point's Fantasy Chronicle is easily one of those titles. With it's depthy equip and skill systems along with it's well thought out and incredibly charming and immersive story, Fantasy Chronicle is one Kemco title that will never leave our devices. This is a rare thing, especially in the RPG genre, but personally, I've played through FC 3 times now, and have every intention of playing through it again in a couple more months. It's just one of those games that reminds you why the iOS gaming platform is so great, and how lucky we are to actually have developers that treat the platform with the utmost respect. If you have yet to check out Fantasy Chronicle, we highly recommend you do so as soon as possible. It's one Turn-Based RPG that every fan of the genre should experience. 

**Note; This review was written after playing through Version 1.1.0

Kemco, a Japanese development company specializing in Turn Based RPGs, has just released their newest iOS port, Fantasy Chronicle. If you’re familiar with Kemco’s last releases, Symphony of Eternity, Alphadia and Eve of the Genesis, you probably already know that Kemco is right up there with Square Enix when it comes to the quality of their stories, combat mechanics, depthy equip+upgrade systems, the music used in their titles, and, of course, the gameplay. Fantasy Chronicle is no exception, and, in fact, is their most polished, and well thought out English translated iOS release to date.

STORY: 5/5

Fantasy Chronicle tells the story of 8 characters; The main character, Light, his foster sister, Fina, their ‘Grandma’, Ohma, Alterbo, a sargent in the army, Holos Over, a young girl, Corona, a magical rabbit, Mr. Poo, a girl who looks a lot like Fina, Retea, and Ray, a woman from the Dark Clans. There are other minor characters which you’ll come into contact with throughout the game, but these are the 8 that play a major roll throughout the majority of the game. I don’t want to give too much away, because like Kemco’s previous releases, the story is a huge part of the game. However, in Fantasy Chronicle, the story is a bigger part of the game than any of their previous English iOS ports. There’s a lot more going on with the characters, a lot more growth with each of them, as well as more twists, turns, drama, conflict, obsession, revenge, and everything that makes fantastic dramatic writing. The translation is also superb, as we have come to expect from Kemco. No Google Translations here. There are a couple of words that shouldn’t have been capitalized, and maybe a comma missing here and there, but aside from that, the story, and everything every single one of the characters within the game says is understandable, and grammatically correct.

Light, the main character that you will start off playing with first, is an orphan, being raised by a woman named Ohma. Living with Light and Ohma, is a young woman named Fina, who is about Light’s age. Light, wanting to follow in the footsteps of Alberto, a friend of the family, and presumably someone whom Ohma has also raised, joins the volunteer army known as Holos Over. After a couple days of training, the village in which Light has grown up in, Selka, is destroyed, with no trace of Ohma or Fina left behind, and all that’s certain is that whoever destroyed Selka is the same person or group who destroyed another village because of the symbol found amongst the ruins. You’ll go on Light’s journey to find out what happened to Fina and Ohma, and discover the truth behind who’s at fault for the destruction of his village, as well as the destruction of other villages throughout the land.

Gameplay, Controls & Music: 5/5

The gameplay in Fantasy Chronicle is typical of Turn-Based RPGs, in that you’ll be able to wonder around in towns, and other areas, as well as having a world map. You’ll start off being able to visit your hometown, and then as you explore through forests, and go down other paths, you’ll start to unlock and open up other areas within the world map that you’ll be able to jump to. Each town has a handful of places which you can visit, the Inn, Item Shop, Workshop, Town Square, Guild, Private House, Church, ect. But you will spend most of your time within the Workshop and Guild, as this is where you’ll get your missions, and upgrade equipment. Most of the time, the game plays like older Final Fantasy games, with your characters needing to speak to certain individuals in order to progress through the story, so you will also be spending a lot of time talking to the people in each of the towns, learning about the world, and triggering more story sequences.

There are some areas which do have quite a bit of grinding, but as you’ll quickly learn, what grinding there is is heavily rewarded with the story sequences that break it up. In relation to Kemco’s previous releases, the grinding is not as heavy as it is in Alphadia, but it is there. Good thing about it, though, is that with the extremely well designed combat system, the grinding could actually be considered a welcome addition, with the game having very few battles that can be won by pressing the ‘auto’ button. As for the controls, you can choose between using the touch controls, or having a virtual button set-up on the screen. There is a quick button change between the two in the lower right corner of the screen. This control set-up is great, and should really be used more in iOS games, as there are certain sections which feel better with the touch controls, and others that are better with the virtual buttons. For instance, the virtual buttons are great for exploration, and moving throughout the menus, as well as jumping from place to place on the world map, where as the touch screen controls are fantastic for the combat, upgrade, shop, and mission screens, and being able to switch between the two just by touching the lower right corner makes deciding what controls you would prefer for different sections extremely easy. The music is exceptional, and fits with the game to a “T”. There is not one section of the game where the music does not fit the mood for what’s happening. Numerous times multiple musical selections are used for one dialogue sequence, changing as the mood does.

Graphics: 4.5/5

The graphics are typical of your usual retro looking RPG. In fact, you could say it looks extremely generic. However, the up-close character images during dialogue, and their models, as well as every single one of the enemy sprites/models, is done exceptionally well, adding a lot to the feel of the game. Each of the environments that you’ll traverse through are put together extremely well. With some places given a nighttime look, and others being underground, it really would have been nice to see some lighting effects used, even if in a 2D fashion. However, what the classics have shown us is that graphics are a very small part of the genre as a whole, and even though showing off some new insane graphical style would have added to the game in a cosmetic sense, it’s really the story, combat, upgrades, equips, and music that make an RPG game great, though graphics are a big cherry on top, they are not required. Don’t get me wrong, Fantasy Chronicle does, in no way, have bad graphics, in fact, I think almost all of the enemy’s models, as well as the characters hand drawn images all look fantastic and add a lot to the feeling of the game, but if you’re tired of the typical 2D “retro” RPG look, Fantasy Chronicle will in no way impress you.

Combat, Upgrade & Equip System: 5/5

This is where Fantasy Chronicle really shines. The combat, upgrade, and equip systems and mechanics. With the combat, you’re able to choose 3 characters from your party to fight, with each of the three characters able to have with them, a guardian beast. These beasts grow stronger, accumulate experience with each of the characters, and also grow a bond with the characters which you pair them up with. The longer you have a beast and character paired up, the stronger the bond between the two. This bond is used in combat, as you can set each of the guardian beasts to attack, share the damage from enemies, or focus on healing. You are also able to pair up characters, having them join special attacks for a set amount of SP (magical power), increasing the attack that you can use. With the upgrade system, you are able to collect minerals from each of the areas that you’ll explore, from both exploring, as well as from defeating monsters. After you open up a little bit of the game in the beginning, you’ll also be able to use more characters in the Workshops to go and mine for minerals while you’re out exploring, fighting, and in general, progressing throughout the game, and be able to collect it when you come back to the Workshop in each of the visited towns.

Using these minerals, you’ll be able to upgrade items. There are also books scattered throughout the world of Fantasy Chronicle, which you’ll be able to collect, and use to turn current items into different, more powerful items. Along with the minerals, you’ll be able to find swords and armor scattered throughout the world, which you can then bring back to the Workshops, and have them disassembled so that you can gain materials that way too. With the upgrade system, your characters, as well as guardian beasts, become stronger with each level, as well as learn certain spells as they level up. The bond you create with the characters and the guardian beasts also grows, making the extra skills your guardians have stronger as well. Once you start experimenting with the whole combat and equipping systems, you’ll learn how deep they really are, giving you a lot of control over what happens in battle, and what items you equip your characters with. Planning within each of the areas for what types of enemies you’ll face and what elements they might have will also become a big part of what you use to upgrade your equipment, and what equipment you take along with you into battle.

Overall: 5/5

Kemco has shown that they know and have what it takes to compete with the best of the best within the Turn-Based RPG genre, and Fantasy Chronicle is probably their best release to date, being the most polished, well-presented, title they’ve ported to the iOS as of yet. Right now, with it’s price at $2.99, it’s a must buy for RPG fans. The combat system is one of the best I’ve seen, the story is amazingly well written, extremely engaging, and well translated with characters that you’ll become very attached to. Once you start playing, don’t be surprised if you find it hard to start up any other games on your device until you reach the end. Kemco has shown what they’re made of with their previous English iOS releases, but with Fantasy Chronicle, they’ve managed to set a new standard; not only for what fans of the genre should expect from other companies, but for what Kemco can truly bring to the table.

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