That was a very informative post. You know I was quite fond of the original OAV myself. Still have the whole DVD set on my shelf. I was actually quite fond of Lord Ashram and Pirotess. And who can forget the epic battle between the King and the Emperor. This sounds like something I'm going to have to make time for at some point. I actually enjoy a good hack n slash rpg collect a thon every now and then. I really loved Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance on the PS2. I have some days off coming up for the holiday. Maybe I can make some time for Lodoss War, although Dragon Age and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 will be keeping me busy as well. Too many games to play.Ack wrote:Sure thing. In fact, I think I'll go ahead and do it.
First off, I am a bit biased in regards to Record of Lodoss War. The original 13-episode OVA is my favorite anime series of all time, and one of my favorite representations of a traditional Western fantasy setting. And the game stays true to its universe, firmly entrenching itself directly into the world. Upon the arrival of the player character, I was fighting off hordes of undead and goblins and hobnobbing with legendary wizards.
If my knowledge of the series is correct, the game takes place around episodes 8-9 or so, at least as far as where I am. Perhaps more of the storyline will be revealed. And yes, you do run into many of the main characters. I've already encountered Parn and Deedlit, as well as the Dark Elf Pirotess. I have some complaints about the CG, specifically for Parn, but it's not a big deal.
As for gameplay, it's a very straightforward Diablo clone, though there's nothing wrong with that. Diablo is an awesome game, and so Record of Lodoss War was borrowing from an excellent source. We don't get much for class options however: you're playing a warrior, no matter what. In fact, your only real decisions in regards to combat are sword-and-board or two-hander, and what magic should I use for backup? And truthfully, the magic system is pretty clunky, so I've just gone straight up tank.
Equipment is where I think the game really shines though. You have stats governing your sword length, how well you can hear enemies, how loud your boots are so enemies can hear you, etc., and it all derives from what you're wearing. You also have a specific set of armor to wear that is upgradeable. Instead of equipping new stuff, you find new armor and take it back to your Dwarven blacksmith, and then have him refine that armor for Mythril, which can then be spent upgrading your armor into that one.
That might sound a bit odd, but your main set of equipment can be upgraded with bonuses to stats like HP, Strength, or Damage, be infused with magic spells that go off when you attack, or even have bonuses put in against certain enemy types(for instance, my current sword does an extra 75% of my base damage to goblins). And when you turn your equipment into a new type, the bonuses stay. So your short sword +7 becomes a long sword +7 or a claymore +7, at your discretion.
There's also special gear you can find throughout the world, which when refined will be put into a trophy case. I've only found three weapons for my case so far, and it's pretty big, so I've got a lot more to go. And there are short special dungeons with bigger and badder boss monsters to defeat, 30 in all I believe. I've killed only 2 so far, but I'm looking forward to getting the next one sometime soon.
The game's also very open. Once you make it through the goblin fortress, the world opens up significantly for you to wander. I suggest mainly sticking to the proper areas, as some of those other places will absolutely rape you. But I like that I can go explore the place almost from the get go. The game also isn't kind, and you can end up in some overwhelming fights pretty quick. I fought off a goblin horde earlier today, and I do mean horde. There were probably 200 fellas in a single room. It was epic.
All in all, I really like the game. It's got its issues, but I keep coming back and wanting to play more, even when I get beaten into a pulp by something much bigger than me.
I really like the sound of those special dungeons and trophy items. That's the kind of extra stuff I always look for in games like this. I love having a reason to power up my character beyond simply beating the game. And the upgrade system sounds deep yet accesible. This seems to be one of those Dreamcast gems that many people don't know about
