Square Enix Means Solid RPG
Admittedly, I am a sucker for RPG games. I am especially fond of the ones that have "Square Enix" written on the box. That said, I expected this to be a good game. The look and feel of the game seems to be that of contrasts. The battle system is split between the two screens where there are different methods of engaging battle, the characters are caught in what could be considered a grown up world but are themselves just kids, and even managing the incredible amounts of equipment is balanced between stat bonuses and the situations you find yourself in. The creators accomplished a level of complexity I can't really draw to any parallel for hand held games, especially in recent memory. Even replaying the game from the beginning can mean unlocking even more gear and secrets. The music is surprisingly good, the story is well done, and the graphics seem reasonable for the DS. If anything is a downside it is the very battle system that I learned to enjoy. When I was playing later in the game during a furious fight, one of my family members asked me what was going on that I had to tap my DS so violently. It wasn't until they said something that I realized that many of the battle moves are engaged by very similar motions on the touch screen. A battle can last for a couple of minutes but they can also be chained together to last several minutes. I could see this getting really old for people that don't look for a reason to enjoy this type of experience.
