Xak III: The Eternal Recurrence
This one goes hardGenre: adventure - overhead
Publisher: NEC
Year: 1994
System: PCE CD
Gameplay Score: 2
Gameplay Notes:
Dang, I wish the gameplay on tap here were better because the narrative is unlike anything else of the era. However, all you get is a plodding overhead hack and slash with way too short reach and terrible hit detection. Movement is slow but eight directional, which is about the only plus I can give it. You can jump for a little bit of platforming, but the lack of weapon variety or magic or anything else massively holds this back. The only other noteworthy mechanic is an occasional party member who follows you around and auto-attacks enemies. But hey're weak that they may as well not be there. Weird.
Level Design Score: 3
Level Design Notes:
Large areas with no map and meandering paths make for a confusing experience most of the time. Still, the world feels large and varied, so I could see getting lost in the world. Again, you can jump which allows for some platforming and verticality in the dungeons, similar to LttP. Having said all that, the areas themselves have a TON of foreground elements which obscure your view. I can't emphasize their frequency enough. Pillars and walls and columns and statues are all over the place, hiding enemies, doorways, and other important objects. To drive the point home, these obstructions changes the way you play the game because of the challenging combat (short reach and all). You can't see the entire room so you need to progress slowly to sus out where all enemies and threats are in each room. This is further aggravated by the continuous respawing enemies. I'm tempted to drop this down to a 2 because it's so annoying, but it's a nitpick that I could learn to live with.
Theme Score: 5
Theme Notes:
Blood, guts, and an unforgiving cast of villains. The first stage begins with the invasion of a kingdom by demons. The chief demon slaughters the king's guarde before impaling and brutally murdering the king. As the Demon King gloats, a lackey brings the princess as their captive. Naturally, she's shocked to see her dead father and is mocked and threatened by the demons. At this point I thought, well, here's the damsel in distress, but no, moments later the lackey rips her head off and throws her lifeless body to the ground in a pile of blood. Woah. Not what I was expecting. Expect the unexpected in this one.
Art Style Score: 4
Art Style Notes:
Sprites are small but I like the look and feel of this game. It's got a lot of details and reminds me of Majyuuou (King of Demons) for the SFC.
Audio Score: 4
Audio Notes:
The CD-quality of the music elevates what is an otherwise unspectacular soundtrack. It's fine, but the snogs aren't catchy. They match the setting anyway, with an overly cheerful town theme contrasting with a gloomy dungeon track. However, there are long reloading times between loops of the tracks. I hate that in these CD titles.
Overall Score: 56
Review ID: 11125
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