Even linear RPGs such as Grandia allow one to tread off the beaten path every once in a while, but not Illusion of Gaia. Firstly, the game is among the most linear RPGs I’ve ever played. This is because many RPG conventions were dropped. While playing the game, the term “RPG-lite” kept popping into my head. However, if you enjoy platform jumping, then Illusion of Gaia’s exclusion of it may not be to your liking. Platform jumping is something I’m not very good at and thus consider a nuisance. Another thing I liked was that there was no platform jumping.
However, control on some of the special moves that require timed button presses can be a tad spotty. You only control one character (who can change shape) in the game, and he responds fluidly to button input. Thankfully, the game is quite fun to play. Given that Illusion of Gaia is an action-RPG, control and gameplay are large factors. The sound effects are fairly standard 16-bit sound effects, but all are crisp and clear. The compositions work well within the context of the game and have a classic ‘fantasy RPG’ feel to them, but I don’t think they would hold up on their own. However, the music does not compel me to buy the soundtrack. There was not a single track I did not like. There is a nice variety of music in the game and all of it is well composed. So the bottom line is that the graphics are colorful, stylish and nice over all, but not flashy or jaw-dropping. Also, there aren’t too many flashy special effects with regards to spells and/or special attacks. While some bosses aren’t very big, others are so big they take up most of the screen. The best “spritery” comes from some of the larger bosses. There is very little palette swapping among the enemy creatures, so many of them remain distinct. However, some dungeons take a long time to traverse and have few distinct landmarks, so they may seem repetitive. There aren’t too many locales in the game, so each town and dungeon has its own unique look. The backgrounds are bright and colorful, and the character sprites are large and animate smoothly. I’ve not played SoulBlazer and have only briefly tried Terranigma, and my understanding and enjoyment of Illusion of Gaia was not hampered one bit. I am unsure of how (or even if) the games in the series are connected, but Illusion of Gaia works fine as a standalone RPG. The first is SoulBlazer and the third is Terranigma. Illusion of Gaia is the second game in Quintet’s “Blazer” action RPG series.
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