So, I took time out to “educate” myself and play an RPG that wasn’t A) Part of a franchise or B) Fable. After fruitlessly looking through the used game store for an entire five minutes, mine eyes fell upon Sudeki. Magical girlie wearing almost nothing? Guy with spiky hair and a big sword? Cat-girl? It ticked all of the RPG boxes, so of course I found myself buying it and taking it home.
And that was a good idea. One of the best I’ve had this summer (which tells you about just how much I’ve done this summer). Already I’m close to half-way through the game. It is very fun to play, if more than a little easy. Although shops are few and far between (and usually run by…memorable characters) healing salves are cheap and there are many hidden in pots throughout monster infested areas, which make boss battles quick.
I like the idea of being able to customize your character by choosing which skills they level up in although it isn’t really a new or original idea. I just like it. Although I did end up giving my ‘harmless’ dutch dude little to no hp boosts, which left him very vulnerable when he had to battle his computer.
The characters had to grow on me. Ailish drove me crazy at first, with her horrible voice and preference for wearing pieces of string rather than real clothing, (I actually punched the air at her second ‘power-up’ when she actually got real clothes to wear. Sort of.) but I did end up liking her. Well, when she was quiet.
Buki’s nature seemed to go against her lack of clothes (rather than finding her costume change sexy I found myself wondering just how she was able to move the way she did while wearing a thong. Surely, that would hurt) and I quite liked her. Although her hard-on for tradition got sort of old after a while.
Elco is kinda cool. Weak though, and I find myself pushing most of my power/life/essence up orbs onto him. I really hope that they flesh out his story a bit in the future. I’d like to know, for instance, how he lost his arm. And just where he got those neat glasses from, since I need a new pair. The dutch is a nice touch, although his accent can be a little hard to decipher from time to time.
Tal is a generic main characters. I do like the way his family back story has been done though, and I liked the fact that after their big row, he and his father made up. That doesn’t happen often. I do find the fact that he gets the least exotic special ability very funny however. “I’m Ailish the great sorceress! And I have the gift of second sight!” “I’m Buki half-woman half-beast and I can climb walls!” “I’m Elco, and I can fly!” “I’m Tal! And I can…push things. And sometimes, I loosen jars for the others.” Although looking at him makes me cringe a bit. I mean, armor over bare skin? Doesn’t that pinch?
Battles range from fun to frustrating. Switching straight from a melee character to a long range fighter can be disorientating at first, especially with the switch to first person. I don’t think I’m the only person wishing that there was a way to switch to a third-person view there, despite the fact that that would make shooting almost impossible.
It is an extraordinarily easy game, with a few puzzles scattered through short dungeons and high-powered weapons given at the end of easy quests. The only thing that is difficult to get a hold of is money. You sell a hide or two to Kamo, only to learn that you should have sold them to Jurgen the scary German (“Lay your skin on me! I can’t get enough!”) and end up traipsing around the bright empire trying to get a good price.
I’ve been told that the dynamic of the group is explored as you travel with little bits of spoken dialogue between members of the group (and indeed, did witness Ailish and Buki chatting) but since I spend most of my gaming time listening to music, I can’t tell you about that.
All in all, it seems to be a pretty short, pretty easy, pretty fun game. I’m enjoying the party and their personalities and even though I’m pretty sure I’ll finish it in a couple of hours and that I know what is going to happen next (that queen looks evil. She has pointy teeth and everything) I’ve still become rather fond of it. It’s no Windwaker, but it’s worth a play through anyway.