Review
Rogue Galaxy Review (PS2)
Japanese RPG uber-developer Level 5 has carved a well-deserved reputation for creating absorbing and stylish role-playing titles: PS2 stalwarts Dark Chronicles and the Dragon Quest series both emerged from the offices. Rogue Galaxy is their latest attempt at the genre and has had fans anticipating the game as one of the last great, epic RPG's to make a mark on PS2 but is it any good?
One of the critical elements of role-playing games is the story and Rogue Galaxy is, mostly, a pretty accomplished affair new and intriguing plot elements do enough to mask those that have been seen in every space opera in a galaxy far, far away, with every corrupt leader and clone army being more than matched by a hefty dose of imagination.
Luke Skywalker is the obvious inspiration for Jaster Rogue, the central character who dreams of travelling the galaxy and making a name for himself as a famous hunter and pirate. Your home planet, the Tatooine-esque Rosa, is under guard by the Longardia Commonwealth, apparently to guard the planet's natural resources and also shackling the innocent citizens into an oppressive, controlling regime. A case of mistaken identity whisks you, the ambitious Jaster Rogue hence Rogue Galaxy's name into the cosmos aboard the famed pirate vessel Dorgenark.
Gameplay is pretty similar, on a basic level, to most other RPG's on the market today. Movement is controlled with the left stick as you canter through the fully-3D world. With the camera is adjustable with the right. Circle jumps, X interacts with the world (normally either characters, puzzles or treasure chests), with triangle opening up the main menu. It's a simple system but it works especially well for the slightly younger audience that this game might be skewed towards, even though the rich, sumptuously-illustrated world will sate the hunger of any eager fan.
Graphically, it's a masterpiece: animι-styled, cell-shaded characters contrast perfectly, standing out against the imaginative worlds that ooze atmosphere as you explore. A diverse, wonderfully well designed cast of characters fill out the world from a variety of races: Jaster is an ambitious young rogue (again, hence the name) who dresses in typical desert-hunter clothes; Lilika is an Amazonian warrior from the Burkaqua tribe, all head-dresses and war-cries, and Kisala is a typically enthusiastic Japanese teenager. There's yet more endearing, attractive character design, too: Zegram is a typical pirate, Simon is a practically spherical comedy foil to Steve's C3PO impression, and Deego is, literally, half-dog and half-man. The cast, especially the principle players, are one of the main reasons you'll come back to Rogue Galaxy for the dozens of playing hours for one simple reason: you care about them.
The worlds that these characters inhabit is just as gorgeous and varied. Your home planet Rosa combines desert-style simplicity with gadgetry, and Juraika is lush with greenery. Zerard is the technological hub of the galaxy and combines this rich and enthusiastic use of computers with a style that, at first glance, seems to borrow from the architecture of the ancient South American tribes like the Incas. Vedan is a mining planet and exudes the grimy, industrial smog that you'd expect from such a place. And your ship, the Dorgenark, is a real pirate vessel, complete with a wheel, wooden cabins, fittings and fixtures, masts and a sail. It just flies through space rather than slices through waves.
Rogue Galaxy's planets and characters all come with a hefty dose of charm and a twee sense of happiness as all the danger and excitement is left to the random battles that often halt your progress. The monsters are unusual and sometimes bear little resemblance to the environment you fight in: you'd expect giant tarantulas on a jungle world like Juraika, but not in a factory on Zerard but they're there. Several methods to defeat them besides the usual sword swipes and gun-shots are available: abilities can be unlocked throughout the game that unleash powerful attacks in a flurry of fireworks, and a beat mania-style mini-game is used to employ each character's special moves and both of these make the battling exciting and explosive. Unfortunately, though, when you just want to get to your next destination and you keep running into zombies it's a little annoying although this is a fault of the genre rather than that of the game.
Combat isn't all style and no substance, either. Unlike numerous Final Fantasy games (and this is one area where Rogue Galaxy differs after taking plenty of 'inspiration' from Square's series) battles occur in real-time so there's no atmosphere-destroying load to another arena, and no turn-taking. You and your companions a party of three, usually wade in together, wielding one of the large selection of oversized weapons there's a lot of graphical exaggeration, befitting the genre and slaying various 'beasts' that litter the multiple planets.
To stop the battle becoming too hectic, you're able to tap a shoulder button to have your colleagues unleash special attacks instead of having to click through to their respective menus. Sensibly, this allows you to concentrate on tactics and your own character a little more; you can choose how you fight as the battle progresses, and the AI mostly doesn't let you down, religiously following your orders. At the end of the skirmish there's also the usual experience points dished out to your team and your equipment as well as loot-gathering from your fallen foes.
Outside of combat, the rest of the game is initially quite sedate; go here and there, complete tasks, talk to certain people, watch the lengthy, scene-setting and story-telling cut scenes until the plot thickens and the stakes are raised as you plunge deeper into intergalactic politics yet even here prolonged periods of action are rare, with Level 5 (quite rightly, the movies are excellent) choosing to tell their story via stylish panning, zooming and dialogue.
Disappointingly, Rogue Galaxy feels quite linear. The only buildings that are explorable are (rare) shops and the occasional house compare this to other RPG's where you can enter virtually every building and find someone to talk to and there's plenty of invisible walls to stop you taking alternate paths that could be used to uncover the sub-plots and side-quests that, despite being modern genre mainstays, are mostly absent here. Even the addition of a bonus planet the PS2 exclusive water-world of Alistia, can't make up for the single-minded nature of the gameplay elsewhere.
The distractions that remain, thankfully, are mostly well-designed diversions that flesh out Rogue's galaxy. The highly sophisticated planet of Zerard plays host to the Insector tournament that functions as an odd but enjoyable fusion of Pokιmon and chess: you raise a team of five mini-beasts to fight your battles against opponents in a specially-designed arena, working your way through ladders and leagues.
Weapon upgrading is also made possible thanks to a friendly being called Toady who joins your party and, amusingly, can swallow two similar swords or guns to create an entirely new item. You're also given the keys to an entire factory that you can use, in a puzzling minigame, to create your own items to sell in the game's shops. A Final Fantasty-style system is used to upgrade your abilities: items are placed into a flow-chart to reveal new skills and moves, and multiple paths are available for deeper character customisation.
One area where plenty of time is usually invested by developer Level 5 is the soundtrack and Rogue Galaxy is no different, having been crammed with gorgeous, evocative tunes. Each area has a suite of music that compliments the surroundings, and every battle has a tune that'll heighten the intensity of the action. The only let-down is the victory music whenever you vanquish your foes that, mysteriously, sounds an awful lot like the Final Fantasy 9 equivalent. The rest of the sound is pretty good, too, with voice acting being of a high standard through and some great, over-the-top accents cropping up a Scottish character, in particular, is pretty entertaining, and the employment of industry veterans has obviously improved the quality.
Despite Rogue Galaxy being an almost overwhelmingly positive experience, there's a few issues that grate. A promising system of puzzle solving that initially gives you clues to help solve a riddle and choose the right object soon degenerates into a simple game of telling you what item you need to use. Such a rich world is sorely needing some more interactivity and back-story to help fill it out, too, with several areas feeling empty and lifeless due to the lack of other characters or interactive areas. Rather than believing the world exists, it sometimes seems that the brilliantly-named citizens (ever heard of someone called Masculine, or Rant?) are there as mere window-dressing instead of genuine people.
At most, though, they're minor annoyances normally you won't even notice because you're caught up in the rest of the game: an exquisitely-designed, gorgeously-illustrated space opera of the highest quality that invites you into an interesting, absorbing galaxy filled with intriguing characters and doesn't let you out until you've finished exploring the numerous planets that litter the galaxy.
The superb cell-shaded graphics enchant when coupled with the imaginative, exciting character design and enthralling music, and the classic, tried-and-tested RPG gameplay is almost impossible to get wrong and works fantastically alongside the newer, rarer features that Level 5 have incorporated, like the Revelation Flow, Insector tournaments, weapon fusion, factory ownership and thrilling real-time battles. Don't let the fun immaturity of the game or the knockabout nature of the story fool you Rogue Galaxy will entertain anyone with even a hint of role-playing interest for hours. The PS2, it seems, is getting the send-off it deserves.
Top Game Moment: So many to choose from: exploring a new world, drooling over the cell-shaded, animι styled looks or feeling genuinely proud as your attributes soar and your Insector team is, yet again, victorious. Almost a masterpiece.
 |
 |
|
| The legendary Dorgenark is quick, tough and quirky just like the Millennium Falcon | Just one of the spectacular attacks that you get to unleash |
One of the critical elements of role-playing games is the story and Rogue Galaxy is, mostly, a pretty accomplished affair new and intriguing plot elements do enough to mask those that have been seen in every space opera in a galaxy far, far away, with every corrupt leader and clone army being more than matched by a hefty dose of imagination.
Luke Skywalker is the obvious inspiration for Jaster Rogue, the central character who dreams of travelling the galaxy and making a name for himself as a famous hunter and pirate. Your home planet, the Tatooine-esque Rosa, is under guard by the Longardia Commonwealth, apparently to guard the planet's natural resources and also shackling the innocent citizens into an oppressive, controlling regime. A case of mistaken identity whisks you, the ambitious Jaster Rogue hence Rogue Galaxy's name into the cosmos aboard the famed pirate vessel Dorgenark.
Gameplay is pretty similar, on a basic level, to most other RPG's on the market today. Movement is controlled with the left stick as you canter through the fully-3D world. With the camera is adjustable with the right. Circle jumps, X interacts with the world (normally either characters, puzzles or treasure chests), with triangle opening up the main menu. It's a simple system but it works especially well for the slightly younger audience that this game might be skewed towards, even though the rich, sumptuously-illustrated world will sate the hunger of any eager fan.
Graphically, it's a masterpiece: animι-styled, cell-shaded characters contrast perfectly, standing out against the imaginative worlds that ooze atmosphere as you explore. A diverse, wonderfully well designed cast of characters fill out the world from a variety of races: Jaster is an ambitious young rogue (again, hence the name) who dresses in typical desert-hunter clothes; Lilika is an Amazonian warrior from the Burkaqua tribe, all head-dresses and war-cries, and Kisala is a typically enthusiastic Japanese teenager. There's yet more endearing, attractive character design, too: Zegram is a typical pirate, Simon is a practically spherical comedy foil to Steve's C3PO impression, and Deego is, literally, half-dog and half-man. The cast, especially the principle players, are one of the main reasons you'll come back to Rogue Galaxy for the dozens of playing hours for one simple reason: you care about them.
The worlds that these characters inhabit is just as gorgeous and varied. Your home planet Rosa combines desert-style simplicity with gadgetry, and Juraika is lush with greenery. Zerard is the technological hub of the galaxy and combines this rich and enthusiastic use of computers with a style that, at first glance, seems to borrow from the architecture of the ancient South American tribes like the Incas. Vedan is a mining planet and exudes the grimy, industrial smog that you'd expect from such a place. And your ship, the Dorgenark, is a real pirate vessel, complete with a wheel, wooden cabins, fittings and fixtures, masts and a sail. It just flies through space rather than slices through waves.
Rogue Galaxy's planets and characters all come with a hefty dose of charm and a twee sense of happiness as all the danger and excitement is left to the random battles that often halt your progress. The monsters are unusual and sometimes bear little resemblance to the environment you fight in: you'd expect giant tarantulas on a jungle world like Juraika, but not in a factory on Zerard but they're there. Several methods to defeat them besides the usual sword swipes and gun-shots are available: abilities can be unlocked throughout the game that unleash powerful attacks in a flurry of fireworks, and a beat mania-style mini-game is used to employ each character's special moves and both of these make the battling exciting and explosive. Unfortunately, though, when you just want to get to your next destination and you keep running into zombies it's a little annoying although this is a fault of the genre rather than that of the game.
 |
 |
|
| Yes, you're fighting ice-cream cones | A fire-dragon is, in the Rogue Galaxy universe, pretty normal |
Combat isn't all style and no substance, either. Unlike numerous Final Fantasy games (and this is one area where Rogue Galaxy differs after taking plenty of 'inspiration' from Square's series) battles occur in real-time so there's no atmosphere-destroying load to another arena, and no turn-taking. You and your companions a party of three, usually wade in together, wielding one of the large selection of oversized weapons there's a lot of graphical exaggeration, befitting the genre and slaying various 'beasts' that litter the multiple planets.
To stop the battle becoming too hectic, you're able to tap a shoulder button to have your colleagues unleash special attacks instead of having to click through to their respective menus. Sensibly, this allows you to concentrate on tactics and your own character a little more; you can choose how you fight as the battle progresses, and the AI mostly doesn't let you down, religiously following your orders. At the end of the skirmish there's also the usual experience points dished out to your team and your equipment as well as loot-gathering from your fallen foes.
Outside of combat, the rest of the game is initially quite sedate; go here and there, complete tasks, talk to certain people, watch the lengthy, scene-setting and story-telling cut scenes until the plot thickens and the stakes are raised as you plunge deeper into intergalactic politics yet even here prolonged periods of action are rare, with Level 5 (quite rightly, the movies are excellent) choosing to tell their story via stylish panning, zooming and dialogue.
Disappointingly, Rogue Galaxy feels quite linear. The only buildings that are explorable are (rare) shops and the occasional house compare this to other RPG's where you can enter virtually every building and find someone to talk to and there's plenty of invisible walls to stop you taking alternate paths that could be used to uncover the sub-plots and side-quests that, despite being modern genre mainstays, are mostly absent here. Even the addition of a bonus planet the PS2 exclusive water-world of Alistia, can't make up for the single-minded nature of the gameplay elsewhere.
The distractions that remain, thankfully, are mostly well-designed diversions that flesh out Rogue's galaxy. The highly sophisticated planet of Zerard plays host to the Insector tournament that functions as an odd but enjoyable fusion of Pokιmon and chess: you raise a team of five mini-beasts to fight your battles against opponents in a specially-designed arena, working your way through ladders and leagues.
Weapon upgrading is also made possible thanks to a friendly being called Toady who joins your party and, amusingly, can swallow two similar swords or guns to create an entirely new item. You're also given the keys to an entire factory that you can use, in a puzzling minigame, to create your own items to sell in the game's shops. A Final Fantasty-style system is used to upgrade your abilities: items are placed into a flow-chart to reveal new skills and moves, and multiple paths are available for deeper character customisation.
One area where plenty of time is usually invested by developer Level 5 is the soundtrack and Rogue Galaxy is no different, having been crammed with gorgeous, evocative tunes. Each area has a suite of music that compliments the surroundings, and every battle has a tune that'll heighten the intensity of the action. The only let-down is the victory music whenever you vanquish your foes that, mysteriously, sounds an awful lot like the Final Fantasy 9 equivalent. The rest of the sound is pretty good, too, with voice acting being of a high standard through and some great, over-the-top accents cropping up a Scottish character, in particular, is pretty entertaining, and the employment of industry veterans has obviously improved the quality.
Despite Rogue Galaxy being an almost overwhelmingly positive experience, there's a few issues that grate. A promising system of puzzle solving that initially gives you clues to help solve a riddle and choose the right object soon degenerates into a simple game of telling you what item you need to use. Such a rich world is sorely needing some more interactivity and back-story to help fill it out, too, with several areas feeling empty and lifeless due to the lack of other characters or interactive areas. Rather than believing the world exists, it sometimes seems that the brilliantly-named citizens (ever heard of someone called Masculine, or Rant?) are there as mere window-dressing instead of genuine people.
At most, though, they're minor annoyances normally you won't even notice because you're caught up in the rest of the game: an exquisitely-designed, gorgeously-illustrated space opera of the highest quality that invites you into an interesting, absorbing galaxy filled with intriguing characters and doesn't let you out until you've finished exploring the numerous planets that litter the galaxy.
 |
 |
|
| These little blokes are an absolute nightmare | Boss battles are tough, but unique and enjoyable |
The superb cell-shaded graphics enchant when coupled with the imaginative, exciting character design and enthralling music, and the classic, tried-and-tested RPG gameplay is almost impossible to get wrong and works fantastically alongside the newer, rarer features that Level 5 have incorporated, like the Revelation Flow, Insector tournaments, weapon fusion, factory ownership and thrilling real-time battles. Don't let the fun immaturity of the game or the knockabout nature of the story fool you Rogue Galaxy will entertain anyone with even a hint of role-playing interest for hours. The PS2, it seems, is getting the send-off it deserves.
Top Game Moment: So many to choose from: exploring a new world, drooling over the cell-shaded, animι styled looks or feeling genuinely proud as your attributes soar and your Insector team is, yet again, victorious. Almost a masterpiece.
Videos
-
Rogue Galaxy Trailer #2
01:39 | 1,377 views | 0 comments -
Rogue Galaxy Trailer
01:22 | 1,305 views | 0 comments
