Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The one thing I don’t like about RPGs, is this feeling that I’m coming in halfway.
Once I turn on a RPG for the first time, there is normally about a 10 minute speech, with
scrolling text that gives you the background to the story. While this is intended on making
you feel like you are part of a larger world, what it does to me is it makes feel like I’m
coming back to class after skipping for weeks, and now I have no idea what is going. Words
I don’t know are thrown at me, and I’m frantically trying to make sense of it all
before the test, which is the first battle.
That is how I felt when playing Riviera: The Promised Land which was released for the PSP,
GBA, and the WonderSwan Color. Oh yeah, WonderSwan shout out. The game is a turn-based RPG with
a deep and complicated story, and some interesting visuals and gameplay to go with it. You play
as Ein, who is a Grim Angel. He is out to save the world from demons by eliminating
the Accursed. He is joined by Fia, Lina, Serene, and Cierra. The game in an RPG, with some
strategy elements and even becomes a dating sim. This game has everything.
The game is an enhanced remake of the GBA version. While at times it looks like a remake,
and other times it looks more like a port. The game has a nice art direction, with cut-scenes
playing out through dialogues and some anime artwork. These look great, with bright colors
and detail, making the characters come alive, well as much as they can in static images.
But this level of detail in not maintained in the battles. These are shown through sprites,
which appear to be carried over from the GBA. While the sprites would look nice for the
GBA, the PSP leaves much to be desired.
Thankfully the combat compensates for the visuals. The battles are deep and compelling.
You pick your party and take them into battle. What mixes things up from the standard turn-based
RPGs is what the limitations are. No, not limitations in terms of what it can’t do,
but rather what is allows. You can only carry 16 items and only take four items into battle.
This makes item management a necessity. You have to decide if you want a magic, weapons,
or potions to take into battle. During the battles you try to fill your OverDrive Gauge
to unleash a skill a skill attack, which are great.
The game offers an interesting story with engaging characters, and a combat system that
is deep and compelling. The PSP graphics are a letdown, making no real reason why you should
get it over the GBA version instead.