Hoshigami Remix: Ruining Blue Earth
by Aksys
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Category: Video Games
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Product Summary
Brand: AksysRelease Date: 2007-06-18
Platform: Nintendo DS
Publisher: Aksys
Product features:
- Experience the world of Hoshigami like never before!: Hoshigami Remix also features a brand new character, missions, music, character art, as well as a new localization.
- Novice tactician or battle-hardened veteran?: Select from three different difficulty levels and tailor the game to your skill.
- Immerse yourself in battle with an enhanced user interface: Issue strategic commands quickly and efficiently with a revised, streamlined interface and optional stylus control!
- Over 50 hours of gameplay with branching paths and multiple endings!: Are you skilled enough to get the one and only true ending?
- Trade special items with your friends: Be a power player and jumpstart your friends' games with super weapons, armor and spells!
Video Game Reviews of Hoshigami Remix: Ruining Blue Earth
Customer Review: Some Games Shouldn't Be Remixed I Guess
Summary: 3 Stars
Pros:
+Not a bad looking game
+Gameplay elements make for a lot of strategic depth
+Good soundtrack overall
+A good challenge
Cons:
-Long story sequences
-Really slow battles
-Forgettable story and characters
-Not very good stylus controls
-The challenge mostly stems from the fact that you need to level grind rather than put forth any actual strategy in some instances... and with battles already being long as it is... is level grinding really worth it?
The Nintendo DS has a handful of strategy RPGs. This is great for fans but that doesn't mean you won't find a bad egg at some point. Hoshigami Remix isn't a bad egg, but it might still leave a weird taste in your mouth. It's a remake of Playstation game. Unfortunately, I never played the original so if anyone is looking for any differences, this review won't cover it.
Hoshigami Remix is a game that's definitely for the experienced SRPG player. If you're new to the Strategy Role Playing Game, you'd probably do better to start off with a game like Luminous Arc, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 or Advance Wars.
Hoshigami doesn't exactly have an enticing story. At least not one worth remembering. And much of the sequences in between battles are incredibly long. Not to mention it sports a cast of some fairly unremarkable characters. It's overall a mostly boring story. It wouldn't be quite as bad if it weren't paced incredibly slowly.
Battling is where you get the idea that Hoshigami was not designed for those unfamiliar with the genre. There's a lot to swallow about the battle system. And unless you've already trekked through several SRPGs before, it's unlikely you'll pick it all up within your first few battles. Of course, you'll move your characters around and have them attack. Like many SRPGs your attacks are more effective when hitting from the side or behind. But Hoshigami introduces a "read for action points" or "RAP" gauge. Depending on how full this gauge is depends on how many turns you can take. The implementation of this is actually pretty cool... but it might still take you some time to learn it. A characters turn isn't finished until hi RAP gauge is depleted. Once that happens they can't take anymore actions and you'll have to wait until its full again. The less you do in a turn, the faster it'll fill. This opens up Hoshigami Tactics to some well refined tactical goodness. Singlehandedly, the RAP gauge is what gives Hoshigami its SRPG appeal.
Unfortunately, some of the other mechanics are a little iffy. Magic in particular. Magic is on coins that have their own assortment of points. In order to cast spells not only do you need to keep an eye on your RAP gauge, but you'll also have to have enough of these coin points. It seems simple until you put the seals into the equation. Seals can give help to enhance these coins. Some do a lot of good for you, but there are others that do a lot of bad.
On paper this all sounds easy, but when in battle, it's surprising just how much you'll really have to retain. It also doesn't help that the game does little to help you out. You'll find that some of your tactics can be easily foiled by your enemies. Hoshigami is by no means an easy game. But much of its challenge may depend on just how much patience you have for the game itself. Certainly the story paces incredibly slowly, but the pace of the battles is equally sluggish and long. It isn't uncommon for battles to last a while in any tactical RPG, but Hoshigami can test even the most patient of Strategy RPG players. It can be fun with a lot of its deep engrossing combat but with so many elements thrown in, each battle can feel like a tremendously long game of chess at times. It also doesn't help that Hoshigami is not an easy game. You'll find your enemies aren't dumb by any means. Level grinding is a must and unfortunately you may have to spend more time doing that than playing through the actual main missions. Hoshigami is a pretty lengthy game, but much of it probably comes from level grinding and spending a lot of time in battle. Hoshigami also has a lot of sidequests, but given the length of battles, it's unlikely too many gamers are going to want to pad through all of them just for the sake of avoiding another long battle.
Hoshigami sports some stylus controls, but much like most other tactical RPGs on the DS, the implementation feels tacked on. You're better off just using the D-Pad and buttons.
At the very least the game isn't ugly. At least the map is fully 3D and lets you rotate the camera if need be, which is something a surprisingly large number of SRPGs on the DS don't let you do. The battlefields and sprites also don't look too bad. It's also got a nice style going for it, as well as a pretty good soundtrack.
Hoshigami isn't a bad game, but it certainly isn't suited for everyone. If you're new to the Tactical RPG, Hoshigami is not going to be for you. If you've been playing these kinds of games for years, the only real challenge is plowing through it all.
Description of Hoshigami Remix: Ruining Blue Earth
Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth is a battle between two races for the right to control their world - and their destiny. The Ixian race was doing just fine in the land of Mardias, until the humans came along. Eventually, a truce was reached between the warring races, but the humans have started launching unprovoked attacks. You have chosen to step up and end this madness once and for all.Strategy Games
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