Now, to be clear, by "generation" I mean the Gameboy Advance. I can't assert that this is the RPG for everyone in my generation - as some reviews will demonstrate, not everyone quite has the patience for it. But I picked this game up over a decade ago and it changed my view of gaming forever.
I'll get the negatives out of the way first, because even though I give it a 5/5 and a "Sean's favorite game ever award", it isn't perfect. The introduction stretches on for a bit too long, and the game overall is very text-heavy. I actually rather enjoy a lot of text, because I find the characters engaging and the plot interesting, but I can understand where that's not everyone's cup of tea. You have very little actual decision in the game, as the story line is very linear. Of course, "wide" stories were relatively rare in 2001, so for its time, that's hardly a con at all. Newer gamers may find it frustrating, however.
Now, on to the positives, of which I could write volumes, but for brevity's sake, I'll refrain. I am generally a champion of plot and character, all about the writing, and all of those ranged from good to excellent (more on that later) but what really astounded was the game's brilliant atmosphere. Each town, cave, forest, and castle has its very own aesthetic, like thousands of years of history lay under the world's map. This was complimented by the game's ground-breaking graphics and sound. Despite being an early GBA release, the only game to rival Golden Sun's graphics was its sequel. Richly colored and intensely detailed, Camelot pushed its hardware to its limits. Motoi Sakuraba, known for his work in the Tales and Baten Kaitos series, lent his masterful touch to Golden Sun's soundtrack, creating some of the finest pieces I have ever heard and, in a fairer world, would have earned him a place among classical European composers. I have the soundtracks, and still listen to them. They can whisk me right back of that world with their emotive power, grace, and a touch of melancholy.
The plot is fairly traditional. World threatened by bad guys, kids go off to save it. A twist in the sequel makes it all much more interesting, but that's there, not here. The characters, however, are varied and interesting (with the exception of the main character, which is more of the blank-slate player avatar type). They are pretty trope-y, but there's nothing that says that tropes can't make fun characters, and their interactions with the world can be tragic, humorous, and sometimes one after the other in immediate succession. You've got a balanced silent type, a hotheaded bruiser, the quiet little mage, and the sweet healer. They'll surprise you though, with little touches in the dialogue that add dimension to their characters. The supporting cast is as colorful as it is varied, which is to say, very much so. You will explore giant sentient trees, confer with great floating rocks, and handle all manner of insufferable royalty, and face down all the world's cunning.
As to the gameplay, you'll get a respectable amount of time out it, about par with other portable RPGs, though the actual time will obviously vary based on how many of the extras you seek. The puzzle mechanics generally utilize Psynergy, which is more or less the magic of the world (based on the four elements). While it spices up battle, it really shines in puzzle-solving and exploration (especially Mind Read, which adds an extra layer to every single NPC you meet). While the puzzles are not mind-bendingly difficult, most will offer some challenge to the first-time player, though they obviously decrease in difficulty in subsequent plays. The battle mechanics are very interesting, because aside from the traditional "attack, magic, item, run" setup, there are also collectible creatures called Djinn, with varying effects on characters (they can change your stats and class, giving all of the characters access to an incredible range of abilities and battle roles) and in battle themselves. They can also be combined into screen-filling "summons" that can blow away not only enemies, but every other GBA game in terms of graphical scale. The unique Djinn mechanic, combined with monsters that require varied approaches (some are weak to certain elements, some resist specific kinds of attacks, some come back from the dead or summon allies) keeps battles interesting throughout the game, and makes the boss fights absolutely astounding.
But lots of games look and sound nice, or have interesting mechanics. The details make Golden Sun what it is - how if you look in a house's oven, you can learn something about the region's home cooking. How little events or snippets of dialogue stay with you long after you've set the game down, like a fond memory. The tiny emoticons that appear when the characters speak, giving life to the dialogue. These, along with everything else, are what establish a legend.
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Reviews with images
Looks great but not my thing
Don't get me wrong. I love RPGs and building up custom characters but I don't like them in the 2D world of the GBA. On the PC I have played awesome games like Dungeon Siege, where the RPG element is at it's best but I found Golden Sun to be really slow.It took ages to get going and there is an unbelievable amount of dialogue in it. But there is no way to skip past it. You will literally be sitting there hitting the button for 10 minutes reading bland word bubbles. Some have given this game a great review but I'm afraid this RPG just didn't do anything for me and I won't be checking out the sequel.Graphics ASound A-Gameplay C-Lasting Appeal C-
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