Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled Hands-On

A game that was originally meant for the Game Boy Advance, Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled now makes it way to the Nintendo DS thanks to Studio Archcraft, an indie studio based in Montreal, Quebec. A traditional role-playing game that will remind you of classics such as Chrono Trigger, Black Sigil tells the intriguing story of a young man born without magic in a world where everyone has this mystical power. This original 2D RPG will look and feel like it belongs in the past, but it is still quite a bit of fun for those who don't care for the glossy 3D makeovers that recent Japanese RPGs have been getting.

We play as the young, magicless Kairu, a kind-hearted boy who wants only to please his father, a famous general. Fifteen years ago, the general saved the world of Bel Lenora from the evil Vai, the only other man who couldn't use magic, which makes people wary of Kairu and his lack of magical abilities. As our quest began, we found ourselves caught up in his day-to-day life, in which everyone except his adopted family treats him like some sort of demon. On his travels, Kairu is accompanied by his devoted sister, the fiery and beautiful Aurora, who doesn't like to take things very seriously but whose upbeat personality balances out Kairu's somber demeanor.

Similar to RPGs in the Super Nintendo era, your time is spent mostly exploring new cities or dungeons and talking to everyone who is capable of providing you with a few lines of text. By doing so, you'll eventually figure out what you need to do next and where you need to go. Battles are random and turn-based, but you have an active-time bar that has to recharge before you get your next turn. On your turn, you have the ability to move around the battle screen, which gives you a reason to pay attention to where your enemies are situated. Area attacks are useful, and by positioning yourself closer to a cluster of foes, you can deal damage to all of them in one fell swoop. Eight individuals will join your party throughout the game. You can have up to three members in your party at one time, all with their own unique abilities, and there are combo skills that you can perform with a party member. For example, we combined Aurora's fire magic with Kairu's master sword skills to execute a much stronger area attack. We were told that there are more than 100 different skills and combinations that you can come up with, which will hopefully yield some crazy moves by the time you've reached the end of the game.

Visually, Black Sigil is what you would expect from the days of 2D RPGs. The environments don't have a lot to them, which makes locating treasure chests and other goodies fairly easy. It works for this type of game, though, because it doesn't require upscale visuals to get its point across. The towns can look a bit similar, but once you get out into the real world, there will be a variety of places to explore. The music also brings back fond memories of midi soundtracks. Black Sigil's sound isn't that archaic, and many of the tunes are incredibly catchy and will easily loop in your head after you play.

It's comforting to know that this style of RPG can still hold its own when there are so many next-generation options out there. While the stylus option is there, it just feels more natural using the the D pad. There will always be players who enjoy a traditional, old-fashioned RPG with a solid story and without all of the bells and whistles. Black Sigil has been in the works for a while now, but it looks like it's coming along nicely. Check back for more details when the game is released on April 14.