A great 16-bit style RPG that harkens back to the good ol' days of SNES
Here's my breakdown:
Graphics: The graphics if this game do not push the limits of the DS, but that was never the point. This game is a spot on image of RPGs that came out during the later years of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1995-1997) Black Sigil has received criticism for this, but it is almost a perfect hybrid of the graphic style of FF6 and Chrono Trigger. Those games hold a special place in my heart and getting to relive those games was a great experience. The only drawbacks I found with the graphics are that some paths through dungeons are hard to see and some of the monsters animations are a little lacking. Spell effects, scenery, characters, and everything else was spot on.
Sound/Music: The music in this game was great. The title song, the battle music and many other tracks were quite memorable! Most of the sound effects were good too although some seem to be repeated and reused too often. My only complains with the music were that the last level and final boss used music that was heard multiple times throughout the game. In my opinion, the final dungeon in an RPG should have it's own unique music as should the final boss.
Story: The story is probably the strongest aspect of the game. It is lengthy, interesting, humorous at times, and well written. I love anime and JRPGS, but all too often, the dialog is just cheesy and poorly translated. Black Sigil brings forth a classic JRPG story with none of the lame Japanese jokes or dialog. The story itself leaves the player with many questions but always provides nice bits of info to keep you interested. Again, the only drawback to the story is in the games ending. It felt rushed and incomplete and only lasted about 5 minutes. I was hoping for something a little more conclusive.
Gameplay: Gameplay was good. The monster encounter rate was WAY too high but the battle system itself worked very well. For those familiar with Chrono Trigger, battles play like battles do in it but with the freedom to move and position characters wherever you please. This lends itself to worthwhile elements of battle and strategy not found within many other games of the 16-bit RPG genre. Characters have lots of abilities and double-techs but, unfortunately, no triple techs. World, town, and dungeon navigation work well and is only inhibited by the high encounter rate. The game itself took me 50 hours to complete and beyond the main story, there was a healthy and satisfying number of side quests to complete.
Overall: Even with some sort-comings, this game was definitely worth the purchase price (Which was only $30 by the way) It's not perfect and does lack some of the finer attention to detail found in games like FF6 and Chrono Trigger but I would still recommend this game to anyone looking to play a classic SNES style RPG. This was Studio Archcraft's first game and it was indeed a great debut. I look forward to seeing what future RPGs emerge from this studio. (Lets just hope it doesnt take them another 4 years...)