The Sun will come out tommorrow.
Created by Konami's videogame visionary Hideo Kojima, of Metal Gear and Zone of the Enders fame, Boktai tells the story of adolescent vampire hunter and classic spaghetti western reference Django who, utilizing the Gun del Sol (a gun that uses sunlight as ammo) sets out to rid his home of San Miguel of a force of undead (vampires, werewolves, golems, banshees, etc.) plaguing it. Sounds like typical JRPG affair, I know, but what sets Boktai apart is its very western theme. Boktai is a game rich in supernatural elements, make no mistake, but it's handling makes the villains seem less like a force of universal malevolence and more like a powerful, but menacing band of outlaws similar in style to classic wild west type films. Django's vocal silence, similar to that of Link from the Legend of Zelda series, helps to immerse players into the experience and keep the length of dialogue cutscenes in check which ultimately makes the game feel like a supernatural western, a nice break from the usual tales of sword and sorcery of the fantasy genre.
Aside from an original story, Boktai may be one of the most beautiful handheld games I've ever seen in my life. The crisp visuals of Boktai's isometric world look beautiful on any GBA, but the game is positively eye-popping on a backlit screen. Thanks to solid animation, pretty particle and lighting effects, great looking sprites and art design that is out of this world, this game is never a strain on the eyes.
Audio wise, the sounds of Boktai seem to reinforce the game's spaghetti western feel mentioned in the story. Eerie silences, realistic effects and pieces that sound as if they were ripped straight from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly galore, Boktai's sound design is nothing outstanding but it's solid and always gets the job done.
That's a good thing to, because Boktai may be the most addictive dungeon crawling experience I've ever had on a handheld. As stated before, Django's only weapon is his Solar Gun which can be customized via swapping parts; lenses determine elemental damage, frames change the style of attack from single pistol shots, to machine gun fire, shotgun like fire, or sword like energy spreads, etc. To keep the gun charged, you'll have to keep the battery full of solar energy via charging it with direct sun rays from outside, or managing excess energy in a bank which shouldn't be a problem if you know when to fight. The dungeons of Boktai allow for more stealthy approaches than that of straight action RPGs. Rather than wasting energy to kill every enemy, some enemies can be distracted by different methods, such as tapping on a wall or making loud noises, to lure them away from their post allowing you to run through while they're gone. The purpose of getting through these dungeons is to seek and destroy the undead lords unleashing them.
Boss battles play out typically at first (standard duel to the death rules) but the game's originality really shines in the second act of these battles. After defeating a boss, they do not die, but retreat in their coffins for rest. The coffins then have to be chained up and taken outside to the entrance of the dungeon to be exterminated using the coolest method of vampire eradication since Blade's silver bullets back in 1198, the Piledriver. When the coffins are hooked up to the Piledriver mechanism on a sunny day, 4 generators containing pure sunlight fire themselves at the coffin to purify the enemy, leaving you to make sure the generators stay active until they purify the boss. This original take on destroying the undead combined with the solid dungeon design, put Boktai heads and shoulders above its competition.
Kojima has bridged East and West in a style unseen in any of his previous projects. Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand is a unique title that should have a universal appeal to RPG fans regardless of preference. Don't let its odd design choices scare you away; games this innovative are a true rarity. Despite a few issues with the isometric layout, Boktai is a true top notch gem that deserves your attention.