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Shining Force returns to PS2

Sega confirms US release for latest installment in hybrid role-playing series, reemphasizes strategic component of the series.

Last fall, Sega released Shining Force Neo on the PlayStation 2 in the US. While it carried the name of the fan-favorite role-playing strategy franchise that dates back to the Sega Genesis, it played more like an action role-playing game. Instead of turn-based battles, it favored real-time dungeon-crawling closer to what could be found in Diablo or Baldur's Gate.

Sega today announced that it is also bringing the latest PS2 installment in the series, Shining Force EXA, to domestic shores. And while it's still being billed as an action RPG, the publisher is promising to inject more strategy into the game with a new Fortress System and altered party-command abilities.

The Fortress System charges players with protecting a Geo Fortress, a home base of their own designs. When players embark on quests, they'll need to leave party members behind to hold the fort, and occasionally switch control to that group in order to fend off enemy invasions. Sega said the Geo Fortress will grow "to match players' personal style and tactics" as they progress through the game.

As for the game's story, players will take control of the warrior Toma and the sorceress Cyrille, two inhabitants of a world ravaged by unending strife. With the two main combatant nations deadlocked, the player must fulfill Toma's destiny and restore peace to the world.

Sega did not indicate a time frame for the game's release.

37 Comments

  • rajneel

    Posted Oct 1, 2006 9:21 pm GMT

    Shining Force game....which is not a SRPG????....Sega what r u doing?? I started my love for rpg n anime in 1993, when i bought Shining Force 2, just from its cool front cover...n man was i hooked. From there, all the games i bought had to compare to it. I was in gade 5 and i bought the game by collecting my lunch money for an year ( the game cost me $70 Australian) but boy was it worth it. From there i got shining force 1, shining force CD...but couldnt afford sega sature because of money problems etc. Right now i am a BIG "NIS" fan and have Disgaea 1 & 2, Phantom Brave , Makai kingdom , Final fantasy tactics (PS1), Fire Emblem (GameCube/Gameboy), Suikoden 1 & 3. All this game were bought because i wanted to experience my love and the joy i got from playing Shining Force and what sega is doing is really dumb. All the kids who grew up playing shining force are now in their early 20's n have money to spend. IF they take out any remake/new Shining Force as a SRPG, i will buy/order it in a heartbeat....but please sega stop with this action stuff, i want my OLD shining force back....

  • rulo_rezn0r

    Posted Sep 22, 2006 3:06 pm GMT

    mmmm
    why sega? WHY!!!?

  • FallenAngel

    Posted Sep 22, 2006 3:02 pm GMT

    I don't know what gives with this latest traditon of 'let's turn beloved strategy RPG franchises into the crappiest action RPG game we can'. Sega did that with the Shining games AND the PS series (I don't care what anyone says, PSO sucks #$%^ compared to the original quatrology)...and then SCE did it with Arc the Lad when they followed up the promising Twilight of Spirits with the quite atrocious End of Darkness. Sometimes I wonder if companies like Sega/Sony even listen to fan feedback, most casual action RPG gamers could care less about average to crappy action RPGs like Shining Tears/Shining Force Neo/End of Darkness...yet they want to cater to their needs, whereas the loyal fanbase that made those franchises popular in the first place are left high and dry. What a sad state of affairs.

  • usedtype

    Posted Sep 22, 2006 2:14 pm GMT

    What we need is a remake of Shining Force 3, this time with all three parts. I loved that game, but every time I beat it, I'm reminded that parts 2 and 3 never came to the US.

  • mxpowar

    Posted Sep 22, 2006 12:09 pm GMT

    @ TheChronoMaster

    Actually, I have both Fire Emblems for GBA and the SRT: Original Generation too but I was hoping for an SRPG with some PS2 graphics. IMO, Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits had the best graphics for an SRPG, with Stella Deus in second place. Shining Force Neo's graphics were excellent too; now all they need to do is make it an SRPG...

  • amaranth_aeon

    Posted Sep 22, 2006 11:06 am GMT

    Why the heck don't they go back to the original Shining Force formula on the Genesis? Everything after Shining Force II was, at best, forgettable.

  • NX75

    Posted Sep 22, 2006 10:14 am GMT

    Aw, I hate it when people make a new game with an old name. It just confuses everybody (into buying it, maybe?).

    Though I'm glad they said they'd try to add at least a little of what fans of the series... are fans of.

  • Versus_XIII

    Posted Sep 22, 2006 10:12 am GMT

    Another Shining game. Sweet.

  • TheChronoMaster

    Posted Sep 22, 2006 8:19 am GMT

    Man, Sega needs to get on the ball. We Shining Force fans just want another strategy game, please? It's like what would happen if Ninty said the next Fire Emblem will be a hack'n'slash: Sure you get new audience, but you'll alienate all previous fans.

    @ Claude: Sure, but we would like another Strat RPG in the Shining Series. Not a remake, but just one new strat RPG...

    @ mxpowar: Try Nintendo's Fire Emblem series, or Banpresto's Super Robot Wars series.

  • The_Weekend

    Posted Sep 22, 2006 7:58 am GMT

    Shining Force + Zelda = this ... omg ... dun turn Shining Force into something else please!

  • ChasinFury

    Posted Sep 22, 2006 12:21 am GMT

    Claude... SRPGs are what put SHINING on the map... you should be beaten for such an obtuse statement. It's not that the other styles exsist but rather that we havnt been given a good Shining FORCE game in some time.

  • wjc04c

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 10:15 pm GMT

    not sure about gameplay...but i have to say, the visuals are beautiful, especially the character designs. hah, the ps2 has more games i want this fall/winter than any next-gen consols! what gives?

  • jcloverboy

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 9:12 pm GMT

    Not get another action-rpg like Neo or Shining Tears. A Shining Game like any of the first two would rock.

  • Kn0w0ne

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 9:02 pm GMT

    from the ars or not. Mostly NOT. I agree this game needs to let the PS2 die as gracefully as possible. Bring it out on 360 or wii or even PS3. Sega... sega... sega, why r u still messin with the PS2? I love ya, but I also agree that you need to make more traditional rpgs again, where oh where has your legendary rpg status gone? With games like the Phantasy Star card game you cause people to question anything you do afterwards.
    How about a Sword of Vermillion sequal while we're at it?

  • blackIceJoe

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 8:53 pm GMT

    Well if this game is fun I will have to pick this up. I love RPG's and Sega has made some good ones in the past.

  • vicsrealms

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 7:38 pm GMT

    Sega is losing it!!!! They need to go back to the days of the Genesis versions of the Shining Force series. This action RPG stuff is stupid. I miss the old SRPG style games and I really miss the series. Especially since my last copy of both of these games on the Genesis finally up and died on me along with the console.

  • FallenAngel

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 7:35 pm GMT

    mxpowar you're not the only one, trust me. It's just that Sega's retarded when it comes to RPGs. Just think about it, they steadfastly refuse to make any new true RPG games anymore but will try their hands at making crappy action RPGs...like Shining Tears, Shining Force Neo, the Virtua Fighters action RPG, blah blah blah. It's a shame, really, Phantasy Star 1-4 were some of the best RPGs ever during the 16-bit era, as were the Shining Force games. I'm not even looking forward to PSU either...online RPGs have never interested me. PS: Replying to your earlier post, Atlus has made a few decent strategy RPGs recently too. Stella Deus might not have been groundbreaking, but it was quite fun.

  • Chainblast

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 7:35 pm GMT

    Sweet, I miss Sega.

  • mxpowar

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 7:20 pm GMT

    @ ClaudeLv250

    I think most people know that there are other Shining games that are not SRPgs like Shining in the Darkness and Shining Tears. IMO, the SRPGs were the best of the bunch and that's why I don't understand why Sega is making an Action-RPG instead of an SRPG?? I must be the only person that likes SRPGs /sarcasm/.

  • RedSoxRebel

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 7:09 pm GMT

    The 360 doesnt need more games... they dont need games period

  • ClaudeLv250

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 6:40 pm GMT

    Um, all the people that think the Shining series has been just SRPGs need to be taken outside and beaten with someknowledge. The series has delved into all types of RPGs, and Strategy is just one of many.

  • GunslingerMan

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 5:55 pm GMT

    eternaldragonx are you talking froming your ars ?

  • eternaldragonx

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 5:42 pm GMT

    how bout a port to the 360 please, what the hell

  • mxpowar

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 5:39 pm GMT

    I wonder if Sega did any market research before making Neo and now Exa? It just doesn't seem to make any sense. There are plenty of action-RPGs, but it seems only Nippon Ichi bothers to make SRPGs anymore. I guess except for Disgaea, they must not sell very well (see: La Pucelle Tactics, Phantom Brave, Suikoden Tactics,etc). I hoped that with Disgaea's success, we would see the return of some classic SRPG franchises like Shining Force, Vandal Hearts, Arc the Lad, etc. But it seems that those franchises get either turned into Action RPGs (SF and AtL) or just forgotten (Vandal Hearts). And Suikoden Tactics doesn't count Konami; I want a Vandal Hearts game

  • hemakm3

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 5:37 pm GMT

    Awsome game.

  • Phylyn5151

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 5:37 pm GMT

    I have come to terms with the fact that an RPG of the same calibur of the shining force series will never exist and so should all of you. Publishers can only dream of making a game a fraction as good as SF2. A good SF will never happen again.

  • Lee2000

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 5:22 pm GMT

    Noooo!

  • WolfSkill5544

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 5:19 pm GMT

    sounds cool

  • smbius

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 5:10 pm GMT

    There needs to be an official Shining Force 4. I'm not digging the other Shining Force Neo, Tears, etc.

  • joestierman

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 5:04 pm GMT

    shining force 2 = best evar. i have not found a game like it with the same quality

  • timpysan

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 4:52 pm GMT

    Give me the strategic gameplay of 1 & 2 or give me death! Well, maybe not death... there's always Disgaea.

  • seaniefresh112

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 4:50 pm GMT

    I don't understand Sega. People loved the original turned based Shining Force games and there is certainly a market for these games today as Fire Emblem and DIgaea among others have shown, so why another me to action RPG? Release a complete Shining Force 3 on the DS or make Shining Force 4 for the PS2.

  • S_Pac_316

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 4:45 pm GMT

    Sounds interesting,but I still would prefer the classic gameplay the series is known for.

  • ninjajuggalo810

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 4:38 pm GMT

    i agree with chrisius007 i loved the gameplay of shing force 1 &2 and would prefer that gameplay to the new graphics


    im planning on buying a wii instead of xbox or ps3 i cant care to much about graphics

  • chrisius007

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 4:24 pm GMT

    I don't car if it has the same graphics as Shining Force 2 on the SEGA Genesis, just give me the same gameplay experience! The gameplay and the storyline in that game was immense. You know what? I'm gonna play it again!

  • crck

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 4:23 pm GMT

    Come on Sega instead of all these crappy Shinning action rpgs just bring out Shinning Force 4 or a remake of Shinning Force 3 Parts 1,2,3. I've been waiting almost 10 years for a friggin' real sequel!

  • briguysniper1

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 4:23 pm GMT

    Awesome sounds cool

    FIRST

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