If you are tired of the endless cliches in the RPG genre and want something different, Riviera is just what you ask for
User Rating: 8 | Riviera: Yakusoku no Chi Riviera GBA
Riviera is a japanese game ported from an old system that was quietly brought to American Game Boy Advances at the end of June. Don't let this sleeping dragon fool you though, it really packs a punch, and while it isn't the most epic or serious RPG, it's recommended to every RPG lover who hasn't already played it. You play as Ein, a Grim Angel (Grim Reaper + Angel Knight = Grim Angel) sent down from the realm of Asgard to destroy what used to be the Promised Land of Riviera. From the moment you start playing the game, it will seem like it is epic and serious...if you believe that then you will be in for a big, and slightly startling surprise. Despite the game's rather serious premise, the plot rarely ever tries to be serious at all. In fact, only the beginning and the end of your adventure aren't buried in anime-ish humor. That isn't to say that the game isn't funny, it is very funny at some points, but it just seems wrong that a game that advertises itself as being serious has so little seriousness at all. However, in the occasions that the game is actually serious, it seems to handle itself much better than the majority of the time when it's almost forcing itself to be strictly comedic. You'll be grateful for this, but it will also give off the feeling that there should be more of these dramatic situations that the game almost seems to avoid. Gameplay-wise, Riviera is what you get when you fuse an adventure game and an RPG. You move scene-by-scene like you would in a game like Myst, and its incredibly dialogue heavy. There are few things that you will see in the world that your party members don't comment on, or even have a conversation about. When you aren't talking, there is a move mode and a look mode that you switch between by pressing the A button. In the move mode, you can move from scene to scene by pressing different directions on the D-pad. In the look mode you can look at things in the scene that you are in by using points that you earn in battle. Don't look at everything, however. If you spend points observing ground and seeing your characters talk about it, you might not have any left to open the chest. This is a very different movement system from any other RPG, but the most off-the-wall thing is the minigames that play out when you need to do just about anything that requires effort. These are fun, once you get the hang of them, but the game doesn't do a very good job of preparing you for them or telling you what you are supposed to do at first. The Battle System is very different and more complicated than the average GBA RPG. You don't level up just by fighting, for one thing. You level up by giving an item to a character that they have the capacity to learn with, and you have them use it over again until they gain an "Overskill" for that item and improve their stats. All items are limited, so you are allowed to go to training mode, where you will be able to gain skills in them without using up the item that you want to become stronger in. As if that wasn't enough, the real strategy is before the battle, where you select characters, your formation, and the four items that you will bring to battle. It is almost reminescent of the Baten Kaitos for the Gamecube in a way, with a very original and complicated battle system, including loads of items to collect. Unfortunately, sometimes the battle system can ruin itself. When you die just ONCE, only once, it will bite a chunk out of your enemies HP for you when you retry. It is obvious that this is in case someone has forgotten to train, so that they don't get completely stuck and aren't able to countinue. Unfortunately, the game takes to this far too quickly, and if you die simply because you were stupid and chose the wrong items and characters, it will feel like the game is babying you, and it manages to make you feel ashamed and almost ruin the battle system at the same time. RPG and adventure combine in Riviera, but so does something else. All of the party members that you get except for the two Grim Angels are female. When you lose Ledah less than an hour in, Ein becomes the only male that you control. You as Ein, are allowed to...choose your love interest. That's right, only one of these lovely young ladies can be yours. It seems like a dating Sim at first, but after a while you realize that it's similar to the different character endings of Star Ocean. Depending on which character you favor, the ending will be different, it's just a little more romantic here. The flash of the game, despite the large amount of substance, is its strongest point. The enviroments are beautiful, and the sprites are loaded with animation. Sound wise, some of the music is unforgettable, and, holy crap, voice clips in a GBA game? Who cares if the acting sucks, clear voice clips? The game is pretty long for something on GBA, it will probably take you 30 hours to finish. Though don't consider this amazing. Remember that training to get stronger items will take a reasonable chunk of that time. Really, the game doesn't feel all that long, even if it is. Overall, Riviera is just what you want if you're tired of modern day RPGs but still love the general guidelines that they run on. The story could use a little more serious cream and there are a few flaws that can make you a little angry, but that isn't enough to make the game anything other than great.
