A new direction to enhance SRPG experience.

User Rating: 8 | Itsuwari no Rinbukyoku DS
Rondo of Swords features a new system in SRPG experience, making the game more interesting and the story motivated. However, the lack of exploration and backtracking makes the game dull, as it lacks the freedom of most RPG would give.

The new combat system is the main selling point of this game, combat are done by moving yout character through enemy, therefore, it is possible to attack multiple enemy as long as you can run through all of them. The system makes you learn the movement of the enemy and force you to position your units carefully or else you can will get destroy easily. Running through your friendly can sometime benefit them if they have proper skills set up, making the moving of a unit very important.

The storyline is interesting but it is told in a credit rolling cutscene. Between each mission you will read a part of the story and then you must prepare for the next mission.

Shopping and drops in battle is the only way to get items, you will have no clue what you will buy or recieve, so you will need some luck to get what you want. However some important item is fixed.

Another good thing about this game is there are alot of unlockable character, they can be unlock by talking to them with certain party members, or by completing certain objective in a battle. The bad thing is you can miss them. Each character is unique in someway making them superior in one way.

The battle is mostly at above average diffculties, and sometime very hard. It does kill gaming moods by you eventually will return to it.

Overall this game is a step up to better generation of SRPG.