In my opinion, this game is the greatest RPG ever created, and that's saying something.
User Rating: 10 | Seiken Densetsu 3 SNES
I have played almost all the SNES RPGs, many of the NES ones, and tons of PS/PS2 RPGs as well as Genesis and Saturn... and even after all those gems, I still consider Seike Densetsu 3 to be the greatest RPG ever crafted. Squaresoft experimented with a great many RPG formulas back in the SNES days, and Seiken Densetsu 3 is by far the most successful, in my opinion beating out even Chrono Trigger as the King of the RPG. Gameplay: Where to begin? The gameplay in this game was revolutionary for its time, and even now is exceedingly fun. At the beginning of the game, you get a choice of 3 characters, the first being your main character, and the other 2 being characters you will meet up with early in the game. The other characters you may see throughout the game, but will not be able to recruit them. After that first great experience of simply staring at the beautifully done character potraits and discerning your ultimate party, you continue into the game. Depending which character you chose first, you have a different beginning for each one. In any case, they all bring you to the same place early in the game, and the story of the Mana Stones continues from there. Battle system: as with any RPG the battle system is one of the most important parts of the game, and this game has one of the best battle systems of all time. You have no random battles, nor jerky changes of screen. Instead, all enemies are on screen, and you simply run up to them and hack away (what we would call a hack and slash, but better done than one of those simple button mashers). You have several options, after you attack a few times you can intiate a special move unique to your character. You can also use magic, once you gain it, and switch between characters with the touch of a button. The battles get quite intense (especially with the *spoilers!!* god beasts later on, which seem invincible at some points *end spoilers*). After some time into the game, you get your first class change. Class changes are a huge part of the game, allowing you to go to dark attributes or light. There are two class changes in the game, both giving you the option of being light or dark, however going dark first, then light, is not the same as going light first and then dark, they will give you two unique classes. Every new class gives you a new special move that takes a few more turns to chage, but is far more devastating. Leveling up gives you the option of raising one stat, allowing you to super power your character in strength if you wish, or balance your characters out. In any case, the gameplay for this game is addicting, fun, and completely awesome, it is a joy to play this game. Graphics: SD3 sports some of the best graphics seen on the SNES, even by today's standards, I believe the 2d sprites still hold up to some of the recent games, and I am not being biased, they really do. The battle animations are superb, and the character potraits (which change for each class) are superb. Sound: Seiken Densetsu 3 provides one of the greatest soundtracks of the SNES era. From sweeping, joyful tunes to forboding and dark, the soundtrack is truly a monument to the time. Value: You can get this game on ebay for 20-50$ (although you need a Super Famicon [sp] to play it), and it is in Japanese. As for how to get it in English... no comment. For the $50 at most though, this game is an insane steal... Tilt: This game provides countless hours and replays of some of the most fun gameplay you've ever experienced, what more could you ask for? really? I would recommend this RPG to just about anyone. If you have not played it you have deprived yourself of an experience that will change the way you view video games forever.
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