Diablo-like mechanics? Check. Amazing art-style and musical score? Check. Best action/RPG on the DS? Absolutely.
I'm an action/RPG addict, but I prefer a particular flavour of this genre: games like Baldur's Gate, Champions of Norrath, Untold Legends, Sacred, Diablo, Titan Quest, the kind of game that bury me with tons of customization options and equipment, forcing me to make strategic decisions regarding gear, skills, stats, etc. I've basically played almost all similar games on all consoles in order to try and sate my action-RPG / Hack and slash lust. But now I know the sad truth; like a crackhead, I'll always want more. And just when I thought the old diablo-style recipe was fading, I run into Soma Bringer.
At first glance, the game appears to be like the plethora of other other DS action/rpgs; the ones that are mostly action, and less RPG... Let me tell you now, that this isn't the case. Soma Bringer takes what was great about the Diablo-conceived formula and throws in its own mix with excellent results. Ironically, it's hands down the best action/RPG for the DS which begs the following question: Why the $&^$ haven't they localized this game for a EUR/US release!? It would probably even surpass the units sold in Japan.
Anyhow, you'll instantly noticed the similarities I'm speaking of, assuming you've played some of the aforementioned titles. Town portals, boatloads of equipment, a stash, orbs to further customize equipment, class skill trees, random loot, etc. There are of course differences; the only 3D in the game are your characters and enemies, although they're incredibly well detailed and the animations look great. It's all real time action, nothing is turn based. Don't try and hit start to enter the menu while knee-deep in action however, as the game keeps going, so you need to find a safe place before checking out your loot or assigning your skills / stats.
The game is separated into acts, and the levels and cut scenes are all pre-drawn 2D art. At first I missed the full 3D engines, or randomness of Diablo, but then after a while I started appreciating Soma Bringer's excellent art style, which couldn't be possible were the game random or in 3D. I find myself looking forward to the next act, just so I can marvel at the many different level layouts and unique styles as I play though the game. Even though the maps aren't random (although you can access a few bonus randomized maps after you beat the game), there are so many of them that even with more play-throughs, it would be difficult to remember them all.
Soma Bringer's polish and excellent mechanics will be easy to see after a few hours of gameplay; everything comes together so well. I'll be replaying this game over and over again; it's that kind of game. With several character classes, tons of custimization options, unlockable difficult levels and randomized loot, it's the perfect recipe for great replay value. Also, the audio is just as unique as the visuals and I can't forget to mention the music, because it's absolutely awesome. You'll most likely find yourself enthralled by Soma Bringer's musical score, rather than wanting to turn it off. A lot of the loops stick in my head, even hours after playing.
I'll list my favorite elements of this great game in point form:
- Frantic action with perfect, smooth controls
- The Break system makes you pay attention to the action instead of just button mashing
- Several equipment slots (both hands, head, chest, arm, legs/feet, hands, finger (ring), and neck)
- Orbs that you can attach to each individual piece of equipment to add proc effects, extra damage, resistances, stat boosts
- Six distinct classes, each with their own skill trees (this combined with the equipment allows for awesome customization)
- The ability to respec at any time and as much as you want (re-assign your skill points in order to experiment without having to restart)
- The quick item slot and ability slot assignment system; it's just brilliant, simple and incredibly effective
- Random magical items (standard items can come imbued with different levels of magical enhancements) as well as rare static uniques
- Gate system allows you to open a gate (town portal) anywhere to buy / sell
- Storage system (Stash) allows you to store several items if bags get full
- Enemies will respawn on exit/restore of the game if you feel like equipment hunting or XP grinding
- Side quests are available and their rewards make them worth while
- Ability to dismiss or re-organize your two sidekick AI helpers (yes, you only have to worry about your equipment and stats; theirs is auto)
- Increasing (although optional) difficulty levels once you beat the game
Of course, no game is perfect, and I'll just mention the one thing that bothers me about this game. Yes, that's right, I only have one major issue, and although negative as it is, it doesn't even come close to ruining the game.. The opening sequence cannot be skipped when starting a new game. Now you may ask, why would I want to skip it? Well I like to try most classes before settling on one, and unfortunately, the opening story sequences can't be skipped, and it's quite long. Luckily, once you've gone through it, you can change the option to skip future scenes for that particular save game, but I have to ask myself why they didn't enable this function by default? As a result, when you restart a character, all options are lost including being able to skip cutscenes, making it necessary to re-watch the opening story sequence over and over again... And no, there is no options section in the main menu, so it cannot be changed before beginning a new game, unfortunately.
Of course everyone is different, but personally, that's my only real gripe. I've heard people complaining about the large map sizes on some levels and how they can become confusing, but I consider that a nice distraction as it forces me to pay attention to the map layouts and actually pay attention to where I'm going (where I've gone) instead of just mindlessly plodding through the game.
In conclusion, I give Soma Bringer a 9/10. Great mechanics, amazing replay value, original art style and awesome music make this a must-play DS RPG... Oh and for Pete's sakes Monolith / Nintendo, BRING THE GAME TO THE US / EURO MARKETS!