I wanted to like this game, I really did. But its failures far outweigh its successes.
Gameplay:
Controls
One of the best things about Shining Tears is its controls, at least for the most part. Buttons are intuitively mapped, though expect to mash circle, as it is both the standard attack and held down for a "charge attack". Only the analog stick moves a character, but the D-pad moves through an on screen menu for quickly changing your current item, charge attack or linked charge attack. The game also offers a pause menu where you can change this information at a much slower pace, should real-time be too hectic (which is normal). The worst part about the controls is that to speak to a person, you must press circle to initiate the conversation, but press x to advance the text. Very cumbersome.
Battles
Shining Tears works on a mission-based system. The problem is, it is nearly impossible to know how to trigger the next mission. This isn't that much of a problem in the first 6 missions (tutorial) or the final 4 as missions trigger on their own. It's the middle 8 missions that pose a problem. "Talk to everyone, complete some reoccurring missions" is the best advice one can find to trigger the next mission.
Once the player actually enters a battle, the game improves. Simple, yet intuitive controls allow the player to not trip over the system. Each battle allows the player to bring a partner into battle. The AI for this second character is rather poor in that the character will either sit back and do nothing or charge headfirst into the enemy. Luckily, the player can circumvent SOME poor choices by the AI. The game allows the player to use the right analog stick to control the partner, useful for removing them from danger. Luckily the AI can be disregarded in favor of a second player, though one might be hard pressed to find someone willing to share the pain. This option arises only after the tutorial missions have been completed, a strange decision on Sega's part.
Unfortunately, any challenge factor is destroyed by the fact that the game allows the player to continue any mission from where it was left off should the player die. All enemies remain dead, all treasure remains on the floor, all bosses retain damage received, and every enemy is in the exact same place they were at the time of the player's death. They haven't even returned to the starting positions.
Characters
Shining Tears gives the player 6 partners take into battle, with 2 more opening up further into the story. The characters are diverse, including a healer, tank, mage, and ninja. The variety allows the player to choose the best support for a battle and for his/her playing style. Not only that, but the main character changes strengths based on the support character. "Light" characters causes the main character to become more physical attack oriented, while "Dark" characters make him more magic oriented. This doesn't change the way the main character operates, merely minor alterations to damage numbers and the third hit in a 3 hit combo is a lightning blast while with a "Dark" character and a 3rd sword slash when with a "Light" character.
Upon leveling up, characters get 3 stat points and 1 skill point. These allow a good bit of customization and are the only changes made upon leveling. Stat points can go into STR (physical attack), INT (magical attack, magical defense, and SP), AGI (evasion & accuracy), or CON (HP and defense, but to a small extent). This customization, like the battle controls, is simple yet intuitive.
The only way for a character to get a better weapon is by forging one at one of the game's many blacksmiths. This aspect of the game shows the most level of depth. Blacksmiths forge in 3 raw materials that the player finds in battle, but the forging isn't a streamlined process. Some blacksmiths can change a weapon's tier better than others and some can change a weapon's level easier than others. Further still is that this applies to armor as well, but at least the player can find armor. The question then becomes not only which materials to use, but also which blacksmith should do the task.
Misc. Gameplay
The most annoying thing about Shining Tears is its constant and long load times. This is truly unacceptable in the current generation of consoles. Not only that, but the loading comes at the most unusual times. For instance, when the character Ryuna uses her summon, the game gives a loading screen AFTER the sequence has completed. Yet, when Cupido uses his summon, no load time ensues. Another very strange thing is that Shining Tears uses only one save per memory card. The file cannot be copied and locks out loading from one card and saving to another. I cannot begin to understand why Sega did this. It makes sense for a survival game, but Shining Tears is no survival game, not with how missions are resumable after death.
Graphics:
Many people don't like the 2D sprites, calling the game dated. However, the sprites, the backgrounds, and the Anime-styled character portraits are very well done. The sad thing is that you really can't see the detail in the sprites unless you are looking at the bestiary (known as enemy cards). Nicely done, but implementation could have used some work.
Sound:
Sound is a mixed bag. Sound was one of the things that initially drew me to the game. The Japanese build has a wonderful J-Pop song with its anime intro and the characters have fitting voices in every cut scene. The US build has none of that. The J-Pop song has been substituted for a bland intro that not only doesn't match the emotion of the anime, but the anime was even had scenes reorganized to match the song. The characters are now almost completely mute, save for voice clips in battle. Even then, the a number of the voices do not fit. Elwynn, a female elven archer, sounds like a post-pubescent boy. Cupido, a male elven bard, sounds very feminine and frail, despite being a battle-hardened warrior.
The music is about average. Nothing stands out as good, but nothing stands out as bad either. Themes are very stereotypical and exactly what one would expect of a traditional RPG soundtrack.
Value:
Like the other categories, the game pretty much falls on its face when it comes to value. It took me roughly 30 hours to complete, but I estimate at least 7 of those were spent in loading screens. The player can replay old missions for extra experience and items not only with the standard 9 characters. These old missions allow for a bit more freedom than when the mission normally appeared in the story. Such changes include allowing for pairs that the game doesn't allow for (two supporting characters or a "Light" character and a magically-inclined hero). The old missions also allow for 2 main characters, but the second person must be a human player with his/her own game data to load.
Other than that, the only optional mission is the 100-level dungeon. While the enemies can be fairly challenging towards the end, it has the same properties that make normal missions so easy. A nice addition, but shouldn't have been the only optional part.
Conclusion:
I wanted to like this game, I really did. Ultimately, it failed. Once out of the tutorial, the game felt like a chore and I only finished it because I would have felt like a quitter if I didn't. If you can find it, a rental would be the most I recommend. Otherwise, it's best to steer clear of this game.