Golden Sun: The Lost Age
- April 14, 2003 14:41 PM PST
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The best portable RPG of 2001...erm, not to mention the best portable RPG ever...gets its long-awaited sequel. Is it still Psyn-eriffic?
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Circular Centipedes of Psynergy
The sequel to Golden Sun takes the word "sequel" to new heights of literalness. Your starting party is Felix and Jenna (both antagonists, sort of, in the original), and the story begins with Jenna running away from the final battle of the previous game. Despite this convoluted opening, The Lost Age's story soon devolves into typical RPG stuff: tour the world, find people in distress, and beat down their problems.
The gameplay itself is nearly unchanged. As before, the quest places heavy emphasis on the Psynergy system, Golden Sun's version of elemental magic. This magic isn't restricted to battles but is also used to alter the environment and read people's minds, adding a touch of spice to dungeon and town navigation. The Djinn summons are back, and The Lost Age adds the idea of multi-Djinn attacks?a handful of summons requires you to "set up" two or more Djinns beforehand to access.
Otherwise, though, the basic system is exactly the same...right down to the occasionally wonky control and the way NPCs defend instead of attacking another monster if their original target dies. (Strategy or annoyance? You decide!)
Tanning Bins Full of Grinning Djinns
Letting such niggling issues detract you from The Lost Age, however, would be a devastating catastrophe. The graphics once again push the GBA's upper limits, and the eye-popping magic effects are beautiful even by console standards. Motoi Sakuraba's soundtrack is also superb, although its rote repetition in spots drives it down a notch. The best thing you can say about The Lost Age, though, is that it's Golden Sun?except more of it. A good 35 hours more, even. If you've played the original, then this is a must buy; if you haven't, then this and the original are must buys.
