Rogue Galaxy

Oh, Mighty Auron
PROTIP: Pink poo attack, go! When placing your insectors on the board use their special abilities to your advantage.

PROTIP: Pink poo attack, go! When placing your insectors on the board use their special abilities to your advantage.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the lack of loading times in Rogue Galaxy, a feature that lends a sense of cohesiveness to the game. When it is time to battle, monsters appear organically creeping out of bushes and shadows to confront your forces. The battles are random, but due to the lack of load time, they feel anything but. They come at an even pace, and are never overwhelming or tiresome. When the battle finishes, a screen comes up displaying stat increases and items gained, but you can continue to play as this is going on.

Bear in mind that Rogue's battle system feels limited and clunky, especially when compared to FFXII's Gambit system, but there is enough depth to keep you on your toes. Battles are fought in real-time with the typical party of three. You control one of the characters, while the other two fight according to pre-set orders. Party members shout suggestions on how to act next, as special moves and healing only occur by selecting them from the menu.

When this happens, info on what buttons to push to initiate actions appear. This crowds the screen, especially while battling in tight corridors making it hard to see what's going on. Special attacks in the game, called burning strikes, happen much the same way. After beginning the attack, specific buttons must be pushed in sequence to deliver a powerful blow.

It's the Girth That Counts
PROTIP: Call of the wild! Listening to your teammates' suggestions can turn the tide.

PROTIP: Call of the wild! Listening to your teammates' suggestions can turn the tide.

Rogue Galaxy isn't the longest game out there, but it is filled with entertaining extras that will keep you coming back for more. The story line should take somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 hours, but factoring in all the side quests and mini-games doubles that number.

Rogue Galaxy is what every RPG should strive to be: an immersive experience that places you in a new world populated by intriguing characters. It's backed by an engaging and accessible story, possesses an intuitive control scheme and maintains a sense of depth will have you gladly coming back for more. The game has a few minor annoyances--the battle system needs work--but Rogue Galaxy truly stands on its own, and is a game that every RPG gamer should experience for themselves.

Pros: Everything you'd want in a console RPG.

Cons: The battle system is not as deep as it could be.

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pichikid

Level-5 games are some of my favorites. Ever since I played the Dark Cloud demo my brother had. Rogue Galaxy is so much more. I'm usually not one for English voice acting, but the voices didn't seem weird to me at all. Which is a good thing. Plus the battle system is one that is simple to use!

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