Released way back in November 1991, Record of Radia War was a really interesting departure for Tecmo. It is, by my recollection at least, one of the first party-based Action RPGs made for consoles. Players control the hero and give basic commands to the other members of their party. When they aren't under orders, the allies will attack nearby monsters. There are also a handful of available spells and items for when circumstances demand them, but most anyone can get by with just restoratives. The combat system might be a little too basic by today's standards, but it's functional and entertaining.
Now is it entertaining enough to last eight or so hours? While considering the answer to this question, I can't help but stumble back to the past. Decades ago, at a time when I was hunting for anything that received a fan-translation, I gave Radia Senki: Reimeihen a shot. After ten minutes of playing, I concluded with a dispassionate "This is neat." and then dropped the game immediately afterwards. Looking back, it was rude of me to so casually dismiss what was clearly an innovative game. Now, after seeing the adventure through from beginning to end, I'm left with the possibility that perhaps my younger self made the right call. Excuse me, I meant to say the right call for him, it's his opinion after all...
...There it is again, the sickening feeling that I've just wandered into another moment of existential dread.
Although I'd love to say that my tastes have become more sophisticated with the passage of time, it's hard to ignore the obligation I placed on myself to see all of these sword-guy-games to the end. For some absurd reason, I'm not inclined to believe that my opinion has actually changed. A ridiculous thought, considering all past-Gabriel did was string a few words together. However, I've had both past & present opinions laundering in the abyss of my skull for a little while, and the words "This is neat." continue to appear.
Alright, so I spent 8 hours on this game, clearly there should be substantial things to talk about. Maybe an explanation of what exactly happened in all that time would help. The story being a potpourri of kidnapped princesses and MacGuffin chasing isn't substantial, so let's look past that. Well, there was a lot of fighting. Combat is the one constant throughout this adventure. The bulk of exploration occurs in dungeons, and even then, it's mostly just a detour or three to grab treasure. A "lost woods" dungeon is probably the closest Radia Senki ever gets to a puzzle, which is mostly just trial & error. The solution to every other problem involves repeated stabbings, which would be fine, but what's here isn't enough to last.
Let me be clear for a moment; while battling enemies is "functional and entertaining", there's simply not enough meat to it. Like any other RPG, enemies grow in strength and durability the closer the hero gets towards his ultimate goal. Sadly, their strategies never evolve beyond "find someone to attack". A boss might have a gimmick like teleportation or cloning, but it's never enough to save them from being overwhelmed and slaughtered. Still, there is joy in ping-ponging hapless fiends between allies or reenacting the Ides of March on a larger foe. Every encounter taking place in the game-world and not in a separate battle-screen is actually pretty amazing for the NES. Though it can rarely have an adverse effect, such as aerial enemies deciding to fly out of the party's reach.
While the combat leaves behind a mixed impression, other aspects of the game hold up quite favorably. The "advice" feature is one of the standouts. Choosing it prompts a brief conversation between the main characters where they outline their destination and how to get there. An invaluable feature for when the player is coming back to the game after a long hiatus and doesn't remember where to go next. Barring some flicker, the visuals and performance are solid. Being able to rest and save the game on any bed is also a lovely convenience.
If there was ever a timeline where Record of Radia War had released in the west, and kid-Gabriel had gotten it for a gift, he'd probably still be defending it today. This is not a deep game, but it is ambitious and... neat. An impressive effort from Tecmo.
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