Here we have another game that won't outsay it's wel- STOP! Please! Do not finish that sentence for the love of all that is... *sigh* ...Fine! Just get it over with already. Sylvan Tale is one video game that will absolutely, positively, unequivocally not... outstay... it's... welcome! Gah! Every syllable of that predictable cliche stings like a thousand bees wrapped in barbed wire. Clearly, I have to seek out new phrases to run into the ground, because this one just won't work anymore. It hurts too much. Okay, well how about this; Sylvan Tale is a palette-cleanser. Slide it in-between the 40-to-60-hour RPGs and open-world epics you're used to, and you're guaranteed to have a lovely time.
Released for the Sega Game Gear back in 1995, this action-adventure places you in the shoes of Zetts. Ordinary to a fault, this young man spent many years not putting his life in danger for shiny macguffins. That changes today, as he is drawn into another world where no less than six droplets must be acquired. By doing so, perhaps he has a chance of saving Sylvalant from the forces of darkness. The usual menagerie of monsters, traps, and archfiends stand in his way. I mean, what else is there to say? You've heard one story; you've heard them a- oh... sorry, I accidentally swallowed a little bit of my own vomit. Let's just move on to discussing the gameplay.
At first, our hero is only capable of the basics, which include swinging a sword, pushing blocks, and pulling blocks? Wait. Let me make sure I have this right. Zetts is capable of pushing and pulling various objects. Wow! I knew that kid was destined for great things, but damn I didn't expect that! He's a genius compared to most of these other sword boys. Oh, and he can also run when you double-tap the d-pad in any direction. It's another handy talent. By utilizing all of these skills, Zetts will obtain the first droplet, which will bestow the power of 100 slashes. Mashing the attack button performs a rapid-fire series of attacks, eviscerating monsters and opening paths to new dungeons.
Before long, the protagonist will obtain the first of five transformations: the almighty turtle. You see, this isn't like most other action-adventures that tie traversal abilities to an array of tools. At first, Turtle-Zetts can't do much aside from getting pushed by blasts of fire to higher ground, but eventually he can jet through breakable objects and rows of spikes. Before long, players will obtain Mole-Zetts, Merman-Zetts, Mouse-Zetts, and Bird-Zetts. As you can imagine, each animal's talents are self-explanatory. Every form sees at least some usage, though you'll probably find being a mouse the most reliable due to the small size and quick maneuverability. Strangely, there's hardly any reason to fly in this game. Honestly though, I'm all right with that. It's kind of nice knowing that I don't have to revisit every area just to see if I can soar into a secret room or something.
The pacing of this game is lightning quick. Each dungeon is a handful of rooms, maybe a few floors, and rarely takes up much of your time. The ironically named Ann's Labyrinth, to give an example, is literally just a hallway. There are obstacles and a giant slime that gives chase, but still just a hallway... literally. Some puzzles are solved merely by pushing (or pulling!) a block onto a switch, but you can also expect to see a few twists on the formula. No matter what, there's never a feeling of "this is getting excessive..." The adventure has an almost constant state of freshness to it, where you're bound to see something interesting every ten or so minutes. If you're unsure of where to go next, there's at least one NPC in a nearby village who will drop a hint of where to go next. This is a handheld game on a platform notorious for devouring batteries, so keeping the player invested is definitely the right idea.
It's also worth noting that the game can be saved anywhere, provided you're not in the middle of a boss battle. Speaking of bosses, these fights are thoroughly solid with very little in terms of gimmicks. Once you get an idea of how an archfiend moves and attacks, then you can seek out opening and land some hits. Standard stuff, but well-designed, and I really can't ask for much more than that.
Sylvan Tale is one of those games where you won't mind that it can be 100% completed in a few short hours. That's because time is never wasted. Everything from new abilities to vicious boss encounters occurs at a shockingly fast rate. By the time it's over, you'll have witnessed firsthand a lovingly crafted adventure that has provided at least one pleasant memory. You really can't ask for much more tha- *snap* ow! Huh. That's odd. Somehow a rubber band slid itself onto my wrist and snapped.
Well, whatever. Just be sure to give this charming little quest a play-through.
No regrets.
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