Warning - Before proceeding with the review, know that there will be spoilers aplenty, all unmarked. I recommend playing through the game before continuing onward.
Got it? Good.
I'm not sure if it's the censored localization or my poor memory, but it turns out that I didn't know Illusion of Gaia at all. The second entry in Quintet's "Soul" trilogy, I had thought this to be a sometimes poignant but mostly cheery adventure about a kid who transforms into a kickass swordsman whenever there's danger. Saturday morning fare that's ideal for selling action figures or comic books. I didn't even notice all of the slavery going on, including children being forced to work in a diamond mine. Impoverished nations ravaged by starvation and disease being exploited by corporations. One slave outright says that there can't be a God when social status exists. I must've been too enthralled by the simple thrills of killing all of the monsters in an area for those sweet, sweet stat-boots. Everything clearly flew over my head like that "Wow!! Cool future!!" cyberpunk meme.
Needless to say, a replay of the entire game was necessary. Rather than reattempt the official localization, I opted for Illusion of Gaia Retranslated. This romhack serves multiple purposes. It features a translation that doesn't plaster over the game's bleak themes and dark storytelling. While this may be an adventure designed for kids in mind, it doesn't shield them from the horrid truths about our world. The hack also adds a number of QOL features. The most significant of them, in my opinion, is the addition of a sprint button. Running is already possible (and required) in the original, and the button makes it a little more user-friendly. Besides that, none of the changes affect gameplay.
Unlike Soul Blazer, which had its players rebuilding towns one monster generator at a time, this successor opts for the more traditional town > dungeon > town > dungeon > boss method of progression. It works quite well for this story and character driven game. You'll be spending a lot of time with a small group of friends, all of whom have their own arcs, and will even leave the protagonist when their goals no longer intersect. There is a surprising amount of growth shown by everyone, though considering the circumstances, they never had much of a choice. One early game example has the male and female leads being stranded at sea for several weeks. Another character reunites with his missing father, only to discover that he's lost his mind after an expedition went awry. I know the console gaming landscape has changed dramatically since 1994 but let me tell you that nobody else was doing coming-of-age stories back then. Quintet took on a very ambitious idea and the results are nothing short of impressive.
Towns in Illusion of Gaia are atypical. While there are NPCs that lament the uncertain fate of the world, and a few even drop hints for upcoming dungeons, everyone else treats the protagonist as just a kid... which he is. The towns are rarely the bastion of an idyllic society either. You're treated to a lovely facade that quickly falls apart the second you begin prodding. The beautiful city with the cherry blossoms flying freely in the wind has a slave market hiding in its backstreets. Though the protagonist is never in any real danger, he is witness to serious issues that his magical swordsman transformation can't even begin to address. It's a sobering feeling. There were times that I was more comfortable in a monster-infested dungeon than in a town.
The dungeons are often landmarks of cultural significance distorted by the fiends that have taken them for a home. Your objective is to find mystical statues to prevent the world-ending calamity, but your immediate concern will always be the surrounding monsters. Each area is filled with anywhere from 5 to 40 fiends. You'll want to destroy them all, since clearing an area will award you a stat bonus. There is no other means by which to level up, so trying to rush past everything will make for excruciating boss battles. Traversing the increasingly complex dungeons will often require the protagonist to change back and forth between the Kid and Freedan forms. The swordsman's extra power is always welcome, but only the Kid form can slide through narrow passages or clamber up slippery hills. Much later on, a third form is introduced with its own skillset, resulting in even more switching around. It's practically impossible to get lost, but navigating each lair will require more from its explorers than merely running from point A to point B.
Slaughtering the plethora of monster that accost the hero doesn't take a lot of effort. I won't say effortless, because there is still a very real possibility of death. Each area typically has two or three types of monsters, all with their own behaviors and quirks. Learn them quickly, because these adversaries will be fought in more extenuating situations, such as in greater numbers or near traps. The Kid's abilities have a decent amount of i-frames, and Freedan can take out faraway enemies with powerful ranged attacks. Healing opportunities are limited to the few save points in each dungeon, or whenever life-upgrade is earned. All the more reason to kill everything in sight. I've mentioned it a thousand times already, but any game with constant fighting has to have a good combat system with solid mechanics. Again, this one delivers.
While exploring the dungeons, be sure to hang onto any herbs that you find. In fact, hold those herbs as tight as possible, even if it means having to retry a few boss fights. Illusion of Gaia allows you to carry more than one herb at a time, but they are limited, with no shops where the player can purchase more. In other words, whatever you use is gone for good. The game has a small number of bosses, but a few of them can be difficult, but keep saving those herbs. There is a boss rush at the end of the game, featuring multiple fights with no save points in sight. Is that a good time to use an herb? Well... maybe. Try to save a handful for the final battle anyway. The limited herb system might trip up some players, leaving them in a position that they may struggle to overcome. It's not a knock against the game, but something to be mindful of all the same.
Once again, we have an Action RPG that's a very easy recommendation. Illusion of Gaia is often dark, featuring moments that left me taken aback. Its moments of humor are understated. Sometimes they're how the friends cope with all they've seen and been through. Take this bit of dialogue for example. A young girl just watched her would-be assassin burn to death, and... I think she was making a joke here, a little gallows humor.
Be sure to check this game out whenever you can. It doesn't have the gameplay depth of some of the Super Nintendo's most beloved classics, but a lot of thought went into its story and world. One could even consider the possibility that all of the game's fantastical elements are imagined by the protagonist, their escapism from a very painful reality. At least, that's my 2:00 AM interpretation.
In any case, you're certain to have a memorable experience.
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