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Black Sigil: Blade of the ExiledBy Marlon Esmeralda - 07-02-09 Print  EmailThere have been many RPG remakes on the Nintendo DS. You got games like Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, and Legacy of Ys. So having an old-school RPG appear on the handheld isn't anything too mind-blowing. This particular game is quite interesting though, as its an original title, yet it has the look of the past. That game is Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled. It took many delays for it to come, but Black Sigil has finally been released onto the Nintendo DS. So has the wait been worth it? For some, it may be, while for others, it may come off as a blatant rip-off of a classic. When you first look at the game, you can't help but get a feel for the old. That's because the game sports a 16-bit look that many RPG fans have seen before in classic RPGS, like Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana. Due to the high love that fans feel for those games, especially Chrono Trigger, accusations of the game ripping off those titles can be heard. While others, feel the game is only paying homage to those classics. I, personally, like the look of the game and get feelings of nostalgia whenever I play it. The graphics aren't the only thing going retro either, as the game sports a midi based soundtrack as well. Nothing really stood out for me, but it did accompany the whole theme of the game. Whether you think its a rip-off, or a homage, this game surely represents the era pretty well. The story of Black Sigil has you playing a young knight by the name of Kairu. The setting is in the snow regions of Bel Lenora, where all of its people have the power of magic. Unfortunately, Kairu doesn't have any magic whatsoever, and that causes him to be outcasted by others. It's mostly due to the fact that someone in the past who had no magic, by the name of General Vai, betrayed Bel Lenora and caused chaos across the land. He was eventually rid of by Duke Averay, the adoptive father of Kairu, whom he found after the battle with Vai was over. Averay also has a daughter by the name of Aurora. After some events, Averay was forced to exile Kairu into the Cursed Caves, and can only free himself if he somehow obtained magic. Inside the cave he finds his sister Aurora, who forces Kairu to bring her along futher into the caves. The two stumble upon something inside the caves and before they knew it, they were off into the unknown. Thus beginning the real journey. I enjoyed the story of Black Sigil quite a bit. The dialogue in the game is well done. There are many characters to interact with across the numerous towns you visit, and I couldn't help myself from talking to every single person. Some NPCs will even say different things depending on the party member eqipped, yes you can switch your display character on the fly. For instance, the citizens of Bel Lenora despise Kairu, but his sister Aurora is loved by everyone. So you will get negative comments with Kairu, while getting positive ones with Aurora. I thought this one little tidbit was a nice touch to the game. The story of Black Sigil will also take a while to start up, but after a few hours, I became very drawn into the game. Its a pretty lengthy game too, clocking in at around 40 hours to complete. Multiples endings are also present and are enough to warrant multiple playthroughs with the game. When I have the time, I wouldn't mind playing through Black Sigil again. The battle system of Black Sigil is also similar to that of Chrono Trigger. The battle system is real-time based, meaning enemy's will attack you even if you haven't chosen an action yet. An action bar is also present, meaning you can't attack until that character's bar is full. Once you're able to attack, you will have four options present. You got your typical attacks, spells/specials, and item usage. Your characters can also pull off combo attacks, by combining their special attacks together. The special attacks also have an area of effect, meaning they can strike more than one enemy, if they're all within the selected area. You are also able to move your units around on the battlefield for some increased strategy. Moving your units around, may also be a chore in some way, since your characters may be set in a location that has them preventing the movements of other characters. Its kind of disappointing when you can't have a character attack because someone blocks their way. Another little tidbit that had me a bit annoyed is that running away takes a while to perform. You are to hold the B button down during a character's turn and keep holding it down until you finally run away. During that waiting time, you are still being attacked by monsters. Of course, this applies to the nature of the battle system, which makes everything happen in real-time. Fortunately, you're able to turn off real-time battling in the options, if you find its not working well for you. I should also point out that I recommend players to at least glimpse through the instruction manual for an idea of how the battle system works out. Its nothing complicated, but I didn't find out how to move my units or run away, until I read the manual. There is no battle tutorial present in the game, nothing really at all explaining to you how to fight. So if you do get confused about something, the instruction manual is always helpful to look at. While I'm still talking about battling, I can't forget about the game's high enemy encounter rate. In true classic RPG style, you get into random battle encounters throughout the game. In Black Sigil however, it seems you can't go very far without triggering a battle. There were even some cases where I would get into a battle, and then just a few steps later, I trigger another one. It does become a bit frustrating if you're trying to explore an area with little interuption, or if you're really low on heatlh and can't afford to be in another battle. The latter being the case for most parts, since save points are spaced pretty far apart from each other. If you're a fan of classic RPGs, then I say Black Sigil is worth checking out. If you're wanting something new and fresh in terms of RPGs, then Black Sigil won't be that game. A high encounter rate may also draw many players into frustration, and its slow start up may cause others to give up on it along the way. If you give the game enough time, it will surely grow on you, and you may be glad that it did. It took a long time coming, but I say the wait was well worth it. Black Sigil isn't going to drop jaws or turn heads, but its a nice little niche title that will earn a well-deserved fanbase. Ratings |
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