GENRE
	RPG
	DEVELOPER
	Banpresto / Flight Plan
	PUBLISHER
	Atlus
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	CONNECTIVITY
	No
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Swordcraft Story is just that. You begin as a young Craftknight aspiring to become an esteemed Craftlord. You are the child of the most famous Craftlord of Iron, who perished when you were very young. As the game plays out you discover more about the past through your involvement with the present; are you strong enough to you fulfill your father's life work and live up to his legacy? With two characters to choose from and four possible Guardian Beasts, you have a lot of incentive to replay the game.

Balance is sometimes an elusive quality in RPGs, whether between story and leveling or complexity and approachability. Swordcraft Story strikes a satisfying balance between these qualities. A rare and commendable quality in games as a whole, let alone RPGs, Swordcraft Story made me laugh, think, and even brought a tear to my eye at more than one point in the story. Complex issues of loss, loyalty, sacrifice, legacy, rivalry and doing your best are equally addressed in wry sarcasm and add appreciable depth to the characters and overall experience.

visuals

Depite being another 2D RPG, Summon Night: Swordcraft Story boasts its own unique style. Grounded in a believable techno-medieval world, a strong circular motif weaves throughout the game's environments. Forges, central to gameplay, are round. The Silver Guild in which you work is a round structure. Wystern itself, the towering City of Swords built atop the Labyrinth which protects the all-important Spirit of Fire, is circular.

Dungeon enemies are more generic, but well animated and suited to the environments. As you might expect, boss battles contain the most interesting creatures in terms of concept and design. Anime-style dialogue with corresponding portraits breath life into the 2D character sprites. Character design is memorably varied, and although the game sports a score of different central characters, it's not possible to mistake one for another. Each has its own distinct look, conveying a depth of character.

audio

Swordcraft Story's forges glow in the audio department. Music is endearingly emotional, matching the mood of the situation when serious, carefree, devious or intense. Sound effects are superbly executed, keying the player in to everything from social reactions to weapon and magic effects in battle. The sound of hammers ringing on anvils as hot metal is forged into new weapons is at the heart of the game both in concept and the feeling of accomplishment.

gameplay

Two gameplay elements are central to Swordcraft Story: the forging of weapons and their use in battle. Both are key to success. Weapons are forged from two different kinds of materials: those which are usable and those from which materials can be made. All items can be made into materials, but not all items are usable. For the most part, the latter include equipable accessories and healing items. Unusable items yield the most raw materials for forging weapons and are gathered during dungeon exploration. A whopping five different weapon types are featured with many increasingly powerful techniques available for each type over time. Sword, spear, axe, fist and drill weapons allow players to choose the type of weapon and resulting fighting style that fits them and the situation best.

Taking place on a side-view stage, battle is an exciting combination of real-time combat and strategy. Beyond your trusty hammer you may equip up to three more of your favorite weapons plus four magics or items. L and R cycle through your weapons and Guardian Beast abilities, all of which can be exhausted in battle without careful management. In addition to player health, weapons have a durability gauge which decreases with use until weapons can be broken and no longer usable in individual battles. As Guardian Beasts level up they learn new magic abilities and are able to use more of them in battle. Magic ranges from healing power to increased speed and weapon potency in addition to elemental attacks and defensive spells.

Combat controls are extremely intuitive: players can run, jump, block, attack and charge up some weapons for a stunning blow. All of these movements, weapons and support items need to be mastered for success against the toughest foes. Yet, it's a glad challenge and one that is intuitive and rewarding. The game even rewards players with bonus experience points for dispatching enemies quickly and without taking significant damage.

Experienced RPG players will be able to complete the game's main story in about fifteen hours, while less experienced players may need around twenty. The game doesn't stop at the end, though. Players can continue to level up as they search ever deeper in the Labyrinth (which roughly doubles in difficulty) discovering new and powerful beasts, materials and techniques.

multiplayer

Swordcraft Story contains a Link Mode where two GBAs with two copies of the game can link up to exchange weapons and items or battle it out head to head. It would be a powerful carry-over if players were able to link up from Swordcraft Story to the next game in the Summon Night series, and would give further incentive for players to continue exploring and leveling. It is currently unknown if this will be possible.

overall

Despite its relatively short length and forgiving learning curve, Summon Night: Swordcraft Story is a rewarding journey. RPGs are a daunting genre for many gamers who are justifiably intimidated by the huge time investment, complex menus and leveling schemes. Swordcraft Story takes away all the daunting tedium and deftly delivers a fun, satisfying adventure enjoyable by both experienced and new players alike.

Swordcraft Story is the first of two games in the Summon Night series. After playing the first game, we can't wait to forge ahead to the next, coming in October.

9.0/10