• Review: Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

    by
    Chris "WildCardCorsair" Garcia
    Published on 06-14-2011 09:16 PM
    1 Comment Comments


    Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

    Developer: BioWare
    Publisher: SEGA
    Platform: Nintendo DS
    Genre: RPG
    Rating: Everyone
    Release Date: September 30th, 2008

    When you think of Sonic the Hedgehog you normally think of side scrolling loops, running fast, bouncing on the heads of badniks and collecting rings. What you normally don't think about is equipment, balancing parties, and distributing stat points. BioWare has set out to change that with Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, the first true Sonic RPG!

    Presentation
    In Sonic Chronicles the player takes the role of our favorite chili dog loving hedgehog in an adventure to retrieve the chaos emeralds from a lost tribe of Echidnas who plan to make Sonic's universe their own! This time however Sonic will hardly be alone. He will have to rely on the help of longtime friends and allies, and in some cases even villains, to save his world and chaos emeralds!

    Graphics
    The graphics are one area I believe this game could have improved upon. Now mind you they aren't as bad as Deadly Premonition, but the DS is capable of more and even the opening movie leaves much to be desired.

    Overworld graphics are decent and early in the game you get to see areas like Green Hill Zone, Angel Island, and Mystic Ruins. Trademark loop-the-loops, springs and ramps can be seen on most levels and do serve as part of the game (which I will mention more in the game play section!).

    Later areas in Act 2 are new worlds that definitely something out of a sci-fi movie. Cherish these images because they are the best designs in the game.

    Battle screens are the most lacking area of this game graphically. Sonic and his teammates can look like muppets at times and the backgrounds during these battle sequences have no depth to them at all. The good news is that you pay little attention to the graphics because of the touch screen implementation aspects of the game.

    Dialog sequences thankfully feature drawings of Sonic's team, and not 3D models, and are much easier on the eyes.

    Sound/Music
    Where as much of the game implements classic Sonic sound effects, such as jumping, spin dashing, and ring collecting, many of the new sound effects (especially in battles) are highly annoying. I ended up turning the sound off entirely due to the "whonk" noise that occurs with every attack.

    Music in the game is decent and many of the songs are reworked versions from Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic CD. As I have heard great examples of the sound quality capable on the DS I can honestly say these tracks could have probably been a little higher quality.

    Gameplay
    Game play is truly where this game shines. As I noted before, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is in every sense of the word a great turn-based RPG. Each character in the game has several things he brings to the party.

    First is of course class. There are 3 character classes in the game: Power, support, and shifter class. Power characters are your main attackers and include Sonic, Knuckles, and Shadow. Support are your buffers and healers such as Tails, Cream, and Big. Shifter characters like Amy Rose and Rogue have the ability to do both. In addition to this each character you choose to bring to your party brings abilities that can be used to navigate the overworld maps. Sonic of course can use his speed to clear loops and ramps, Tails puts his tails to use, Amy Rose can smash obstacles, and Big the Cat can use his thick skin to get through hazardous environments. Because of this balancing your party not only effects the in game battles, but your ability to explore the map and collect all the items as well.

    And of course where would an RPG be without equipment? You can equip each character with gloves, boots, an accessory, and a Chao. That's right I said a Chao! The lovable pets from Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 make their return accompanying a character to add a unique perk or stat boost to that character. Gloves, boot, and accessories of course all add stats like defense, attack, or speed.

    Combat in Sonic Chronicles is a very traditional turn-based RPG style most often seen in JRPGs such as Final Fantasy. This is done very well in my opinion and is something not seen often in today’s more action oriented “I want to shoot something now” games. Aside from normal attacks there are also special abilities called POW abilities. They do a variety of different things depending on the character but all require PP, or POW points to use, and require a special sequence of touch screen inputs to succeed. Some are more forgiving than others but learning the patterns of key POW moves such as healing help a lot in the long run.

    One thing surely to please Sonic fans is the list of characters that appear. The game features 10 playable characters from both previous Sonic games and comics. There are even a few cameos that are sure to bring a smile. Even Cream the Rabbit, a character introduced in Sonic Advance 2 for the Gameboy Advance returns lending her considerable healing skills to Sonic's first RPG adventure.

    Of course the game is not without its shortcomings, the first of which is the seemingly random difficulty level. At times regular minions seem to require pulling out all the stops while some bosses are a walk in the park. This balancing issue is thankfully the only major flaw game play wise.

    Though minor as it is, one of the things I found frustrating at times is avoiding combat. In Sonic Chronicles you move across the overworld maps by dragging the styles in that direction. As you do enemies are also roaming around. You can avoid battles by not coming into contact with their overworld counterparts but this is very hard to do, mostly due to many narrow corridors or simply not being able to move the stylus the way you want to.

    And of course fans of BioWare's conversation style menus will be glad to see they make it into this game as well, but they lack the depth they feature in other games such as Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Part of me wanted to be angry with the lack of a conversation choice's impact on the game but because some of the options make Sonic yell at Tails, in the end I'm glad they weren't appealing. After all who wants Sonic to be a jerk? I know I don’t.

    Lasting Appeal
    Of course as for any RPG, replays are usually only for those wanting to relive the story. Sonic Chronicles is no exception. If you do find yourself wanting to replay the game it conveniently launches you into a new game that carries over all your stats, abilities, Chao, and equipment after some very funny interactive credits. And with the game lasting from 12-15 hours, replaying isn’t a chore either.

    Conclusion
    If it needed to be said, here it is, Sonic has seen many spin off series over the years, from pinball to hover-boarding. Sonic Chronicles, even despite its shortcomings, is by far the best hope for a successful spinoff franchise. Since there might never be a sequel (due to EA politics) any Sonic fan owes it to himself to check out this game.


    Score
    8/10
    Comments 1 Comment
    1. Jason Arriola's Avatar
      Jason Arriola - 06-15-2011
      My DS has been missing out. I hardly ever purchase anything for it, but I'll try looking this up. Thanks WildCard

  • Review Scale

    Score 10- Flawless Victory: A score not handed out to every game. Games earning this rare score sit at the very pinnacle of excellence. These games act as the examples for which all others should be measured with. They are instant classics from the beginning. These games not only deliver what was expected of it, but also exceed the player’s expectations. The game’s features are innovative and original. No game is without its absolute flaws, but the finished product you bring home surpasses the anticipation the game has formed. A day one buy is a must. The game you hold in your hands with this score is a video game jackpot.

    Score 9 - 9.5- Outstanding: Games earning scores such as these absolutely must be played. Games that achieve this high ranking do so because they define the genres that they are in. Flaws are few and barely noticeable. Features seen in the game have been renovated to provide something new and fresh. The story, gameplay, graphics, and lasting appeal are all fantastic and is reason enough to bring the game home and to enjoy with family and friends. Every penny you spend on the game is so worth it.

    Score 8 - 8.5- Great: Any flaw the game may possess is overshadowed by its fun factor. These games would be great for gamers to play. These great games appeal to gamers more and more outside its normal player base because of what it brings to the table.

    Score 7 - 7.5- Good: Flaws do exist in these games, but the positive features of the game can counterbalance the flaws. Additionally, players who are predisposed to liking a game of a particular series or genre with this score should enjoy the game. These are in no way bad games, and much fun can be had with them. An overall good game is worth taking a look at, whether you are willing to buy the game or rent it first. That or you can also wait for the game to reach a good price.

    Score 6 - 6.5- Decent: Games falling into this category may suffer from numerous flaws (for example, graphics or gameplay), but are still worth playing. Granted, the player should be aware that a game with these scores may not guarantee them full satisfaction.

    Score 5 - 5.5- Average: An average game is one in which a game’s features are neither good nor completely terrible. Instead, the finished product is manageable. Little has been done to hold the player’s interest. If anything, rent this game before you consider buying it so that you can at least get a feel for the game’s overall experience.

    Score 4 - 4.5- Poor: Games falling into this category may only keep gamers entertained for a short while. While the game may seem enjoyable for moments at a time, it can quickly grow old and may never be revisited again. The game’s overall function is lacking in quality and may not hold the player’s attention for long. The game leaves little or nothing else to return back to.

    Score 3 - 3.5- Bad: If any positive qualities about a game in this category exist, it is not enough to redeem the game for its shortcomings. Sure you may find yourself playing it, but for how long? You will wind up not giving the game a second glance.

    Score 2 - 2.5- Horrible: Games such as these may not be totally unplayable, they nearly are. Additionally, they may lack, or greatly suffer in, the fundamental functionality of the software as a whole. The game simply does not come close to meeting industry standards at the time of its release.

    Score 1 - 1.5- Appalling: Gamers should avoid this game at all costs. The game was clearly not ready to make its way to store shelves in its status. Save your money and find something else. See it in the bargain bin? No! Stay away! Keep moving and look for something else.

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