(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o90/thumpin_termis/Mysterious Song/title.jpg) (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/thumpin_termis/media/Mysterious Song/title.jpg.html)
Hah, it's been a couple years since I've really been active around here -- RL stuff - family, job, etc, etc., but I've always been lurking around from time to time, and finally managed to squeeze in some to play a new PCE game - Mysterious Song! I'm sure most of you on this board are familiar with the title, and there are no shortage of reviews/comments on it. So I thought I'd add in my 2 cents.
I must say I was quite impressed - you can really tell a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into creating this, so before anything else... great job guys.
I won't bore folks with the minor details, but will jump straight into it.
The gameplay is of the classic JRPRG variety. 3-player party wandering the overworld, going between villages, caves, dungeons, etc. Gameplay is simple in nature -- players can equip all things, there are the basic attack/heal spells, and everything just flows without dragging on. There's nothing that hasn't been done before, but it doesn't do anything wrong. It's a short & sweet RPG that one can finish in a single session (~3 hours), but that's not such a horrible thing for many of us who are time-poor now.
(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o90/thumpin_termis/Mysterious Song/overhead1.jpg) (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/thumpin_termis/media/Mysterious Song/overhead1.jpg.html) (http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o90/thumpin_termis/Mysterious Song/overhead2.jpg) (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/thumpin_termis/media/Mysterious Song/overhead1.jpg.html) (http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o90/thumpin_termis/Mysterious Song/overhead3.jpg) (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/thumpin_termis/media/Mysterious Song/overhead1.jpg.html)
Graphics are decent and I thought they were definitely comparable to other "commercial" releases back in the day. The battle backgrounds in particular were really well done, with great detail & shading in some of the landscapes.
(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o90/thumpin_termis/Mysterious Song/battle1.jpg) (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/thumpin_termis/media/Mysterious Song/battle1.jpg.html) (http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o90/thumpin_termis/Mysterious Song/battle2.jpg) (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/thumpin_termis/media/Mysterious Song/battle1.jpg.html) (http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o90/thumpin_termis/Mysterious Song/battle3.jpg) (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/thumpin_termis/media/Mysterious Song/battle1.jpg.html)
Music is excellent, and probably the standout feature of this title. Battle music is really well done, for both the peon & boss battles. I also like the cave BGM, which really makes it feel like your in a cave setting, with that echo-y reverb atmosphere.
The few cutscenes are also well done. The art style isn't necessarily my cup of tea, but I can appreciate it being different from the standard anime fare, and again, I can tell a lot of work went into all this.
(http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o90/thumpin_termis/Mysterious Song/cutscene1.jpg) (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/thumpin_termis/media/Mysterious Song/cutscene1.jpg.html) (http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o90/thumpin_termis/Mysterious Song/cutscene2.jpg) (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/thumpin_termis/media/Mysterious Song/cutscene1.jpg.html) (http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o90/thumpin_termis/Mysterious Song/cutscene3.jpg) (http://s118.photobucket.com/user/thumpin_termis/media/Mysterious Song/cutscene1.jpg.html)
Other than the length of the game, I would say this game can certainly satiate the needs of classic RPG players.
Compilation of my other reviews:
Aurora Quest: Otaku no Seiza in Another World (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=5233.msg90177#msg90177)
Ane-san (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=2966.msg37879#msg37879)
Babel (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=3409.msg48437#msg48437)
Bakushō Yoshimoto Shinkigeki (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=8343.msg141057#msg141057)
Blood Gear (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=3119.msg41363#msg41363)
Burai (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9189.msg162002#msg162002)
Burai II (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=12076.msg232869#msg232869)
Cosmic Fantasy 1 (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=3055.msg39559#msg39559)
Cosmic Fantasy 3 (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9146.msg157210#msg157210)
Dragon Knight III (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9179.msg158148#msg158148)
Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=2785.msg34106#msg34106)
Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes II (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=2785.msg37365#msg37365)
Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=2450.msg27156#msg27156)
KO Seiki: Beast Sanjūshi (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=2715.msg32720#msg32720)
Kūsōkagaku Sekai: Gulliver Boy (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=2505.msg28469#msg28469)
Nekketsu Legend Baseballer (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=3582.msg52562#msg52562)
Tengai Makyō: Itōryōdan (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=3105.msg40926#msg40926)
Tengai Makyō: Ziria (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=11520.msg219624#msg219624)
Valis I~IV (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=5167.msg88753#msg88753)
Xak I & II (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=4266.msg70826#msg70826)
Xak III (http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=4580.msg75930#msg75930)