Seireiki Rayblade (聖霊機ライブレード), launched 3/23/2000 (PS), 9/28/2000 (DC), developed and printed by Winkysoft
This sport was on each the Ps and Dreamcast. After some analysis it appeared like the 2 variations have been principally the identical; the DC model might be a bit higher however considering the emulator efficiency, I went with the Ps model.
After Winkysoft and Banpresto parted methods (I’m nonetheless unsure why), each corporations tried to make new video games primarily based on the Masou Kishin franchise. Banpresto’s model was Panzer Warfare, which I performed earlier. Winkysoft’s try was even much less linked to the unique franchise, with no shared mechs, world, tales, characters, and many others. That being mentioned, most of the Rayblade characters are clearly primarily based on Masou Kishin characters. To make use of one instance, right here is Serika (on the correct):
She’s a shadow of Xenia; they’re each royalty who work on mechs and have purple hair. They’re not full carbon copies of one another, although. That is true of the vast majority of the characters — for a very good variety of them, you’ll be able to see the Masou Kishin character that they parallel, however they’re by no means precisely the identical.
The story begins much like MK with somebody from Earth being transported to Agartia (the world with the Seireiki mechs), though the reason is much less coherent. It includes parallel worlds and being “out of sync” with the world or one thing like that — I couldn’t actually make sense of the reason and in the long run it turned out to be functionally equal to the magic summoning of Masou Kishin. As traditional Touya (the one that will get transported) turns into a pilot of a Seireiki together with different folks from Earth.
The story includes the standard feuding kingdoms, but in addition a gaggle of highly effective mechs referred to as Ze Olde, which precipitated an enormous disaster 109 years in the past and have reappeared just lately.
The character profiles are massive and detailed, however there is no such thing as a voicing (even within the battle scenes). General the story is okay — I consider there may be not less than one branching path though I wasn’t capable of finding any walkthrough website for this sport so I’m unsure how totally different the story is or whether or not there are any extra branches past that.
The story sequences are usually fairly lengthy, so there’s plenty of studying to do.
Along with the story sequences, there are occasions between phases when you’ll be able to stroll across the ship and speak to folks. You too can set “subjects” that may set off extra occasions, though it solely works when the characters are in particular locations. For example, if the subject is “Ai’s hidden previous” it might solely set off when Ai is in her room. These talks can increase or decrease friendship values, in addition to love values with the ladies. The love worth adjustments the ending and in addition impacts the accomplice system with Touya’s strongest mech. I’m much less clear on what the friendship does. The instruction booklet mentions that it might unlock new seishin, enhance prana, and possibly different issues, however I by no means was capable of inform precisely how that labored. Seishin for me have been at all times unlocked on stage up, however possibly a few of them required each a sure stage and a friendship worth?
The battles happen in sequence; there is no such thing as a choice to return to a earlier battle or do any form of free battle. You may, nevertheless, retreat from any battle and also you’ll begin from the start of the battle with any XP and cash you gained intact (the one factor you’ll be able to’t do is improve or change who’s sortied). Due to this, you basically can’t get caught as a result of you’ll be able to simply maintain repeating the battle so long as it’s essential. Upgrades to the mechs solely have an effect on armor and HP, so the vast majority of your battle effectiveness is from levelling up.
At first I believed there was one exception to this — there are a couple of battles that appear to be multipart battles, the place everybody’s HP/Prana/and many others keep the identical and anybody who acquired defeated within the first half can’t be sortied. Nonetheless, I came upon close to the top of the sport that should you simply retreat from the “second half” of the battle you’ll begin at the start of that second half with everybody revived and again to full HP.
The battles are similar to Masou Kishin. The largest distinction is that seishin by no means have an effect on the person however can solely be used on different models. After a few years of SRW I discovered this tough to get used to and possibly underused seishin on the entire.
I consider the opposite most important distinction is that attacking a unit straight from behind means they can not counterattack and even block, they’ll solely attempt to dodge (which often doesn’t work).
The problem of the sport will not be particularly excessive. I used to be usually sending out my lowest levelled models in every battle and I solely bumped into 2 battles in the entire sport that I needed to retreat and check out once more.
On the entire I might say this isn’t a nasty sport. It’s actually higher than I anticipated it to be, and it’s higher than the Panzer Warfare sport that Banpresto launched. Apparently there have been plans within the works for one (and possibly two) extra video games within the franchise, however for no matter motive they by no means got here out. It wasn’t as a result of Winkysoft stopped producing video games; they made Zone of the Enders in 2001 and a PS2 SRPG in 2005. Perhaps this sport didn’t promote properly?
