Hey, have you ever heard
of that game Mystic Heroes?
It’s an old GameCube (and PS2) title by the guys who did the Dynasty
Warriors series. And it shows;
aesthetic differences aside, the goal -- as always -- is to make your way
across the map, beating down as many undead soldiers, monsters, and generals as
you can. To the game’s credit, its
greatest strength is the addition of magic that helps break up the monotony of
mashing the attack button. Press the Y
button, and fire off, say, some lightning bolts. Hold it down, and you can target enemies with
lock-on magic. Hit X, and you’ll be able
to spice up your physical attack with magic -- and a chance to cause a status
effect that’s dependent on the attack’s element (wind confuses, lightning
slows, fire burns, ice freezes). Couple
that with some RPG mechanics and plenty of magic types to seek out and equip,
and you’ve got yourself a handy-dandy little game.
Is it perfect? No, of course not. And it’s definitely started showing its
age. And that voice acting is something else, to the point where I
wouldn’t even call it voice acting. But
I still like it; part of it’s in a sort of sympathetic “aw, bless your heart”
capacity, as you’d expect. But part of
it is because I’m genuinely having fun with the game. I’m planning on playing through it some more
as soon as I’m able (and maybe doing a little post on it somewhere down the
line).
It doesn’t bode well
for God of War: Ascension when I realized I'd rather play a decade-old game instead.