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Excellent Story... hampered by tedious battles

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: February 09, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This is an odd mixed bag. You have, on one hand, an honest-to-God intriguing story, with original characters and above-average voice-overs. You got side-quests, hidden treasures, and deep background folklore... Everything to please those who like a good book. The graphics are good, except I would have preferred more animation frames on some characters... Oh well...

Then you have the battles. This is where the pain starts. It is somewhat reminiscent of the real-time/turn-based hybrid battle system from the Final Fantasy series, with the added depth of having characters "build-up" three levels of power with time. Like Final Fantasy, battles build up your characters' stats, to prepare for that ultimate final battle against the big boss. Unlike Final Fantasy, the battles aren't that much fun. The creature types are more or less the same, with minor color variations. And you don't feel compelled to fight in the first place. You don't want to fight; you just want to continue with the adventure...

The only thing that (may) push you forward is the top-class story. The Story is what drives this game through, just like a good book. Want to turn to the next page? Well, must fight about 20 creatures 20 times to know what happens next.

This is the problem (for me at least). An excellent story matched with a boring battle system make the final product a game of patience. Recommend you download the demo first! If you feel that you can enjoy this game based on the demo, by all means, buy-it! If you are more of the impatient type, well either buy this game and download cracks or cheats, or look elsewhere.

This game would have been a better adventure game than an RPG.

Why only one CD?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 13 / 18
Date: February 10, 2000
Author: Amazon User

One of the best stories I have played in years, great movies and good characters. The concept is great, but, this are the things that destroy it in the end:

1. Very few kinds of enemies

2. Very few kinds of friends

3. You have to search in the same maze a lot of times, and every time you leave an area all the enemies you just destroy appear again, making this game boring after a while

4. The concepts of the magic and abilities are great, but the animations of the spells are childish

5. The world is very small

For the next game, at least, put three CDs in the package, and you will have a winner

Too linear

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: November 18, 2000
Author: Amazon User

First off, let me start by saying that I more prefer games like Zork, Myst/Riven, and Monkey Island. While, to some, that may make me an "inferior" game player, I think it's all a matter of taste. I also love Final Fantasy, but I honestly think it's just too slow paced and I lose interest in it quickly, but still love playing it.

That said... I'm rather ambiguous on this one. It has the world-roaming capabilities of FF, yet lacks any real unpredictability. The gameplay itself is all linear; there's only one way to go, or so it seems. The world's small size lends itself to being a more compact game, but even that gets old after a while. I found myself growing bored with, as another player noticed, having to kill monsters again and again whenever I went through the same area.

BUT....

There's just something about games where the dialogue is spoken. :) There are also subtitles to read if for whatever reason you like it that way. The movies were good, if few and far between, and I really like the characters. The story is also a really great one; I honestly picked it up just because it seemed so cool! The gameplay itself is easy to learn, which is good as I tend to have a very limited attention span, but the pace of the game itself... well, there were times when I was desperately searching around for what I'm supposed to do to trigger the next part of the game and get eaten up by monsters because it took so long. Royally sucks.

On a whole, I think it's a good game, but mostly if you're big into RPGs like FFVII. It's got an expansive world, I think, but the linear gameplay isn't for everyone. I suppose it *could* merit four stars, but I don't think it's for everyone, so if you're with me on your game choices I'd wait until this was in the sales rack before picking it up.

Top drawer RPG

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: November 17, 1999
Author: Amazon User

One of the best RPG's ever, and definitely the best RPG this year. And to think, we almost didn't get it at all. The story line is excellent, gameplay is superb, and the characters are outstanding, and for the first time the people are actually talking, not just printing their words on the screen.

Very fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: January 27, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I'm not too far into this game, but so far, I think it's really great. There are some features that hard-core RPG'ers might be turned off by, but in my opinion they enhance the game. For example, combat is relatively simple. In fact, if a character reaches zero hit points, he isn't killed but is merely rendered unconscious until the end of the battle. Also, the game progresses very linearly. But again, I personally think this is a good thing, because I don't like to really have to think about where to go next or keep track of a ton of quests. There are a few things about the interface that could have been improved, but nothing major. My only big complaint is that there's no auto journal (I've recently played Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment and appreciated this feature in those games). The cut scenes, which tell the story, happen so fast that it's easy to miss something, and I don't think there's any way to replay them. Still, this is one of the most enjoyable games I've played, and I'm looking forward to the rest of my journey!

Some good with some bad, but all in all, it's a solid game.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Okay, first things first. Septerra Core is built around a fairly unique story, which is something of a rarity in this day and age.
Now that we've gotten past that little step, let's look at this from an indepth perspective:
(FYI Each comment has either a pro or con mark following them.)

Story: The storyline moves at a good pace, without bogging down too much along the way. +

Characters: The list of playable characters is short, only 9 total. The total combinations for the party are limited as you must ALWAYS have Maya, but otherwise, you can build the party to fight certain circumstances. - The characters, though, do have their own personalities and motivations. Makes them believable, even recognizable to players. +

Graphics: The backgrounds are beautiful. + Some of the area maps are a bit too repetitive, which makes it too easy to get lost in. - The characters themselves could have used more animations. -

Sound: The voices are nicely coordinated, HOWEVER, there are problems in some of the actors getting the right feel for certain lines. - The overall music is very short and gets looped too early, meaning it's usually the first thing players will disable. Combat sounds are probably going to be following right behind. -

Mobs: Very few differences in mobs. You see one human type, one animal type, you've seen them all. Aside from coloration, almost no distinctiveness in mobs. - Mobs have too few attacks. There's not quite enough to keep a player from reading a book while they run fights. -

Combat: Slow and tedious. - The use of the limited number of Fate Cards (Spells), and the special skills you find/acquire is rather poorly used. 90% of the mobs, even the bosses can be put down with merely your basic attacks. Using the Cards and Skills isn't really necessary. - It can take a while to get used to the combat system, even if you were familiar with most of the Final Fantasy games or Chrono Trigger. -

Dungeons: There are some HUGE dungeons in the game, getting through them can be a quest in itself. + The dungeons are huge, and getting through them AND then WALKING back out often can push a player's patience to the breaking out. - There is no mention in any of the literature on the game that speaks of the map function, which makes navigating the dungeons so much easier. -

Replayablity: Moderate/High. It's one of those games you beat, then shelf for a few months/year, then dust off when you need something to do. Given the length of the game (I think I clocked it at 75 hours to beat during my rush trial of it), it will keep people going if they pace themselves.

Overall: It does have it's flaws. Every game does. If a player can overlook them, then they can enjoy the game pretty much to it's fullest. Remember that this is an old fashioned RPG, a real gem in this age of FPS and MMOs. Some folks will enjoy it for that fact, some folks won't. It's really a personal call.

Great RPG, Innovative and engrossing!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 11
Date: November 21, 1999
Author: Amazon User

In Septerra Core, you play Maya a Junker in the lower shell. Then you see Chosen warships, a nd everything goes bad. The graphics are amazing, the storyline engrossing, and the gameplay easy to learn. You'll find up to 9 allies, tons of weapons, gear, and skills along the way. With a huge world to explore, superb cinematics, and Quick load times, Septerra core looks poised to strike as the Best RPG of the Year!

"Need...more...caffeine. Must...keep...playing."

-Computer Games Online

AS GOOD AS FF8, IF NOT BETTER

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: November 20, 1999
Author: Amazon User

This game has a unique battle system, superb, crystal clear graphics and the sharp voice-over alone makes it worth getting. It's a classic RPG filled with inovative new ideas. The plot is quite interesting as well and very provocative. A definite must for all die-hard RPG gamers.

An intriguing RPG in an impossibly fantastic world

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 08, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I can remember a few years ago, reading an article in PC Gamer about an RPG called Septerra Core. The game was still in production, but from what I saw it had the potential to be one of the most unique, complex, and fascinating RPGs I'd ever played (and I'm pretty hardcore when it comes to RPGs ;)). I'm glad to say that when I purchased Septerra Core, I wasn't the slightest bit disappointed.

Created by the virgin company Valkyrie Studios, Septerra Core takes place on a planet known as Septerra. The planet is made up of seven distinct layers of continents called world shells, which orbit the core, an immense bio-computer. A giant bio-organic spine runs the axis of the core and turns on its own accord, providing power for the core, which regulates the rotation of the world shells. Every one hundred years, the world continents are aligned in such a way that sunlight is able to penetrate the core, activating it. At this time, the "Core Keys" can be used to communicate with the core, allowing the person who possesses them to obtain the Gift of the Creator. Now, a Chosen Lord known as Doskias will attempt to gain posession of the keys and create an artificial conjunction in order to achieve the Gift, fabled to be the Kingdom of Heaven. And it is the destiny of Junker Maya and friends to stop him. The story of Septerra Core is very fantastic and touches on many aspects of the world, such as religion, war, prejudice, and even love. The mythology of Septerra, which is very intriguing, plays a vital role in the story of the game. And the fact that ALL of the dialog in Septerra Core is spoken with, in my opinion, skilled voice actors, really adds emotion to the story. The nine playable characters and four villains (Here I refer to Balcaam, Kaleb, Doskias and Connor) have very distinct personalities and motives. My only complaint lies in character development, which this game boasts. Although it does have a lot of character development, it's sometimes very stale and impersonal, unlike that of the average Japanese RPG, and isn't prone to leaving lasting impressions.

The science of Septerra Core is very warped. The technology the Chosen use is based on bio-engineering, to the point that their armor, ships, and even buildings are engineered using the Helgak, a beast of burden in the world of Septerra. The fact that the planet itself is bio-organic computer really adds to that twisted idea. Of course, some technology is still simple metal and steel-type stuff like we're used to, so the game's not a total mind-bender to understand. However, it makes you think on an entirely different level from any game I've ever played.

Gameplay is very atypical of RPGs, most levels in Septerra Core being labyrinths of levers and corridors that make it almost like a puzzle game. Unfortunately, the game is pretty linear, involving Maya being sent to find a specific item before she can move on to find the next item, and it goes on like that. But between the story and battle system, and the complexity of the levels, this rarely gets tiring. In fact, the gameplay is quite addictive, and can have you happily running back and forth for hours on end.

The graphics of this game are mediocre when compared to other games, and looks very outdated. However, as RPGs typically rely heavily on story and gameplay and not on graphics, this isn't much of a problem.

The battle system of SC is superb, combining the ATB-type system of Final Fantasy-type games with a new system that allows three levels of attacks. For instance, a character can attack three times with a level one attack, or one time with a level three attact, in the same amount of time, allowing varying applications of strategy. The magic system is also well thought out, involving the use of fate cards, which can be used to cast magic individually, or combined to form more powerful spells and even summons (This combination makes use of two characters at one time, similar to Double and Triple Techs in Chrono Trigger). Thankfully, because the battle system keeps you on your toes instead of letting you down a button like some games, battles aren't boring, and rarely play out the same way consecutively. Also, battles are not random. As in Chrono Trigger, the enemies appear on screen, and you can sneak around them if you're good enough ;), avoiding combat. My only complaint about the battle system is that character placement in battle is random, and you can't move, so attacks that involve hitting multiple enemies in the character's line of sight (i.e. Runner's beam attack) seem useless at times.

The music of Septerra Core, though usually ambiance, is gorgeous. It could be noted that TotalAudio, the company that produced the music for Myst and Riven, also did the music for Septerra Core. The music presents a mystical atmosphere, with an emotion of strife behind it. Also, unlike most RPGs, there are several different songs that play during battle, so listening to it never gets tiring. No complaints about the music, except there could be more actual music at different parts of the game.

One of the game's only downfalls is in replay value. Once you've beaten the almost 40 hour game, and realized how much every effort you make in the game has on the story, it almost seems more trouble than it was worth in the first place. But Septerra Core is an experience to be remembered.

Overall, Septerra Core is a fantastically well-composed game with a fantastic story, plenty of action, gorgeous music, and an entertainment value superior to most games of its genre, and is a must-have for any RPG fan, or really any gamer who's willing to tangle the long hours at night to help Maya in her quest to save the fantasticly detailed world of Septerra.

Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is one hell of a game, any one who thought Final Fantasy 7 was great, you have got to try this. Awesome Anime characters, Breathtaking scenery, Full in game speech, plus a lot more make this game a must have. What the creators have done, is create an entire world from the ground up, a world that is unlike any other you may of seen in any game. Then they writ up the story, meaning that it's the most realistic world you will ever find in a game, as all other games build worlds and levels to suite their story. Instead of me going on and on about how excellent this game is, download the demo to find out just how great it is for yourself at animevamp.box.com.

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