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Hoshigami Has Nothing to Prove to The Next-Gen Systems

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 23 / 26
Date: December 08, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I am enthralled, gone somersaulting in a world of medieval, fantasy splendor. Famished for a tactical haven, besides PC Real-Time brutes such as StarCraft or C&C, MaxFive, a nameless company behind Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth, homes on the Strategy/Turn-based vicinity, and grips a dynamic footing on what is easily the ultimate zenith the PlayStation shall ever conceive. Like Dragon Quest VII, Hoshigami has been in the works for a wee-bit too long (well over two years), and at a first glance, the game seems principally archaic, but skulking behind its frail mask is a multiplex of strategic approval. If you are currently wrestling with a tactical appetite, Hoshigami perfectly quenches it and then some, making you one elated, flabby chap. Spiked with what was arguable Square's king for a Strategy/RPG, Final Fantasy Tactics and sleeper-hit, Ogre Tactics, Hoshigami borrows heavily on the two and fine-tunes their initial flaws to stage a central plane of gameplay glory.

Gyrating on a gigantic floating realm called Mardias, Hoshigami breathes fresh, moderate life with a non-conventional tale amongst the most amiable characters brought onto the RPG fodder. As a main course we have three supreme kingdoms ruling the continent; Nightweld, Valaim, and Gerauld. Altogether, the three are on the verge of lethal-hitting war. With the mysterious disappearance of the moon, an ill-omened, world-destructive apocalypse is bound for Mardias. Fazz, a youthful, high-spirited mercenary, rushes on the hero bandwagon to allay the war, and concurrently learns the mystery involving the Hoshigami, the Star Gods who supposedly stole the light of existence. Although, retaining the "save the world from imminent destruction" plot, the considerable troupe of sundry characters suffices players to be towed and deeply engrossed upon days. As an incentive, a number of astonishing story twists and turns are wonderfully unbuckled. Primed Fantasy authors may even go googoo-gaagaa over Hoshigami's inspirational storyline.

Realizing that their graphics are quite obsolete, the guys of MaxFive fish out one heck of a wildcard, aggregating an excess of gaming spoils. Faithfully resembling FFT and Ogre Tactics, the player is first parked on a 2D map, akin to a wrinkly parchment with dots scattered from left to right. Several story events and optional paths are lined above the map, hinting sunny non-linear gameplay. Still on the map, players may save, visit shops, and organize battle configurations. In each town or castle there are equipment, coin, and recruitment facilities, along with a temple to convert faith to a different Star God. Preoccupying the player's social life are the long, ample, palm-sweaty battles. At the start of each battle, the map layout is displayed while enemies are visible. The player can select up to seven units to be deposited anywhere on the sizeable, 3D terrain as units are presented in 2D sprites. Played in Turn-Based procedure, the number of speed a character possesses establishes the order on who initially moves first. To help determine methods of victory or warding an impending onslaught, a row of Face Queues keep track of action order, enabling decision-making to sink in. Reminiscent of Front Mission 3, each party member is allotted with a certain number of movement points before a turn ends. Unbroken are the traditional Move, Attack, Item, and Defend commands. When a party member aims at an enemy, the accuracy and calculation of damage rolls up, followed by a rotating gauge acting as the basis on how the amount of damage is inflicted. If the player hits the X button when the meter is max, a lofty amount of damage distributes on the unlucky opponent and vice versa. Of all highlights, Hoshigami's grabbing feature is the Session Attack. Letting units "shoot" enemies, a clean shot from the Session Attack will thrust opposition forces two grids away on the map, and if that enemy comes in reach with another hero on Session Mode, that unit will implement an extra strike, smacking the enemy back a second time. Proving to be another tactical measure, the devastating combos are commonplace in the game. Difficulty ramps up little by little as foes ensnare heroes in a box of Sessioned units. On its skill learning system, Hoshigami is deficient of a class system. Character development depends on the Vow level (worshipping of a Star God), and equippable coins, or Coinfeigns, as the source of acquiring powerful incantations. Progressing further in the game, more formidable spells become accessible as characters gain strength, intelligence, HP, and MP. With a smoothly fathomed excursion to a perfect strategic feast, Hoshigami has nothing to prove to the next-gen systems, but bravely certifies itself as a spin-off from all the best tactical games released on the PS1, conducting a more extravagant tribute on how the PlayStation helped advance the gaming industry to reach its cosmic enormity of today.

Don't even deprive yourself from missing one of the most excellent games to be gracing on the PS1. Once you surmount the dated graphics and rather plain, drumming, war-like music, be prepared for days of heartwarming characters thronging in an enchanting narrative. Hoshigami is aimed for a good deal of exploration through immense and measurably intricate play. Burgeoning in every gaming aspect, though a 2P mode would have been worthwhile, Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth has vastly contributed to PlayStation's deluxe library of RPG's, redefining the Super Nintendo's Golden Age.

Not FF Tactics...maybe even better

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: October 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Ok, before we get a ton of misconceptions, this game has one thing in common with the FFT. The way the battle areas look. Other than that the systems are different. You use a meter somewhat like the kicking meter in most football games to attack or do a session(combo). There are no jobs, but instead you learn skills and your stats change according to which god you worship. Your magic is used through coinfeigms that are coins you find or buy which you can have engraved on to power up the magic. They also grow through usage, developing more powerful and more specialized skills. This game is gonna rock, and I think it has the potential to rank up there with Tactics Ogre, which is the best strat RPG on the market.(Yes, even better than FFT)

Finaly a game that comes close to final fantasy tactics!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: February 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is simply one of the best strategy RPG's ever made. one of the reasons why is because it is so much like FFT. the battle system is great, and it is easy to level up your characters and magics, due to the "towers of trials" scatered around the world map. personaly i dont like strategys a great deal but when FFT came out i eagerly awaited a strategy that could even compare to it. Hoshigami is the game weve been searching for! not only is the story good, but the characters are very likeable, theres also allot of them to recruit. If you liked Final Fantasy Tactics then by all means buy this game now.

Great Final Fantasy Tactics 2 copy

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 17
Date: September 21, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game uses the same battle system from final fantasy tactics to control the chracters. Awesome battle system that uses magic, physical attacks, and chain attacks to inflict major combos on the enemy party. The chain attacks becomes a vital element to the battle system and graphic of this game are good for playstation one standards. While this game is no ff tactics it is a solid game to fill the void that ff tactics left behind.

A tactacal upgrade

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 12, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I can go on all day about this game but im not ill just tell you the bascics. the graphic are great by ps1 standards detailed emviroments my only complaint is that the stages should have been done better. Ive also noticed that thair more enamies to fight in one battle than FFT also insted of getting to move once then attack once you can hit twice move twice use magic coins depending on how much rap meter you have. If your looking for a long game you found it you can easily play 100 hours and not know it just to get started it will take about 10 hours. all in all if you a final fantasy tactic fan this game will not dissapoint you and is one of the last great playstation 1 games.

Hoshigami is a great game and horridly UNDERRATED!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 7
Date: April 11, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Hoshigami is one of the best games ever. I have beaten it two times. Unlike Final Fantasy Tactics, an incredibly easy game after the second or third time through it, Hoshigami is not. It is much more realistic considering in the beginning you CAN NOT raise your characters after you die. The other aspect of the game that sets it apart from other games in this Genre is it's RAP gauge. The game is not a cheap rip off of tactics either. Atlus helped develop the game. Read the credits. I would recommend this to only a true gamer that wants an extreme challenge Only

If you played every Shining Force...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: July 22, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I love the strategic battle format. I've played every Shining Force, FF Tactics, both Vandal-Hearts, and was so happy to find Hoshigami. At first I struggled with the play control. The in-game tutorials are not all that clear, and the enemies were pushing my troops off their spaces and I couldn't figure out how they were doing it. But I stuck with it, found out how to level up my spell-casting coins, how to shoot enemies into a session attack, how to check out the enemies' magic and gear and use session attacks on the ones that had stuff I wanted them to drop. One of my characters has earned the ability to detect hidden prizes on the battlefield. Now I'm addicted. My only regret is that you can't save your game mid-battle like in Shining Force. This is no starter strategy. Experienced generals will love it.

FF Tactics ready to drool once again?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 6
Date: December 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is inspired by the strategy games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Vandal Hearts and such. This game is probably the best game that will come out for Playstation this year. The art, the gameplay, and everything else seems to be similar compared to Final Fantasy, except the complicated storyline no one understood. But the game is for strategists, and is not suitable for kids young as 6 (based on complicated gameplay and way the game is played) You want your money's worth? GET THIS GAME!

People complain too much.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User

...Hoshigami is a good game on its own rights without all the comparisons to FFT that turn it down. I don't see what was so great about FFT, but Hoshigami is definetely a great game. Difficulty is just right. I can finally spend over 50 hours or so on an RPG. Too many easy RPGs these days. Hoshigami is just right... FFT is hack and slash. This people is a real strategy game.

People just dont understand

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: January 03, 2004
Author: Amazon User

One of the best games ever made for the Playstation console. Why do I say this, Hoshigami isnt some push over games us Americans are used to. Where we just level up and beat are enemy to a pulp. Its not for the weak at hearted either. This is one hardcore RPG. One your enemy will always be somewhere around your power level no matter what. Its hard to, not some easy cheesy game. Youd better get some bawlz or red bull because your in for it with this game. The thing I like about this game is the deities. You get to be some sort of different color, and can change and teach you cool and different skills. The game has been given some silly and aweful reviews, by people here, and on the top game reviews out of fustration because it was difficult. I guess all games to them are suppoed to be for simpltons like them. Its sad :( Hoshigami is a great game and everyone should play it.

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