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Long, Complex and challenging rpg from the makers of Riviera: The Promised Land

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: December 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I got Yggdra Union for my gba(from my husband) for Hanukkah, and the game is so in-depth, it's not funny. I lost the first tutorial mission three times before I "got" it, and between the 50+ page instruction manuel, the long-winded tutorial (which you have to use in conjunction with the intruction booklet) and the battles, it's really tough. Don't try playing it unless you like tactical role-playing games. I like it, as it's a type of gameplay I've never tried before, but some people might not like it due to its long learning curve.

The game is really deep, it's a strategy rpg with cards, and everything from what kind of weapons you have have, to your gender determines how the battles will turn out! I think I like it, but it's taken me hours to learn to play. Certainly deep, but make sure you have a whole day to learn the game; or a long commute.

First off, you have to work your way through the first level, learning the ropes of each method of battle. You have cards you play with; that's actually your main method of attack or defense. If you don't have an attack card, you can't attack. Simple, right? Well, not really. You also have to figure out which characters move during each turn. Each card has a number on it; say 10 or 12. You can move one of your characters 12 times, or two of them 6 times, or 12 characters 1 turn. It's all up to you!

You also have to contend with is that your units, which represent individual armies, don't have hit points or health--they have morale, and each time they lose a fight, they lose some of that morale. When morale hits zero, the unit is defeated, and if that's one of your main characters, game over. Unfortunately for you, morale doesn't automatically regenerate between battles, and is restored primarily by using items you'll have in short supply. Thankfully, you retain the experience levels you've earned if you have to replay a mission, so missions naturally get a little easier the more times you're forced to retry them.

Enemies have morale, too, and it took me a while to figure out that until you deplete their morale, you can't finish off that particular enemy!

Gameplay-wise, the game's battles remind me a lot of Age of Empires for the ds. You can see all of your characters fighting your enemies, even watching them fight and die; the curious part of this is that even if you watch them die in battle, they haven't really died, it just means that their morale took a hit.

One thing I hate about the game so far is it's convoluted "equip" system. Once an item has been equipped to your character, it can't be un-equipped until the weapon breaks, and then you have to uneqip it, throw it away, and make sure you have another weapon in the wings, or your character will be weaponless and therefore, defenseless!

There is a weapons triangle, a lot like the ones in the gba versions of Fire Emblem, and you must remember it when you battle, or you will lose! Swords beat axes but are weak against spears, spears beat swords but are weak against axes, axes are strong against spears but weak to swords, and I am not yet sure what archers are weak against!

The story is full of political intrigue, and the tutorial introduces you to some truelly lovable dunces (like the second-in-command) who you can't help but roll your eyes at.

By the way, Yggdra is the name of the Princess (which you learn by reading the back of the box) and "Union" is what you call your army when they have weapons, cards and high morale. It's your "team', if you will.

There's more to learn, and I highly recommend you get a new copy of the game, as the instruction booklet explains some things that the tutorial never fully explains, and vise-vera. It's one of the few games I recommend you get the instruction booklet and keep with you as you learn the ropes of the game.

It's good to see a good strategy/RPG on the GBA

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: January 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

With the release list for the GBA growing ever so smaller (especially for games of any real quality), it's good to see a game like Yggdra Union hit Nintendo's little handheld that could. From the same people who've brought us the underrated Riveria: The Promised Land, and Atlus, the publisher responsible for bringing the Super Robot Taisen and Summon Night series' of games to our shores, Yggdra Union throws some twists into the typical turn-based system of things, and the overall weirdness of the game's presentation and characters is a sight to behold indeed. The game's turn-based combat system is deeper than one may think at first glance, helping make an already lengthy game even more fun to play. The graphics and animation are crisp, clean, and have a unique style that mostly sets them apart from the handful of other strategy/RPG's on the GBA, which is a nice feature as well. The battles themselves are well done and nicely presented, although Yggdra Union does have a bit of a steep learning curve. That aside, the game boasts a unique charm to it that helps make it a more than worthy addition to your GBA library if you like strategy/RPG's, and that same uniqueness may even warrant a look from gamers that don't usually play these types of games. All in all, your GBA isn't dead yet, and here's some more proof of that.

Worth the difficulty...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I picked this up the other day simply because it was a Sting/Atlus release (ah.... Riviera...), and I HATED IT. I couldn't figure out why I was losing or winning in any given battle, I couldn't figure out what was going on in the cluttered displays and menus... Luckily, I was bored enough to pick it up again and again over the rest of the evening.

Long story short, this game is fantastic. I had read that it had a "steep learning curve" but I wasn't prepared for it. So take it from me: DON'T GIVE UP. After a few hours of replaying the same couple scenarios, I finally got the hang of it and have been on a roll ever since. The instruction manual isn't all that helpful, and neither are the in-game tutorials, which tend to let you in on the information that you've already had to figure out on your own. My advice is to pick this up and bear with it for a bit. It's really worth it.

it's from sting what els can i say

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 13
Date: January 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

it's from sting what els can i say

Great Expections

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 3
Date: May 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The game stated great however as you went on it became harder and harder till it was near impossible to win.

Trying to help with the product star rating.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: May 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is amazingly fun, after you learn the ropes.

A wonderful, complex strategy/RPG game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've been having lots and lots of fun with this game. It has its shortcomings, but at its heart, it provides very hard, engaging, stylish gameplay for a dedicated player of video strategy games. Some of the concepts are unusual, and the complexity is fairly high. The presentation style is anime graphics. Scenes of combat are non-realistic, cartoony affairs that I enjoy watching and interacting with. The story text is well-written, although the story itself is nothing to shout about. The clever, sometimes outlandish, characters are more interesting than the plot line.

I have read several player reviews (on various websites) that mention the difficulty of grasping the game rules. I did not have that problem, but that is probably for the following reasons: 1) I was warned by reviews before I bought the game that its mechanics were a bit odd. 2) I have played Riviera, Fire Emblem, and Advance Wars. This game is a sort of fusion of all three of those games, though it is greater than the sum of those parts. 3) I've played other games involving collecting and playing electronic "cards" as a part of the combat. These factors combined, I was ready for the game.

It does seem to be getting very difficult as I proceed through the chapters, but I respect that. ;) For devoted fans, it's a must-have!

Atlus and Sting released this game, RPG fans rejoice!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Yggdra Union is a fine example of why you should never ignore the last few game releases on a matured video gaming platform. Originally released in Japan on June 30, 2006, the game was quickly imported by Atlus and released November 21, 2006. The game features a rich storyline about the heroine, Yggdra Yuril Artwaltz. Complimenting the storyline is screen after screen of bright color schemed menus overlayed onto anime backgrounds. I was surprised to find that the level of difficulty is rather high for Yggdra. Deep RPG based character statistics and equally detailed battle engine can cause any player to actually think while they play. The game also features a musical score that has prompted release of a two disc soundtrack!

Plot
The Empire of Bronquia has invaded the Kingdom of Fantasinia with a deadly blitzkrieg. Princess Yggdra has managed to flee the capital city, Paltina only to be pursued into the badlands by enemy troops. She meets Milanor the leader of a band of thieves who promises to help her after his own hideout is burned to the ground by Yggdra's pursuers. The game has a simple linear plot line that develops the story of young Yggdra. Each battle field has its own set of dialogue with the characters. I found my short attention span satisfied with just enough detail to keep my interest. While the dialogue at times seems a little drawn out, you can easily "button press" your way through it in a few minutes.

Gameplay
I jumped into this game without reading the tutorial or manual. The battle system is very intuitive. Twelve hours of gameplay later, I regretted my decision! The game has a lot of features that without the manual could never be understood. For example after you have set your battle orders, the game will display a set of 5 prediction marks for each unit involved in the battle. Predictions marks quickly gave me an edge in battling that has saved me thousands of morale points! The depth of Yggdra Union's gameplay is astonishing because the game slowly introduces new battle capabilities as you progress through battlefields. The game's formation and linking features allow you to team up against the evil ones with devastating effects. The formation and linking also tend to slow down gameplay as you plot the moves required to get your units into position.

The third battlefield, Orlando, was a challenge to complete in just one turn. The first phase of the battle was the rescue of a royal knight unit beseiged by enemy forces. I had to concede defeat in this zone because I simply did not have the morale power required
to last three consecutive battles. Once you have lost a battlefield, you can either retry or simply load a previous save. If you retry the enemies abilities will be reduced, at the cost of the MVP selection. The game determines the most valuable player for the battle and awards the character with a permanent stat boost. After twelve battles, the MVP awards can really boost your entire team's stats. For this reason, avoid the retry option at all costs.

Morale is the true indicator of stamina in Yggdra Union. When battling, if your player loses they are assessed a point penalty that is deducted from their morale points. If your player wins a battle, they deduct morale points from the defeated unit. Your player is not given these morale points, they simply vanish. As your player's level increases so does their morale. By the time you reach the twelfth battlefield, some of your characters can hold over 5,000 morale points. Morale points do not normally recharge. Just like combat pay is given to modern armies, you must give each character bonus items to recover lost morale after a long battle. Acquiring items is also dependent on a whole new set of requirements such as the number of "Luk" of the winning unit.

Graphics:
When you purchase Yggdra Union all you expect is a tactical RPG, but instead you get one of the most complete gameboy games ever released. Final Fantasy IV Advance was given strong marks for it's graphics on several review sites, yet it's graphics were very pixelated almost blocky. A side by side comparison of FFIV with Yggdra Union would cause a lot of people to second guess their graphics ratings if GBA games. The graphics in this game are simply stunning. Featuring a very active user interface combined with vivid colors, Yggdra Union feels like a console game rather than a Gameboy Advance game. The battle and story animations are very smooth with no noticeable frame rendering lag. The text is easy to read, no squinting to see if your morale is 100 or 180.

The backgrounds are detailed anime style drawings. I have never seen such detail in a Gameboy Advance game. Several sections of the game were actually written to allow you to view the background graphics alone. Finally, the menus seem to have a distinct gothic touch to them, much like those of the infamous Atlus title, Shining Soul II.

As an added bonus, when units use card skills in battle, the developers somehow implemented fog and photon style effects to the affected units.

Replayability
As you move units around maps, they will discover hidden items that are picked up and placed in your equipment inventory. As you battle, cards gain points for every victory. Characters can level up and even be awarded special MVP awards that directly credit their stats. All of these factors combined will keep this game in my DS for months to come. The only thing that will stop me from playing is the flood of new DS game releases coming for the month of Febuary 2007!

Programmers
We rarely hear or read about the efforts of the development teams behind Gameboy Advance games. Yggdra Union is no exception to this type admiration. As you play this game, the level of technical achievement involved with the programming jumps out from the screen. The game was originally written by Sting. If someone can find a list of programmers please post them.

Game Website
The following link will take you to the official game website:
[...]
I encourage you to visit this website because you can download sample high resolution videos and wallpaper. Additionally, you can find animated character avatars on this site as well! The site is in Japanese, but most of the menu buttons are in English.

CD Soundtrack!
The developers of this game have released a soundtrack called, Yggdra Union: Perfect Audio Collection Plus! The following page features cover art, track listing and sample audio for you to enjoy.
[...]

Summary
Yggdra Union cannot be classified as either a Final Fantasy or an Advance Wars clone. The game proudly stands alone as a welcome one of a kind release by Atlus and Sting.
I intentionally left a lot details out of this review. I felt the only basics of the game: graphics, plot and gameplay needed to be covered, from a RPG gamer's point of view. I hope that you decide to pick up this title and publish your own review comments as well!

A Rare Gem...An Innovative RPG

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 15, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have read the other reviews, and the only one that I disagree with is the one with the two stars; this game is fun, and, unless you have never played an RPG or tactical/strategy game, it will be a new and involving experience. It was difficult to learn the in's and out's of battle and stats, but afterwards, this game becomes an enriching experience. I would DEFINITELY recommend this game to anyone who is up for a challenge and loves RPG/Strategy/Tactical games.

The only downside to this is that there are many hidden items located throughout the many maps you play on; sometimes you can only get them with a specific person, sometimes only on a specific time of day, and sometimes only when you have certain items in your inventory. Also, you will only use about 50% of the cards you collect in the game; the rest are too situational or are useless or both. Also, you may have to restart some maps due to the difficulty at times, but that isn't too bad; I only had to restart a few times throughout the whole game.

Overall, despite the tiny cons, the pros overweigh and outshadow the cons.

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