Fallen Legion Preview: A Side Scrolling Action RPG With Intense Combat & Choices
Jun. 21, 2017Fallen Legion Preview: A Side Scrolling Action RPG With Intense Combat & Choices
In Fallen Legion’s PS4 version subtitled Sins of an Empire, you will guide Princess Cecille and a talking grimoire (very Nier-like) on a mission to save her kingdom from falling into ultimate ruin. In the PS Vita version, subtitled Flames of Rebellion you will take the role of her primary rival, Legatus Laendur, who is leading an army with the goal to overthrow the royal family.
The backdrop for both games involves the world of Fenumia that has been ruled by a royal family for ages and the crown has now passed to the head of Cecille, along with the sentient book that possesses a vast store of knowledge and power to breathe life into weapons. As the kingdom becomes assaulted, Cecille and the grimoire will set out to restore peace and stability, both from threats within the kingdom and from outside conspirators.
In the PS Vita version you will play the game from the perspective of the Legate, who is a charming and cunning tactician, and you will be fighting to not only depose the monarchy but to also eliminate traitors within your rebellion. This is an intriguing approach to game development and gives players a chance to experience the struggles of war from both sides. Perhaps things aren’t as good/evil as they always seem.
The game unfolds in2.5D party based combat that should be familiar to players of Odin’s Sphere and Dragon’s Crown. Each of the two Fallen Legion titles feature a different story, levels, story branches as well as boss battles unique to their platform. Within the gameplay both feature an intense battle system that allows you to command up to 4 different characters. As you do battle with armies and massive beasts you will be making important world altering choices, whether it’s how to suppress a rebellion or put a town at ease. Every choice that you make impacts how the story of the game unfolds, all the way to the end.
In combat you will control up to 4 characters at onceand will take on the various enemies of the world inreal time. Your team can be set up for some lethal combos as they execute their own special abilities. Softening up creatures opens them up for some critical attacks for some devastating damage. Each one of your party members has their own distinct gear and strengths and your equipment can be augmented and improved with gemstones that feature different bonuses. The combat is action packed and involves a lot of quick decisions which should make for some great encounters.
You travel from location to location via a segmented overworld map and once you decide on a place you launch in. In the locations you will speak to NPCs and other characters and will be presented with choices in which you must make an immediate choice. Once you choose, you will play out the outcome of that choice in dialogue and battle.
The choices that are presented are all tinged by the different forces at play here. You will be battling the rebel forces or vice versa and situations will present themselves, such as whether you should defend a village from an onslaught.Not only do these choices have narrative implications, but they also have gameplay considerations. Defending that village may grant an attack boost, but choosing to abandon it could give you double HP for a level. There is a risk reward to either choice, andyou only have 10 seconds to decidewhen it’s brought up. This is a neat mechanic, that may be fun for flexible tastes and harrowing for some players, especially those perfectionists who need time to make the painstaking optimized choice.
If you make that choice to defend, you head right to the front lines and have only one opportunity to complete the objectives. In the case of the town under attack, you can repel the forces and save the town, however, if you lose, you will lose control of the town forever. To prevent this, the game allows for some diplomacy by engaging in bartering and deal making, such as handing over the town in exchange for items, or securing its safety through another backdoor deal.As the ruler of this world, these are the choices and political maneuvering that come with the gig.
Bosses are a signature part of the game and they can be impressive creatures and monsters as well as armies. In a further unique twist to the platform split,each version features their own unique bossesto tangle with, meaning the full experience will be best achieved by playing the game on PS4 and PS Vita.
All of the artwork in the game has been hand drawnto give it a distinctive feel and the game features full voice acting from genre veterans. This makes it more like an animation come to life and elicits the same vibe of the earlier mentioned Odin’s Sphere and Dragon’s Crown as well as the Muramasa series of games. That’s good company indeed!
Fallen Legion takes what is already a great RPG story, setting and gameplay concept and goes a step further by delivering complimentary experiences on the PS4 and PS Vita. Some may not take kindly to having to play it on both systems to get the complete story, but the approach is innovative. With a wonderful art style and intense 2.5D gameplay, fans of Atlus and Vanillaware’s games should give this game a serious look.
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Editor at Fextralife. I look for the substantial in gaming and I try to connect video games to the emotions and stories they elicit. I love all things culture and history and have an odd fondness for the planet Jupiter. I think my dogs are pretty awesome too.
The more I wrote the more I was into it. As much as I liked Odin’s Sphere and Vanillaware in general it was a pleasant surprise.
Nice. It has a Grand Kingdom look to it.I’ll definitely keep an eye on this one.
