Glen Atwell
Shaun InguanzoIllusion of Gaia/Time (Review)
December 7th 2006 19:17
Players: 1
Genre: RPG
Developer: Quintet
Platform: SNES
Year: 1994 (USA), 1995 (PAL)
Japan/US Title: Illusion of Gaia
Europe Title: Illusion of Time
Illusion of Gaia is the unofficial prequel to Terranigma (which I didn't find out until after completing the game. No wonder it seemed to remind me of the game...) and unofficial sequel of Soul Blazer. Although fans regard these games as a trilogy of sorts due to their similarities, it was never acknowledged by the developers as such.
I don't believe I ever saw Illusion of Gaia in Australia, but while researching the release year and finding out that the European title was different, I vaguely recall seeing a game under that title in Singapore Charlies. Oh well, too late now.
Story: You play as Will, a boy raised in a seaside town who possesses weak psychic powers and a knack for playing the flute. An incident occurred in his past that caused him to lose his memories (a somewhat cliché event in Playstation era RPGs and beyond it seems). In search of them, he discovers that there's a comet that's approaching the earth and somehow causing destruction of any variety (including death, mutation and accelerated evolution). The plot tends to have many holes throughout the course of the game and leaves many unanswered questions.
Battle System: Illusion of Gaia is an action RPG, with battles consisting mainly of melee attacks. In Will's case it's with his flute, and his attacks vary with the skills he's learned. Apart from Will's standard attacks, later on in the game you can play as Freedan and Shadow who have unique abilities of their own. Whether they're forms Will undertakes, or whether they borrow the use of Will's body is a bit vague. In either case, they have the same health and defense as Will, but different levels of strength.
Innovation: Nothing really noteworthy comes to mind.
Graphics: Nothing to complain about in this area. It's not anything particularly special though.
Sound: You get a few great tracks in the game, but it's tempered with many mediocre pieces.
Replayability: Pretty low. There isn't much offering in this area.
Overall: If you enjoyed Terranigma's gameplay, Illusion of Gaia's a fun romp through monster killing. However, if you're after interesting characters, a meaningful plot and something new in your games, then Illusion of Gaia isn't for you.
Score: 6/10
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