From '99 to '06, Falcom repeatedly dabbled in localising Korean and Chinese PC RPGs - Genso Sangokushi came along in 2004, just one year after the original Chinese release (titled "Fantasia Sango" in English). Set during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history the characters follow their own unique fantasy-themed story that frequently sees them allying with as well as opposing famous generals of the time.
Throughout the game the lead will be given dialogue choices that effect his relationship with the female party members and ultimately the ending the player receives too. The game also has a "true end" path that extends the plot and adds additional locations.
Battles are semi real time affairs with up to six party members (plus pet) set out on a small grid. Characters may not move freely around this area, however multiple formations are available that each offer their own strengths and weaknesses. It is also important to pay attention to the enemy's formation as well, as special skills often have varying ranges (eg: 2x2, 1x3, etc grid patterns). Skills are unlocked once characters reach certain levels, but it is up to the player which skills they choose to invest points into and power up.
Pets are the final important element in the game – they start out as simple coloured eggs, but by bringing them out in battle they become powerful (autonomous) allies capable of healing, attacking, and buffing as necessary. Outside of battle their skills are sometimes required to progress the story; Bai Ya can fuse with them to swim underwater or fly through the air, or just having them out activates their passive abilities such as speaking to animals or finding hidden entrances.
There are a few minigames dotted around the game too – Zhao Yun's daring horseback escape through enemy lines, deflecting an arrow attack on the Han river, and a "do not touch the sides" maze game. The maze game can be played at will in a semi-hidden house in one town, and the other two give you a few chances to complete them should you fail before the game takes it out of your hands and moves the plot along.
Falcom released a playable demo, you can download it here.
Although the packaging below looks like a limited edition these are actually the standard box contents (presumably to entice buyers into a new RPG series from an unknown developer). A CD version was also released at the same time – the contents and packaging are identical bar the media the data is stored on.
2 comments:
Talk about coincidence -- I was just loading those two Genso Sangokushi CDs onto my iPod last night!
I thought it was a good decision for Falcom to localize this one. Never played the sequel, though.
That is a strange coincidence!
The sequel's definitely a bit more polished, but I thought this was a surprisingly strong first entry in a new series and well worth playing :)
I do wish Falcom had kept on going with these localizations, they picked some great games to and I'd have loved to see more!
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