Rising Star have released the action RPG Avalon Code for the DS ,originating from the creative minds behind Rune Factory and Harvest Moon and the development studio responsible for the Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV DS remakes. While the premise of the game is familiar in that it features a young hero destined to save the world, it introduces us to a new game mechanic called the Book of Prophecy which enables us to scan the codes of humans, monsters plants etc. and change their attributes.
In Avalon Code the world is coming to an end, and gamers take control of either a male or female character with a mission to fill the Book of Prophecy with a record of everything that’s worth saving – people, enemies, flowers, weapons and objects – to create a new world with.
Your tutorial through the first stages is performed by spirits who will explain the Book of Prophecy and its functions and will also advise you in fight sequences. The initial guide is Rempo, the fire spirit, a hot headed character and as the game progresses more spirits join you each with their own individual personalities.
Action is displayed on the top screen while the Book of Prophecy is open on the bottom screen. Here you will have access to a map of your environment where you have an overview of your surroundings. Points of interest are highlighted on the map which normally require slamming down the Book of Prophecy down on the object to collect it’s code. This code is then demonstrated on the character or object’s page in the book in a grid of 9 slots containing the attributes of that said object or character. Attributes can then be dragged from from the differing characters and objects transforming their personalities and abilities.
You, along with the Book of Prophecy, control even the fight sequences. You drag and drop attributes onto your weapons to empower them for the current challenge and alter your oppositions code. It’s almost like changing the DNA of the subject. When you drag and drop the attributes onto the object or character, its profile changes in the book reflecting the alterations. This is a great tool which you can have a lot of fun with – naturally its purpose is to enable you to progress through the game by weakening monsters etc. by reducing their powers etc. but who can resist turning a humble granny into a bad ass ?
Another fun aspect which deserves a mention is using the judgement link. Basically it is a timed mini-game where you can bounce your opponents into the air. With each hit they will soar higher and higher, until they evaporate in space.
Directional movement of your character is controlled by the D-Pad as is climbing. The X,Y,A,and B buttons are used in combat, calling the spirits, doing code scans and the L and R buttons are used for evasion and keeping your stylus at hand is essential for utilising the Book of Prophecy. In the top right hand corner of the top screen is the viewing actions. These contain your health gauge, equipped weapon, and mystic points.
While the gaming environment isn’t massive, there are a respectable number of characters to interact with adding depth to the game.
Audio and video is glorious. When I think of RPG’s I still imagine sprites however, Avalon code has a more grown up feel about it with the characters displayed as larger more detailed figurines. Movement such as the wind blowing the trees and clothes just adds to the whole living, breathing feel of the game. Audio is cool too I often found myself humming away to the music score as I played.
Summary
Avalon Code is an excellent RPG on the DS from the beautiful opening sequence I felt we were in for something really special. The unique gaming mechanic of the Book of Prophecy is just brilliant. From scouring the environment for samples to collect and then playing God and altering their source code is fantastic fun. I’d say Avalon Code would give out 20+ hours gaming but by making small changes to the objects and characters there is quite a lot of replay value.
Marks out of 10
Gameplay 9: Excellent. Very fluid and the spirits will point you in the right direction if you have a “what next moment” and any uncertainty over some of the attributes is easily dispelled by dragging them onto different characters as a test
Graphics and Audio 9: Impressive graphics. I love the more grown up character renders and the music and voice acting are also good
Story 8: standard sort of tale associated with RPG’S
Replayability 8.5: Fun to revisit and alter the characters’ code to see the outcome
Overall : 8.5/10
