While I rub the cartridge and pretend the pins will line up better—fun fact before we dive in: Ancient, the studio behind this, was founded by Yuzo Koshiro, the composer famed for Streets of Rage music. That explains why the soundtrack feels like a character in its own right; you can hear the pedigree in every stage theme.
Agreed. I am pressing A to dash into the village and already the music sets the mood. The title screen still looks crisp on the Mega Drive, and the opening narration about the Golden Armlet hooks you in. We have the manual open, but the game explains just enough as you go.
The action hits immediately. You swing the default knife constantly — unlimited uses — and it feels tight. Picking up a short sword and a bow two minutes in changes the pace, but those weapons break after a while, so you learn quickly not to waste blades on small mobs.
The Wild Spirits are the real twist. Fire, Water, Plant and Shadow each play differently. Summoning the fire spirit is satisfying — it clears a room, but the plant spirit solves puzzles and heals in a pinch. It’s a smart hybrid of arcade swordplay with light RPG thinking: which spirit to call, when to conserve weapons, when to use consumables.
Gameplay Highlights: the combat is fast, bosses are varied, and the encounter design forces you to adapt. The Red Dragon we just fought was a great set piece — big, dramatic, and properly telegraphed so you can learn its rhythms. Enemy variety is excellent: skeletons that split, swarms of smaller foes, and hulking brutes that refuse to stay stunned. Even the slower areas keep you alert.
There are rough edges, though. The weapon durability can make some battles feel like inventory management rather than pure skill. You often end a dungeon with little to show for it except experience in dodging. Also, some rooms require pixel-perfect positioning to avoid damage, which is unforgiving. For a game that otherwise celebrates player skill, those moments are a stretch.
Hot Tips while we mash buttons and keep moving:
- Conserve special weapons for bosses — your knife is your friend for trash mobs.
- Learn each spirit’s pattern. Fire is offense, Plant is utility/heal, Water controls space, Shadow handles tricky enemies — use them accordingly.
- Breakable weapons encourage exploration. Open every chest even after a long fight; you never know when a bomb or extra bow will save you later.
- Keep moving in boss fights — many telegraphed attacks can be avoided by staying mobile instead of standing to trade hits.
- When zombies split, target the moving torsos first — they can swarm if ignored.
Memorable Moments & Anecdotes: the first time the plant spirit grew a bridge mid-dungeon felt like discovering a secret cheat code in an old arcade. We also had a sequence with a collapsing floor that forced sprinting while enemies kept appearing; it made the area memorable because it combined platform urgency with combat. And that Red Dragon — I admit I audibly cheered when we got that final hit.
The final boss encounter — the sorcerer with the Silver Armlet — stages through forms. He begins casting long-range spells, then transforms into a physical threat that mixes summoning with area attacks. The fight demands all you learned: spirit timing, saving weapons for critical windows, and patience. It is climactic and, on a first playthrough, punishing but fair. You feel triumphant for earning it rather than for exploiting a pattern.
Visually, the sprite work and animation are top-tier for the system. Sound design elevates fights; Koshiro’s influence is clear in the placement of drums and synth hits that accent attacks. The pacing is mostly solid — a good mix of exploration and combat — but occasional backtracking and unclear objectives slow momentum. That’s the biggest gripe: some dungeons could reward clearer signposting.
In summary — while we are still wiping sweat from that final sequence — the game is a robust action-RPG hybrid. It shines with responsive control, memorable boss design, and a clever spirit system that adds tactical depth. But it is not without flaws: weapon wear, a few unfair hitboxes, and moments of opaque progression hold it back from being flawless.
That captures it. It is a strong, enjoyable adventure that often feels like a love letter to action gamers who also like puzzle and RPG elements. Play it if you enjoy learning systems and being rewarded for careful use of limited resources. And yes — blowing on the cartridge before the final boss still felt oddly ceremonial.
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