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What makes a game underrated? What makes a game a hidden gem? While the definitions may change between individuals, you likely have a concept similar to mine. Perhaps a game that was released with poor timing, or an average game with beautiful graphics and vice versa. Avalon Code appeared to fit my definition of hidden gem, until I played it.
Avalon Code released globally on the Nintendo DS from November 2008 until March 2010. This elongated, grand opening was met with a resounding meh. Critics could nary muster more than a 5 out of 10 and sales floundered. Critics, however, are not often hardcore gamers. Thus, I ignored the warnings and entered the deep sea cave in search of treasure.
After a relatively unobstructive, helpful tutorial your only instructions are "look around town." At first there seemed to be something of a path, with cutscenes introducing major characters in the town. I met flower boy, a little girl and the mayor. Suddenly there was a clear notion that I had ought to head to the Training Hall, yet there was nothing. I ran in circles, investigating every entrance on the map, for some time. Turns out I had to speak to the flower boy one more time. After all that about his love of flowers and practically begging you to ask him about them, he has a sick sister in the door behind him. He probably could have mentioned that somewhere between the hidden meaning of petunias and dandelions.
Now the training hall is occupied by the Weapons Master, who opens a a hidden door to his Diddy dungeon. He then spews a slew of sexual innuendos and runs downstairs.
Rarely have I seen a game with so many problems and perceived softlocks due to lack of MP. But one look at the GameFAQs page shows just how prevalent these issues are. I ran into one myself in the third dungeon and gave up the game. And thus, I am here to warn you: this is not a hidden gem. It was nothing more than a novel concept and it is nothing more than a sabotaged failure of a game.
The signs were there from the beginning that this game should have been a Japanese exclusive. Producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto told Siliconera,
That's right. Even the most intriguing part of the game was not fully realized due to language barrier limitations. It's clear to this gamer, that reworking this immense book system to be sold on the global market took valuable resources from the main gameplay.
To end on a sweeter note, the score for this game is magnificent and the graphics are among the best on the system. Sadly though, greed and oversized ambitions doomed this game from the start. We can only hope that it gets another chance at life and take heed of the dangers of having too many irons in the fire.
Avalon Code released globally on the Nintendo DS from November 2008 until March 2010. This elongated, grand opening was met with a resounding meh. Critics could nary muster more than a 5 out of 10 and sales floundered. Critics, however, are not often hardcore gamers. Thus, I ignored the warnings and entered the deep sea cave in search of treasure.
The Rundown
The game begins with the protagonist having a prophetic dream of a coming disaster. It isn't until she speaks with The Book of Prophecy that the extent of that disaster becomes clear. The world is about to be erased and it is up to the "hero" to choose what is worthy of being saved. You will go forth slamming your massive book down onto humans, animals, enemies, flowers, accessories and stone slabs with crafting recipes. Once you have absorbed the information, you can manipulate people and things by changing what elements they are comprised of. This is where the game shines. Moving bits of "code" around a grid allows the player to create more powerful weapons and even perform miracles. Although you soon find that miracles are big trouble.The Dangers of Ambition
As I began my journey, I found myself quoting AVGN: This is one of those "where the fuck do I go" kind of games.After a relatively unobstructive, helpful tutorial your only instructions are "look around town." At first there seemed to be something of a path, with cutscenes introducing major characters in the town. I met flower boy, a little girl and the mayor. Suddenly there was a clear notion that I had ought to head to the Training Hall, yet there was nothing. I ran in circles, investigating every entrance on the map, for some time. Turns out I had to speak to the flower boy one more time. After all that about his love of flowers and practically begging you to ask him about them, he has a sick sister in the door behind him. He probably could have mentioned that somewhere between the hidden meaning of petunias and dandelions.
Now the training hall is occupied by the Weapons Master, who opens a a hidden door to his Diddy dungeon. He then spews a slew of sexual innuendos and runs downstairs.
The Dungeons
The screens fade into a black screen with instructions and goals, then I realize what this is. The dungeons of Avalon Code are all a series of these screens preceding a small obstacle course filled with puzzles and most frustratingly, enemies. The game usually has trouble dealing with more than two sprites at a time; it's evident in the vast, empty spaces which are called towns. Yet, in the obstacle course, there can be three or more small enemies knocking into you at once. So while the timer is ticking away, while you try navigate the gauntlet, you're also being assaulted by enemies. This problem is compounded by the fact that there are no recovery items. The player may use an item from the book, but it costs MP. And the singular method to restore MP, sans sleeping, is to juggle.The Combat
Movement is smooth and the attacks have weight... too much weight. My first two boss battles were just spamming my best combo. I approached the first boss from a tactical standpoint, but baiting him into using his special attack and dodging was not an option. So I strung my best combo together, forced him into the corner and stunlocked him to death. I then got his special move, which did me no good because nobody bothered to explain how special moves work in this book dominated mess. And yes, you must access and scroll through the book to fulfill important combat functions. While the index is something of a shortcut, the book is still a chore to look through. Exacerbating the poor condition of combat are the aforementioned MP recovery methods (or lack thereof). If you need MP, you must get an enemy alone, get behind it and press A. This will start a rhythm sequence where you bat an enemy into the air until it explodes. The problems with this idea are myriad, ultimately summed up with the saying "too much, for too little". Too much time, too much focus, not enough reward.Rarely have I seen a game with so many problems and perceived softlocks due to lack of MP. But one look at the GameFAQs page shows just how prevalent these issues are. I ran into one myself in the third dungeon and gave up the game. And thus, I am here to warn you: this is not a hidden gem. It was nothing more than a novel concept and it is nothing more than a sabotaged failure of a game.
The Wrap-Up
The signs were there from the beginning that this game should have been a Japanese exclusive. Producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto told Siliconera,
That's right. Even the most intriguing part of the game was not fully realized due to language barrier limitations. It's clear to this gamer, that reworking this immense book system to be sold on the global market took valuable resources from the main gameplay.
To end on a sweeter note, the score for this game is magnificent and the graphics are among the best on the system. Sadly though, greed and oversized ambitions doomed this game from the start. We can only hope that it gets another chance at life and take heed of the dangers of having too many irons in the fire.
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