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I think it is no stretch to say that Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age are two halves that form what could be considered one of the most unique and memorable RPGs ever. Combining a unique magic system with puzzles, a class system with mechanics not seen in other titles, a fantastic soundtrack composed by Motoi Sakuraba, and much more. Indeed, it's a game that's easy to recommend to anyone interested in RPGs.
...But what of its successor?
Releasing to less than stellar reviews by gaming publications and fans alike, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is perhaps not the game many were hoping for an entire 8 years after The Lost Age came out. Many criticize it for its plot holes, long-winded conversations, low difficulty, and points of no return making going for completion frustrating. These criticisms are valid, and there's a reason it's not remembered as often as its older brothers, but what did it do right?
There are several things it does right. The music is still composed by Motoi Sakuraba and has his iconic sound, with a mix of peaceful town themes, foreboding dungeon music, and (of course) rousing battle music. Graphically the game looks brilliant, featuring vibrant visuals, well-designed characters, and (new to this game) unique djinn designs that give them all their own personality. Battle scenes now look similar to games like Final Fantasy VII on PS1, with higher quality and less chibi looking characters fighting on a barren-ish field. There's also a motion blur effect which is probably there to make attacks and magic look more flashy but it always felt more surreal and dreamlike to me. I'd comment more on the combat but it hasn't changed much since the first game, with the same djinn class and summoning systems as the older titles, except now weapons gain access to stronger attacks the more a party member uses them.
The plot really isn't much to write home about, but it's also more or less building a new world on top of an old one, with a lot of new settlements popping up and older civilizations being uncovered over the course of the past 30 (ingame) years. It doesn't make much sense at all, but the new lore is certainly interesting (like a race of animals that mutated to become more like humans due to the Golden Sun, becoming ostracized and setting up their own civilization). The game has quite a few instances of something being built up for a future title with things like the Tuaparang, the masked man, and even...
That said, the game does a good job at getting new players up to speed with the story, with an encyclopedia listing out keywords and what they mean as well as the Sun Saga, collectable tomes that detail the plots of the original two Golden Sun games with story book visuals and a twinkly rendition of the Vale theme from the first game.
All in all, the game is an uncut gem. It's more of the same in the best way possible. It's innovating with the world and characters, with a grand story that teases the player with so much and pays off with relatively little. It's a fantastic and well-made sequel that couldn't quite fill the gargantuan shoes of its older siblings and builds up to something that unfortunately never arrived.
9 / 10 for presentation
to be continued / 10 for plot
8 / 10 overall
...But what of its successor?
Releasing to less than stellar reviews by gaming publications and fans alike, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is perhaps not the game many were hoping for an entire 8 years after The Lost Age came out. Many criticize it for its plot holes, long-winded conversations, low difficulty, and points of no return making going for completion frustrating. These criticisms are valid, and there's a reason it's not remembered as often as its older brothers, but what did it do right?
There are several things it does right. The music is still composed by Motoi Sakuraba and has his iconic sound, with a mix of peaceful town themes, foreboding dungeon music, and (of course) rousing battle music. Graphically the game looks brilliant, featuring vibrant visuals, well-designed characters, and (new to this game) unique djinn designs that give them all their own personality. Battle scenes now look similar to games like Final Fantasy VII on PS1, with higher quality and less chibi looking characters fighting on a barren-ish field. There's also a motion blur effect which is probably there to make attacks and magic look more flashy but it always felt more surreal and dreamlike to me. I'd comment more on the combat but it hasn't changed much since the first game, with the same djinn class and summoning systems as the older titles, except now weapons gain access to stronger attacks the more a party member uses them.
The plot really isn't much to write home about, but it's also more or less building a new world on top of an old one, with a lot of new settlements popping up and older civilizations being uncovered over the course of the past 30 (ingame) years. It doesn't make much sense at all, but the new lore is certainly interesting (like a race of animals that mutated to become more like humans due to the Golden Sun, becoming ostracized and setting up their own civilization). The game has quite a few instances of something being built up for a future title with things like the Tuaparang, the masked man, and even...
the game ending on a "To be continued.."
That said, the game does a good job at getting new players up to speed with the story, with an encyclopedia listing out keywords and what they mean as well as the Sun Saga, collectable tomes that detail the plots of the original two Golden Sun games with story book visuals and a twinkly rendition of the Vale theme from the first game.
All in all, the game is an uncut gem. It's more of the same in the best way possible. It's innovating with the world and characters, with a grand story that teases the player with so much and pays off with relatively little. It's a fantastic and well-made sequel that couldn't quite fill the gargantuan shoes of its older siblings and builds up to something that unfortunately never arrived.
9 / 10 for presentation
to be continued / 10 for plot
8 / 10 overall
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