SEPTERRA CORE

                 Reviewed by Stefan Herber

Now this is much more like it!  After a string of good but not
remarkable RPGs we finally have one that I wholeheartedly enjoyed
with a strong semi-biblical (I kid you not) plot, a host of
splendid characters to play with, a combat system that is easy to
use, a spell system that is logical -and in this case vital as you
won't get very far in Septerra without it. It's similar in some
respects to FF7 - I suspect the animator may be the same and the
game is obviously heavily influenced by it - but who cares when
the end result is this enjoyable?

The plot here for once is not set in a post nuclear earth or a
fantasy past - it's a completely new environment called Septerra
made up of various floating land masses linked by the core. In the
dim distant past a battle royal raged between Marduk, son of the
Creator, and Genna, the Devil Incarnate. Marduk won and left the
core of Septerra available for his descendant to one day activate
and reveal - what?  The philosophers aren't certain but think it
may be the Kingdom of Heaven. The core is only revealed once every
70 years but a misguided descendant called Doskias (THE villain of
the piece) decides to speed it up and save the world (from what is
unclear but as he's misguided that doesn't matter.)

The hero and key character is for once female and with the
exception of two small battles is omnipresent. She decides to help
because her race has been exploited and decimated by the "Chosen"
(Doskias' race of course) and because her kid brother has been
selling weapons to the bandits, pirates or whoever is the highest
bidder.  Overall 8 other characters join up at various stages and
it's up to you who you select and develop. The party can only have
three members at any one time. They are all involved in the final
battle and are compulsorily involved in other escapades - so don't
ignore any of them. If any one is too weak you'll reach the final
showdown and be doomed before you start.

I wish I could say it was perfect - but I can't. One can spend
hours battling through a difficult terrain only to discover that
completion requires one character's specific skills - and he's the
one you've left behind. * la M&M the monsters regenerate whenever
you return to a particular terrain - this makes it easy to get
money and experience but a pain if you have to replay a whole
level because you've left behind the vital character. In addition
there's very little meaningful character interaction - this is
promised at times when two of your characters fall in love - but
isn't really realised at the end.

But I can't complain - and nor should you. The shortcomings are
perhaps being brought into perspective more acutely by the game
I'm playing currently (Planescape) and which I hope to report on
in more detail anon.  I doubt you'll be disappointed.






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