The Guardian Legend (1988)
Genres:Role-playing (RPG), Adventure, Shooter, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up
Themes:Action, Science fiction
Game modes:Single player
Story:In The Guardian Legend, the player controls the female guardian of Earth, a "highly sophisticated aerobot transformer". The player's mission is to infiltrate Naju, a large planet-like object which aliens sent hurtling towards the Earth. While inside, the player must activate ten safety devices in order to initialize Naju's self-destruct mechanism and destroy the alien world before it reaches Earth. Five hostile tribes of alien lifeforms are vie for control of territories within Naju,and the player needs to fight through them to successfully activate the switches and escape.Show more
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This was one of my favorite games on the NES, and a fantastic Metroidvania long before the term was ever coined. I loved the shmup levels, the huge map (for the time) and the large variety of weapons which facilitated different playstyles. my only qualm with the NES game was that it had a password system to bring up your game progress and the randomly generated password was like 17 digits long, meaning if you didn't write it down perfectly all your progress was lost; this is something being added to GOG could fix with save states. It's sad that more people aren't aware of this game, and I know Metroidvania and shmup fans alike would agree The Guardian Legend belongs in the list of best Mteroidvanias.
Tales of Xillia 2The game takes place a year after Tales of Xillia. Elle Mel Marta is given specific instructions by her father to board a train and to find the Land of Canaan. Her train is hijacked before its departure and Ludger Will Kresnik boards it to save her. The train crashes and the two receive life saving treatment from Clanspia Inc. which puts Ludger in debt. Clanspia Inc. hires Ludger, intending to use his Kresnik powers to destroy alternative timelines because the spirit Origin can no longer sustain the abundance of souls in the worlds. While working off the debt, Ludger also searches for his brother, Julius Will Kresnik, who has been blamed for the train hijacking.Action
XenogearsXenogears follows protagonist Fei Fong Wong and several others as they journey to uncover the truth behind mysterious, cabalistic entities operating in their world. The principles and philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung influence the plot, character design, and world of Xenogears. Additionally, the symbols, theological concepts, and devotional practices of several world religions are represented in fictionalized forms in the game. Major psychological themes are the nature of identity and human memory, particularly as these relate to the phenomenon of dissociative identity disorder. The relationship between humanity and machines is central to the game's plot, as indicated by the presence of giant robots dubbed "gears," which almost each playable character can control.Trending Fantasy Science fiction
Tales of RebirthTales of Rebirth is set in a world where humans (called Huma) and beast people (Gajuma) coexist in relative peace. The world's magical power is called Force, which manifests in various people as control over an element or aspect of the physical laws. In ancient times, after a war sparked when Huma attempted to enslave Gajuma, both races joined forces to found the kingdom of Karegia. An unspecified time before the events of the game, Geyorkias, the ruler of a spirit race called the Sacred Beasts, sought to destroy the Huma as their dark emotions were fueling a primordial destructive force known as Yuris: the other Sacred Beasts put a stop to Geyorkias' plan by sealing him away, then acting to nullify Yuris' threat. The story opens with the death of Karegia's king, Ladras Lindblum, poisoned by the royal adviser Zilva Madigan: during his final moments, he releases his power into the world, causing many humans to become possessed by Force, including Veigue, Annie and Tytree. As the king has failed to name a successor, Karegia enters an interregnum at his death.Action Fantasy
Tales of LegendiaTales of Legendia is a fantasy role-playing game that continues the Tales series of games. You can play as Senel Coolidge, who encounters a giant, mysterious ship while adrift in a small boat with his sister. As you explore the history of the ship, you will encounter epic enemies and engage them using the "X-LiMBS" battle system, which lets you fight in real time like in a fighting game. The story is beset with unique characters designed by the animator featured in Kill Bill Vol. One.Action Fantasy
Skies of Arcadia LegendsBattle to Save Arcadia!
You are Vyse, a young pirate on a quest to save Arcadia. Wage battle against an evil Empire as you make a name for yourself on land and in the sky. Will you become a Legend?
-New "Wanted" Battles, new characters, weapons, and more!
-An improved battle engine featuring spectacular special attacks
-Experience the Director's Cut with hours of new gameplay!
-Employ devastating weapons and magic
-Explore a full 3D world to recruit up to 22 crew membersTrending Action Fantasy
Tales of XilliaTales of Xillia follows Jude Mathis, a clever medical student attending school in the capital city, and Milla Maxwell, a mysterious woman accompanied by four unseen beings. Players will be able to choose either Milla or Jude at the outset of their adventure through the world of Rieze Maxia, where humans and spirits live together in harmony. The kingdom of Rashugal has been experimenting with a powerful device that has been draining the mana from the world. Realizing the harm it is inflicting on the world, Milla and Jude set off on a journey to destroy it and restore the mana back to the world. Over the course of the game their lives will intersect with a vast ensemble of characters that will teach them the strength of unwavering conviction.Action
Shadow HeartsShadow Hearts is the first official game in the Shadow Hearts series and is the sequel to Koudelka. Shadow Hearts follows the adventures of Yuri Hyuga, a Harmonixer guided by a mysterious voice in his head. He finds himself thrown into the conflicts prior to World War I where he must save the world and the woman he loves from destruction.Fantasy Historical
Red Dead RedemptionA modern-day Western epic, Red Dead Redemption takes John Marston, a relic from the fast-closing time of the gunslinger, through an open world filled with wildlife, mini-games, and shootouts. Marston sets out to hunt down his old gang mates for the government, who have taken away his family. Along his journey, he meets many characters emblematic of the Wild West, heroism, and the new civilization.Open world Action Sandbox
Shadow Hearts: CovenantShadow Hearts: Covenant is a direct continuation of Shadow Hearts; Its story starts a year and a half after the first one in the midst of World War I. It focuses on Karin Koenig, a lieutenant in the German Army who assists in the exorcism of a man able to turn into demons, Yuri Volte Hyuga. However, after learning of Yuri's caring nature, Karin goes on a quest with him to save him from a spell inside him and are drawn into a conflict involving demons of demonolatry.Fantasy Historical Science fiction
Shadow Hearts: From the New WorldShadow Hearts: From the New World is the third official game in the Shadow Hearts series.
The game series departs from Europe and centers on the "New World", the Americas. It is not directly related to the previous games in the series but it occurs in the same universe. The main characters' quest is to investigate mysterious "windows" from which vicious monsters pop out.
Gameplay follows that of its predecessors, using the Judgment Ring to decide most battle outcomes, as well as many other actions throughout the game. A new "Stock" system was made for this game which expands the combination attack system between party members from Shadow Hearts - Covenant and enables double attacks.
The "Stock" system works by filling up a character's stock gauge when he/she performs or receives an attack. A maximum of two stock gauge may be stored. Stock can then be utilized in many ways. For example, doing a Double attack (a character performs two action on the same turn) or starting a Combo consumes one Stock. A Double Combo on the other hand consumes two Stock. The Judgment Ring system essentially remains the same from Shadow Hearts: Covenant, with ring customization and added ring effect items being still available.
Magic returns in the form of Stellar Charts, where characters equip Stellars onto the chart. The charts are based on the constellations of the twelve zodiac signs. Finding and fitting all the Stellars onto the charts rewards the player with the Melt Crest Stellar, the strongest non-elemental magic in the game.
Fusion is also back in the game, albeit quite differently. Unlike Yuri, Shania does not possess the power of the Harmonixer where she is able to fuse into different demons. She makes spirit pacts with the different Guardian Spirits and draws on their power to transform. Shania is only able to fuse into four forms but through acquiring fetishes; statues of different animals, she is able to learn different techniques by powering them up.
Snapping photos is more emphasized in this game. Not only can Johnny obtain enemy data through his photographing enemies, he can also trade the snap cards obtained for prizes. Johnny can also draw upon the power of Malice to transform; though this ability comes rather late in the game.Fantasy Historical