NIS America has been doing a great job re-releasing its classic strategy RPG games with the Prinny Presents NIS Classics series. We have previously reviewed Volume 1 and Volume 2, and now volume 3 brings two more classic strategy games to modern platforms. But are these good, or has nostalgia clouded our vision of the past?
La Pucelle: Ragnarok
La Pucelle: Ragnarok originally debuted as La Pucelle: Tactics for PlayStation 2, before receiving a PSP remake, of which this is a remastered version. The game stars Prier, a member of the demon hunter group, La Pucelle who seeks to challenge the Dark Prince and his forces so she can become the Maiden of Light. She is joined by a cast of characters who all feel fully realized such as her Alouette, and many friends all of which have been given gorgeous, animated sprites. The characters all have a satisfying range of abilities that can be silly at times and truly ferocious and awe-inspiring at other
But how does it play? Well, it has a battle system very much like later NIS SRPGs but has enough to stand out on its own. One thing that makes the game unique is the dark portals emitting energy streams along a path that can be redirected if you position and rotate characters the right way. The portal mechanics also let you purify dark portals in order to damage monsters and purify and recruit them if done properly, which adds a lot to the experience. The game also takes a cue from Fire Emblem and the Wars series and shows by showing characters fighting on a separate screen and exchanging attacks during a battle, which was a neat touch.
What stands out the most though is that the battles take place in menu-based dungeons and as such exploring areas and clearing out areas feels much more different than the typical overworld map and mission screens. It really shakes up the experience and even if La Pucelle: Ragnarok is a mostly unchallenging game, it has some unique mechanics that have definitely held up. This is not a typical SRPG and is all the better for it.
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure is a more complex situation to explain. This was a 1998 PS1 RPG that stars the puppeteer Cornet who sets out on an adventure to save the prince after a witch turns him to stone. This definitely is not a typical RPG and has a fairy tale aspect to it, and some of the core mechanics are breathing life into dolls to aid you and singing. There is nothing else really like it and that is both a bad and a good thing.
The issue is that the game’s combat system is rather frustrating as it is a hybrid of JRPG battles and Strategy RPG grid-based action, but the tactical elements in the game are extremely lacking by comparison. However, if you think of this as more of a JRPG which SRPG elements, it kind of starts to make sense, but still feels like an uneven mashup of genres. You can select skills to use, but the battles do not take full advantage of the combat system and the result is neither an SRPG nor a JRPG and instead something that doesn’t quite succeed at being both.
The dungeons are once again single-screen spaces but are far less satisfying this time and quickly cause trouble by the repeated assets causing you to be confused as to where you are, coupled with a lack of a map. Admittedly, this was not uncommon for SRPGs back when this was released, but it would have been nice if NIS could have added something to alleviate the frustration caused by the dungeons and lack of a map. Whereas La Pucelle: Ragnarok nailed this aspect and laid the groundwork for the well-known SRPGs that came after, Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure just stumbles in this area.
Still, there is something charming about Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure and even with the flaws, it is hard to truly hate. This is a game that would have done well with a major remake to fix the issues, as the game has many great points to it. It has a more feminine aspect that is lacking in many SRPGs ( and JRPGs for that matter) and that is an aspect that was very welcome to see.
Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 3 contains one game that laid the groundwork for the future and one game that is stuck in the past, yet it is easy to recommend checking out the collection because both games have much to offer in their own way. There is a lack of challenge, but there is something special here that is just lacking in current games. As such, we suggest checking out the collection, but be aware of what you are getting.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided