Shining Force EXA
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| Shining Force EXA | |
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| Developer(s) | Neverland Company |
| Publisher(s) | Sega Corporation |
| Release date(s) |  January 18, 2007 March 20, 2007 |
| Genre(s) | Action RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | CERO: A (All Ages) |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
Shining Force EXA (pronounced "ikusa") is a game in Sega's Shining series, currently in development by Neverland Co., Ltd.. It is currently scheduled for a PlayStation 2 release in January 2007 in Japan and a March 2007 release in North America. It tells the story of a world divided by a war between humans and demons.
Although it is part of the Shining franchise, it is notable that it, like Shining Force NEO, is not a turn-based strategy game as the pre-PS2 games of the Shining Force sub-series were. Instead, it takes an action oriented approach to combat, similar in nature to the popular CRPG Diablo by Blizzard Entertainment or the Record of Lodoss War for the Dreamcast (also by Neverland Co., Ltd.). The game features a variety of weaponry inspired by the medieval era, magic, and a collection of skills that can be improved upon for the main character.
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[edit] Characters
[edit] Toma
Bio: Toma is a human boy born and raised in the wild, and one of the two main characters of the game. He doesn't appear to be very intelligent, but has a cheerful disposition and a bit of a quick temper. He possesses a strong sense of justice, and the one thing he wants in life is "great power", which leads him on his quest for the holy sword known as the Shining Force. He is often accompanied by his familiar, a wolf-like creature called Zenas.
Toma's Japanese voice is provided by Korean voice actress Park Romi, most known for her role as the voice of Edward Elric in the anime series Full Metal Alchemist.
[edit] Cyrille
- Race: Human
- Class: Mage / Magic User
- Allegiance: Northworld Empire / Independent
- Gender: Female
- Age: Unknown
Bio: Cyrille is a human girl brought up in the Northworld Empire, one of the two main warring factions in the world of Shining Force EXA. She is the second of the two main characters of the game. She is the opposite of Toma, highly intelligent and a skilled user and researcher of magic. Like Toma, she is also in search of the holy Shining Force sword. She has a cool disposition and tends to be cold towards people, but despite her outward appearance, she is truly a gentle person. Sweets and candy are said to be a secret indulgence of hers. She is often accompanied by her familiar, a ferret-like creature called Zira.
Cyrille's Japanese voice is provided by Japanese voice actress Kuwashima Houko, known for her roles as the voices of Sango in the anime series Inuyasha and Fllay Allster in Gundam SEED.
[edit] Ragnadarm III
Bio: Ragnadarm III is the current Emperor of the human Northworld Empire. He is known to his people as "The Lion"
[edit] Liemcyan La Verse
Bio: Liemcyan La Verse is the current Queen of Fireland, the southern territory belonging to the demons.
[edit] Maebelle
Bio:An elf that wants to find Shining Force in order to safe her people
[edit] Gadfort
Gadfort was a former knight of the Noswald Empire but left the Noswald Empire because he disagreed with the emperors actions. His race is a centaur and he uses a lance as a weapon.
[edit] Amitaliri
[edit] Fauklin
[edit] Duga
[edit] Adam
[edit] Garyu
[edit] Avalon
[edit] Story
The story focuses mainly on two characters that the player will have the opportunity to control. Toma, a brash sword wielder who dreams of being "King of the World," and Cyrille, a mage of sorts whose reasons for searching for the Shining Force are a well kept mystery. Joining the party almost immediately will be the other half of its members, Gadfort, who wants the blade to become the greatest knight in existence, and Maebelle, an elfin archer seeking the blade to save her people. Their story will unfold in a world that is shared by humans, demons, and beasts that is constantly devastated by war. The world is divided into two main kingdoms. The Northworld Empire is home to the human race and the demons rule the southern territory, Fireland.
[edit] Game Mechanics/Presentation
Shining Force EXA is the spiritual successor to Shining Force NEO and appears to have inherited that game's battle and gameplay mechanics, including the swarms of on-screen enemies and action RPG mechanics.Reviving everything from the battle system to game mechanics, EXA gives a similar gaming experience to NEO without bogging the familiar player down with acclimating to changes in gameplay.
One new innovative features of EXA is the customizable robot castle Geo-Fortress. While adventuring, the party members left behind use the Geo-Fortress as a headquarters. They also protect and defend the castle in the event of an attack. In the beginning, the fortress is very basic and vulnerable. By collecting "Rare Material" from the given quests, the player is able to transform the fortress into two other forms, with the third form as the most impressive of the three. Once the fortress reaches the third form, it is capable of travel. The Geo-Fortress is used for more than a mode of transportation and a place for the non-included party members to wait while the rest of the party is on a mission. The player is able to add more rooms for vendors and shops. In addition to a traveling store, the player is also able to train party members. The growth, layout, and defense of the fortress is managed completely by the player, thus allowing the Geo-Fortress to evolve to fit the style and tactics of the player.
The biggest change in this volume is probably the sleek improvements to both the in-game graphics and anime cutscenes. The wish to refine the countless number of foes that appear on screen that the player must vanquish, leaving the character nearly invisible, goes unanswered. Giving the player the option to upgrade characters through experience points and a vast assortment of items and weapons, Shining Force EXA provides a sense of personalization. In addition, using specific battle tactics of the party will grant it more power and range during battle. As well as advancing the main character, one progresses to master a variety of Power Arts to unleash massive magic attacks.
[edit] External links
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Shining Force • II • Gaiden • CD • III • Neo • EXA |
