LEGEND OF LEGAIA (PSX)



Take to the hills in this fun RPG

By WILL BARKER

With a name like Legend of Legaia, you can't help but sympathise with the Japanese and English translators. When it comes to RPGs the biggest issue is translation and sometimes things get a bit skewed in the process. Legaia is by the people who brought you Wing Arms - possibly one of the system's most famous, but absurd-sounding RPGs. Sony and Contrail have been at it again and this time they've managed to release another great game.

The story follows the title's protagonist, Vahn, who has been witness to an evil shroud covering his village as long as he can remember. This evil mist seems to be the nexus of all the strange comings and goings, such as evil monsters, people turning into zombies and all the usual stuff.

Vahn sets out on a journey that will lead him far away and he must find the sacred Genesis Trees, not to be confused with Sega's supremely powerful 16-bit console of yesteryear. These trees have the power to send the evil veil back to the depths of the Earth from whence it came, therefore all Vahn and his vigilante group of crazed chefs need do is find these trees. Simple really.

Legaia is based entirely around polygons; the landscapes, characters and most other miscellaneous items are accomplished in 3D. This is especially nice when you enter battle, which is coincidentally the best aspect of this game. Combat follows the usual FFVII style, but it adds in a few extra herbs and spices. This in turn creates one of the most impressive and down right enjoyable combat engines found in an RPG.

Each character has an energy bar, which dictates how many times during a round you can attack an enemy. Once you've got this far, you can attack an enemy and you must designate a strike zone. Do you attack your foe's head? Its arm? Once you've figured all of this out combat gets easier and easier, and the better you get the more moves you will learn. At the higher levels you can even string together combos to defeat all but the toughest of bosses. Spells play a big role in the game too, and like physical attacks can be increased in power through day-to-day use.

The game as a whole is very long and does owe its charm to Wing Arms somewhat. That said, however, Legend of Legaia is a fun game that is sure to tide gamers over until the next big RPG hits town. The only gripe I had with this game was the somewhat lucid visuals, but I guess that just boils down to hardware.

ORIGINALITY 90%
SOUND/GRAPHICS 70%
PLAYABILITY 80%
ADDICTION 90%
ENJOYMENT 75%