Lunar Knights
Score: 90% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: Konami Developer: Kojima Productions Media: Cartridge/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Action/ Shooter/ RPG
Graphics & Sound: Boktai, which appeared on the GBA a few years ago, is a game that will forever be remembered for a troublesome mechanic and not for its masterful gameplay. For those who don’t remember, Boktai came with a sun sensor attached to the cartridge that, when held in direct sunlight, would affect gameplay in various ways. While innovative, the concept proved to be troublesome. Though not a direct sequel, Lunar Knights is a follow-up to the Boktai series that ditches the sunlight concept, but keeps the gameplay of the series intact. Lunar Knights doesn’t stray far from Boktai’s look. The game is sprite-based and presented from an isometric view. The game’s art style is heavily influenced by anime and looks great. The game also makes use of anime cutscenes, which is unique for a DS game. The quality isn’t super clear, but it still sets up the game’s story nicely. Even better, the scenes pop up in multiple areas rather than showing up at the beginning and end. The only downside to these scenes is the sound quality isn’t all that great and sounds muffled. Though the audio doesn’t sound great in cutscenes, the in-game stuff is excellent. Music sets the tempo and atmosphere perfectly and the sound effects are appropriate.
Gameplay: Lunar Knights takes place on a version of Earth that is completely different from our own. Thanks to a powerful weapon called the paraSOL, vampires have managed to conquer the planet and engulf it in darkness. This has caused the world to become a hard, desolate place where people would rather become slaves than scratch out an existence. However, there are people out there who are fighting to change that and end the vampires' dark reign. Like Boktai, Lunar Knights offers a combination of gameplay styles. Throughout the game you play as two characters, each offering a completely different style than the other. Lucian is a vampire bounty hunter who wields a powerful sword named Vanargand who has made it his duty to hunt down and destroy all of the top vampires. The other character is Aaron, a rookie gunslinger, a sort of vampire hunter who wields Knight, a gun that is able to draw on the sun’s power for ammo. Both are accompanied by elementals who offer hints throughout the game, as well as giving them special powers when merged with the two boys. Defeating one of the master vampires isn’t enough, you must also purify them using sunlight. However, because of the paraSOL, there isn’t enough light reaching the Earth. Instead you must take them into orbit where they can be hit with the solar cannon, which is sort of like the Death Star of solar-powered guns. This opens up a space shooter mini-game that is interesting, but doesn’t quite match the quality of the rest of the game. These shooter sequences make complete use of the DS's touch screen. Dragging the stylus across the screen moves your ship, while tapping on enemies fires its cannons. The problem with the set up is that you can’t fire and move at the same time, which brings up some issues later on when you’re attacked by multiple ships. Between levels, you can visit an old scientist who will upgrade your weapons. The scientist can also alter an area’s climate based on the spirits you give him. Changing the climate of an area can unlock new paths in levels, leading to new treasures and challenges.
Difficulty: From a strict gameplay standpoint, Lunar Knights is hard without being too hard. The game is easy enough for a more casual player to jump in and play, but its weather mechanic does introduce a few complications. Both characters draw power from either the sun or moon. The light sensor has been replaced in favor of the DS's top screen, which displays the weather of Lunar Knights’ world. Sometimes the sun and moon will blaze in the sky while at other times, they may be obscured by clouds or rain. Their position and visibility determines how quickly each can recharge their powers. Although it works better than the sensor, there are still a few flaws in the design -- especially when it comes to Aaron. Lucian’s powers don’t seem that affected by the moonlight. He can recharge, but I was able to get through large parts of the game without having to worry about the moonlight. However, Aaron’s attacks are built around being able to charge in sunlight, so you have to be real choosy about when you attack and when you run, which is where the stealth elements come into play.
Game Mechanics: Each character offers different play mechanics and can be switched on the fly based on the situation. When Lucian is selected, the game feels more like an action, hack n’ slash while Aaron brings in shooter elements and a little stealth action. Levels are flexible enough that you can play as either, though certain elements come into play that make each favorable in different situations. Both Lucian and Aaron gain experience as the game progresses and each receives experience, even if they aren’t in play. This helps to keep the game running so you’re never forced to bring one out when you’re rather play as the other. Although the weather mechanic could still use some fine tuning and the space shooter elements aren’t that great, Lunar Knights is still an excellent purchase if you’re in the market for a solid, fun action game.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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