Game designer Level-5 has made a name for itself with such titles as Dark Cloud and Dragon Quest VIII. When RPG fanatics first heard about their new game Rogue Galaxy it's no surprises that the gaming industry had a certain buzz of anticipation.

Rogue Galaxy presents an epic science fiction tale with plenty of nods to Star Wars and a few subtleties borrowed from Skies of Arcadia. The story starts out on an enslaved desert planet called Rosa where an unwitting young man is about to have his lifelong ambition come true. Jaster Rogue is a hunter of relatively low rank in the Galactic Community and thanks to the Longardian Federation oppression his people are not allowed to leave the dust ball they call a planet. One day a huge monster attacks his village and with reckless abandon he sets forth to take down the beastie. Lucky for him a stranger happens by who joins him for a tad.

As the two travel across the city they are eventually intercepted by a pair of pirates (Steve the robot and the mysterious Simon). The fellow that Jaster was traveling with disappears but gives the boy his sword before he vanishes. Steve and Simon identify Jaster as the legendary hunter Desert Claw thanks to the newly gifted weapon in his hands and offer to take him back to their ship after the monster is defeated. Naturally Jaster agrees because he wants nothing more than to leave Rosa and explore the galaxy.

Before long he becomes a full fledged member of the Dorgenark's crew and teams up with them to hop from one planet to the next. The ultimate goal of the ship's captain isn't revealed until you're a decent clip into the game. Basically Dorgengoa (the captain) wants to find some tablets that will lead him to Eden, a place with untold wealth that will bestow the power to rule the galaxy.

I compared Rogue Galaxy to Star Wars for several reasons; the least of which is the Tattooine-like Rosa. The Dorgenark crash lands on a forest planet similar to Endor, you'll visit an advanced planet identical to Coruscant, and go to see a water world that is kind of like Geonosis. Other elements come into play that reminded me vaguely of parts from the Star Wars saga but to be honest it's really just a matter of personal interpretation. With the dominance of Lucas' films in the science fiction genre it's hard to look at any epic science fiction story without seeing things here and there. Despite these comparisons it is definitely safe to say that Rogue Galaxy is in a class all its own with an anime presentation and RPG flare. This is one of the better experiences that you'll find in these final days of the PlayStation 2 and more than reason enough to make use of that already (most likely) dusty PlayStation 3.

Gameplay:

The flow of Rogue Galaxy's gameplay is somewhat different than other entries into the RPG genre. Yes you walk around a dungeon and fields getting attacked by random battles but the combat is entirely different than what you'd expect. Instead of turn-based or time-based menu driven combat there is a fair amount of action here. On some level I'd even say that there are elements of Devil May Cry here what with the inclusion of a main blade weapon and sub shooting weapon. Jumping around, attacking, and defending are all handled in real-time so you don't have to sit idly by while you wait for your turn to strike.

This style of combat adds something to the game and definitely gives it a voice of its own. Subtleties like the fact that you exhaust your character after too many attacks and sub-weapons take time to reload means that you'll need to employ a fair amount of strategy if you want to win. The three character party is another nice addition to the combat making things frenetic and giving you the ability to swap between playable personalities on a whim. You can even issue instructions to your teammates and control their special attacks or manage their item usage. Further strategy is needed when you encounter enemies who require different methods to dispatch, such as needing to break a shield first or ones that force you to attack them from the air.

This method of combat does present a few problems though and it's hard to ignore them when you get right down to it. Yes the fighting is very fun but after an hour or so of crawling through the same maze-like dungeon hacking and slashing can become rather monotonous. This is especially true when you find yourself needing to level up before tackling a boss or having to trudge your way back through an area you died in. The camera is also problematic because it either swings wildly or sometimes not at all leaving you to manually adjust. I found myself fighting off screen enemies in just about every encounter. In the grand scheme of things these two flaws are merely slight announces but it's hard to overlook them.

As any RPG fan already knows though, combat is merely one gear in the machine that runs the genre. Development of your characters is an integral part of any RPG and in that regard Rogue Galaxy delivers well enough.

At the end of every battle your party will receive experience points based on whatever it was that you just killed. If they receive enough of them a character will go up a level and get strong, blah, blah, and blah. The difference with Rogue Galaxy is that instead of learning abilities through the ascension of the level system you actually have to find items. Once you get your digital mitts on particular objects you can attach them to a board called the Revelation System and unlock new powers assuming you find the right items. Attacks and skill upgrades are about all that you'll find with the Revelation Board but considering that you have eight characters to power-up you can imagine how long it takes to complete everything.

Equipment is another factor in Rogue Galaxy that is handled a touch differently from other RPGs. Each character has a main and sub-weapon with defensive and support slots as well. As you use weapons their power will go up and their elemental abilities will rise as well. These armaments can be found in stores or in treasure chests throughout the galaxy but once you come across a certain character the weapon world takes on a whole new life.

On the second planet that you visit you'll encounter a Toad that has the ability to fuse together weapons. You can combine 2 main weapons or 2 sub weapons but never a main and a sub, so those of you looking to craft a gunsword are sadly left out in the dark. The explanation for this fusion system is very vague and much of it is left up to simple trial and error which means saving and then trying in case you screw up your favorite blade. All you really need to know is that a weapon has to be at Max Skill level before the Toad can do anything with it and an item has to be analyzed prior to fusion.

The amount of weapons that you can find and create is amazing and will eat up a lot of your time. With eight playable characters you'll be going out of your way to locate particular weapons to combine. Fortunately you don't have to do this in order to play the game but it does add a level of depth to the development of your party and forces you to explore the many worlds thoroughly.

Another system that is not explained very well is the Factory mechanic. A little ways into the game you'll be given your very own factory that you can use to produce new weapons. Blueprints are scattered around the galaxy and they act as recipes for creating new trinkets. Once you set up the factory and find the ingredients you can produce items that will be available in shops all over the place. Again, just like the weapon fusion system it's deep enough to drop time into but not entirely necessary when you get right down to it.

Even still, if that's not enough for you to waste your time with you can travel the galaxy to collect insects for use in the Insectron tournament. This is a Pokemon-like mini-game that is annoying at first but once you get use to the fundamentals is a good way to waste some time. Apart from this you can also go on Quarry Hunts (big monsters) to raise your Hunter Rank.

The best thing that I can say about Rogue Galaxy is that it is simply a joy to play in just about every regard. Exploring the environment is wondrous thanks to the high level of detail and finely crafted history surrounding each world that you'll visit. The combat does get a little repetitive after consecutive bouts but once you start messing around with the system (changing characters, fusing weapons, unlocking powers, etc.) things get a lot better. Fortunately the game remains challenging as well with difficult monsters standing in your way. Despite the fact that you can restore all of your HP/AP at save points and teleport back to shops to restock items that's quite a feat.

In the end this is a slow developing RPG with an epic space opera presentation that truly outshines other entries into the same genre. In the closing days of the PlayStation 2 it's nice to see a game of such quality come out. Sure it may not topple Final Fantasy XII but it doesn't need to. This is a new franchise that has an outstanding opening volume from start to finish and is a place that Level-5 and Sony will allow us to visit again in the future. If you're stuck in an RPG rut and are looking for something new to try Rogue Galaxy is the title that you've been waiting for.

Video:

With cel-shaded characters and a richly detailed world Rogue Galaxy makes full use of the PlayStation 2's development abilities. The level of quality that oozes from every design is impressive to say the least and it is without a doubt one of the best looking cel-shaded games that I have ever seen. Cut scenes in particular are breathtaking despite the fact that there is a bit of aliasing that breaks the enchantment. I can only imagine how this title would have looked if it were developed for the PlayStation 3 instead of Sony's old system.

The most impressive thing to me in regards to the visual impact of Rogue Galaxy is the open and expansive galaxy. While exploring cities and dungeons the transition between environments is virtually flawless. There are no loading screens and very little pause. With constant loading going on being able to walk into and out of a shop, hop into battle, and enter a dungeon with no slowdown is a welcome thing indeed.

Audio:

Just like the graphical quality of the game, Rogue Galaxy impressed my ears as well. Sure we can't get the 5.1 richness and immersion that the PlayStation 3 is capable of but the content is what matters and it is great. A sweeping soundtrack fits the bill just fine with a number of memorable tunes but the most impressive aspect for this game was the cast of voice actors.

Being a part of Anime Talk and doing practically nothing in my spare time other than watch anime I was amazed by how many known voice actors were present here. Steven Blum (Cowboy Bebop, Big O) does the vocals for Zegram, Kari K. Wahlgren (Witch Hunter Robin, Samurai Champloo) is Lilika, and Will Friedle (Batman Beyond, Howl's Moving Castle) plays Jaster. To be honest the list goes on and on. A few performances do grate on the nerves like the Jar-Jar Binks inspired Jupis Tooki but overall things are very, very good here.

Final Thoughts:

Rogue Galaxy is not a perfect game. The camera can get annoying at times, the combat system gets a tad repetitive, and the systems (Factory and Weapon synthesis) require more trial and error than they really should. Once you get past those minor flaws you'll find a gem of an RPG that is one of the best in its class. The innovative gameplay, the massive galaxy, the graphics, and the audio are some of the most impressive that you'll find on the PlayStation 3. This is a must have for RPG fans and anybody looking for a powerful science fiction tale needn't look further.