Shining Example

I've been on a Sega Classics binge recently so bear with me as I dive once more into another 16-bit oldy.  The Shining series is a bit of an oddball as far as franchises go.  It originally started as Shining in the Darkness, a traditional dungeon-crawling fantasy RPG similar to the first couple of Bard's Tale games.  I must confess that I never got into this one, nor any of the later entries and spinoffs for the Game Gear, Sega CD, Dreamcast, or Nintendo DS (depending on how you count them, there are over 30 games in total!).  Instead, my enthusiasm was limited to the quasi-sequel and it's follow-up; games simply entitled Shining Force I and II.

Something that made Shining Force standout was it being one of the first Strategy RPGs to appear on consoles outside of Japan.  As far as these kinds of games go it's pretty barebones, but considering it was debuting largely to an uninitiated audience I think the degree of complexity feels about right.  One of the more fascinating aspects of the game is how scripted the A.I.'s actions are.  Oftentimes it's done purely for visual appeal; reserves deploying into formation or vanguards closing ranks as the player's units approach.  As a consequence of this the A.I. can feel like it is pulling punches by having its units dance around rather than attacking.  However, there are times when it can be extremely ruthless by going out of the way to target spellcasters, healers, badly wounded units or the main character - who, if slain, causes the the entire fight to reset to a pre-battle checkpoint.  On the plus side players get to keep any experience points earned before the battle-ending blow was struck.  Still, it can be frustrating to have to redo an entire 30 minute combat encounter all over again.  Especially since any other defeated character on the player's team can easily be brought back afterward (no permadeath like Fire Emblem).

The story is about as simple as they come in a fantasy setting; the return of a thousand-year-old evil, a hero of light to stop it...you know the drill.  It's almost painfully generic, but to counterbalance that somewhat the setting is an interesting mix of Narnia and Star Wars with some funny little NPC interactions that make reading the sparse game text worthwhile.  Personally, I rather enjoyed the trials and tribulations of "Guntz," an armadillo-like demihuman decked out in a cantankerous suit of steam-powered armor.

This might sound a bit strange, but Shining Force II (also for the Sega Genesis) had nothing to do with it's direct predecessor story-wise despite being almost identical as far as gameplay goes.  So, if a Shining Force player is looking to revisit with their favorite characters in the next installment, they have to play Shining Force Gaiden on the Game Gear in Japanese...or, in English, as part of the collection Shining Force CD for the Mega CD.  Even back then Sega had a knack for screwing up their own IPs.  Many of the spinoff games aren't just different in terms of story, but also genre; replacing strategy with action or even rogue-like elements.  Needless to say, the Shining series is a bit like the Sonic franchise in that would-be players are probably best off picking out the few gleaming gems from what is mostly a pile of dross.