Console Video Games

While role-playing video console games (RPGs) are not as popular as sports or action games, they have a loyal following. Role-playing games, which arose from the popular game Dungeon and Dragons, contain many similar elements such as: a party on a quest, the collection of magical items to assist the party, battles with monsters and enemies to gain experience and new skills, and a point system to monitor health and ability. RPGs are very character oriented and the players usually take on their characters in one of two ways: by creating their own customized characters from a menu, or by switching among game-specified party members within the game’s story line. Character interaction (between both player characters and non-player characters) is the most common mode of gaining information in order to solve puzzles or gain the knowledge required to complete the quest. Each character develops differently based upon the player’s choices in gaining experience and finding items, so every gamer has a different experience, rather than following a standardized story line.

The titles reviewed here have been rated E (everyone, ages 6 and older), E10+ (ages 10 and older), or T (teen, ages 13 and above) by the Entertainment Rating Software Board. To find out more about their rating system, visit their web site at esrb.org/ratings/index.jsp. Librarians can purchase video games from distributors such as Baker and Taylor, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Thomas Klise/Crimson Multimedia. Also, consider taking a non-traditional route and work with local retailers. Manufacturers list prices have not been included because prices fluctuate widely depending on the market and the popularity of a game.

Gr 6 Up–Based on the Nickelodeon cartoon series, this game is a solid performer. Set in a world made up of four nations (Air, Earth, Water and Fire), the Avatar is the bridge between the spiritual and physical worlds, and is the only one that can balance all four elements and maintain peace. Believing the Avatar to be dead, the Fire Kingdom declares war on the other nations in a bid to seize power. Katara and her younger brother find an avatar frozen in an iceberg. The gamer gets to play all three of these characters throughout the game, and can also view the world through the eyes of a lemur who sees things very differently and can find objects other characters can’t see. The objective of the game is to restore peace to the four nations. This is an action game in that the main character proceeds through the story line through the defeat of “level bosses,” but it also contains many elements of the standard role-playing game such as maintaining hit points for health, magic points, being able to upgrade armor and weapons, and gaining levels of experience. An in-game tutorial helps the player master fighting and defensive skills. Subtitles for the dialogue are also available, but often appear slightly after the audio is heard, which can be a tad distracting. Graphics and the game control are adequate. A good choice for inexperienced RPG players, especially those in middle school, since more sophisticated gamers might lose interest.

Gr 6 Up–The latest in a series of games based on the Japanese animated movies and television series, this is a lackluster entry into the role-playing genre. Players take on their choice of four “starter” Digimons (digital monsters) and must discover the events behind a computer virus infecting Digimon and the disappearance of the Yamato server, preventing Digimon from accessing other servers/worlds. Each character has its own strengths and weaknesses (as is typical for RPGs), and as the player gains experience and collects items, it can “digivolve” (evolve digitally) into better Digimons. In spite of the technological theme, Digimons do have magical abilities, which also develop with experience and digivolving. Graphics are disappointing—they look chunky and it’s not always easy to distinguish objects. The game has an in-game tutorial, but the player is not required to complete the techniques being taught in the tutorial to go on to the next tutorial section, so skills are not actually taught since brute force can defeat the practice enemies. There are a lots of non-player characters around the Main Lobby (where the characters begin the game) that provide detailed information about game play, but the player must go back to the Main Lobby to access all of this information. Overall, a disappointment.

Gr 7 Up–This game contains similar elements to the other trend-setting games in the series. In the game, the character sets out on a quest to obtain myrrh, which polishes crystal, which in turn protects the world from the ever-present miasma which drains life. The objective is to obtain a full chalice of myrrh and return to your home village. Along the way, players must fight monsters, increase their magical abilities, and upgrade armor and weapons. In addition to the standard exploration and monster fighting, the characters can take on a variety of mini-missions. As time passes, the story line unfolds and enemies get more complex and challenging. The variety available in the game makes it very appealing. Players can choose their route and move on to more challenging areas as their possessions and abilities become more sophisticated. In addition to collecting items, the character can obtain information and raw materials to forge weapons or to fuse two minor spells into a more powerful new one. This release differs from its predecessors in that the battles are fought in real-time (not turn based), making play move more quickly. An in-game tutorial provides instruction for new players and offers the opportunity to practice battle skills before venturing out on the quest. Graphics are good, but not of the quality of some of the Playstation capable titles in the series, and there is not as much in the way of movie interludes, for which the Final Fantasy series is well known. A great choice for all gamers, and especially those new to role-playing games.

Gr 9 Up–This unusual role-playing game is set in 1929 America instead of a medieval fantasy world, although the players still engage in battles and use magic. The primary character is Johnny Garland, a 16-year-old detective. He is joined by an eclectic cast of characters, including Lenny (Johnny’s butler), Shania (a Garvoy Indian princess), Natan (a Garvoy warrior), Frank Goldfinger (a ninja), Hildegard Valentine (a vampire), Richard Gomez (a guitar player), Mao (a talking cat), and Professor Gilbert (a mysterious gentleman). Johnny’s adventures take him from New York to Las Vegas to Chicago. He must discover Professor Gilbert’s secret. Along the way he encounters a second mystery involving fantastical creatures arriving through portals. In addition to solving these mysteries, Johnny hopes to fill in gaps of his past. This game is very engaging and game play is easy to pick up with hints and brief tutorials along the way. The downside of the game is that many of the female characters are scantily clad in a fashion that might be considered risqué, and they use alcohol and tobacco. Consequently, the game can’t be recommended for a young adult audience due to its mature content.

Gr 9 Up–This game centers on characters from the Queendom of Falena, including the prince, the prince’s bodyguard, the queen’s sister, and a knight. The party has been sent to investigate a revolt in a town called Lordlake. The game switches between the palace and the city. The party’s quest is to discover what happened during the revolt and why the Queen, who is known for her fair rule, has responded like a tyrant to the revolt. The game contains elements of a traditional role playing where characters have certain abilities, are able to use elements of magic, and gain experience by engaging in battles. There is no tutorial, and it does refer back to previous games. The battles are not gory by nature. Characters take turn aiming at the enemy and the computer executes the moves. The damage done is noted by deductions in hit points. Players can choose to swap out characters in the battles to make use of each character’s special skills. The setting for the game is a mythical kingdom that resembles Japan. The gamer takes on the role of the prince and selects the path of the party by choosing different dialogue and actions. While the primary role is a male, there are female characters, which should make the game appeal to teenage girls and boys. The game has sexual elements such as suggestive characters and characters who use sexuality to further the story. Strong characters and an engaging story line make this a good choice.

Gr 8 Up–The third U.S.-released Tales video game, and a prequel to Tales of Phantasia (Playstation, 1998), this game is a treat to play and has all the elements of the classic RPG—a group of characters setting out on a quest, developing skills and experience points, and the ability to customize a character through the choices the player makes in taking on various battles and mini-missions. As the game begins, Colette (the Chosen), the daughter of angels, and a group of her friends strike out on a quest to restore manna, the energy source that sustains life and magic, to the world. As the Chosen progresses through her journeys, she is gradually transformed into an angel, which regenerates the world. Battles against their enemies, which progress in real-time, at first seem complicated, but are actually fairly simple to control. In-game hints can be turned on or off, making the game flexible to the gaming experience of the player. Graphics are quite remarkable, and although the background music can get a bit annoying at times, it doesn’t detract from the fun of the game.

Gr 9 Up–The premise of this game is that Silmeria, a Valkyrie (maiden who chooses heroes to be slain in battle), has been punished by Odin (supreme god and creator in Norse mythology) for her rebellion by being sealed in the body of Alicia, the princess of the Kingdom of Dipan. When Silmeria awakens and begins talking to Alicia, her odd behavior causes her to be exiled from the kingdom. The game picks up when Odin realizes that Silmeria is conscious in Alicia and sends another Valkyrie to destroy Alicia/Silmeria. The gamer manipulates Alicia’s body, but Silmeria’s character alternates with Alicia’s. This is one of the few games where the main character is female. As Alicia/Silmeria proceeds on her adventure, she adds members to her party including Rufus, the Archer of Fate; Dylan, a warrior; Lezard, a master of magic; Leone, a female warrior; and Arngrim, a merchant. Alicia and her party travel through a variety of places to reveal Silmeria’s fate. The game is broken out into chapters. The first chapter provides tutorials on such things as how to conduct a battle, how to create unique items for the characters, and how players can regain health. The game is set against a backdrop of a medieval kingdom with references to the Norse myths. A good choice for young adult collections.