From screenshots, video or just hearing bits of its soundtrack, you'd think that Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled is some kind of port. A game that you somehow missed in the SNES era, perhaps, that is getting new life here on Nintendo's DS. But, said to say, that's just not the case. This is no classic of yesteryear, no matter how hard it's trying to masquerade as one. And it's a game that certainly will not go on to be well remembered itself, 10 or 15 years from now. Black Sigil is a valiant effort, but amidst all of its presentation problems and tedious gameplay the only positive point that will really live on with be its noble vision and good intentions -- it tried to be Chrono Trigger, but fell well short. So you should probably just forget about it, and go play the real Chrono Trigger one more time instead.
Presentation - 4.0
Graphics - 6.0
Sound - 6.5
Gameplay - 5.0
Lasting Appeal - 6.0
Overall -
Gamertell has posted its DS game recommendations for the 2009 holiday shopping season.
The list is divided by ESRB ratings.
TRB writes: "Old school role playing games seem to be the sure hit on the Nintendo DS. The simple gameplay is easy for portable gaming and the time to complete these games is either double or triple the length of modern games. Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled offers the style of gameplay that fans of the most praised game on the SNES will jump right into and find plenty to love."
GameShark writes: "Late last year, Chrono Trigger DS came along and reminded players how great 2D RPGs used to be. Unfortunately, it also had another unintended effect: making Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled look like a unimaginative carbon copy. Even though it's a delightfully detailed and colorful RPG, Black Sigil lifts the entirety of its graphical style, character movements, and overall aestetic directly from Crono's adventure. While imitation is the highest form of flattery, this modern day retro revival is reserved for hardcore enthusiasts only".
