CVG writes: Altus USA has released eleven new screenshots from Xbox 360 version of Spectral Force 3, a Japanese RPG destined to hit the States later this year.
PX360 writes: "If turn-based strategy RPG sounds like the kind of thing that you could play for hours and hours without getting bored, Spectral Force 3 has quite the challenge for you. The game tells the story of a band of mercenaries in the midst of a war between a handful of nations and an underworld army. Though the game opens with an anime-style cut scene, visually reminiscent of eighties favorite Voltron, it quickly drops it in favor of bland text-based clips. The fighters-for-hire aspect of your team plays into the lengthy mission list, but the story bits come so infrequently you are likely to forget all about it. The mid-mission screens occasionally show a map graphic and subsequent battles happening, but they do a poor job of explaining how it affects your squad or the story.
The game sticks to the age-old turn-based-strategy mechanics, adding nothing new to the genre standards. The awkward in-battle menu system makes for some confusion until you get used to just how many button presses it really requires to 'end' the turn of each character, with your healer requiring an additional one. Still, the inability to equip items or change equipment during battle is the most frustrating aspect of gameplay; followed closely by your healer's inability to heal himself. It is not all bad news, as the on-screen display showing your chances of landing a hit on the opponent is definitely a useful tool and the gameplay itself works well."
So the heart is there, but the execution is more than just disappointing. The gameplay on paper is very interesting, but in practice, it's unbalanced and tiresome. The art style and voice acting leave a little bit more to be desired and visually, it hovers between what would be expected out of a high end PSX title or a low-end PS2 game in high resolution. It's underwhelming across the board with generic written all over it, leaving Spectral Force 3 at the end of the day to indeed be a specter in the vast sea of current S-RPGs.
In the end, Spectral Force 3 is more disappointing than bad. As gaming continues to evolve, it's a real letdown to continue to play RPGs and SRPGs that look and play the same as they did back in the early '90s. Spectral Force 3 isn't the only title in the genre guilty of this gaming sin, but it is the latest.
Daam lots of Jrpgs on the Xbox 360.
how on earth is Microsoft securing all these JRGP's?Well what ever it is they are doing it sure as hell is working.
is this a 360 exclusive because it says "from the 360 version" so is it. maybe not because it wont just say 360 version wth
The 360 is showing its not just a FPS console, to even mention that old stereotype as non-fiction is ludicrous.
it will come to ps3 as well. but damn im glad i own both systems cuz with 360 getting good jrpgs sony needs to step up the game, cuz i hate the 360 controller for rpgs