Shadow Madness

"I can make an eagle and a flock of swans!"

"Well, I can make a dog and a boy with a baseball cap!"

Developer: Crave Entertainment Publisher: Crave Entertainment Genre: RPG Players: 1 Memory: 1 block Discs: 2 for SM, 1 for a demo Analog: Yes Dual Shock: Yes ESRB: Teen Difficulty: Easy

Gameplay--This game is most definetly on my top ten favorite games. It's pretty easy if you have a level 6 fighter. The story is pretty good. A person named Damon Hokum who was a former Mage found a mysterious book and it turned him evil. He summons the plague called Shadow Madness and it destroys a lot of cities including the characters. I wont give any more away.

Graphics--Stunning.This is probably the prettiest RPG I have ever played. The backgrounds are pre-rendered but they look sweet. Also, the "summons" are better looking than Final Fantasy 7.

Music--It changes in every location, so I doesn't get too repetitive. I don't pay too much attention to music so that's all i'm going to say about that.

Story--Great story. All the characters are drawn together by a common bond. All of their hometowns had something horrible happen to them. For example, Stinger and Windleaf's hometowns were destroyed, and Jirinia's hometown which was enslaved, causing her people to work in the mines. There are many places to visit, from Arkose, the main continent on the surface of the planet, to Wyldern, the continent underground reachable only through a water passage, to Eyre, the floating Gadgeteer city.

Fun Factor--This game is your standard RPG with a lot of side-quests, like the Gadgeteer Simulators which are hidden and I have yet to find. I think this game will hold the attention of any RPG fans. Even the ones that compare it to another RPG--hell I do it and I love this game.

Overall Satisfaction--This game is definetly worth a rent and if you're serious, you could probably beat it in a rent or two.

Highs: All the places you can go to
Lows: It's too easy
Score: 9