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Written by Ian Johnston
Byline: Rygar is back and better than ever
Most longtime gamers can usually point out a handful of games that they feel should've had sequels, or in some cases, more sequels. Games like Bionic Commando, Kid Icarus, Super Punch-Out, and, until recently, Rygar. After making his debut in the arcades in 1986 - and then appearing in an entirely different game for the NES in 1987 - Rygar inexplicably faded into obscurity. The last Rygar game that was released was a port of the arcade version for the Atari Lynx that hit store shelves in 1992. In the intervening decade Tecmo seemingly forgot about Rygar, much to the chagrin of Rygar fans the world over. Thankfully, something must have jogged their memories, as they have blessed PS2 owners with one of the best games of the year.
The events in the game take place shortly after the Roman empire has exerted control over the Egyptians. Rygar, a great warrior hailing from a small island under Roman control known as The Kingdom of Argus, is about to receive a commendation for great bravery in a recent naval battle from the island's ruler, the beautiful Princess Harmonia. Before Rygar can receive his medal a horde of monsters, collectively known as The Titans, interrupts the ceremony and kidnaps the princess. Rygar prepares to give chase, but The Titans open a large crevice in the ground and knock him into it. After plummeting to the bottom of this newly formed hole in the ground, he lays unconcious and motionless until being awakened by a divine voice. It's at this point that Rygar is given his attack shield, the Diskarmor. He sets forth on his quest to rescue the princess, vowing vengeance against The Titans.
Visuals:
Simply put, Rygar is a visual tour de force. Although it doesn't have the most technically impressive graphics anyone's ever seen, it more than makes up for it via its brilliant stage design. There were moments while I was playing the game that I simply stopped what I was doing and took a few moments to admire the brilliant structure and design of the particular level I was playing in at the time. It was the same kind of feeling - a feeling that I was playing a work of art - that I've experienced with games like Ico and Rez.
The buildings, vine-covered stone pillars, statues, and various other environmental accents really conveyed the look of ancient Roman architecture that the game's designers were obviously going for. Add to that the excellent enemy character design, from the minor monsters to the absolutely humongous - and sometimes bizarre - bosses (like a dragon with five human baby heads that all cry quite loudly), and you've got a really polished, visually appealing game that's somewhat understated but still impactful at the same time.
Audio:
As good as the game looks, it arguably sounds even better. Featuring an epic soundtrack performed by the Moscow International Symphonic Orchestra - and an ending theme performed by British classical singer Izzy Cooper - the music in Rygar just couldn't be any better; definitely some of the finest game music I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. Aside from the sheer quality of the music, there's a nice mix of slow, melodic pieces and quick, intense pieces that play at the appropriate times (quick, and intense music during battles and slow, melodic pieces while exploring).
There's some nice voice acting in some of the cut-scenes, but the dialog is a bit too forced and cheesy at times. Some of the voice acting lacks, especially at dramatic moments, lacks the kind of emotional impact needed to really absorb the player in the story. As for the sound effects, they're standard fare, but they still manage to make a positive contribution to the game's overall aural experience.
Gameplay:
If you've played Devil May Cry before then you pretty much know what to expect from Rygar. Using one of three Diskarmors (Rygar's weapon of choice), you take out hordes of enemies and progress through each level. The game is played from an ever changing perspective - oftentimes a 3/4 overhead view that will change to a fully overhead view and even move in front of Rygar. Some of the camera angles can be quite awkward and disorienting, and unfortunately there's no way to manually adjust the angle of the camera.
Most of the levels require some puzzle solving in addition to slaying enemies, so a little thinking is required from time to time. Various items are hidden in each level, many of which are found within destructable objects like stone slabs and pillars. Among these items are jewels that can be affixed to Rygar's Diskarmors, thereby giving him new attributes like improved attack power and defensive capability. There are also small scrolls that can found which contain additional details pertaining to the game's storyline.
Each of Rygar's Diskarmors is quite unique, and using the right Diskarmor in the right situation can often make a tough foe a little more manageable. As you kill enemies you accumulate points that can be used to upgrade each of Rygar's Diskarmors a total of three times. Once each Diskarmor is at level 3 they're as good as they can get. You'll also find as you kill wave after wave of menacing monsters that you can chain attacks together. The game keep tracks of how many successive times you hit your foes, and the resulting combos can often exceed 100 hits. You can learn new attack sequences too, so there are plenty of offensive maneuvers at your disposal.
Funfactor:
Although Rygar's mix of action, adventure, and puzzle solving make it an absolute blast to play, it's a bit on the short side. Playing on normal difficulty the game can be beaten in a little over 10 hours. Regardless, the quality of the experience is paramount, and in Rygar's case it more than compensates for the game's relatively short length. Rygar is a game that can be played again and again without getting old, though there are bonus for beating the game on its various difficulty levels (like new Diskarmors) that contribute to the game's replay value.
Overview:
Rygar is, without a doubt, one of the best PS2 games released in 2002, and perhaps one of the ten best games released in 2002 for any platform. It's a superbly crafted masterpiece of a game that will appeal to longtime Rygar fans and probably create quite a few new Rygar fans as well. Sporting beautiful stage design and one of the best videogame soundtracks ever - as well as fun, intuitive, and engaging gameplay - it easily and definitively qualifies as "don't miss" material. Fans of action/adventure games, the old Rygar games, or those looking for a top-notch gaming experience need look no further; Rygar: The Legendary Adventure is gaming satisfaction.
| Visuals: | 4.5 |
| Audio: | 5.0 |
| Gameplay: | 4.0 |
| Funfactor: | 4.5 |
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| Overall: | 4.5 |
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