Lost Sphear, analysis

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Lost Sphear, the new JRPG created by Tokyo RPG Factory and distributed by Square Enix, arrives today for PlayStation 4, Switch and Steam. In MeriStation we have played it and we tell you all that this title offers us with a captivating fantasy story and a complete combat system that combines the classic JRPG with strategy.

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Classic JRPG flavor

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In an era in which the JRPG lives a new awakening with titles like Persona 5 , Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or Tales of Berseria , the Japanese studio RPG Factory presents Lost Sphear, a new game in which classic elements are combined that recover the nostalgia for gender, while incorporating innovations that create a unique combat system, where strategy takes on a more prominent presence. The seal of Square Enix is ​​perceived in multiple aspects, such as the design of characters and scenarios, the history and the construction of the universe in which the adventure unfolds.

This study is the creator of I Am Setsuna , a melancholy title of the same genre in which a girl named Setsuna carries out her painful journey to offer herself as a sacrifice to appease demons that harass her world. The theme that surrounds both the story and the setting is the sadness, symbolized in a perpetual winter and in the same title of the new one, which in Japanese can be read as "affliction". Both the story, the tone of the game and the ambience aspire to convey a melancholy feeling in the player, with which he manages to connect with an emotional epic. The battles are guided by an active turn combat system, present in the Final Fantasy saga,where each character has an action bar that is emptied with each performance, so that he can not participate again until the bar is filled again. These actions are divided into physical and technical attacks, which encompass spells and special abilities. To this, the Momentum Mode is incorporated ; a fleeting opportunity presented during an attack that, if activated at the right time, enhances the attack of the character. We also have spritnites , special crystals that, once equipped, enhance our techniques.

I Am Setsuna was well received by the critics in terms of its narrative, although the opinions on the gameplay were disparate. For Lost Sphear, considered his spiritual successor, Tokyo RPG Factory has maintained the most positive aspects and has made a more intuitive gameplay, without neglecting the complexity of the combat system, typical of the JRPG genre.

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A tribute to the value of memories

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In Lost Sphear we situate ourselves in a remote place, on which there is the myth that the moon rules the destruction and rebirth of the world. In the same introduction to the game it is implied that the star is not necessary to propitiate such a cycle, since humanity, guided by its dark desires, is enough to destroy and reconstruct its environment.

Shortly after we took control of our protagonist, Kanata, a young orphan who lives in the town of Elgarthe, where he has found a new family in its inhabitants, especially in the Venerable who watches over his education, as well as in Lumina and Locke, other boys without parents with whom he maintains a beautiful friendship in which there is no lack of tenderness or innocent jokes.

A strange phenomenon begins to occur in this humble village: little by little, several objects and people begin to disappear, leaving behind a mysterious white fog. Kanata, on the other hand, discovers that he possesses the gift of restoring any vanished entity, if he manages to collect the memories rooted in it. He will soon be forced to use that power, since his hometown, along with its inhabitants, will disappear leaving a huge nebulous block. Kanata, along with his friends, will have to travel across the continent to restore his vanished village. Of course, the journey is complicated when they observe that several localities have suffered mysterious disappearances and the imperial army requires the collaboration of our heroes. And, to complicate matters, they verify thatthe phenomenon of disappearance is linked to the sudden emergence of monsters that, when defeated, release lost memories. After this plot is enclosed the philosophical idea that memory is the core of existence; We live because we treasure experiences, emotions, memories, which are the testimony of our vital journey. During the game, we will collect memories necessary to revive a vanished entity, either by defeating monsters or by rescuing an emotion transmitted in a dialogue or written text, differentiated by a blue typeface. Memories will be associated with multiple concepts; thus, we will obtain memories of passion, craftsmanship, sea, pain, etc., which end up being the most defining of the structure or person we wish to restore.

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Throughout his adventure, Kanata will meet new cities and characters. With some of them, it will forge an alliance that will give rise to the camaraderie characteristic of the leading groups of a JRPG title. The personality of many of them will follow typical stereotypes of Japanese role adventures, which we will easily identify and with which we will connect right away: the optimistic and sensible girl, the goofy and clumsy friend who acts as a comic relief, the superb ally of Cold character that will end up showing its most affectionate facet, etc. On the other hand, our hero, whose nobility, self-sacrifice and honesty define him, will know the darker side of the human being in his quest for world salvation.There will be those who seek to use Kanata -and take advantage of their kindness- for their own ambitious goals, as well as the classic conflict in which the powerful oppress a civilization that only seeks to survive.

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Classic role with wicks

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Lost Sphear possesses all the classic characteristics of a JRPG: a group of warriors with their own abilities, where there is no lack of figures such as the warrior, the healer, the tank, the archer, etc. The group of Kanata will be adding allies that will fulfill these characteristics and with which we will build a balanced team. To fight, we can only control a maximum of four characters, so we must choose carefully who we left in the action.

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The adventure follows a thread in the form of a very defined and guided main mission, which from time to time is diverted by a secondary mission well integrated and not without relevance for our adventure. Each section will maintain a good balance between dungeons, locations, final heads and development of the story and, if at a time we are lost, we can activate a chat between our characters in which we find indications on the next steps we must take. We will have three levels of difficulty well balanced and that can be modified throughout the game:the easy, to have a relaxed experience, where the enemies are less resistant and there is more abundance of objects; normal, for players accustomed to the genre and presenting a standard challenge; and the difficult, where the enemies will be harder.

Each character has a health indicator and magic points, as well as exclusive special abilities. Through the acquisition of spritnites - magic crystals that, we remember, we already met in I Am Setsuna -, we will learn new spells and techniques that we will add to the repertoire of each fighter as long as they have available slots. These spritnites are divided into active abilities -skills-, passive -counter- and momemtum -potentiators that will be activated in the Momentum Mode . Each one will have his own weapon, from which we can find and acquire superior versions. On the other hand, the armor will serve for all the characters. The equipment can be improved in the smithy, where we can applyspritnites that will enhance their characteristics. Every time we visit a city or a village, we can not skip the regular visit to the stores to buy new equipment, potions and spritnites. The inn will be a mandatory stop in preparation for future battles, since a restful rest will restore our health and magic, which we can not recover at the storage points, unless we use special items such as medical kits. In the inn, in addition, we will have the restaurant, where we will acquire dishes that will enhance our military capabilities. The chef will ask us for special ingredients with the option "seek ingredient" -search for ingredients-, with which he will cook us a new delicacy.

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In a moment of the adventure, we will acquire the Vulcosuits, servo armor with special abilities that will add more possibilities to combat. By equipping them, we will access new combined attacks and Paradigm Drive, the harmony between the Vulcosuit and its pilot that will give way to a new range of colossal techniques that will make the fighting much more epic. Bear in mind that each suit has its own Paradigm Drive , which we will keep unveiling as our journey progresses. Outside of the combats, these mechanized armors will allow us access to new corners of the locations, and in the dungeons we can activate their fast-moving modeto move through the terrain with greater agility while dodging combat. However, the energy of these useful wicks is finite, and is reflected in a bar called VulcoPoints -VulcoPoints-, which will be consumed every time we use one of their special abilities. We can recover the energy of the suits when using a Vulco charger or when resting in an inn.

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A turn-based combat system with tactics of strategy

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In addition to the combats that occur during the development of the story, we will find enemies in the dungeons. These will be visible on the road and, if we wish to fight, we will approach them. Depending on the approach, we will have a preventive, lateral or threatening encounter, which will affect the state of our Momentum bar , which will have a full, average or empty load, respectively. The battle will be given by active turns, that is, each character has an action barthat will be spent with each performance we do, whether attack, special ability, invocation of VulcoSuit or use of object. Then, the bar will be filled at a variable speed according to the characteristics of each character to return to its maximum point, so that the hero in question can act again. After choosing an offensive action, we will preview the area in which it will affect and we can place our hero at any point in the battle zone, calculating the enemies that will enter that area. This opens many strategic possibilities, so we will plan the best position for each fighter, in such a way that it can damage the greatest number of enemies at the same time, at the same time that we open the door to back attacks and cornered between two characters.

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When the turn of each hero arrives, we can choose between a physical attack, a skill, or use of an object. Physical attacks can be enhanced by activating the Momentum Mode , which is an opportunity that occurs during the execution of the offensive; While our hero prepares his attack, a bluish glow will shine around him, so we must press Square - in the PS4 version, which is the one we have played for the present analysis - to activate the Momentum Mode, which will add an extra of damage to the inflingido . Said Momentum Mode will be available by filling in its corresponding bar, and each character will have three reloads per combat to carry it out.

As for abilities, which include spells and special techniques, they overheat with each use, and will not be available until their cooling time has passed, which varies for each one. On each shift, said cooling time is less.

The objects that we use during the combat will consist of healing potions, regeneration of magic and antidotes against altered states that can cause us the attacks of the enemies - infatuation, paralysis, poison, etc. - and can be used by all the characters. We will find them in chests and in defeated opponents, as well as we will be able to acquire them in stores or in the classic street vendor with which we come across in a dungeon.

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At the end of each confrontation, we will add experience points and collect objects and memories that the enemy has released, which will affect if we have eliminated them during the Momentum Mode or with a Vulcosuit. By accumulating a certain amount of experience points, we will raise the level, with which we will recover magic and health automatically, as well as unlock new slots for spritnites.

Although the combat system is complex, it is very easy to learn and master it . It is easy to choose the ideal position of our heroes, as well as to correctly activate the Momentum Mode. As for spells-based on elemental bodies such as fire, water, earth, air, darkness and light- their effectiveness is learned through experimentation, and is very intuitive for players who have experience in the role, thus they quickly deduce that fire spells are the most effective for plants, and lightning spells against machines.

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A world to discover and rebuild

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To move between locations, we will move on foot through a wide map, where some of the areas will be accessible by sea or air, according to the part of the history in which we find ourselves. In him we will not have random combats, although we will find several memories and objects, that will regenerate with time. We will observe that several corners have disappeared and in their place the strange fog will remain. Of course, the restoration of many of them will be linked to the main mission, although there will also be points where we can build an artifact with the required memories, which will grant us bonuses such as being able to visualize the health and time of action of the enemy or reduce the wear of magic and energy of theVulcosuits.

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A mystical and captivating sphere

The setting of many role titles is based on medieval fantasy, to which Square Enix has proposed more creative alternatives, such as the industrial world in various Final Fantasy. Lost Sphear also moves away from this archetype with an exquisite and original level design. We will travel through the most humble locations, passing through more opulent cities, without leaving aside dungeons located in abandoned ruins or caves with internal lakes. As for the inhabited places, they present an architecture inspired by the Victorian era with timid steampunk touches ,present in the robots that walk the streets. The design of the monsters describes their nature very well and conveys very well their symbolism, like the sea dragon built by multiple sunken ships that we found in a naval cemetery. The universe excellently constructed in Lost Sphear has its own mythology and a very emotional way of understanding life, which is accentuated in the concept that every element, from a geographical feature, a person, animal or city, bases its existence on the memory. We emphasize that the composition of the home screen varies according to the point of the story in which we find ourselves.

The graphics aspire to the style of the JRPG 16-bit, to which they add a more avant-garde perspective, thanks to a generous preparation of the scenarios, in which we highlight the bodies of water with details reminiscent of watercolor, or the precious interior of the homes that do not lack the cozy atmosphere of a fireplace, a bathtub behind a screen and a table populated with colorful food that opens the appetite, even with its graphic limitations. The interior of the imperial palace is overwhelming and its luxury shines in every decorated egg, gilt carpet and the way each double-leaf gate opens.

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However, it is a pity that in the human heroes and antagonists the visual design has been a step back. Each of them presents an aspect and personality that we have seen in other titles of the genre, although they do not stop wanting to be loved, and their animations are more typical of the fifth generation than the current one. The nostalgia for the JRPG of yesteryear is well transmitted, although a more evident presence of the watercolor, or more defined features for the characters , would have worked better.

The sound section reflects all the delicacy of this title with a series of piano-based songs composed by Tomoki Miyoshi. Each song transmits the melancholy of a world whose existence is in danger of disappearing in a cruel oblivion, and there is no lack of warm songs for the most welcoming locations, and the rousing for combat, with tougher touches for those that accompany the confrontation against a final boss. The voices can be activated, with which we will hear the screams in Japanese of our heroes during the fight. As for the texts, we can choose their speed, and we can reread a dialogue if we want to review information.

As for the language, it is a pity that the game is not translated into Spanish, although it is available in Japanese, English, French and German. It would be an added power to enjoy it in our language, despite the fact that the level required to understand it in the Anglo-Saxon language, which is where we have played it, is not very demanding.

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This game has been analyzed in its version for PS4.

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Conclusion

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Lost Sphear, the spiritual successor of I Am Setsuna, recovers in an emotive title the most characteristic elements of the classic JRPG, which adds a greater presence of the strategy during active turn-based fighting and a series of original elements such as the Momentum mode, Vulcasuits or artifacts, which will add versatility in every battle. In each combat, we can place our heroes at any point on the screen, taking into account how many enemies we will reach with our attack, and if our position promotes greater effectiveness.

The existence of a universe where every creature and element is composed of memory is in danger when a phenomenon begins to happen: several objects, people, and even entire cities begin to disappear, leaving behind a mysterious white mist. Katana, a humble and kind swordsman, discovers that he possesses the gift of being able to collect the lost memories and to restore with them the disappeared entities. In a journey where there is a wise combination of locations, dungeons, learning and confrontations against final monsters, Kanata will travel with his friends and new allies -which will present exclusive skills- for a beautiful world with many different locations in which he will discover the most dark of the human being, which, contaminated by ambition, will long to use Kanata for the most dishonest ends.

With a complex combat system, but easy to master, we will live an agile and emotional adventure in a universe that presents a delicate mythology based on the value of memory, presented by a remarkable but imperfect graphic section that pays homage to the 16-bit style with a avant-garde perspective, and an unforgettable soundtrack, composed by Tomoki Miyoshi. It would be a perfect title if it presented characters with greater charisma and originality, and a worthy translation into Spanish.

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The best

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• Its complete combat system
• Its effective gameplay, easy to assimilate thanks to a perfect learning curve
• The preciousness of the scenarios
• The balance between dungeons, inhabited locations, development and chiefs; one step ahead about I Am Setsuna

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Worst

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• It is not translated into Spanish
• The characters, for the most part, are too archetypal and lacking in charisma
• Technically I could give more than yes

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THANKS FOR READING, ALSO CHECK OUT MY PREVIOUS REVIEW ON NieR Analysis: Automata

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