Our Gamescope column is back, where we talk about some great games of the past that, unfortunately, failed to make the big leap in the public, despite being very valid products. Today we want to talk to you about Rogue Galaxy, action RPG developed by Level-5 (not the latest arrivals) and released in 2007 for PlayStation 2. We at the editorial team recommend that you recover this pearl! And if you think you can't find it on the market, you are very wrong, the game is in fact available on the PlayStation Store at a price of 6 euros and, we guarantee, it will ensure hours and hours of fun. Released almost simultaneously with Final Fantasy XII, Rogue Galaxy tells of an epic journey between the various planets of the galaxy, in the company of a band of well-characterized characters, with a unique personality and a background full of surprises.
As long as the boat goes
The protagonist of the experience is called Jaster Rogue, a bold but mature boy, who tries to get by on a desert planet and submissive with fear of the galactic imperial forces called "Rosa". The events revolve around a terrible conflict between the Confederation of Longardia and the Empire of Draxia. Of course, needless to say, the young hero dreams of changing his life, exploring boundless space and traveling into the unknown to experience great adventures. The monotony that accompanies him day after day, however, is about to change: his city is attacked by monsters and Jaster ends up meeting a fearsome warrior. The two form a temporary alliance to defeat all beings but, before the most important battle, the mysterious masked man gives him his sword and disappears into thin air. The young Jaster does not even imagine that two space pirates are looking for the legendary Desert Claw to enlist him in their crew and, once the weapon is located in the hands of our hero, they end up confusing their real objective.
Jaster therefore joins the crew of the Dorgenark space galleon, where he will meet prominent personalities who will help him save the galaxy from an enigmatic and complex threat that is very reminiscent of the style of Star Wars. The boy thus manages to fulfill his dream of traveling the cosmos and will live an adventure that will make him true friendships, face betrayals and many events that will seriously test his spirit and his virtues.. So this is the narrative basis of the videogame, and Level-5 has managed to create a story that, despite having some clichés within it, still shines for originality and never lowers the player's attention. The setting in the narrative, however, always remains very light, with even ironic dialogues that never lead to banality. In the main plot there will also be time to deepen the history of the various characters, so as to be able to understand their past and trigger events that will change the fate of the entire crew.
In search of the stars
As mentioned several times previously, we are faced with an action RPG that offers classic gameplay, however, enriched by really interesting ideas. The fighting in real time punctuates the various planetary explorations but, weapon in hand, you will find that the Level-5 title is more complex than you think. First of all, do not think that it will be enough to press a button until it is consumed since even the most common monsters can be dangerous if not faced with a certain strategy. The advice is to have preset tactics so as to be able to attack the same enemy with the entire party, or to take advantage of the specialties of the various companions to exploit the weaknesses of the enemies. The pace of the fights is quite high and between a sword thrust and a pistol shot you will have to find time to think about the various tips that your friends suggest you in battle.. Often there will be the one who will advise you to heal a friend in need and the one who will ask you to free his special attack, you will have to choose the best solution in a few seconds otherwise it may be too late. In all of this, your moves are determined by a special energy bar which, once exhausted, will force you to switch into a defensive pose until it is recharged.
A little while ago we mentioned a gun, in fact each character will have the opportunity to fight both in close combat and at a distance. In this case, however, there will be limits, such as a predetermined number of magazines in battle and a pretty long reload time. Overall you will find yourself having eight characters in the party, but during the clashes you can control up to a maximum of three. Although Jaster is the undisputed protagonist of the entire adventure, you can easily replace him with whomever you like best. Cross and delight of the game, however, is the ability to dramatically upgrade your equipment. In fact, you can merge the various weapons together to create some really devastating and powerful. The development of the characters is called Eureka: on a large chessboard you will have to place very specific objects and each skill will have well-established squares. Once completed you will get the skill that can be further optimized gradually. The choice of what to improve is up to you, but be careful because maybe using a certain item will damage the development of another party member.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmIis38Ah8M
Conclusion
Rogue Galaxy it still remains a little gem that all RPG lovers should try. An incredible longevity seasoned with a plot that, however simple, remains exciting and not without twists. The characters you will meet will help make the game experience unique and the various protagonists will be recognizable and unforgettable. To say that Jaster's adventure remained deeply in my heart would not be enough because I have rarely found myself in front of a title that lets itself be played with all this naturalness and that, at the same time, manages to offer players a complex level of challenge and not to underestimate. If you want to spend (only!) 6 euros as mentioned at the beginning of the article, we recommend the purchase, and I assure you that you will not regret it in the slightest.
