Golden Sun (video game)
| Golden Sun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Camelot |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Release |  August 1, 2001 November 11, 2001 February 22, 2002 |
| Genre(s) | RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Golden Sun (黄金の太陽, Ougon no Taiyou) is a series of computer role-playing video games developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo, and is also the name for the first installment of the series on Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. It was released in November 2001, with a Game Boy Advance sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, in 2003.
Though the English version of Golden Sun does not have a subtitle, the Japanese version does: Hirakareshi Fuuin (開かれし封印) (commonly translated as "The Broken Seal" or the "The Opened Seal" by the game's fanbase).
Gameplay
Golden Sun is a contemporary presentation of the traditional Computer Role-Playing Game formula, where the player guides a cast of four characters as they journey through a fantasy-themed game world and interact with other characters in a building, pre-defined narrative. Much like most other RPGS, the player is required to follow the story by exploring the world and conducting many battles, and the ultimate goal is to reach the game’s finale by defeating the most powerful enemies.
To progress through the game world in terms of exploration, the player must talk to various NPCs (non-playable characters) found in the game’s towns and learn of the destination where the next plot development takes place, all the while collecting items and accomplishing various events. In Golden Sun in particular, a puzzle element is heavily embedded in this mode of play, often involving finding one’s way through a maze-like location by changing the environment (pushing logs to cross rivers, shifting the track of a mine cart to access new areas, etc.). Solving puzzles to get from point A to point B is what most often allows the player to progress through the game world to his or her objective, and many of these puzzles revolve heavily around the usage of the game’s resident form of magic spells, “Psynergy.”
Psynergy
Psynergy is the Golden Sun version of magic, and both successful exploration of the game’s world and victory in the game’s battles are heavily dependent on smart usage of the hundreds of Psynergy spells available.[1] Whereas most other RPGs limit the usage of their forms of magic to battles as offensive and defensive measures, Psynergy spells can be used both for battle and for solving puzzles in the game’s locales. Though many Psynergy spells are strictly for battling purposes (examples include “Pyroclasm”, a powerful fire-type spell that can damage up to five enemy targets, and “Ragnarok”, a ground-type spell that attacks a single enemy target with a huge magic sword), several spells are used strictly for solving puzzles (such as using “Force” to knock back a distant object that might have blocked the player’s path). Some Psynergy spells can actually be used in both scenarios (for example, the “Whirlwind” spell that can be used to damage enemies in battle is also used out of battle to clear away overgrown foliage that may block the player’s path).
Psynergy comes in four elements: Venus (Manipulation of rocks and plants), Mars (Revolving around fire and heat), Jupiter (Based on wind and electricity), and Mercury (Concerning water and ice). Likewise, the four main characters the player controls are imbued with these elements to form the bases of their innate magic powers (the Jupiter-elemental character is most proficient with Jupiter-element Psynergy in both battle and in solving puzzles, for example). The player gains more and more Psynergy spells as the game progresses (either through levelling up or acquiring and equipping special items), therefore gaining access to more and more locations and secrets hidden within the game world. Players may even find themselves going back to previous locations to finish off puzzles which they could not solve earlier because of the lack of a specific Psynergy spell.
Battle
The majority of the action in Golden Sun, much like in most other RPGs, is found in its myriad battles, and most of the battles that are not important to the story take place via random encounter, featuring randomly generated enemies. When a story-centric battle occurs, it is always in a specific location with specific enemies. In either case, when a battle begins a separate screen is brought up, and the enemy party is on the opposing side (the background) and the player’s party is on the battling side (in the foreground, with only the character’s backs visible). Golden Sun is noted for its swift battle sequences and sharp presentation; the characters and the background swirl around and change positions in a pseudo-3D effect as a battle progresses.
The gameplay in relation to Golden Sun’s battle mode is not much different than what one would expect from a standard RPG in general. As per the classic-style RPG formula, in each battle the player is required to defeat all the enemies by using direct attacks with weapons, offensive Psynergy spells, and other means of causing damage, all while keeping the player’s own party alive through items and supportive Psynergy that restore life and supplement defense. If a character runs out of Psynergy Points (a numerical value that decreases each time that character uses a Psynergy spell, almost identical to the concept of Magic Points in other RPGs), he or she cannot use any more Psynergy spells until his or her Psynergy meter is replenished by some mean (either with an item or staying at an inn in one of the game’s towns). Likewise, if a character’s Hit Point meter becomes 0, that character is “downed” and is unable to participate in a battle until he or she is revived by some mean. If the entire party is downed, it is considered “Game Over”, and the player must restart from the last save spot. In the beginning of each battle round, the party also has the option to attempt to flee the battle.
The successful completion of a battle yields the expected rewards of experience points and coins, where the accumulation of experience leads to the building of "levels", increasing a character’s base statistics and occasionally mastering a new Psynergy spell, and coins can be redeemed for equipment that augment a character’s stats. By buying and earning equipment and gaining enough experience points, the player’s party eventually becomes strong enough to successfully defeat the game’s final boss and perhaps even an optional, even tougher superboss that hides in secret.
Djinn system
By far the most important element in Golden Sun to differentiate it from other RPGs is the collecting and manipulation of magical creatures called Djinn. Djinn can be found scattered in hiding throughout the game, for each of the four elements and likewise for allocation to each character. The Djinn form the basis of the game’s statistic enhancement, as well as the system that dictates the character’s Psynergy capabilities.
Character classes
First of all, it is important to elaborate on Psynergetic classes, which serve as the vehicle in determining each character’s statistical setup and Psynergy spell collection. Each character is assigned a class, which dictates boosts to statistics such as Hit Points, Attack, Speed, and other attributes, as well as how many and what kind of Psynergy spells that character has access to. When a class is changed, for better or worse, statistics and Psynergy collection are changed accordingly. Generally, to be successful in the toughest battles, the four characters must all be under the influence of the strongest classes so that they can be in the best statistical shape for battling. To change a character’s Psynergetic Class, one must look to the Djinn.
Djinn on SET mode
Djinn can be “turned on” (“Set”) or “turned off” (“On Standby”). When a Djinni is Set to a character, that Djinni exerts influence on that character’s Psynergetic class (and therefore, his or her statistics and Psynergy collection) relative to both the character’s innate element and that of the Djinni’s. As an example, when all seven Djinn of the Venus element are Set onto the Venus-elemental character of the player’s party, that character becomes the strongest user of Rock and Plant-themed attacks available, though this single-element focus causes him to be more succeptible to attacks of the Mars, Mercury, and (especially) Jupiter elements as a side-effect. When Mercury (water) Djinn are set onto the Venus character, though, the statistical and Psynergy setup of that character dramatically changes, so that he is now moderately proficient in both Rock/Plant and Water/Ice-type spells, as well as having a more balanced array of elemental resistances. As there are 28 Djinn encompassing the four elements that can be mixed and matched to the four characters in seemingly any manner, a large array of possible class setups for all four characters are potentially available, lending the game a wide degree of variety.
As a side note, each Djinn set on the character has its own special ability which can be invoked during combat. These abilities can include (but are not limited to) enhanced elemental attacks, buffing or debuffing spells, healing/restoration spells, and occasional effects that can increase the chances that slain enemies will drop rare items. After a successful invoke, the Djinn shifts to "Standby" mode until it is "Set" on the character again.
Djinn on STANDBY mode
When a Djinni in a character’s inventory is on Standby, however, it does not contribute to the character’s Psynergetic Class, but in return that Djinni can be used by the party as “fuel” for a Summon Sequence, an animated sequence in battle where a powerful elemental monster is summoned by the party to launch a powerful attack on the enemy party before disappearing. For example, if four Mercury Djinn on Standby are used, the Summon Sequence called “Boreas” is initiated, dealing tremendous Mercury-based damage to all opponents. This is the game’s most powerful method of attack, and also the riskiest, as it requires Djinn to be on Standby and therefore not be available to bolster the statistics of whatever character the Djinn are on. Once a Djinni on Standby has been used for a Summon Sequence, it must take any number of turns before it restores itself to Set position on a character. There are 16 Summon Sequences in the game, four for each element, and each Summon Sequence takes between 1 and 4 Djinn of the same element on Standby.
Essentially, the manipulation of Djinn to subsequently manipulate character statistics and means of attack is what defines Golden Sun’s battle system as a whole. With weapons (some of which have a chance to produce additional magical attacks known as "unleashes" upon a successful hit), Psynergy, and Djinn and their summons all available simultaneously, the player is allowed a great deal of flexibility in approaching and conducting a battle and finding the best approach for victory. A player can take a direct route to a battle, with all 28 Djinn set to the characters to make them sturdy warriors that can effectively trade blows with opponents and sustain themselves healthwise throughout a fight (though this may prove to be a more time-consuming approach to a boss battle), or a player can take more of a gambling route by entering a battle with all Djinn on Standby so that in the first turn all four characters can activate the strongest Summon Sequences and attempt to obliterate the opposition all at once, but the party will be left weak afterwards due to the lack of Set Djinn. Depending on the player, the most effective route may prove to be a blend of both camps when it comes to the toughest boss battles.
Two-player mode
In addition to the main game itself, there is also a competitive battling mode accessible from the menu screen, where players can enter their currently-developed team from their saved game files into an arena environment where they can battle increasingly difficult CPU-controlled enemies or other players head-to-head to see which of their team setups are stronger. In both cases there are no experience points or coins to be earned.
Story
For information on each specific character, see List of characters in Golden Sun.
Golden Sun, in both background and chain of events, takes place in a fantasy setting that may be considered fairly typical of classic-style RPGs. Thematically, it fits the standards of the heroic quest. Template:Spoiler
Background
Ages ago, in the world of Weyard, the omnipotent force of Alchemy provided all manner of culture and power to its people. When harnessed, Alchemy could achieve fantastic effects of any scale, examples of which were the transmutation of lead into solid gold and the ability to thwart death itself. Civilizations and technology developed to great levels, but eventually, the ambitions and aspirations of some individuals developed the same way, leading up to power struggles and eventually a world war, where Alchemy was increasingly abused as a military weapon, and the prize for the victor was dominion over Weyard with control over Alchemy’s powers. Weyard was nearly demolished.
Eventually, a group of wise men known as the Sages convened and made a vital decision for Weyard’s welfare: They sealed Alchemy away for what would undoubtedly be many ages, within a giant stone slab, the Stone of Sages, hidden in the darkest depths of Mt. Aleph, site of a shrine to Sol and Luna. The world was deprived of a giant resource, but it was saved from the destructive tendencies of its inhabitants. The Sages, though, did not believe in permanent withdrawal of the force, so they decreed the construction of an intricate system of locks and keys situated throughout Weyard, and this system would comprise of four great towers as the locks (called Lighthouses) and four jewel-like crystals (called Stars) as the keys, and each respective pairing of Star and Lighthouse would represent one of the four elements of the world: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury. With the elemental stars hidden away within Sol Sanctum, Weyard remained inactive and Alchemy remained dormant underneath Mt.Aleph for ages.
As the ages passed, a town called Vale would develop at the foot of Mt. Aleph. The inhabitants soon made it a point to be the guardians of Sol Sanctum and Mt. Aleph. Due to the town’s proximity with Sol Sanctum's secret, the inhabitants developed an adeptness to Psynergy, the art of channeling the energies of the four elements into a form of magic. Psynergy came in the forms of the four elements, as Venus (control of the earth's plantlife and rock formations), Mars (manipulation of heat and fire), Jupiter (projection of wind and electricity), and Mercury (power over water and ice). The Adepts, as users of Psynergy were called, knew never to reveal their craft to any outsiders who might pass through the village, and also to refrain from entering Sol Sanctum freely, so as to preserve the sanctity of the shrine. This was their duty for a long period of time, until the present, where the story of the game begins.
The Process of Alchemy
Three years before the present, a pair of menacing, scale-skinned Mars Adepts named Saturos and Menardi arrive from a Mars Adept colony in the far north, attempting a raiding expedition upon Mt. Aleph. Their aim was apparently to steal the Elemental Stars inside for a plot of theirs. However, they failed to solve the riddle blocking their way and triggered a trap, causing a defense mechanism to project a terrible thunderstorm around Mt. Aleph that in turn caused a giant boulder to be dislodged and crash through the town below, seemingly killing several of its inhabitants. The pair knew that though they failed for now, they would attempt Sol Sanctum again in the future.
Three years to the present day, Isaac, a young Venus Adept, has lived in in relative tranquility in Vale with his friends Garet and Jenna, both young Mars Adepts, and Kraden, an elderly scholar researching the ancient art of Alchemy though not an Adept himself. Isaac’s father and all of Jenna’s immediate family -— her parents and her brother Felix —- had died in the boulder tragedy three years prior. Isaac and his friends agree one day to assist in Kraden’s ambitious research venture to explore Sol Sanctum and study the Stars inside, despite the fact that it is off limits by the town legislature. But the four enter the Sanctum and explore its sacred corridors, eventually finding the chamber where the four Stars await on pedestals. Kraden has Isaac and Garet fetch the four stars for him to study.
Fate suddenly plays a major twist in the lives of all involved. Saturos and Menardi appear and apprehend Jenna and Kraden, demanding that Isaac hand over the Elemental Stars. Saturos is accompanied by two other accomplices: Alex, a debonair Mercury Adept with apparently strong Psynergy talents, and none other than Felix, Jenna’s long-lost brother, who Saturos explains was saved by him after the boulder disaster three years ago, and is now part of their quest to activate the Lighthouses and restore Alchemy to the world. Isaac and Garet are understandably as shocked as Kraden and especially Jenna, but they have no choice but to comply with this group’s orders and give them the Elemental Stars.
Suddenly, due to the removal of the Elemental Stars from their pedestals, the entire area starts trembling under the influence of a volcanic eruption, and Saturos’ group is forced to flee with only three of the Stars, leaving Isaac and Garet to potentially die. In the case that they might survive, Saturos takes Jenna and Kraden as hostages for Isaac to follow, so that they could get the fourth star. However, Isaac and Garet soon come face-to-eye with the monolithic guardian of Mt.Aleph, the Wise One, who declares that the effort to restore Alchemy constitutes a threat to the world, so thus he tasks Isaac and Garet to prevent Saturos from activating the Elemental Lightouses, and he returns the two boys to Vale as Mt. Aleph erupts, saving them.
Later, Isaac and Garet explain everything that transpired in Sol Sanctum at a town meeting in Vale, relating the command of the Wise One to chase Saturos’ band and prevent him from unleashing the apparently deadly consequences of Alchemy’s return. After measuring all circumstances involved, including the capture of Kraden and Jenna by apparently her own brother Felix, the townspeople agree that the responsibility falls on Isaac and Garet to set out on this urgent quest and save all of Weyard. Thus do Isaac and Garet depart from their hometown and embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
The Mercury Lighthouse
Early in their hasty journey, Isaac and Garet meet and accept the Jupiter Adept boy Ivan as part of their party, and the two head off into the direction of the nearest Lighthouse, the Mercury Lighthouse, because that would easily be Saturos’ first target. Upon reaching the village of Imil, located in front of Mercury Lighthouse, Isaac meets Mia, a young female healer who is revealed to be a Mercury Adept and one in charge of guarding the Mercury Lighthouse. Mia joins Isaac and his party as they enter the towering structure and climb to its top, the Mercury Lighthouse Aerie, intent on preventing Saturos from activating it. They find, however, that they are too late: Saturos has already activated Mercury Lighthouse, having cast the Mercury Star down the tower’s throat. Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia all engage in battle with Saturos, who proves to be a menacingly powerful adversary. However, because they are battling in the vicinity of the newly activated water-elemental Lighthouse beacon, Saturos’ fire-based powers are suppressed enough for Isaac to defeat him.
However, Alex appears and reveals to Mia that he is in league with Saturos, and Mia is instantly horrified because Alex once shared her objective to prevent the Mercury Lighthouse's activation as a fellow Mercury tribesman, but he now seems to have undergone a revelation, having betrayed his charge of duty. Alex seems to have decided that returning the powerful force of Alchemy, a force he obviously admires, to Weyard is more desirable than keeping the force locked up. After Alex helps Saturos up and they both depart, Mia, drained by Alex’s betrayal, decides to join Isaac’s quest to prevent Saturos and Alex from lighting the remaining three Lighthouses, and Isaac’s complete party now departs from Imil in his continuing quest to stop Saturos.
The Venus Lighthouse
For the next great period of time, Isaac’s party travels around the entire mainland continent of Angara, helping the troubled villages they encounter along the way. Soon they take a ferry service to the neighboring southern continent of Gondowan, a voyage that proves none too pleasant due to sea monsters such as the Kraken on the attack. They then arrive in the bustling metropolis of Tolbi, under rulership of the mysterious Lord Babi. After competing in and winning this year’s annual tournament of warriors, Colosso, Isaac proves himself capable of embarking on an additional quest to help Babi that involves locating the mythical island city of Lemuria somewhere in the ocean and retrieving some special draught for him. Babi grants Isaac eligibility to use his personal sailing ship for this quest in the near future. The ship in question is hidden within the town of Lalivero, near the Venus Lighthouse, which is Isaac’s next destination at any rate.
However, after traveling east through a desert to reach Lalivero, Isaac finds that Saturos’ band has captured a young Laliveran girl, Sheba, hostage as well, for reasons Isaac does not yet know. But Isaac plans to thwart whatever Saturos is scheming, so he enters Venus Lighthouse and climbs it in haste, soon reaching the Venus Lighthouse Aerie where, to his relief, it has not been lit yet. Isaac finds Saturos and Menardi criticizing Felix for his objections to their kidnapping Sheba, who is up there with him, and it is revealed to Isaac that Sheba is actually a Jupiter Adept just like Ivan. Isaac comes over to confront Saturos, and the cunning Mars Adept sees an opportunity and orders Ivan to hand over his Shaman’s Rod. Saturos explains that both Sheba as a Jupiter Adept and the Shaman’s Rod are required for him to climb and light Jupiter Lighthouse in the future. Ivan reluctantly gives Felix the Shaman’s Rod to ensure Sheba’s safety.
Saturos then decides that it is time for Isaac’s meddling party to die and he and Menardi launch a fierce offensive against them, but the combined swordplay and Psynergy teamwork among Isaac and his friends, which they developed over the course of their journey, eventually proves enough to defeat the two Mars Adepts. But in an underhanded tactic, Saturos drops the Venus star into the Venus Lighthouse’s gullet, instantly failing Isaac’s quest a second time. As the Venus beacon is activated, Saturos and Menardi are restored, and as a last stand against Isaac they execute their ultimate power: The merging of their bodies into a tremendous, two-headed Fusion Dragon. Isaac wages his fiercest battle yet, and soon he manages to slay the Fusion Dragon in an amazing victory over superior opponents. Defeated, Saturos and Menardi seemingly die as they fall into the abyss of the gullet.
Felix and Sheba watch stunned on the sidelines, and suddenly the energy of the newly lit Venus beacon causes an earthquake, causing Sheba to fall off the lighthouse and into the sea below, and Felix jumps after her in what can be described as affection-driven furor. To Isaac and his party, their victory at Venus Lighthouse is empty because they failed to prevent the firing up of the second Lighthouse Beacon, so they return to the ground level.
Back in Lalivero, Isaac convenes with Sheba’s adoptive family, and they conclude that Felix and Sheba are still alive and are with Alex, Jenna, and Kraden, all continuing to be part of the effort to light the remaining two Lighthouses, Jupiter and Mars. Isaac, of course, can’t understand why his old friend Felix would have such a strong desire to release, according to the Wise One, a force that could devastate all of Weyard, but as far as Isaac can tell Saturos and Menardi were under the belief that Alchemy would reinvigorate and change the world, somehow. But Isaac and his party know from their encounter with the Wise One that they must prevent it from happening, lest the world be subjected to destruction.
Isaac soon finds the sailing ship that Babi hid in Lalivero, the ship that Babi wanted Isaac to find and commandeer for himself on his subquest for Babi. With this ship, Isaac can continue his quest on a new front, exploring the oceans of Weyard and searching for Felix and Alex’s band, so as to thwart their plan for unleashing Alchemy, set them straight, and save Weyard.
The story continues in the sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age.
Response
Golden Sun met with generally strong reviews, of which many were emphatically glowing [2] [3]. Many praised the game's vibrant graphics, high-quality sound, and varied, refined RPG gameplay, with particular optimism on the Djinn-based gameplay system and Battle aspect [4]. Complaints about the game, though, generally revolved around the overuse of text dialogue in the numerous cutscenes throughout the game, especially in the prologue, causing the game to get off to a rather cumbersome start.
For a series only two games long, Golden Sun developed a noticeable fanbase fairly quickly. Projects to start quite a few fangames also appeared on several forums [citation needed].
References
- Golden Sun and its instruction manual
- Notes
- ^ Psynergy list "Goldensun.rpgplanet.gamespy.com". URL Accessed July 10, 2006
- ^ Rotten Tomatoes review page "Rottentomatoes.com". URL Accessed July 13, 2006
- ^ Metacritic Game Rankings page "Metacritic.com". URL Accessed July 13, 2006
- ^ IGN Game Rankings review "Gamerankings.com". URL Accessed July 13, 2006
External links
- The Official Nintendo Golden Sun Site
- The Official Camelot Golden Sun Site
- The Golden Sun Realm
- Home of Golden Sun
Template:Nintendo Franchises