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Hail fellow, well met! Our Guild seeks
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Azure Dreams
KCET * Konami* PLAYSTATION * Now Available

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Your fondness with Azure Dreams, the latest Konami RPG to hit the PlayStation, will depend greatly on how you weigh audio-visual presentation versus gameplay. This eclectic blend of action-strategy and creature collecting genres works quite decently as a coherent storytelling package. Players will work to traverse the foreboding Monster Tower, a dangerous, sky-high labyrinth filled with treasures and creatures, while assisting the nearby village improve itself with all ranges of amenities.

Much of this adventure revolves around its monster raising system a la Tecmo's Monster Rancher. Gather up various critters, like flower beasts and mini dragons, then train them to fight for you in strategic challenges within Monster Tower. Choose either to grant these familiars full rein with general guidelines or micromanage their every move as desired. The turn-based confrontations are enjoyable for fans of traditional combat, and observing your village grow alongside each victory is a prize in and of itself. Just be mindful of hidden traps!

Azure's above-average stylings do not extend much beyond its core gameplay. Its simplistic and unimpressive graphics fall well below par, lacking any of the detailed textures or special effect pizazz now typical of PS-X titles. Its translation also leaves much to be desired. Confusing dialogue and mystifyingly vague item descriptions often result in a degree of frustration. But if the genre blend pikes your interest, we say give this one a go.

Printed in Issue #48, September-October 1998
The Granstream Saga
Shade * THQ * PLAYSTATION * Now Available

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Created by Koji Yokota and a small studio of former Quintet developers (Illusion of Gaia), The Granstream Saga looks to set itself apart from traditional adventures with an unconventional premise. This is a fully polygonal role-player, not poly characters with pre-rendered backdrops nor sprites atop 3-D landscapes, and one that leans far more toward the "action" element of action-RPG. This aspect combined with dramatic spell effects and lengthy animated cinemas concoct a commendable atmosphere and manages to hook unsuspecting players.

Taking the role of Eon looking to save the floating continents of his deteriorating world from crashing into the sea, you will explore dungeons and engage with foes in realtime combat. It all takes place from an overhead perspective with slight deviations during in-game cutscenes.

Now, although the graphics are impressive insofar that they break the mold, polygonal characters are eerily faceless and expressionless, and all areas are simplistic, linear, and forgettable. Combat is mostly enjoyable with nimble moves a necessity to avoid certain death, accomplished fairly easily thanks to a freely rotating camera and smooth player control. But this too leaves much to be desired as enemy AI is predictable and enemy types vary little from one dungeon to the next. Granstream is a worthy effort from a team with a remarkable pedigree yet comes up a bit short on the whole.

Printed in Issue #48, September-October 1998