/vr/ - Retro Games

>>4016809
Dark Half
Genpei Tomaden

Dark Half
Sonic Adventure 2

>>3925657
The story unfolds in a very interesting way. You first play as Rukyu and it's almost an in media res experience since he and his followers know everything he needs to do to destroy the world, but you're left wondering why he wants to do it and what it all means. Then as Falco you unravel those mysteries slowly. The final parts of the game drop a TON of plot twists in quick succession. Not in a Chrono Cross wall of text off-screen bullshit way, but in a good way. Only right before the final battle does the whole story (and even the boxart) make sense, and only by seeing different endings is Rukyu's ordeal understandble. It's very memorable and atmospheric.

Graphics are hit and miss. The backgrounds and effects are good and have a gritty, dark quality to them, but the sprites are simplistic and slightly deformed. Monsters are well animated. The art direction is stellar, although actual artwork only appears in a few cutscenes.

Music and sound is awesome. The background music is very foreboding throughout most of the game, and the sound effects for when you kill people, monsters, or get into combat are on point.

It's a short game, divided onto six "days" of gameplay with each character and then the final battle. But I found it extremely memorable. Having to prepare each step in a dungeon or wether it's worth to fight monsters or not makes it very strategic and tense, since running out of soul power = dying and getting a game over. Limiting dungeon exploration like this is the only thing that may turn off people from playing this, but I found it cool rather than just cumbersome.

It certainly is unique. Even if more could have been done with the battle system it does feel like a complete, tight game and I really recommend it. The translation is also really good and a lot of thought was put into it (for the chapter titles especially).

TL;DR: awesome, unique game, go play it if you like RPGs.

>>3720897
Dark Half had a really interesting take on playing as the evil guy (as well as the good guy), and now that I think about it there's a twist that's really, really close to some of OP's ideas.

The Dark Half translation is finally finished and there's no thread? Come on, guys.

http://agtp.romhack.net/

>Dark Half is a rather unique RPG. Published by Enix in 1996, Dark Half follows both the hero and the villain during the final days of the game´s world. The player alternatively controls the villain and the hero, slaughtering whole villages as the devil Rukyu and saving their souls as the paladin Falco.

Not sure who did this one.