Crimson Gem Saga Review [PSP]

Posted July 6, 2009 by Jorge Fernandez in Featured, Featured Home, PSP, Reviews.

Reviewed on the Sony PSP

When it comes to translating an RPG for a Western audience, a strong localization can become an effective tool in breaking the cultural gaps between regions. A most famous example is the Lunar series by the now defunct Working Designs. Even though the altered script took some liberties with the translation, it also helped to propel the games beyond cliché RPG fare.

Years later, Atlus USA seems to be following suit with Crimson Gem Saga. In the game’s opening moments, protagonist Killian is rudely awakened from his hangover, and is soon scolded for breaking the fourth wall as he takes notice of the in-game notification system regarding quests. Many other jokes and quirky lines of dialog surround the game, but thankfully never reach the pop culture references found in WD’s titles. Likewise, the voice acting features the standard cast of anime professionals, with most roles appropriately hammed up to accompany the goofy dialog.

Despite the clever translation, Crimson Gem Saga still tells a story you’ve heard several times before in RPGs, but with slightly more obnoxious characters; main hero Killian has just graduated as the second best student in his entire academy. As a hopeless perfectionist, having the honor of salutatorian means nothing to him, and he is even ridiculed by nearly everyone around him for being a mere “second best” warrior. As he makes his way to join a band of knights, he runs across Spinel, a pointy-eared Thiefmage who earns a living as a treasure hunter (though doesn’t seem to make much income considering her incredibly small amount of clothing), who offers Killian a partnership in obtaining a forbidden object that he was expressly warned not to touch; he agrees, for no apparent reason than to move the plot along. After a few hours of dungeon crawling and gathering some more party members along the way, the group is shoehorned into their main quest by collecting the world’s “wicked stones” at the behest of a heavily militarized church that seeks the artifacts so that they may “save the world”. What could possibly go wrong?

Wrought with clichés as well as several plot holes, Crimson Gem Saga clearly does not have the most engaging tale, but its oldschool gameplay becomes the main attraction; a cross between Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, the game features sprawling areas filled with visible enemies that can be avoided or engaged in battle. The battles themselves are purely turn-based, with each character carrying an exclusive set of skills and spells that can be upgraded, and even combined with another character’s abilities. Despite the oldschool gameplay system, CGS also offers a few mechanics thankfully streamlined for a portable title; the game can be saved at any point or time, whether in town or in a dungeon. Leveling up during battle will completely refill a character’s HP and MP, which makes grinding a breeze. Weapons and armor can also be upgraded using different dropped items, which can offer all kinds of different stats including fire damage and an increase in HP.

Yet with all these different additions, there also comes downsides. Being able to freely save is a nice addition, but without any visible checkpoints or resting spots, players may be faced against a boss or difficult enemy without warning, and could lose their progress if they had forgotten to save recently. The difficulty is also unbalanced, with some encounters proving incredibly easy then immediately followed with punishing enemies. Party members also rotate between powerful and useless, requiring several upgrades and leveling just to catch up with an incredibly overpowered member who joins shortly afterward.

The game’s visuals hold up quite well, with all characters and enemies featured as sprites with amusing expressions and gestures (and the occasional bouncing bosom). There’s a large variety of townspeople, each engaging in daily activities, but this also proves disillusioning as not every person can be spoken to. Likewise, character portraits are drawn with a serious style that conflicts with the superdeformed sprite-work. Music is also serviceable, but hardly memorable, with most tracks lasting a minute or less.

While it may not be the most memorable RPG experience, Crimson Gem Saga still delivers enough polish and charm to become a worthy addition to the PSP’s library.

Tagged as Atlus, crimson gem saga, RPG