Rating: 
Summary: Too linear
Review: First off, let me start by saying that I more prefer games like Zork, Myst/Riven, and Monkey Island. While, to some, that may make me an "inferior" game player, I think it's all a matter of taste. I also love Final Fantasy, but I honestly think it's just too slow paced and I lose interest in it quickly, but still love playing it.That said... I'm rather ambiguous on this one. It has the world-roaming capabilities of FF, yet lacks any real unpredictability. The gameplay itself is all linear; there's only one way to go, or so it seems. The world's small size lends itself to being a more compact game, but even that gets old after a while. I found myself growing bored with, as another player noticed, having to kill monsters again and again whenever I went through the same area. BUT.... There's just something about games where the dialogue is spoken. :) There are also subtitles to read if for whatever reason you like it that way. The movies were good, if few and far between, and I really like the characters. The story is also a really great one; I honestly picked it up just because it seemed so cool! The gameplay itself is easy to learn, which is good as I tend to have a very limited attention span, but the pace of the game itself... well, there were times when I was desperately searching around for what I'm supposed to do to trigger the next part of the game and get eaten up by monsters because it took so long. Royally sucks. On a whole, I think it's a good game, but mostly if you're big into RPGs like FFVII. It's got an expansive world, I think, but the linear gameplay isn't for everyone. I suppose it *could* merit four stars, but I don't think it's for everyone, so if you're with me on your game choices I'd wait until this was in the sales rack before picking it up.
Rating: 
Summary: Have you all lost your minds?
Review: How can you even think of comparing ff8 to this piece of boring garbage? Why do I think this game sucks? 1. The peoples faces are the same everyware 2. There are a total of about 15 faces and 16 voices for about 200 people, it reminds me game boy rpg's 3. The loading thing is terrible: you have to wait to enter an area , enter the world map, save, and fight. 4. The characters are stiff. 5. The magic sucks 6. Takes tooo long to do a single task such as in shell 7. 7. The characters are just stiff sprites 8. The only reason i gave this game 2 stars instead of 1 is that the movies are high quality. (But not as good as in ff8)
Rating:
Summary: Tedious
Review: I bought the game because it had very good hype. But I've learned since then that you should never believe in it. This game ranks in my top five of having a great story. The only problem is that the game advances really slowly. The battles take too long, and even if you have a great character you can't avoid the non-random, almost same monster. Tediousness sets in when you have to backtrack several times without advnacing in the story. Monsters always reapear and they are always the same. Graphics are good, in pseudo-3D. Sound is repetitive. And the magic system, needs some work. Bad graphical effects and almost no benefit for using your precious "mana" points.
Rating: 
Summary: An intriguing RPG in an impossibly fantastic world
Review: I can remember a few years ago, reading an article in PC Gamer about an RPG called Septerra Core. The game was still in production, but from what I saw it had the potential to be one of the most unique, complex, and fascinating RPGs I'd ever played (and I'm pretty hardcore when it comes to RPGs ;)). I'm glad to say that when I purchased Septerra Core, I wasn't the slightest bit disappointed. Created by the virgin company Valkyrie Studios, Septerra Core takes place on a planet known as Septerra. The planet is made up of seven distinct layers of continents called world shells, which orbit the core, an immense bio-computer. A giant bio-organic spine runs the axis of the core and turns on its own accord, providing power for the core, which regulates the rotation of the world shells. Every one hundred years, the world continents are aligned in such a way that sunlight is able to penetrate the core, activating it. At this time, the "Core Keys" can be used to communicate with the core, allowing the person who possesses them to obtain the Gift of the Creator. Now, a Chosen Lord known as Doskias will attempt to gain posession of the keys and create an artificial conjunction in order to achieve the Gift, fabled to be the Kingdom of Heaven. And it is the destiny of Junker Maya and friends to stop him. The story of Septerra Core is very fantastic and touches on many aspects of the world, such as religion, war, prejudice, and even love. The mythology of Septerra, which is very intriguing, plays a vital role in the story of the game. And the fact that ALL of the dialog in Septerra Core is spoken with, in my opinion, skilled voice actors, really adds emotion to the story. The nine playable characters and four villains (Here I refer to Balcaam, Kaleb, Doskias and Connor) have very distinct personalities and motives. My only complaint lies in character development, which this game boasts. Although it does have a lot of character development, it's sometimes very stale and impersonal, unlike that of the average Japanese RPG, and isn't prone to leaving lasting impressions. The science of Septerra Core is very warped. The technology the Chosen use is based on bio-engineering, to the point that their armor, ships, and even buildings are engineered using the Helgak, a beast of burden in the world of Septerra. The fact that the planet itself is bio-organic computer really adds to that twisted idea. Of course, some technology is still simple metal and steel-type stuff like we're used to, so the game's not a total mind-bender to understand. However, it makes you think on an entirely different level from any game I've ever played. Gameplay is very atypical of RPGs, most levels in Septerra Core being labyrinths of levers and corridors that make it almost like a puzzle game. Unfortunately, the game is pretty linear, involving Maya being sent to find a specific item before she can move on to find the next item, and it goes on like that. But between the story and battle system, and the complexity of the levels, this rarely gets tiring. In fact, the gameplay is quite addictive, and can have you happily running back and forth for hours on end. The graphics of this game are mediocre when compared to other games, and looks very outdated. However, as RPGs typically rely heavily on story and gameplay and not on graphics, this isn't much of a problem. The battle system of SC is superb, combining the ATB-type system of Final Fantasy-type games with a new system that allows three levels of attacks. For instance, a character can attack three times with a level one attack, or one time with a level three attact, in the same amount of time, allowing varying applications of strategy. The magic system is also well thought out, involving the use of fate cards, which can be used to cast magic individually, or combined to form more powerful spells and even summons (This combination makes use of two characters at one time, similar to Double and Triple Techs in Chrono Trigger). Thankfully, because the battle system keeps you on your toes instead of letting you down a button like some games, battles aren't boring, and rarely play out the same way consecutively. Also, battles are not random. As in Chrono Trigger, the enemies appear on screen, and you can sneak around them if you're good enough ;), avoiding combat. My only complaint about the battle system is that character placement in battle is random, and you can't move, so attacks that involve hitting multiple enemies in the character's line of sight (i.e. Runner's beam attack) seem useless at times. The music of Septerra Core, though usually ambiance, is gorgeous. It could be noted that TotalAudio, the company that produced the music for Myst and Riven, also did the music for Septerra Core. The music presents a mystical atmosphere, with an emotion of strife behind it. Also, unlike most RPGs, there are several different songs that play during battle, so listening to it never gets tiring. No complaints about the music, except there could be more actual music at different parts of the game. One of the game's only downfalls is in replay value. Once you've beaten the almost 40 hour game, and realized how much every effort you make in the game has on the story, it almost seems more trouble than it was worth in the first place. But Septerra Core is an experience to be remembered. Overall, Septerra Core is a fantastically well-composed game with a fantastic story, plenty of action, gorgeous music, and an entertainment value superior to most games of its genre, and is a must-have for any RPG fan, or really any gamer who's willing to tangle the long hours at night to help Maya in her quest to save the fantasticly detailed world of Septerra.
Rating:
Summary: Very fun
Review: I'm not too far into this game, but so far, I think it's really great. There are some features that hard-core RPG'ers might be turned off by, but in my opinion they enhance the game. For example, combat is relatively simple. In fact, if a character reaches zero hit points, he isn't killed but is merely rendered unconscious until the end of the battle. Also, the game progresses very linearly. But again, I personally think this is a good thing, because I don't like to really have to think about where to go next or keep track of a ton of quests. There are a few things about the interface that could have been improved, but nothing major. My only big complaint is that there's no auto journal (I've recently played Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment and appreciated this feature in those games). The cut scenes, which tell the story, happen so fast that it's easy to miss something, and I don't think there's any way to replay them. Still, this is one of the most enjoyable games I've played, and I'm looking forward to the rest of my journey!
Rating:
Summary: Great RPG, Innovative and engrossing!
Review: In Septerra Core, you play Maya a Junker in the lower shell. Then you see Chosen warships, a nd everything goes bad. The graphics are amazing, the storyline engrossing, and the gameplay easy to learn. You'll find up to 9 allies, tons of weapons, gear, and skills along the way. With a huge world to explore, superb cinematics, and Quick load times, Septerra core looks poised to strike as the Best RPG of the Year! "Need...more...caffeine. Must...keep...playing." -Computer Games Online
Rating:
Summary: THIS GAME IS THE BEST
Review: iv onley plad the demo but this game ruls. iv ben playing rpgs sins i wus ten and this is one of my favrits. by this game. im 14 in a new age skool play d&d most the time. by this game. this is no 5 star game its a 10000000 star game!
Rating:
Summary: great game!
Review: lemme tell you...this is a great game. the graphics aren't the best...no 3D, but RPGs were never really graphic-intensive anyways. gameplay, storyline, and battles are much more important than graphics. however, this doesn't mean septerra core doesn't have awesome graphics. ---------- first off, this game has the overall feel of the final fantasy series. keep in mind septerra core is fashioned after CONSOLE RPGs. hence, this is NOT an action RPG (a la Diablo), so for those of you who are NOT interested in ATB (active time battle) or turn-based time battles, this game is NOT for you. these type of CONSOLE RPGs are usually slower paced and requires more patience....which those of you who play action RPGs may find a tad bit slow...but then of course, final fantasy (which is a great series, btw) would also be slow. for the critics who claim that septerra core is linear, try playing any of the final fantasy series (or any other CONSOLE RPGs)...most of those are very linear. --------- the battles reminds me of chrono trigger very much. you get to see the enemies walking on the map, rather than random battles as you walk around (i.e. final fantasy). also, unlike final fantasy, the battle takes place directly on the walking map, rather than teleported to a different backdrop. also, the fate cards (magic) that can be combined by several characters is similar to chrono trigger's dual and triple techs. using more than one fate card allows you to summon up greater magic (i.e. greater than the sum of the parts) -------- the graphics remind me of the diablo series. however, the backgrounds in septerra core are actually much, much better than the diablo series. they did a really good job on that. however, keep in mind this game is 2D, so no 3D special effects. nonetheless, the characters, enemies, and attacks look great....and the sound is even better.
Rating:
Summary: I' Rather be Sleeping
Review: Now don't get me wrong, Septerra Core is a good game. Well, at least for the first hour. After that the gameplay gets so repitive and slow I almost fell asleep. The maker of the game also put in faces while people are talking, much like Grandia. But they try to make it look state of the art by having their lips move, but it looks more like cheap clay animation. They also repeat the faces and NPC models, just cutting off the beard someone has and calling that person a whole new person. And the voice acting, don't even get me started on that. If you must get this lackluster game, you should problaly spring for the Jewel Case that includes the awesome Shogo.
Rating: 
Summary: Top drawer RPG
Review: One of the best RPG's ever, and definitely the best RPG this year. And to think, we almost didn't get it at all. The story line is excellent, gameplay is superb, and the characters are outstanding, and for the first time the people are actually talking, not just printing their words on the screen.
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