Review

Developed by:Imageepoch Published by:ATLUS Genre(s):
  • Tactical RPG
  • Platform:
  • Handhelds
  • Cost:$49.99 ESRB Rating:TEEN Players:1 Release date:November 17, 2015 Reviewed on:3DS
    9

    Stella Glow

    It’s always a sad day when a developer has to close its doors. Beyond the fact that people would lose their jobs – which I’m not making light of – there’s the chance that we won’t get any future video games featuring their unique “something”. Even if key figures found each other in the wilds and formed a new studio, it’s quite possible that things won’t be the same or good as it could have been if the stars had stayed aligned. In any case, one would hope that their company was able to leave behind some sort of legacy. Something that would resonate with their peers and gamers alike, for years to come…

    Imageepoch’s Stella Glow treks a familiar path on the onset of its lengthy story. A young boy who suffers from amnesia is taken in by a family from a small village called Mithra. Two years later, he’s already become the village’s best hunter; his growth in such a short time astounds even the most seasoned among them. His swordsman skills are put to the test when Mithra is assaulted by a witch. A long story short, a series of tragic events leads Alto and his adopted sister to joining a group of knights as they set out to lift a curse set upon the land.

    This Japanese video game developer had to be feeling the presser when they were creating Stella Glow. Though Imageepoch had worked in the industry for years and were known for their interesting RPGs, declining sales lead to them filing for bankruptcy earlier this year. The tiniest of silver linings is the fact that they were able to release this one last game. 

    Alto’s tale rolls out at a nonstop pace. The dealings of a witch and aspiring hero soon mount to a “god” subjugating the human race and bouts with angles. Our knights will venture from place to place, seeking aid from good witches as they battle fierce monsters. In between fights are opportunities for Alto to converse with the expanding cast, which grants us insight into their struggles. Some are crippled by guilt while others are obsessed with getting revenge. In some cases, Alto would be need to “fix” a person’s problem by jumping into their souls (it makes sense in the game). Majority of what goes down is interesting even though the writing is steeped in melodrama; it’s difficult to sit through so many heartfelt declarations before succumbing to an acute eye roll. Still, through the frequent chats and animated cutscenes, much of the story shapes up nicely. Basically, what starts off cliché later becomes quite intriguing.

    It’s fitting that their last game would be similar to what’s arguably, their best series. I mean, why wouldn’t Imageepoch lean on their strengths before calling it quits? As long as they implement some of what they’ve learned over the years, Stella Glow could be something grand…

    One of the best things about Stella Glow is how streamlined everything is. Here, gamers are presented with a story that, for the most part, has no filler. There aren’t any sprawling environments promoting needless exploration. The game doesn’t even have traditional side quests. And before you traditionalists scoff, let me assure you that this is a good thing. For one, you don’t have to worry about taking on multiple fetch quests in order to help a random NPC contribute absolutely nothing to the story! And because the main quests do a great job of preparing your group for what’s to come, you won’t have to worry about arbitrarily leveling up your party by doing mundane tasks. If by chance you feel under developed, you can opt to fight a random group of monsters by choosing to visit a place that’s adorned with their icon. Quick and simple.

    The moment to moment journeying is made easier because of the restricted environments. You’ll travel to a place of interest using an over-world map. Once there, you’ll either chat with the locals (and your party members) or engage in a fight. That’s it. There’s no wondering where to go or time wasted searching for things that aren’t there. All of the secret stuff, like rare weapons and such, is acquired by meeting certain requirements during encounters. Defeating a tough boss while making sure none of your allies fall in battle could gain you a shiny sword or reinforced breast plate.

    The shops in the game are treated the same way. All of your junk that’s collected during fights can immediately be sold upon entering a shop. The actual process of buying items is accelerated by restricting the player to certain categories at a time. For instance, if I wanted to buy a new sword for Alto I’d click on him and then on his currently equipped weapon. At that point I’d be taken to another screen that housed every weapon currently available for him to use; I wouldn’t see any magic wands or cross bows as he doesn’t use them. I also wouldn’t see any items that aren’t considered weapons, making the process of choosing what I needed more efficient.

    One of the staples of a strategy RPG is the combat. Creating dynamic turn based fights is something Imageepoch excelled at.

    Stella’s combat is akin to Final Fantasy Tactics, where characters move around a grid before engaging enemies. Each person or enemy takes a turn – which consists of moving, attacking, and choosing a direction to face – in a given order based on different attributes like speed. Using stronger abilities forces you to wait longer for a character’s next turn for instance. What I liked about the combat was that it encouraged forethought but was never overwhelmingly dependent on stats. Understanding that it was better to attack an enemy from behind or that a more powerful move should be used was easy thanks to the information shared on the bottom screen; hitting this enemy with a fire attack from three blocks away might take 30% of their health points while utilizing earth abilities from up close could outright kill them, the terrain I’m standing on will slow me down, limiting my reach on this turn, etc.

    Experience points are only doled out to those actively participating (no xp is given for just winning like in normal RPGs), conflicts usually have two or more parts, and your opponents always pose a serious threat. Essentially, every skirmish needs to be taken seriously.

    Though Imageepoch has about ten years of experience under their collective belts, it’s somewhat understandable that Stella Glow is flawed… 

    What I’ve found is that Imageepoch was able to strip away what wasn’t needed, which in turn emphasized what was important. Battles were meaningful because they weren’t thrown in haphazardly. The chatting between characters, though lengthy, not only gave us insight into their lives but also boosted their trust of Alto, which unlocked new abilities. Unfortunately, the last third of the game goes on for far too long. Most of it stims from characters not sharing vital information in a timely manner for absurd reasons, artificially extending the overall playtime; one person knows everything but refuses to say anything because they don’t care…about anything. It’s rather tragic – I felt that Imageepoch understood what it meant to not waste our time. Why bloat the last stretch?

    …It kind of makes sense. I’d image that Imageepoch just didn’t want to finish the game; once they got to the end they realized this would be it for them. Nonetheless, Stella Glow is certainly a game to be proud of. As a spiritual successor to their Luminous Arc series, this strategy RPG represented the culmination of all of their previous efforts.

    Gameplay:

    8

    Stella Glow is a great experience waiting to happen. Some of the writing, and the pacing towards the end, conflicts with that sentiment.

    Graphics:

    10

    Even with the random fan service, the visuals were surprisingly charming.

    Sound:

    9

    The voice work was stop on. The writing during the lengthier chats was a bit much at times.

    Replay Value:

    9

    With multiple endings (based on who Alto buddies up with) and engaging gameplay mechanics, I can see people jumping back into the campaign once completed.

    Final Score:

    9

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