Rondo of Swords for Nintendo DS

Atlus’s Rondo of Swords comes out this week for the Nintendo DS. If you enjoy strategy RPGs this game should be a breath of fresh air after the dozens of crappy SRPGs to be released as of late. While Rondo’s story (to me) is pretty boring–dead king, prince, kingdom yada yada (it’s been done people)–the battle system is where the game really shines.

The biggest innovation is the new “Route Maneuver System” which allows units to pass through enemy units, for a hit-and-run effect. This means multiple targets can be attacked in one turn. If you are “countered” by an enemy, you will be stopped and cannot proceed past them. Ramming through an enemy from the side, or the back makes it less likely that your characters will be countered. Passing through friendly units can (depending on the unit) cause stat boosts. It is important to note that a route can not double-back or cut through the same path at any point, which forces the player to think carefully before making a decision.

The battle itself is reminiscent of games like Fire Emblem. It is entirely overhead, with a visual path laid out by the player. Once a friendly unit comes into contact with an enemy unit, a more detailed cut scene ensues in which the two units duke it out.

If a player wishes, he can send his units out on missions or “errands” for the duration of one battle. These errands fall under 4 different categories:

• Quest: a mission with a set goal that is either completed or failed based on the characters abilities. Rewards can be money or stronger weapons.
• Training: Designate stats to focus on increasing.
• Shopping: Become a gofer
• Journey of Trials: “Increase your potential by obtaining the items necessary to change classes.”

The player must have the the foresight not to assign characters to errands that would be an asset in the next battle. Likewise, the player should strive to send characters which would be weak in the coming battles due to some hindrance.

Another cool feature is the MC or “Momentum Counter” gauge. When a unit performs skillfully on the battlefield by defeating enemy units, this gauge will rise up to a maximum value of 99. The higher this gauge gets, the more EXP the unit will receive. The drawback is that enemy units will actively seek out units with high MC. This can be dangerous for units with low HP such as mages. The MC gauge adds a very cool and somewhat realistic element to battling.

To top it all off, Rondo of Swords has 4 possible endings making the game somewhat less linear than your average SRPGs.

If you are looking for a game with an innovative and fun battle system, this is the one. Don’t expect much from the story and you won’t be let down. Rondo of Swords comes out for the Nintendo DS on April 15, for $29.99. You can preorder it from Amazon.com here.

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