Go out and buy it! Glory of Heracles is a very classic feeling RPG. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It's a good game for those who want to try JRPG's, it's not overly complex and it does not span the whole ancient world with countless of hours worth of gameplay. From symphonic arrangements to rock bands to old-school synth OSTs, Patrick keeps the VGM pumping in his home, to the amusement and/or annoyance of his large family of humans and cats. Glory of Heracles is a Japanese video game series and first game's title to the American release. Cliché or no, the five amnesiac heroes plot works great, and the script is excellent. Many RPG series are better left un-localized. Maybe, but guess what comes next. Five entries were made, and then it vanished for nearly fifteen years. You see, the Glory of Heracles series is one of a select few series of Japanese RPGs that fit both of the following two criteria: 1) none of its games had come to North America, and 2) they are really good games. But I had known about Glory of Heracles for years. Other characters have layers of secrets to be revealed. The player names and assumes the role of the silent protagonist, though he speaks in battle, an immortal, amnesiac boy who is accompanied by the characters Leucos, Axios, Heracles and Erison their journey to remember their pasts and to discover why they are immortal. It’s a balancing act, and when you face a series of enemies of the same element, you cannot continue to use the same spell over and over, because the specific ether you need will quickly run out. And the more powerful the spell, the more HP you’ll lose per lacking ether point. Glory of Heracles takes place in Ancient Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean region, with the plot drawing heavily from Greek mythology. The world is presented in an isometric viewpoint, but it … The two ship captains shown are Gazuth and the pirate king Arnos. Along with expending MP, there is an ether pool (like a mana pool in Magic: The Gathering) associated with the area you’re presently in. Share your thoughts, experiences and the tales behind the art. The same Kazushige Nojima who wrote the scenario for Final Fantasy VII. For everyone else, equipping a second weapon in place of a shield will greatly increase attack (and result in a severe defense reduction), and give them access to weapon-specific skills. So, yes, amnesiac protagonist is one of the plot points that drives the plot forward. Glory of Heracles IV is an interesting blend of Greek mythology, Pandora’s Box, and the quest for eternal life. Glory Sound, Not Found. Whatever magic you use will create a by-product of opposing ether (basically, dark produces non-dark, and non-dark produces dark). However, any items you used during the encounter are still gone; and considering each character has two “pouch” equipment slots where you can equip auto-use items, you’re liable to lose all 10 of those items and still lose the battle, hence the items are wasted. Glory of Heracles takes place in Ancient Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean region, with the plot drawing heavily from Greek mythology. This phenomenon is called “ether reflux” in the game. But if you choose “stylus,” you will have the option to complete a mini-game. But Nojima also got a chance to work with a developer named Paon in an effort to resurrect the series that got him started on RPGs. Penned primarily by Yoshitaka Hirota, the soundtrack offers enough music for the size of the game, and some of the tracks do stick out in my head (temple music and boss battle music was excellent). There are many towns in the game, and they offer great opportunities for character improvement. Don't put in redirects for shows, books, etc.. Polishers take “rusty” items found along the journey and, for a few drachmas (the in-game currency), will reveal their true form. But Glory of Heracles I and II laid the foundation for the plot-heavy Glory of Heracles III, a story about a nameless immortal with amnesia. If your party falls in a random encounter, there is no real penalty. There’s your history lesson. Is there room for one more? Sometimes I’ll hit up and the character on screen will move primarily to the left, but slightly upward. I haven’t played a game as linear as Glory of Heracles in a very, very long time. And the ancient Greece setting is really cool, ancient Greece has not been the setting in many RPG's. First blond guy is Axios - second (with the army) is Achilles. Each and every piece of equipment has the potential to have unique skills, spells, or passive traits built into it as an augment. The series was developed and published by Data East, which went bankrupt nearly a decade ago. Basically, the party side and enemy side are split down the middle, and then each side gets a front and back row. All that matters here is front row and back row. Why? Latest Gallery Contributors. He’s in the game and in jail for skipping a meal. Are we beginning to detect a pattern? In either case, if you go onto the world map and try to go somewhere other than your expected destination, you will usually hit a programmed “wall” which prompts one of your party members to remind you what the current situation is, and where you ought to be going. So, generally, it’s important to use dark ether spells to replenish the other four ether pools. You see, all the mortal girls are irresistibly attracted to Axios, whether he leads them on or not. Saturday, October 27th, 2012. For a DS RPG, it’s really a great script, on par with the DS Dragon Quest remakes. Glory of Heracles is another one of those games that does DS controls right: you can use the stylus, or you can use the traditional buttons, for pretty much everything in the game (the sole exception is the stylus-specific optional mini-game thing for boosting skills and spells). The series stopped at Glory of Heracles IV, so this property lay dormant for a good 15 years. I promise you this: if you give Glory of Heracles a chance, you will enjoy what they do with the plot, because it is more than just five puppets being led around by Zeus and company. However, the criteria for casting magic is very interesting. The larger plot revolves around old gods (Titans) vs. new gods (Zeus and crew). One such memory is the very one that made nameless hero think he was Heracles. Some characters have their whole identities revealed all at once (Axios is first, and there’s only one secret behind his identity). I first discovered it via my personal hunt for obscure Japanese game music. SECOND OPINION: Glory of Heracles. Many veteran RPG players have complained about the relative lack of difficulty in the game’s combat. And even if you don’t, there are so many interesting concepts in the battle system, that it’s worth checking out. Minutes into the game, some Nymphs confirm that they sense Heracles’ spirit, but that this guy doesn’t look anything like Heracles. You’ll all get back up right where you left off. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Throughout the plot, the characters' stories become intertwined with other mythological figures and eve… Kazushige Nojima did. So which way will I move when I press up? It’s like a pseudo-3D in a world of 2D images. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I’ve talked to a lot of people in the last few weeks who had reservations about this game just from looking at a couple of key screenshots. Wish List Majikoi! You can skip it, which will result in the attack doing base damage. He —or is it “she”?— is doing a lousy job posing as the opposite sex while griping about the unfairness of fate. Glory of Heracles features a hero with a murky memory and a cast of immortals. In the few months leading up to the January 2010 release, we also learned that the North American version had significantly streamlined battles: spell animations could be skipped, and the mini-games to power up spells and skills were made optional. Paon itself was essentially a remnant of Data East that formed shortly after Data East went bankrupt, and they had obtained joint rights to the Glory of Heracles franchise in 2003 alongside Nintendo. When I saw Glory of Heracles being showcased at E3 2009 as an upcoming release, I couldn’t hide my smile. Now, you don’t get to choose what augments go on what equipment: the limitation is already built in, designed for each piece of equipment. Glory of Heracles is a great, classical JRPG with a nice twist to the magic system. on Steam Today! In other words, it’s guaranteed death. As hackneyed as it sounds to have multiple amnesiac protagonists, let me assure you that this doesn’t hurt the plot in Glory of Heracles. Enemies, however, can stack, so a “full battle” would be five party members versus ten enemies. The dialogue stays witty and fun without the consistency or excitement of the plot ever being compromised. Alchemists are my favorite shops, though. And smart players will think twice about simply swapping out a weapon for the next weapon (for greater STR or INT) when there’s an augment on the previous piece that cannot be put on the new piece. If the second weapon is a bow (Leucos and Axios), you can attack from the back row and reach the enemy’s back row as well. Who is this person? We see some characters during an in-game cut scene (who turn out to be the game’s protagonists). Because generally, you can’t backtrack, and you can’t freely roam in a forward direction either. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. But he does have some memories of being called Heracles. However, Leucos and Axios don’t have those memories: their backgrounds seem to be completely different. Almost every town has a statue of Prometheus in the basement of a particular shop (Sorcery or Alchemy shops), where you can learn new magic. Not long after that, nameless hero and Leucos bump into a strikingly handsome, somewhat narcissistic young man named Axios. Hence, he’s immortal. The mapping just didn’t work out, and it’s because they limited movement direction to only eight ways on the d-pad. A quick note about the dialogue and localization: it’s excellent. These mini-games are learned at the same place skills and magic are obtained (temples and Prometheus statues), and they generally revolve around tapping circles with Roman numerals in them. A lack of difficulty in the game ’ s really a great,. Encounter, there ’ s guaranteed death is one of the plot, the only things that go the. Of opposing ether ( basically, the early Famicom Final Fantasy and Dragon titles... Offer great opportunities for character improvement experience a neat game and a new take! Obnoxious, ever-laughing, extremely buff guy who claims to be Heracles great opportunities for character improvement systems, our. 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