Ikusa Megami series... my thoughts
Entry posted by Clephas
2926 views
The Ikusa Megami series is easily one of the best rpg series out there, as far as plot goes, including the more than two hundred jrpgs I played during my younger years. I'm saying this right off the bat, simply because it needs to be said. Ikusa Megami Zero is an example of the best of what can be done when a visual novel is fused with a traditional turn-based jrpg, and Verita is a nice sequel to it. I frankly consider Ikusa Megami Zero to be right up there with Star Ocean 2, Final Fantasy VI, Xenogears, and Suikoden 2 as a member of that rarefied group in terms of plot, and that is coming from someone jaded by more than twenty years playing such games.
Sadly, it is unlikely most people over here will even give it a chance if it does come over here... and the reason is fairly simple... sex. Now, there are always people who defend or attack sexual content based on morality or the lack of it... but to be honest, I'm not interested in rehashing that idiotic argument once again here. One of the ironic factors of this series is that sex is so vital to the story (whereas it is a hindrance in any number of VNs I can name). The Tantric magic many of the non-human characters use to sustain their existence is vital to the story, and it is also vital to the understanding of the setting. It can't be avoided and it can't be cut out without effectively neutering one of the ongoing conflicts of the overarching story of the series in general. So, for those who dream of Sekai Project cutting out the sexual content and localizing this game... please don't do that to us, since it would be criminal... and this is from someone who generally skips H-scenes while doing something else.
Perhaps the most powerful element of the series - other than Serika's legendary life - is the setting. From what I've read, it seems that Eushully originally intended the setting to only cover a single game... the first Ikusa Megami. However, while Ikusa Megami itself was considered only average as a game, the world-building the setting was widely praised by those who played it, and as a result, Ikusa Megami 2 got released, becoming even more popular. However, it was the release of Zero that basically converted the Japanese-playing Western community to the cause of seeing these games come over here. Going back into the distant (700 years or more distant) past of the world, it covers the formative years of Serika's lonely journey, as his life was destroyed, changed beyond all recognition to eventually result in the creation of the person he became. All along the way, through various characters and events, the gaps in the setting were further filled in, bringing the series even more to life.
The setting of the series is a world that was basically created when a high-technological world (pretty much Earth) discovered a fantasy world with elves, dwarves, and other non-human races... and decided to merge the two worlds together (the details are pretty much deliberately wiped out by the gods long before the story's beginning, so don't expect everything to be told). This was quite naturally disastrous for both sides... but especially for the high technological civilization. That high technological civilization (humans) found itself at war with magic-wielding races with a strong faith in their gods, which granted those gods the power they needed to defeat the technological advantage the humans had... while also defeating the humans' gods, who were already weakened by the poor faith of the humans who worshiped them and further weakened when the gods of the invaded world began to convert the humans to their faiths. This eventually resulted in the death, sealing, or conversion of most of the gods of humanity, renamed 'the old gods' in the new world. Humanity had its memory of the past civilization reduced to a few ruins and distant legends, and most of humanity settled into a worship of the gods of the new, merged world. This in itself would have made for a pretty rich setting... but they take it to insane degrees of complexity when you throw demons, magic-technology, fights between darkness and light (followers and gods), neutral gods, and the rapid growth of humanity's sphere of influence into account.
The constantly shifting moral perspectives, as well as the innumerable factions and nations that make up this setting, make for some really fascinating lore. That in and of itself would make it worth playing these games, but the inclusion of side-stories (such as Meishoku no Reiki and Madou Koukaku) and direct links to the main series (the Genrin no Kishougun games) adds even more depth to the physical world and its history, as you come to know various historical figures and other parts of the world.
Now that I've waxed poetic (sort of) on the virtues of the story and setting... I should probably state that the series itself is pretty standard, gameplay wise. It uses your basic turn-based combat, for the most part, and this is generally a benefit, as it makes actually learning the basics of battle rather simple, outside of a few details. Since battles generally start and end quickly (outside of boss battles) if you know what you are doing, Zero, Verita, and Tenbin feel like less of a grind than they really should, based on the game type. The biggest difference between Zero and the other two games is that Zero is primarily telling a story, whereas the other two also have Star Ocean style EX dungeons that can serve as a huge challenge in comparison to the rest of the game, even if you have your characters maxed.
Generally, the benefits of the series can be summed up like this: gameplay accessibility, good plot, and a deep setting. For those looking for a true hybrid of the best of jrpgs and visual novels, this series is an excellent choice.
- LinovaA, Darklord Rooke, Narcosis and 3 others
-
6
3 Comments
Recommended Comments