Who'd have thought that being evil
could be so fun?
As the sequel to Tecmo's
cult hit Deception, Kagero
retains the concept of its
predecessor and takes it
to a whole new level. That
concept is a simple yet
unique one: instead of
assuming control of the
hero, you're the villain.
Your goal? Immortality. The only way to
obtain it is through stealing the souls of
humans unfortunate enough to wander
into your castle.
Play occurs within several castles, each
having their own floor plans and share of
obstacles, such as spinning blades and
razor-sharp pendulums. Play begins with
the placement of traps in one room of the
castle consisting of three varieties: ceiling,
floor, and wall. These range anywhere
from bombs to arrow slits to lightning
bolts. Once the traps are set, an intruder
enters,
and that's
where
the action
begins.
Intruders
vary from
simple
townspeople to armed warriors. While the
former will normally run away when the
traps begin to trigger, the latter will
pursue with weapons in-hand. Later in the
game, multiple opponents make things
trickier.
Points
are
awarded
depending
on
your
performance in each room,
which, subsequently, can
be used to develop more
advanced traps. The whole
game's tied together via an
unfolding
storyline,
utilizing the game engine
and on-screen text to tell the tale.
Kagero
isn't
the most
technically
impressive game PlayStation has ever
seen (it's choppy in spots) and it's a bit
rough
around
the
edges
presentation-wise, but its unique premise
and gameplay more than make up for any
cosmetic shortcomings.
Despite its rough spots, Kagero is still a
visually
captivating
experience
throughout. Each castle is convincingly
designed, right down to individual room
and dungeon chamber. Eerie lighting sets
the mood, the character designs are
gorgeous, and a spooky musical score is
just icing on the atmosphere-generating
cake.
Kagero may not be faultless, but it's heads
above most games on PlayStation where it
counts: innovation, addictiveness, and
gameplay. Anyone looking for a refreshing
and absorbing game that's definitely not
run-of-the-mill will want to pick it up.
SCORE