A decent niche DS RPG

by Peter Fiorilla

Fun factor: Fun

Worth to: Buy

Might look like a typically lewd JRPG with an excess of scantily clad female characters, but the combat system elevates Endless Frontier above the crowd.

Atlus’ latest entry in their Super Robot Taisen franchise is an unexpected treat that showcases the true power of never taking oneself too seriously. A refreshingly light-hearted adventure that forsakes JRPG conventionalities of melodramatic scripts and overly emotional protagonists in favor of a lewd approach to narrative, Endless Frontier boasts more than just an appealing exterior -- its avant-garde battle system is more polished and refined than the majority of big budget JRPGs to have been released in the past few years. This experimental combat system elevates Endless Frontier above the crowd, though its typical overworld design needs to be modernized.

Boobs and jokes -- all that’s missing is beer

Unlike earlier localized entries in the series, Endless Frontier’s narrative largely relies upon the player’s ability to crack a smile. Abandoning the Game Boy Advance games’ space operatic storyline, Endless Frontier’s script revolves around sexy anime females making boob jokes while fighting other creatively alluring anime women. The primitive premise will be a turn off to some, but those not offended by it will find themselves chuckling at the game’s whimsical cast of characters. This focus on lewd humor backfires in some ways, unfortunately -- the actual plot is nonsensical and difficult to follow.




The comical cast is more essential to battling than it is to narrative, as more time is spent bashing sexy opponents’ skulls in than watching seductive portraits fling gibes at one another. Each protagonist has its own ‘class’ and pre-determined stats and abilities (both passive and active), but despite the seemingly restrictive antiquity, Endless Frontier boasts an impressive level of depth rarely seen in turn-based JRPG’s. Though character customization is nearly nonexistent, the actual combat is deep and rewarding.

Rewarding combat that requires good balance

Each character has the potential to attack an enemy five consecutive times during their turn (the order and selection of these attacks is pre-determined by the player). Each attack drains the character of COM (Command Power), so choosing a set of commands that are too costly could mean the Game Over screen by the next boss fight; selecting a list of weak attacks that hardly drain the character could do the same. Achieving a balanced list of attacks is the player’s first priority, one that requires experimentation and knowledge of the game’s inner workings.

After initiating an attack by pressing A, the protagonist sweeps the enemy off their feet (literally) into a complicated sequence of brutal attacks; at any time the player may press A once more to initiate a new sequence of attacks. Here timing is extremely pertinent. Pressing A too early will steal potency from the character’s attacks, while pressing A too late may allow the opponent to take matters into their own hands (block, avoid, counter attack, etc.). Keeping enemies in the air by juggling them across the screen with creative attack sequences is more fun than it sounds.




Even conquering random battles is great. The screen commonly becomes a chaotic mess of bullets, swords, fire and well animated sprites, effectively creating a feel of intensity even while fighting the lowliest of grunts. To keep combat interesting, enemies have different weights and will not respond similarly to your attacks. Combat feels like a simple rythm game at times, though the level of strategy required to successfully take down a particularly nasty boss breaks any illusions of Endless Frontier being unsophisticated.

Bland overworld but solid soundtrack

The player can also take advantage of skills, spirits and overdrive attacks, which boast beautiful cell animations that push the system to its limits. The unique combat is a lot to take in, but is an exceptionally rewarding system that rivals the best the DS has to offer.

In stark contrast, the overworld is a bland, uninspired and typical mess. Traveling maps, exploring dungeons and solving poorly designed puzzles gets tedious rather early in the game, especially when the visuals are mediocre outside of combat. It is for the most part negligible, as all of the above are brief and frequently interrupted by random battles, but putting more time and effort into creating a distinctive overworld would have been appreciated.




What will be appreciated is the solid soundtrack, especially by veterans looking for nostalgia -- it includes numerous hits from past games as well as nearly a dozen new songs. The vibrant score is fittingly outlandish and goes hand in hand with the generally well-done Japanese voice acting, though it may get a bit repetitive after 30+ hours. Some sound effects will also grate on the nerves pretty early on.

Summary

While it has its share of flaws, Taisen OG: Endless Frontier proves that developing a unique and engaging game does not require touch screens or voice-sensitive gameplay. The lewd approach to narrative will not win over everyone, but the superlative battle system can be appreciated by anyone. Super Robot Taisen fans should be particularly excited; the pinnacle of the series has made its way to North America.