Saviors Of Sapphire Wings / Stranger Of Sword City Revisited: Video Review

Japanese “dungeon” RPG in the spirit of the series Wizardry (adorable, by the way, in the country of the Rising Sun) – this is a separate genre. And last years, a prominent role in it is played by the Studio EXPERIENCE INC. In 2016, in the West, her Stranger of Sword City came out, and in a year the international release of its supplemented and improved version happened on PS Vita Revisited. In 2019, the studio released another remarkable game in the same style – Blue-Winged Chevalier (International name – Saviors of Sapphire Wings), but Exceptionally again on “Vita” and in Japan. And recently, on the PC for the first time both – as part of the Collection of Saviors Of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited.

Japanese Round Table Knights

Immediately I will say that I was interested in exactly SaviorsissaPhire Wings. because Stranger of Sword City Released in Steam back in 2016, and its improved version Revisited Includes three new classes and three new dungeons, an extended character creation system, modified “boot” plus something else on trifles. In general, the usual story. But former Blue-Winged Chevalier, now known as Saviors of Sapphire Wings (Do not be surprised, the Japanese love to complicate everything – you have not yet seen the names of some animal films and TV shows!), on personal computers, and, in principle, beyond your homeland, came out for the first time.

In Stranger of Sword City there were large-scale battles.

What can interest Saviors of Sapphire Wings? You will be surprised, but the plot and gameplay, or rather, those interesting mechanics that are implemented here.

So, the subject here seems to be trivial – again the struggle “Beaver with Oll”, but it is not quite standard. The chief chief, it turns out, one day already fought with an equally main villain, “Overlord of Darkness” by nickname OL = OHMA. And lost, died. And with him – and his comrades from the local society knights of the Round Table.

And after 100 years later, he was revived in a new body, but, naturally, he initially remembers. And now you have to remember the former events and their friends, who also passed the process of reincarnation and revived in new guards. And, of course, you have to look for ways to overcome the worst.

The fight with the main boss here is already at the very beginning. But this is not the last meeting with him.

It is clear that it takes a lot of time – the plot in Saviors of Sapphire Wings large-scale, suggestive traveling travel through forests, fields, ruins, castles, dungeons, fortresses, cities and villages. Li’s joke – if you initially travel three partner with the main character, then their number will grow to ten. And take with you only 5. With all of them to communicate on the basis of which is on the back of a huge flying whale. In general, as it should be in JRPG, all epic and slightly crazy.

That’s certain – wonder-Yudo Fish-Kit. Only flying.

Basic set

Large-scale, solid can be called the gameplay – in the sense that many nuances are here. The basis naturally, the standard for projects in the “Japanese Dungeon Crawler” genre – exploring locations, perform quests and fight with a first-person view. Fighting step-by-step, in classic Wizardry-style, and victories in them give objects and experience, allowing you to pump our wards. Naturally, class skills and spells can be used in fights. And we are learning new as character pumping.

On the basis of the knights, everyone has such a pretty “maid”, something resembling Rem from Re: Zero.

The latter differ in class and “soul” – this is actually an analogue of races, which gives bonuses to various basic characteristics. For example, the soul of the champion includes the energy of the gnomes and gives a lot of power, and the soul of the sage is already the legacy of the elves, and it is focused on intelligence and magic. You can choose the souls of other races, including even fairies. As it seems the opportunity to take both the main character, and the partners subclasses. Basic and additional classes with rare exceptions are all familiar – “Hieler”, Fighter, Druid, Paladin, Wizard, and so on.

But the protaggonist is impossible to change the main specialization – it is initially asked the game itself.

On the spot B Saviors of Sapphire Wings Also alchemy, and traditional for JRPG cooking food, and improvement of equipment.

Appraw?

There are details. The same food is often used as bait for monsters in special traps. On different locations and for different enemies, different bait are needed: someone likes vegetables and fruits, and someone prefers meat. And it takes to establish control of traps, attract and destroy the most dangerous monsters and capture the region.

There are enough other interesting details – for example, both the chests, and most of the equipment in them initially cursed, so it will not work out right away. You need to remove the curses or wait for the return to the database when the curses disappear automatically.

Some damn chests can also escape, so you need to override the guarding “leader” as soon as possible.

But, perhaps, the main “chip” is the need to interact tight and communicate with partners. This happens during the story scenes and when the hero specifically causes a character to his conversation room. Communicating, asking them about their past, that they are worried about, and correctly answering their questions (“And for you, the master, murder is the usual thing?”), We improve relationships. You can even arrange joint meals.

All this charges a special scale SOUL GAUGE, and then allows you to raise Soul Rank – than it is higher, the more opportunities for the partner opens. In particular, only at the fifth level Soul Rank he will be allowed to choose a subclass.

For each oppior, there is information – here both biography, and a list of what he likes, and the results of conversations.

Also good relationships give bonuses to experience, and with the receipt of new levels of Soul Rank increases and the number of so-called Union Skill Points is the points needed to apply powerful joint attacks.

The choice of replicas in dialogues with companions really matters.

It is also important to maintain good relationships because strong enemies are able to create special magic, which takes our characters under control, and they even begin to attack their. Joint attacks and high levels Soul Rank allow you to quickly get rid of these char.

Neva immediately

Naturally, as in almost all Japanese RPG, in Saviors of Sapphire Wings Also a lot of Grinda. Yes, and in general the game is quite complicated and long. Well, as complicated … Many fights here, of course, passing and look like this:

We need to just go on the same button.

But at the same time, even on a normal complexity, there will be enemies with whom the Nakhp do not cope. And considering that the potions and special stones for teleportation on our bat base, as a rule, are not enough, it is often necessary to return through the entire location to the entrance point – only it will be possible to get out of the card and get to your fortress to restore health and mana reserves.

Well, though, the automatic movement function is implemented here – it is enough to choose a point on the map, and the party itself will go there.

Even nasty goblins are painted with taste.

Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited – games are imperfect, but in their new versions they leave the overall impression in general. Someone complains about difficulty with support for PC controllers and some other roughness in porting, but I calmly played on the keyboard and did not notice any special problems. So with a clean conscience I can recommend these games to all fans of the genre.

Pros: Epic plot;Many events and diverse partners with which you need to maintain good relationships;rich in interesting mechanics and gameplay events;Pleasant Art Design and Atmospheric Music.

Minuses: Many Grinda;not all right with the balance of complexity.