Guardian's Crusade

• Release Date: March 01, 1999
• Genre: Role-Playing
• Style: Third-Person 3D RPG
• Similar Games: Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation), Final Fantasy VII (IBM PC Compatible), Brave Fencer Musashi (PlayStation), Final Fantasy VIII (PlayStation), Final Fantasy VIII (IBM PC Compatible), Final Fantasy VIII (PlayStation), Shining Lore Online (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

Guardian's Crusade starts off innocently enough: The mayor wants you to deliver a letter to a nearby town, and being a fine young knight, you agree and head on your way. But how could you know that you are taking the first step on a grand journey that will decide the fate of the entire world?

On your way back from the town, you discover a pink monster known as Baby and receive an ominous message about a place called God's Tower. Taking care of Baby is just one of the many problems you'll face as you fight the forces of evil.

The game is categorized as an RPG, but it includes unique features, including the capacity to change how Baby reacts in battle depending on how you treat him throughout the game, and the inclusion of 70 Living Toys, non-player characters which you collect throughout the game. These toys have special abilities like ninja skills and healing, which can help you in battles.

Guardian's Crusade is compatible with analog and Dual Shock controllers and requires one free block of memory.

Roots & Influences

Guardian's Crusade utilizes a similar interface to the Final Fantasy series except much simpler. The three-quarters top-down view and game engine is closer to Brave Fencer Musashi, however.

Review: Overall

More so than any other genre of videogames, RPGs rely on the strength of their narratives. While variations in battle interfaces or graphics can sometimes make a difference, what it really comes down to is whether the story can hold your attention. And in the case of Guardian's Crusade, one of 1999's first RPGs for the PlayStation, it does not.

You are a "young knight" on a routine errand for the mayor, who finds a pink baby monster (called simply Baby) that looks like a cross between a rabbit and Kirby (of Kirby's Dream Land fame). This discovery leads you on a quest to save the world, blah, blah, etc., etc. You even have a little fairy that follows you around, reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Rather than throwing you right into the middle of the action, the game starts off rather slowly, forcing you to retrace your steps several times before things really start to happen. It is not immediately clear where you are supposed to go or why, and the buildings are not clearly marked.

Because of the three-quarter perspective the game employs, you often have to rotate your view in order to see the entire landscape on the screen. This is disorienting and makes it difficult to get a sense of where you are in relation to other locations. A compass helps to alleviate some of this confusion, but does not make it any easier to open doors or search for items. Such a set-up definitely does not encourage exploration.

The battle system in Guardian's Crusade is turn-based, a system preferred by many players over the time-based systems of games like Final Fantasy VII. In many RPGs, the frequency and length of battles can detract from the flow of the game, but Guardian's Crusade spreads out its conflicts and keeps them relatively short. It even has weaker enemies run away so you are not forced to fight a meaningless battle. One of the game's innovations is the introduction of 70 characters called Living Toys, which are mechanical helpers who aid you in battle by attacking or healing.

Guardian's Crusade fares well in the visual and sound department. Colorful, cartoonish characters and beautiful backgrounds make the game easy on the eyes. The music is upbeat and catchy, never falling into that unforgivable category of repetitiveness.

So what we have is an attractive-looking, difficult to navigate RPG with an above average battle system. But again, what makes a player devote countless hours of their life to an RPG? The story. Since RPGs can take upwards of 50 hours to complete, the story needs to hook you within the first two hours, or there is little incentive to continue wasting your life away.

And Guardian's Crusade holds no such incentive, which is unfortunate because the game contains a unique feature allowing you to raise Baby much like you would a Tamagotchi creature. For example, depending on how well you take care of Baby determines how effective it is in battle.

Sounds intriguing, right? The only problem is, you will most likely lose interest in Guardian's Crusade before you get a chance to find out for yourself.

Review: Enjoyment

A slow start keeps the game from grabbing your attention.

Review: Graphics

This game has clean looking 3D-rendered visuals.

Review: Sound

There is catchy music that doesn't become repetitive.

Review: Replay Value

Try making it through this game once.

Review: Documentation

A basic manual that is not very instructive about the storyline or special techniques used in the game.

Production Credits

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