![]() When your team levels up, you’ll be given a handful of skill points that can be used on individual skill trees. This means that new characters joining your party don’t end up underleveled, which is honestly quite refreshing. Instead of individual characters leveling up, the party levels up as a whole. ![]() The same holds true in Rise of the Third Power, but with a unique twist. There’s also Princess Arielle, who uses a detached ship’s cannon to fight, but it’s more fun to let you experience that one on your own.Īs is the case with most RPGs, you earn experience points by defeating enemies, thus allowing you to level up. Conversely, you have Corrina, who starts off with plenty of MP to attack enemies, and her high speed and attack mean she can hit hard and fast – the downside being that she has low HP and defense. His main drawback is that he’s quite slow. For example, Rowan’s main attack causes enemies to bleed, which whittles away at enemy HP slowly over time, and as he attacks, he builds fury, which allows him to unleash stronger attacks. Each party member has their own distinctive fighting style. At the start of every enemy encounter, you’ll be given the option of which three party members you’d like to take into battle. Battles are a turn-based affair, but it works well, as combat is yet another area where Rise of the Third Power shines. Some enemies will largely ignore you and only fight if you initiate contact, but some will be on the lookout for you, and it’s to your advantage if you can sneak up on them before they spot you. You’ll encounter this plenty, which can feel a little bit stale, but overall, it’s still entertaining.Įnemies are visible on the screen, which is always a welcome addition. I suppose if I had to complain about the dungeons, it’s that there are repeating themes: hit the switch to open a door or move a platform, and find keys to open doors. The puzzles aren’t particularly hard or complex, but they’re plenty enjoyable. The dungeons are fairly sizable, though they never felt very stale to me. You’ve got your standard/core RPG mechanics – you’ll wander through dungeons, solve puzzles, and get into turn-based battles. Thankfully, Rise of the Third Power doesn’t disappoint in this regard, either. Gameplay itself has to be at least as engaging and interesting – if not even moreso. Of course, a game can’t be carried by the strength of its writing alone. Sure, they can be a bit caricature-y at times, but it fits in with the retro theme and doesn’t detract from the game in the slightest.Ī Perfect Mix of Old School and New School Every one of them feels like a fully fleshed-out person, with complex histories, feelings, desires, and goals. The character writing is definitely one of the highlights of the game, allowing each character to shine in their own right. Brought together by fate and circumstance, each character has their own ambition and drive, their own schemes and plots. Over the course of the game, you’ll cobble together a crew of 8 people from wildly different backgrounds – such as a princess, a pirate, and a priestess, just to name a few. While perhaps not ground-breaking, and definitely a bit of a slow burn, the story is nonetheless plenty intriguing enough to keep you coming back for more, and is only enhanced by the thorough character development. Filled with backstabbing and betrayals, the plot is really quite impressive and engaging. And while each nation publicly appears to be trying to reconcile their differences and move forward towards peace, behind the scenes, dastardly schemes abound. The world is reeling from the Great War, and recovery is painstaking and slow. Rise of the Third Power’s story draws inspiration from Europe’s political climate during the 1930s. And then along comes Stegosoft Games’ Rise of the Third Power, an homage to what made the classics, well, classics. These days, it takes something special to stand out in such a crowded field. The market is fairly flooded with attempts at recreating the magic and nostalgia of the 16-bit era, with varying degrees of success. Somehow, my love for them hasn’t diminished in the slightest over the last few decades. Rise of the Third Power: An Ode to the ClassicsĪny time I hear the phrase “retro-themed RPG” the 90’s kid in me all but squeals with excitement.
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