Septerra Core

Pros • Septerra Core is a brilliantly scripted RPG with excellent gameplay.	Cons • Some hardcore RPG fans might find the game a bit too easy.
Bottom Line Septerra Core is an excellent game. A definite must have for any RPG fan. Septerra Core is a cut above the rest of the role playing games out there today. At first glance I knew this was no ordinary game. Fully rendered movies guide you seamlessly into the world of your character, called Septerra. The world of Septerra is unique in that seven distinct layers of continents orbit a central core, each continent with its own rich history and population. The layers of continents are connected by a giant spine, which runs from the northern pole of the outermost layer all the way down through the core and then back out to the outermost layer's southern pole. The core operates as a giant supercomputer, which regulates the rotation of the shells (layers). Energy created by the rotation of the shells is collected by the Great Spine and channeled to the core. Since the core uses this very energy to control the rotation of the shells, an endless loop is created. Legend has it that a being known as the Creator fashioned Septerra and all of its components. He built into the world two keys, a way in which man would be able to obtain his power, the Gift of the Creator. Once every hundred years the alignment of the continents allows a beam of light to reach the core, activating it for a short period of time. During this period the keys can be used to grant the holder the Gift of the Creator. After the Creator had constructed Septerra, a daemon named Gemma arose to combat his force of Angels. Gemma stormed the world and stole the keys. As a last resort, the Creator sent Marduk, his only son, to stop Gemma. After a battle that lasted 100 days, Marduk prevailed and struck down Gemma. He retrieved the keys and hid them, teaching that one day, far in the future, they would be made available in order to save the world.

Whew, do you have enough background now? You begin the game as Maya, who lives on the second layer, known as Shell 2. Most of the population of Shell 2 are 'junkers.' They travel across the desert in search of 'junk' that's dropped from the shell above. It is while you are out in the desert 'junking' that you come across giant organic spacecraft descending from the shell above. They belong to the Chosen, a group of humans that long ago traveled to the north pole of the Great Spine to tap its energy. With such resources, they grew and developed much faster then the other nations of Septerra. The last time that the ships descended they annihilated the cities of Shell 2, and killed Maya's mother in the attack. In search of their purpose, Maya entangles herself in a web of mystery and confrontation, which forms the main plotline. Along the way Maya enlists the help of eight other characters from all over Septerra.

First off is Grubb, who is enlisted by Maya to help her traverse the deserts of Shell 2. He is a young tinkerer and mechanic who lives alone outside of town. He collects scrap that is tossed from Shell 1 above and uses it as material to built his inventions.

One of these inventions is Runner, a mechanical dog. Runner may be a robot, but he has his own personality. When encountering people that are rude or dangerous, he will bark angrily and threaten to blast them with a laser. (I wish I had a dog like that.) Runner is loyal to Grubb, his creator, but also shares a fondness for Led (see below) who repairs him when he is separated from the main group.

Corgan is a noble swordsman, and a member of the Holy Guard of Shell 3. The Guard is sworn to protect their nation, but lock themselves away to mourn after one of their number are killed. Needing to warn the Guard of impending danger, Maya breaks into their Cathedral, and ends up enlisting the help of Corgan to aid in her quest.

Led is a mechanic from the Ankaran army who lost her lower lags during basic training. Now her father, General Campbell, won't let her serve in combat, but instead relocates her to work as a mechanic in an isolated repair outpost. This wrench-wielding chick has a fondness for Grubb, but occasionally bickers with him about robotics.

Selina is a General in Lord Doskias' army of the Chosen. She leads the invasion of Shell 3, and murders the people that Corgan is sworn to protect. She is a valuable and powerful ally, but needless to say, she and Corgan do not get along very well.

Araym lost his arms during his time as a special forces agent. He returned home to find he had become an outcast, and left home to become a cybernetically enhanced mercenary.

Badu belongs to a group called the Underlost, who live near the Core. Badu joins your party to protect his people from the Outlanders, who use them as slaves.

Lobo is a Jinam combat cyborg. After being lost in battle, Lobo is repaired and given the ability to think freely. He chose to become a pirate, and now fights for territority amongst the pirates of Shell 6.

A very interesting feature of the game is that certain characters develop dislikes for each other, and are considered 'natural enemies.' For instance, Corgan hates Selina because she led the Chosen invasion of his city. The two will insult and bicker during conversation, and will occasionally attack each other in combat. There are sub-plots that can be undertaken to resolve these enmities between these characters, but they are not necessary to the completion of the game. This kind of sub-quest feature is a great and really helps make the trip through the game feel different, and not liner like a lot of console-style RPGs.

Plenty of opportunities for combat arised in Septerra Core. Players utilize a simple clock-based combat system. Below each character's portrait is a bar, which is divided by little grooves into three sections. As combat progresses the bar fills up. The speed at which the bar fills depends on each individual character's speed, and can be modified through the use of special items and relics. Each character has their own specific skill set, which is divided into three levels of skills. The first level contains things like basic attacks, item use and spell use (more on that later). The second level contains medium attacks and some character-specific skills (like Grubb's repair skill, which allows him to heal damage to any mechanical ally). The third level contains strong attacks. If a character's bar is filled up to the first groove, they can use first level skills. If the bar is filled to the second groove, they can use both first and second level skills. If the bar is filled all the way, they can use any skill. Enemies will use the same system too, charging up their attacks. The clock system is very intriguing and makes combat a little more dynamic.

Character control is a simple matter of using the mouse. Click a location on the screen to have Maya walk there (the other characters will follow.) Double-click and hold the mouse button to have Maya run wherever you're moving the mouse. By moving the mouse to the bottom of the screen a menu appears. This simple menu contains regular items and key items, which can be selected and brought into the main screen to use. It also contains an options menu through which you can do all that fun RPG stuff like forming your party, equipping your characters and scrolling through your inventory.

The magic system is based on the use of artifacts known as Fate Cards. Each of these 25 cards represents a different spell. They can be combined in pairs or groups of three for a total of 124 different spell effects. These magic effects take up various amounts of a unit called Core Energy, which varies depending on the character and can be replenished through the use of special items.

Septerra Core comes alive with excellent graphics and sound. The characters are all displayed as pre-rendered 16-bit models. The 16-bit 640x480 backgrounds are original and non-repeating. It’s great to yell phrases like ‘16-bit pre-rendered’ at people, but it can’t convey the sheer talent employed in creating this art. Each Shell has its own distinct look and feel, which really allows the player to immerse themselves in the game. Another element that adds to the feel of the game are the conversations that take place between characters. All conversation is entirely pre-recorded, with a vast library of phrases and comments to draw on. The total library consists of over 54,000 words.

My only complaint about Septerra Core is that it might be a little too easy, particularly for RPG veterans. Typically in RPGs the earlier stages of the game are the most dangerous for a young and inexperienced character, but Maya was able to handle herself very well right away. A little more power to a few monsters might have helped, because it was rare that I thought my characters' abilities were being pushed to the limit.

Overall, Septerra Core plays very much like a console RPG, but it isn't an overt copy of them, and it has a few new ideas of its own. Fans of console RPGs will recognize the smooth gameplay and brilliant Final Fantasty-style graphics. It does not have the depth of character interation or development as something like Fallout or Baldur's Gate, but it is a fun ride, taking you into strange policies, and showing intriguing conspiracies and ambitions. Septerra Core is definitely well above a typical PlayStation import.

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