Software:Shining Force EXA

From HandWiki
Short description: 2007 video game
Shining Force EXA
Developer(s)Neverland
Publisher(s)Sega
Director(s)Shinya Togo
Producer(s)Makoto Takada
Writer(s)Takashi Hino
Composer(s)Tomoko Morita
SeriesShining
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • JP: January 18, 2007
  • NA: March 20, 2007
Genre(s)Action role-playing game
Mode(s)Single player

Shining Force EXA (シャイニング・フォース イクサ, Shainingu Fōsu Ikusa) is an action role-playing game developed by Neverland and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2 as part of the Shining series. It tells the story of a world divided by a war between humans and demons.

Like Shining Force Neo, the gameplay is in the vein of Diablo or Record of Lodoss War (the latter also by Neverland). The game features a variety of weaponry inspired by the medieval era, magic, and a collection of skills that can be improved upon for the main characters.

Gameplay

Shining Force EXA is the successor to Shining Force NEO and inherited that game's battle and action RPG mechanics.

One new feature of EXA is the customizable robot castle Geo-Fortress. While adventuring, the party members left behind use the Geo-Fortress as a headquarters. They also protect and defend the castle in the event of an attack. In the beginning, the fortress is very basic and vulnerable. By collecting "Rare Material" from the given quests, the player is able to transform the fortress into two other forms. Once the fortress reaches the third form, it is capable of travel. The player is able to add more rooms for vendors and shops. In addition to a traveling store, the player is also able to train party members. The growth, layout, and defense of the fortress is managed completely by the player, thus allowing the Geo-Fortress to evolve to fit the style and tactics of the player.

The player upgrades characters through experience points and an assortment of items and weapons. In addition, using specific battle tactics of the party will grant it more power and range. As well as advancing the main character, the player progresses to master a variety of Power Arts to unleash special and magic attacks.

Plot

The story focuses mainly on two characters that the player will have the opportunity to control: Toma, a brash sword wielder who dreams of being "King of the World," and Cyrille, a mage of sorts whose reasons for searching for the Shining Force are a well kept mystery. Joining the party almost immediately will be the other half of its members, Gadfort, who wants the blade to become the greatest knight in existence, and Maebelle, an elfin archer seeking the blade to save her people. Their story will unfold in a world that is shared by humans, demons, and beasts that is constantly devastated by war. The world is divided into two main kingdoms. The Noswald Empire is home to the human race and the demons rule the southern territory, Fyrlandt.

Characters

Main characters

Toma: A human boy born and raised in the wild. He doesn't appear to be very intelligent, but has a cheerful disposition and a bit of a quick temper. He possesses a strong sense of justice, and the one thing he wants in life is "great power", which leads him on his quest for the holy sword known as the Shining Force. He is often advised by Zenus, a jackal-like creature who is a product of ancient methods. He thinks that having the power of the Shining Force will help him accomplish his goal.

Cyrille: A human girl brought up in the Noswald Empire, one of the two main warring factions in the world of Shining Force EXA. She is the opposite of Toma, highly intelligent and a skilled user and researcher of magic. Like Toma, she is also in search of the holy Shining Force sword. She has a cool disposition and tends to be cold towards people, but despite her outward appearance, she is truly a gentle person. Sweets and candy are said to be a secret indulgence of hers. She is often accompanied by her familiar, a ferret-like creature called Zhirra.

Secondary characters

Maebelle: An elf maiden searching for the Holy Sword in the hopes of saving her dying race. Calm but merciless in battle. Superb archery skills. According to Maebelle, she is what the elves refer to as the "Last Child", meaning she was the last newborn elf since the incident with her people unable to bear children. Maebelle is quite mature and has a motherly complex toward Cyrille at times. Her unique trait is that she seems to eat more than anyone else in the party (much to Duga's surprise) and frequently snacks when she gets a chance.

Gadfort: Former Noswald knight. Parted ways with the Emperor due to differing ideals. Met Toma and the others on his quest for the Holy Sword. Uses a lance as a weapon. Gadfort has a habit of lecturing Toma on his sword style, calling it unpredictable and without form, but in actuality he is simply being a teacher to him. Gadfort idolizes the legendary hero Avalon, and has just about every book written on him in his personal collection. He also follows a lot of Avalon's examples, such as keeping the weapons and armor in his room spotless.

Amitaliri: A girl from an elite Magnus family from which many La Vaes were born. Reckless and truant. Neglects her training but is skilled at magic. Toma nicknames her Ami Girl, which she hates, and is generally called Ami by everyone else. She has a school girl crush on Duga, who can't stand her approaches, but she eventually gives up on trying to get his interest. Her self-centered attitude causes a lot of grief for Faulklin, who has to do everything for her, from cleaning their room to doing her school assignments (along with his own).

Faulklin: A peace-loving Quintol boy. He learned the art of healing and light magic to assist his good friend, Amitaliri. He is generally shy and very quiet, except when it comes to dealing with Ami. He may have some feelings for her, but can't seem to tell her outright. Faulklin is easily taken advantage of and is stuck doing a lot of the work for the two of them. His healing talents and holy attack spells are quite noteworthy on missions.

Duga: A Wolfling and former Noswald Army officer. Gadfort's best friend and a friendly rival, claiming to be stronger than him. Duga is a talented fighter among Wolflings, and is always keeping himself trained and rested for battle. He seems to have a thing for Maebelle and openly asks her out on dates in the Geo-Fortress. He actually has a habit of telling dirty jokes and is quite the womanizer. Much like Volg from Shining Tears, he is strong and fast, but lacks the defense necessary to withstand much damage at any one time.

Adam: A robot soldier from an ancient mobile fortress. He is highly intelligent but lacks emotions and empathy. He originally served alongside the previous Heritor in an ancient war. His systems shut down after fighting too many enemies and straining his power reserves. His memory banks can immediately recall records and analysis from the war. According to him, the description of his capabilities was taken out of a sales manual.

Antagonists

Ragnadaam III: The current Emperor of the human Noswald Empire. He is known to his people as "The Lion". At first, he tries to talk to Toma and finds him too immature to deal with. Soon after he sets his sights on Cyrille, and holds informed conversations with her. Because Cyrille is quite familiar with world history, Ragna tries to convince her to choose sides, because he wants to obtain the power of the Shining Force for himself.

Riemsianne La Vaes: The current La Vaes, also known as the Queen of Fyrlandt, the southern territory belonging to the magnus. She is quite manipulative and tries to lure Toma to her side with her feminine wiles many times throughout the story. However, despite her calm appearance, she is quite deadly in battle and wields devastating magic spells. Reimsianne is a responsible leader to her people and strictly follows an age-old taboo of not trying to incite a war with the humans.

Optional characters

Garyu: A mysterious dragon whose name is known only from a signboard. He is clearly very intelligent and can understand human speech. Garyu interacts little with the party, and is only affectionate toward Toma and Cyrille. He is immensely strong and able to take on and defeat great numbers of enemies all on his own. He is gained after defeating him in his cave.

Avalon: An undead man with the same name as a legendary knight. Gadfort is convinced of his identity because of his skills and weapon. Avalon is quite open with regards to his past, having fought with a powerful dark mage when he was a reckless overconfident knight, and lost his life for it and was cursed. Toma and Cyrille were shocked with his need to drink human blood to sustain himself. However, Avalon is greatly opposed to the thought of actually murdering another human. He occasionally cracks a joke about drinking the blood of beautiful young girls. He is gained through collecting his bones scattered throughout the game.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic64/100[1]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM5.67/10[2][lower-alpha 1]
Famitsu35/40[3]
Game Informer7.5/10[4]
GameSpot5.3/10[6]
GameSpyStarStarStar[7]
GameZone7/10[8]
Hardcore Gamer3.25/5[9]
IGN7/10[10]
PSM8.5/10[11]
RPGamer2.5/5[12]
X-PlayStarStarStarStar[14]

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[1] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of two nines, one eight, and one nine for a total of 35 out of 40.[3]

IGN gave praise to the length and overall design of the game, but criticized the lag often experienced by having so many enemies on the screen at once.[10] GameSpy called the Geo-Fortress system "innovative", but the game in general "uninspired".[7] A more critical review was given by GameSpot, highlighting the game's weak combat, voice acting, and frame-rate, while approving of its visual presentation.[6] On a slightly different note, RPGamer criticized the game's recycling of elements from Shining Force Neo, and the high quantities of enemies that lengthen the "few new areas on display". However, praise was given to the "good character progression", "somewhat interesting story", and the two different playstyles.[12] GamePro said of the game, "If you can overlook those shortcomings, you'll be treated to a decent enough RPG game. EXA doesn't do much to further the legacy of the series but at least it doesn't critically damage it either."[15][lower-alpha 2]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 6/10, 7/10, and 4/10.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 4/5 scores for graphics and control, 2/5 for sound, and 3.5/5 for fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Shining Force EXA". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/shining-force-exa/. 
  2. ↑ Fitch, Andrew; Donahoe, Michael; Sewart, Greg (April 2007). "Shining Force EXA". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (214): 89. https://retrocdn.net/images/a/a8/EGM_US_214.pdf. Retrieved December 7, 2024. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Shining Force EXA(Ikusa) Impressions". NeoGAF.com, LLC. February 10, 2007. https://www.neogaf.com/threads/shining-force-exa-ikusa-impressions.141981/. 
  4. ↑ Biessener, Adam (April 2007). "Shining Force EXA". Game Informer (GameStop) (168). http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/B46F852A-D24F-4ADB-A18A-42B78635EAD1.htm. Retrieved March 19, 2017. 
  5. ↑ Faylor, Chris (March 21, 2007). "Shining Force EXA Review". AOL. http://www.gamedaily.com/games/shining-force-exa/playstation-2/game-reviews/review/5526/1573. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mueller, Greg (March 30, 2007). "Shining Force Exa [sic Review"]. Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/shining-force-exa-review/1900-6168393/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Leeper, Justin (April 20, 2007). "GameSpy: Shining Force EXA". IGN Entertainment. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/shining-force-ikuse/782488p1.html. 
  8. ↑ Hopper, Steven (March 24, 2007). "Shining Force EXA - PS2 - Review". https://gamezone.com/reviews/shining_force_exa_ps2_review/. 
  9. ↑ Wilde, Thomas "Wanderer"; EcchiFreak (March 2007). "Shining Force EXA". Hardcore Gamer (Prima Games) 2 (9): 54. https://archive.org/details/hardcore-gamer-magazine-v2i9/page/n27/mode/2up. Retrieved December 8, 2024. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Haynes, Jeff (March 22, 2007). "Shining Force EXA Review". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/03/22/shining-force-exa-review. 
  11. ↑ Dun, Theresa (May 2007). "Shining Force EXA". PSM (Future US) (123): 80. https://archive.org/details/psm-issue-123-may-2007/page/n81/mode/2up. Retrieved December 8, 2024. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Moehnke, Mike (2013). "Shining Force EXA: Retroview". CraveOnline. https://archive.rpgamer.com/games/shin/sfexa/reviews/sfexastrev1.html. 
  13. ↑ Thomas, Damian (April 14, 2007). "Shining Force EXA". Emerald Shield Media LLC. https://www.rpgfan.com/review/shining-force-exa/. 
  14. ↑ Smith, D.F. (April 10, 2007). "Shining Force EXA Review". G4 Media. http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/reviews/1488/Shining_Force_EXA_Review.html. 
  15. ↑ Son Of The Shining Path (May 2007). "Shining Force EXA". GamePro (IDG) (224): 82. https://retrocdn.net/images/d/da/GamePro_US_224.pdf. Retrieved December 7, 2024. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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