June 22nd, 2007 by Dynamo
Wield a sword in hand, brave warrior (cntd.)
Targeting a certain enemy is accomplished by pointing to a certain area of the screen and pressing the A button. This will cause Hero to focus his attacks to that location. The direction of the attack is dependent on the motion carried out by the player and can be used to good effect. Using a vertical slash on a row of enemies is much less effective than a horizontal slash. The detection system seems to require players to perform sweeping attacks as the game isn’t very adept at picking up small flicks of a wrist. Magic attacks, in the form of glowing balls of lightning, are executed by pointing towards an enemy and pressing B on the Wiimote.
Shield up!
The Wiimote can also function as a shield simply by holding down the B button. This replaces the pointer icon with a shield after which blocking is accomplished by pointing the shield to a location on screen. Things can become a little tricky when being attacked with projectile weapons such as arrows. A small indicator will quickly flash onscreen indicating where the attacks will land. When there are a number of projectiles being sent your way, pointing at these spots and swinging the Wiimote may allow you to repel enemy fire.
As the battle continues, a small gauge will fill up at the bottom of the screen. Once full you can press the 2 button to perform a special attack that will target all enemies. There are a variety of special attacks to choose from, each making use of a set of gestures to execute to increase damage. Defeating enemies will, as in any standard RPG, reward the player with experience points and currency to buy items. Items can be used to aid characters in battle, ranging from restorative items to defensive gear and weapons. Chests can be found throughout the areas, carrying items that bolster the players’ inventory.
Overall
Dragon Quests Swords is looking to be a visually pleasing Wii title. The game runs at a smooth 30 frames per second, and features beautiful, well-lit environments with detailed textures and shadows. Most of the enemy and human models have a smoothed-out look to them, adding to their (slight) cartoony charm. The game supports both 16:9 widescreen and 480p (progressive scan) which will increase the visual quality for players with high- and enhanced-definition television sets.
Dragon Quests Swords is shaping up to be an interesting addition to the Wii’s repertoire. The game may be lacking in depth but the Dragon Quest series has always been renowned for its simplicity. The Wii is the perfect system for this title having been tailored around the unique features of the Wiimote. Fans of the Dragon Quest series will certainly want to keep an eye on this game.
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