Legasista Review

In the spirit of games like 3D Dot Game Heroes and Rainbow Moon comes a robust dungeon crawler from System Prisma called Legasista . For those craving some old-school gameplay with plenty of vibrant Japanese artistry and lots of depth and customization, this one should be high on your priority list. I really have to avoid games like this during the busy times, primarily because of the inherent addictive quality; it always draws me in and keeps me playing for…unhealthy amounts of time. Legasista isn’t perfect but it does have that hook.

The interesting part about the graphical presentation is that despite an overall design that isn’t overly impressive, the character design leaps right off the screen. I’m not referring to an extreme level of high-definition refinement, either; I’m merely talking about their style and the accompanying cutesy-ness and great animations. I feel much the same way about the enemies, although I wish more would’ve been done with the general world structure. The game is mostly clean and free of visual blemishes and for a downloadable effort, it’s very satisfying for those who understand that gameplay is paramount.

The sound is similar, in that it’s not technically superior but it fits the atmosphere. We don’t have the option of English voices but that’s okay; in many ways, I prefer the original Japanese voiceover tracks for such experiences. The soundtrack, as always, is quite subjective but it definitely works, and the audio is nicely balanced throughout. The effects are crisp and fulfilling, especially when it comes to the bigger, flashier, crowd-pleasing special abilities (even little dudes and dudettes can make a big splash!). The combination of the appropriate, lively music and solid effects acts as a great complement to the on-screen action, so that’s a bonus.

The Ivy Tower beckons. It’s the only option left to young Alto, whose sister has been cursed with a crystal form, which can only be broken with a special ancient weapon that is rumored to exist in the bowels of the Tower. However, in an interesting plot twist, that weapon isn’t exactly what Alto expects and his adventure through the Ivy Tower will be one to remember. Bizarre characters, enemies and traps everywhere, and a story that – while not extraordinarily well written or particularly captivating – remains mildly intriguing; Legasista is all about the journey.

After meeting Mrs. Dungeon (yeah, these developers know how to have a little fun), you will be turned loose in the mysterious darkness of the Tower, where more weirdness awaits. This includes a girl with a chest the size of Iowa along with a few other wacky characters, all mixed into a continuous quest that never really gets boring. It gets a tad repetitive but hey, we’re talking about a dungeon-crawler here. If it wasn’t at least a little repetitive, I’m not even sure it would qualify for the genre. And beneath it all is the surprisingly touching story of a brother desperately seeking to help his sister. It gives us a sense of real purpose as well.