Rogue Galaxy for Playstation 2

Okay, I'll simply admit it: I can be a bit of a procrastinator. I'll be working on a review in my head, yet take forever to put fingers to keyboard.

In the case of "Rogue Galaxy" for PlayStation 2, I can't even take the credit for the lateness of this review. Yes, I am officially blaming "Rogue Galaxy" for my three-week late review.

If it didn't have so many great things on the game DVD, if it didn't have so many things to collect, if it didn't have such a cool story, if it didn't keep introducing features that kept me coming back for more, maybe I would have had a review cranked out weeks ago.

I can (finally) say with all honesty that "Rogue Galaxy" will be one of the five best Action Role Playing Games (ARPG) released on consoles this year.

The story begins with Jaster Rogue, a young man who hunts beasts for a living yet dreams of traveling through the stars.

Thank goodness for the combat skills. Within five minutes, you're battling against beasts that have invaded your home city. Five minutes might seem like a long time to get into the game, but remember, most RPG's take the time to introduce the world, story, background and character before you start fighting. That can take 15 to 45 minutes in some games. Not here, friend. START SWORD SWINGING!

Here's one (of the many) cool part(s): right around the time your inexperienced self asks a question like, "How do I swing my sword-block attacks-shoot my weapon?" the game pauses and goes through a short but important tutorial explaining the new feature that you will need to know or use within the next minute or two. Brilliant.

Instead of throwing a sink full of features and letting you get lost figuring them all out on your own, the game is set up to teach you the multitude of techniques, items and features as you encounter them for the first time.

Jaster has a main close-combat sword attack, a secondary long-range handgun attack, the ability to block attacks and jump, along with an ability grid that is powered by the various items you will collect through your adventure, which will grant powerful attack and defense techniques.

Sounds cool, huh? Well multiply that by three, as Jaster meets some characters who will join him in the fight and bring the damage dealing up several notches.

Here the game gets even more interesting. Jaster's main weapon is a close-combat sword, but his teammate Simon's main weapon is a long-range flamethrower. Each character works a little differently from the other, so it never gets monotonous switching between different characters as you have to remember the best way to actively fight with each member.

And, yes, you can switch control of your main characters mid-battle. Your teammates will even suggest items or techniques to perform given the situation in the battle. If someone is low on health, one might offer to use a heal potion.

Fighting a boss weak against lightning, another partner might offer to start their lightning based attack. As the leader, you can let them continue or stop them, all with a press of a button. It's a little overwhelming at first, but it becomes natural very fast.

With all the fighting going on, you'll be glad when you see a teammate remind you that your health is low and wants to heal you while you are in the middle of a five-hit combo attack!

You can also customize which items and techniques will be available for the characters to suggest to you. For example, you can simply disable suggesting the defensive techniques for Jaster, so he will only suggest his damage dealing techniques when you are not controlling him.

As Jaster continues his adventures, he will eventually team up with a crew of seven other space pirates — yes, in a galaxy-traversing pirate ship, just like you're probably thinking about in your head — and fight with three of them during battle.

The pirate crew will travel from world to world searching for treasure and adventure. Along the way they will become involved in a conspiracy that concerns the entire galaxy and will have to decide where they stand.

Fine, it sounds a bit cliché, but with veteran actors such as Will Friedle (Ron Stoppable of Disney's Kim Possible) and Steve Blum (Spike of Cartoon Network's Cowboy Bebop) among the many talented voice actors (who, combined, have voiced more games this decade than you've probably played this decade), the storyline is acted out very well. One of the better uses of voice acting in a video games I've heard in a while, even if there are a few odd voices here and there.

Along the way, you'll find side missions such as the Insectron tournaments. Basically, you catch bugs on your journeys and have them fight in tournaments. Feed, train and breed them to produce the strongest Insectron you can and have them compete for prizes. It sounds like a throwaway, but it is way more addictive than it sounds. Go ahead. Try not to raise the strongest battle bug you can make ... especially when there are great prizes and rare items and weapons at stake!

Speaking of which, another great feature is the ability to fuse two similar weapons to create new weapons that can be leveled up and combined again to make newer and more powerful weapons! If that's not enough item crafting for you, a means to create your own special items is revealed in the storyline. Amazing.

If (somehow) that's not amazing enough for you, know this: the North American game was made larger than the original Japanese game. The developers at

Level-5 basically listened to the Japanese gamers and implemented much of the feedback they received to make "Rogue Galaxy" even better for the North American release.

Additions such as extra character dialog, a brand new world and species to explore and meet, upgrades to the weapon system, better environmental details, redesigned dungeons, and many other improved elements means that this version is even more complete than the already critically acclaimed original.

If you like your RPG's turned based, "Rogue Galaxy" is not for you. This is for the action loving, button-mashing, combo-dealing, special-technique-chaining, item-collecting RPG fan that owns a PlayStation 2 and longs for that "Zelda-ish" action RPG. I'm here to tell those people to go out and buy "Rogue Galaxy".

Now.

Right Now.

I'm here to tell the rest of you, that "Rogue Galaxy" is great for anyone from the novice to the hardcore gamer. Like any really good RPG, the game can be played very simply or it can be customized to your heart's content.

If you want to blast through as quickly as possible, OK. You want to level up to be 15 levels stronger than the monsters you're currently fighting? OK. You wish to just make more and more powerful weapons while staying in one area? OK. You goal is to become the best Insectron breeder in the galaxy? OK.

In any case, "Rogue Galaxy" for PlayStation 2 is a hands-down winner.

Besides, how many other games within the last two years offer a challenge of around 150-plus hours to get 100 percent of the game completed?

Yeah, I thought that might get you heading out the door.

"Rogue Galaxy" for the PlayStation 2 console is rated "T" for Teen
By Alejandro K. Brown