Guardian's Crusade
| Guardian's Crusade | |
|---|---|
| Original title | ナ イ ト ア ン ド ベ イ ビ ー |
| transcription | Knight and baby |
| Studio | Tamsoft |
| Publisher |
 Tamsoft / Activision 
|
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
August 23, 1998 January 31, 1999 March 26, 1999 |
| platform | PlayStation , PlayStation Network |
| genre | Computer role playing game |
| Game mode | Single player |
| medium | 1 CD-ROM |
Guardian's Crusade , known in Japan as Knight & Baby ナ イ ト ア ン ド ベ イ ビ ー Naito ando Beibī, is a PlayStation game developed by Tamsoft and published by Activision in 1999 . The game mechanics are that of a classic turn-based role - playing game . The game was a kind of entry-level RPG for children, but also intended for an adult audience. Although it did not achieve commercial success, it has a small following to this day.
action
The player slips into the role of a messenger boy named Ritter, who is accompanied by the fairy girl Nehani. While on an errand for the mayor of his hometown, Ritter and Nehani come across a little pink monster, which they later call "Baby". At the same time, Ritter has the vision of a ghost who tells him to take baby to an old monument called “God's Tower” to find baby's mother. After a few minor setbacks (and the discovery of the helpers, magical dolls that come to life and support knights in battle) the three begin their journey.
On their way they meet different groups of people who all want to save the world in their own way. First they come across the Artma cult, a network of churches that believe that their leader Artema is a messiah. Then the group comes across Darkbeat, a mercenary who believes himself to be “the chosen one” and has sworn revenge against a man named Karmine, and his sister Ibkee, a kind-hearted dinosaur-like creature who runs an orphanage. The third group of would-be heroes is led by Kalkanor, a pompous royal knight looking for certain magical stones to stop an evil god named "Xizan".
Over time, the paths of these seemingly incoherent groups (including the player's group) cross more and more often, ultimately resulting in the liberation of an evil that threatens the whole world. Knight, Baby, Nehani and the friends they made along the way must fight an increasingly bleak looking future and save the world from evil.
Game mechanics
Guardian's Crusade has made some notable contributions to the development of the RPG genre.
First, the game has a seamless graphical transition between the "normal" game world, cities and flight mode, with all three using the same graphical engine and scaling. Many other RPGs before and after use less detailed views of cities when the player explores the "overworld" (e.g. the PlayStation 1 Final Fantasy series ) or flies (e.g. Dragon Quest VIII ). This made the game world of Guardian's Crusade look more real and is a remarkable achievement, given the limitation of the PlayStation console.
Second, the game gave the player the ability to bypass fights. In the "upper world" monsters are represented by ghost-like creatures of various sizes, which wander around the landscape and pursue the player, but can be avoided by speed or stealth. Big aggressive pink ghosts stood for opponents whose level was higher than your own. Weaker opponents, on the other hand, were represented by smaller white ghosts that run away from the player. This mechanic gave a visual indicator of the strength of the player character.
Also, the game includes a virtual pet.
Little helper
On his way, Ritter meets so-called little helpers, mystical clockwork toys that help our group in battle. They were created a long time ago by Mr. Zeppetto, who lives on a small island west of the starting continent. Little helpers can be found all over the world, they are often found in treasure chests or they are given as a reward after a boss fight . Each helper has a unique attack or ability.
The use of a helper costs Ritter Psycho Points (PP), as soon as these are used up, no further helpers can be used.
Classification of helpers
Little helpers can be classified according to their skills:
Attacker - Direct damage to an enemy in combat.
Supporters - Strengthen knight or baby or weaken opponents in different ways.
Healer - Restore lost HP (hit points).
Various - Either useful outside of combat (Globe, for example, allows you to view the world map when you are outdoors, but still has an attack in combat) or doesn't fit into any other category
Little helper symbols
Each helper is associated with one of three symbols. The decisive factor is how it is activated in combat:
Permanent (box) - staying by the knight's side until the fight is over or until they are attacked enough times.
Multiple use (↵) - Can be used multiple times in a fight, but must be summoned each time.
Single Use (*) - Can only be used once per fight.
development
Guardians's Crusade was developed by Tamsoft and originally published under the name Knight and Baby on September 23, 1998 . The game was released by Activision outside of Japan shortly thereafter . The original name Guardian Legends was changed to Guardian's Crusade because of the similarly named game The Guardian Legend by Brøderbund .
According to the game producer and co-producer, very few changes have been made between the Japanese and North American versions. The main differences are found in the intro video and the title screen. One of the more prominent changes was the removal of the “Rust Bucket” helper. Its ability "Russian Roulette" aims a weapon at a random character in combat and fires. The game's creators are especially proud of the game's transition to the English language as they have retained the humor and essence of the story.
Individual evidence
- ↑ IGN staff: Activision Breeds Pet RPG. IGN, November 10, 1998, accessed January 25, 2013 .
- ↑ IGN staff: Activision's RPG Switcheroo. IGN, November 17, 1998, accessed January 25, 2013 .
- ^ A b Perry, Douglas: An Interview With the Makers of Guardian's Crusade. IGN, January 15, 1999, accessed January 25, 2013 .