ActRaiser Virtual Console Review
The Shack staff digs into Interchannel's hilariously bizarre TurboGrafx-16 platformer J.J. & Jeff, Sega Technical Institute's Genesis platformer Kid Chameleon, and Quintet's Super Nintendo side scrolling sim ActRaiser.
Originally released for Super NESNovember 1991 Wii Points: 800 ($8) Review it yourself
Quintet and Enix Software's ActRaiser certainly takes the "god game" genre literally. Blending strategy and platforming action, ActRaiser puts players in the shoes of God itself to expand cities and rid the world of evil. Though a few aggravating flaws exist, ActRaiser is a title worthy of attention from action and simulation enthusiasts alike.
As "The Master," revealed to be God in the Japanese game manual, players must protect several key cities from Tanzra, a demon known as "The Evil One," or Satan, also revealed in the Japanese booklet. Deep enough for those who will prefer this mode to the game's simplistic hacking and slashing, simulation mode is by far the most entertaining and interesting part of the game. Players control an angel of God who is charged with undertaking his master's work on Earth.
The overall objective is to guide the expansion of each city, which begins at each city's main building and can spread outward in several directions, toward monster lairs, which spawn enemies that can set fire to crops, demolish settlements, and swoop down and carry off citizens. After building close enough to a lair, the citizens will automatically band together to seal the aberration. Setting villagers on the path to each lair is accomplished via the main menu, which also grants access to Miracles, such as lightning and rain, and Offerings, which are items granted to the player's deity after completing events such as sealing a monster lair or completing one of the game's many storyline-based quests. Upon ridding an area of all nearby lairs and completing certain quests, the player moves on to the next city, a trend which continues until the game is finished.
Besides sealing lairs and making the world safe for democracy, simulation mode offers plenty of things to do, all of which serve to keep players busy and entertained. In Bloodpool, the game's second city, I used the Lightning Miracle to destroy vegetation that stood in the way of expanding my city, shot enemies out of the sky with my angel's trusty bow and arrow, used the Sunlight Miracle to melt away marshlands that prevented bridges from being constructed across rivers that led to monster lairs, rescued a young boy who had run away from home to investigate the source behind the city's poisoned river, taught a neighboring city how to harvest wheat, listened to the prayers of my people... There is so much to do, and only opening the game's main menu serves to halt the action.
Micromanagement is thankfully kept to a bare minimum. Once citizens have been assigned a path on which to construct new buildings, the player is free to go about other duties, such as protecting the builders and exploring the land. As each city expands, the population increases, which means more worshippers to praise my awesomeness. Reaching certain population goals results in leveling up, which grants the player more health for both the side-scrolling and simulation modes, as well as more SP, "Special Points," which is ActRaiser's form of magic.
Certain quests will require players to exit simulation mode in order to partake in ActRaiser's side-scrolling action elements. After a dizzying cut scene that gives a first-person view of the player diving from heaven into a monster-infested area, the essence of God enters a stone statue that animates, serving as a vessel through which God can lay the smack down. The controls, like this mode's gameplay, are extremely simple--jump, attack, and use magic. Attributes such as increased health that have been earned in simulation mode carry over into the game's action segments, which is a good thing, since the mode contains cheap attacks typical in any sidescroller. Enemies appear as players attempt to make tricky jumps, and the post-hit invulnerability only lasts for a second or two, which often results in players getting hit again after getting knocked back into spikes or another enemy. Additionally, the gameplay is often too simple. God swings his sword over and over with the same animation, which does not have a particularly long range of attack. Other than a few magic spells, no other combat mechanics exist to spice up the action. Boss battles are fun, with enemies being much stronger than the player, yet fun to fight, as each possesses a unique weakness and pattern of attack that rewards players with a sense of accomplishment after each victory.
The side-scrolling sections are ultimately average, but quick enough to not grow too tedious and interrupt the game's real attraction--simulation mode. ActRaiser is a fast-paced game that offers simplistic combat and strategy with enough depth to not overwhelm players, but rather, keep them interested in the happenings of all their cities. ActRaiser is widely regarded as a classic and is more than worthy of 800 Wii Points ($8). Go back for Nick Breckon's take on Sega Technical Institute's Genesis platformer Kid Chameleon.
