The “Action-RPG” is something of a blessing to the import-gamer. Inaccessible though its Kanji-laden story may be, its universal gameplay style allows eager Western gamers to get their much needed hit of anime characters, memorable soundtracks and endless levelling-up without ever needing to refer to a FAQ. Sega’s decision to bring the “Shining Force” series back to home consoles in the form of an Action-RPG must therefore please those who, weary from the six-year gap since Shining Force III, cannot wait for the UK release in March.

Indeed, Shining Tears is the most accessible “Shining” game since the Saturn’s Shining Wisdom in 1996. Where that game borrowed heavily from The Legend of Zelda to create a “Shiny” game rich in puzzles and exploration, this one takes its cue from Diablo and drops the player deep into the overwhelming hordes, ready to carve up pixelated death to anyone who dares approach. The aim is simple, use melee weapons and spells to kill all the enemies; then progress to the next area and do it all over again. The series’ tradition of using icon-based menus for both battles and item management means that the RPG elements are simple to negotiate, regardless of native tongue, leaving the player to concentrate on the best way to cut down the swarming enemy sprites.

Surely though, sprites and pixels would never be in a console RPG in 2005. Yet here they are. In an era of gaming when the polygon rules, it is often refreshing to find 2D visuals challenging the reign of King 3D. The visuals in Shining Tears are even more refreshing as they feature some of the best 2D work of any game in recent memory, regardless of genre, and although there have been other 2D RPGs on the PS2, none come close to this. Each brick in every wall, each hair on every yeti and each leaf on every single tree has been hand drawn with an equally passionate attention to detail. Each of the seven playable characters is as beautifully defined as the other and the sheer number of enemies that appear on screen is high enough to rival even Nintendo’s recent effort in the genre, Four Swords. Nextech have shown nothing but pride in Shining Tears’ presentation, even going as far as to complement the stunning in-game visuals with an excellent anime intro and a Japanese theme song, a first for the popular series.

Another first in Shining Tears is the ability to control two characters at once. Although the main character Xion (pronounced “Shion”, diction fans) must be controlled at all times, one ally from a choice of six must be picked before each battle. These allies will independently attack nearby opponents and can be manoeuvred by using the second analogue stick. Even when controlling two fighters the odds are stacked against the player as the number of opponents often exceeds 30 at once, this is where the team-up attack comes in handy. Each ally has three different attacks that can be performed in conjunction with Xion; all of these attacks are affected by the placement of both characters. Some are simply area-affect magic spells that will hit more enemies the further away the two characters are. Other team-up attacks show a little more ingenuity; Lazurus for example can be made to breathe fire and aims in different directions by moving Xion appropriately.

With eighteen different team-up attacks to upgrade and master throughout the course of the game, combat should, in theory, never get as boring as it tends to do in many “hack 'n' slash” games. The reality is that the battles never quite reach the standard that they have the potential for. This is largely due to several levels that show very few innovative attack patterns; the game starts well with small touches like ninja disguised as bushes and the monotony is sometimes broken by the appearance of a boss but that monotony exists nonetheless. “Hack 'n' slash” is literally, often all there is to do.

The occasional boring battle wouldn’t be too bad if there was something to do outside of combat, but aside from buying and upgrading weaponry there is very little engaging activity in Shining Tears' hub city. Several residences exist within the citadel that must be protected but none of these can be entered and their occupants are never met. Previous “Shining” games encouraged thorough exploration of the towns and cities, which helped to create the illusion of a living, breathing world that your actions would have an important effect upon. Shining Tears’ world on the other hand, though undeniably beautiful, feels like a cardboard stage piece: obviously a fake that fools few and destroys any sense of immersion that already existed.

As a single-player experience, Shining Tears is distinctly average. The two-player mode has the potential to shift the game up a gear from average to enjoyable but this regretfully is not the case. Team-up attacks rely on a button on each pad being pressed simultaneously, trying to get a second player to initiate the attack at the right time, when so many other variables for success (distance from each other, magic points etc.) are in place, is a communicational nightmare. Nintendo never had a problem getting players to communicate effectively in Four Swords but Sega has proven unable to do so under simpler circumstances.

Stick to the solo game and Shining Tears will provide a couple of weekends of unexceptional battling before the experience wears thin. Longtime fans of the “Shining” series may wish to stick at it for longer just to see the cameos and Easter eggs but newcomers will leave largely underwhelmed. The graphics are very attractive but there are much better games of this style such as Sega’s own Shining Soul II. Shining Tears is one for the die-hard fans and 2D enthusiasts only.