Tenchi Sōzō(meaning ‘The Creation of Heaven & Earth’); released in 1995 Japan(later to become Terranigma in Europe) captivates a world everyone should experience. The best way I could describe this game is an rpg hidden within a lesson.
Terranigma presents to you a rich storyline, an ever changing alluring world, and a small handful of characters that are bound to be on your mind. I found out about this game through an article which had an overwhelming amount of positive things to say about it overall. I then began to look more into this game to see if this was an unpopular opinion, and to my surprise anywhere I searched this game I found some type of praise pertaining to it. Out of mostly curiosity and just pure interest about what made people love this game so much I decided to dive into Quintet’s work. This review is going to be very vague because I have to choose my worlds carefully, but I do hope this paints the picture for what to expect.

Ark, a mischievous young man living in Crysta, is awoken from nightmares as his childhood best friend Elle peers over his shoulder. After talking to the locals of your hometown and making amends for causing so much trouble the previous day.. you’re pressured into bursting open a door you were strictly prohibited from touching. A serious of events unfold regarding it and you’re given a straightforward but also vague goal: Resurrect the world.
Unfortunately due to most of the magic this game has to offer I don’t want to go too much into the storyline this game has, that’s something the player should experience themselves as it will make a difference. The narrative direction this game goes with is rather ambitious and definitely impactful. By the end of the game I couldn’t help but reflect on how the world is currently and how so many people could learn something precious from this. “People’s happiness cannot be measured by material possessions.” One of my favorite lines from an NPC within the game. An obvious statement that I’m sure many of us know, but sometimes we forget.

“I worry about how much light from electricity has changed our lives. It may have stolen the warmth like a candle's flame from human souls."

The characters of Terranigma are scattered. What I found very interesting in the approach of this rpg is the way Quintent handled the “main cast” that’s throughout the game. You’re not really particularly focusing on a group of characters, it’s the NPC’s in general scattered around the world that bring this game to life. That being said there is some that reoccur that you do see time to time. Even with the cast being scarce I couldn’t help but care for the world in general this game built. Going to various places on the map discovering areas and learning different things. This game is seriously filled with a diverse amount of culture that I couldn’t help but appreciate.

The gameplay is split between two segments; dungeons that present puzzles to solve while also slaying enemies in the process and discovering/exploring areas around the map while also integrating what feels like a series of side quests. You have 5 attack options when your spear is permitted for use; A standard jab, a series of multiple jabs, a jump attack, a dash attack, and a jump dash attack. Very straightforward and easy in terms of controls but I did find it pretty fun especially when fighting the bosses. You also collect magirocks which you can then trade in with gems(games currency) for magic rings and pins that can damage enemies or give beneficial effects for the player. Unfortunately I didn’t find these all too useful and barely bothered with them aside from using it on the one infamous boss of this game. I did still think it was an interesting system, but imo it just didn’t feel worth bothering with. Puzzles in the dungeon were all surprisingly overall solid & engaging. I used to be a big Zelda fan and the puzzles within the game gave me nostalgia considering how entertaining they can become. The side quest/exploring segments are what you’ll be doing most of the game and thankfully I enjoyed them more than the dungeons! You’re going to be backtracking a decent amount in this game sometimes even going to the same area more than twice. I’m not a big fan of backtracking myself, but the way terranigma does it is incredibly rewarding. When you do have to backtrack most of the time the areas are usually not the same and you’ve given a straightforward purpose for doing so.

Terranigma’s ost is filled with versatility that ranges from dark toned ominous melodies to angelic soothing rhythms that fit the tones perfectly to match the areas they’re played in. My personal favorite is “Elle’s theme” to me it’s the most emotional piece heard throughout the game. It feels gentle but also gives me the vibe of heartbreak.

“The sky is crying, and the water is filthy.”

Overall I can’t say this game was anything less than impactful for me. The only issues I’d really nitpick with is the magic system and the way equipment is handled. They’re both really not a big enough deal to make harm to my overall view of the game but it just felt weak compared to everything else the game had going for it. Some armor and spears have special attributes to them that can either give you some type of bonus or some extra damage/effect to enemies. It sounds cool and a standard jrpg exploit weakness deal but really equipment, no matter what the benefits are, becomes pretty obsolete after you either find something better via exploring or just buying from the next area. Please give terranigma a try, I’m sure it’s something you’ll find interesting and worth your time!