Falling Stars   - Review

Falling Stars
Ages: Everyone

The game starts with a deep sonorous voice and swirling cosmic clouds intoning a quest to a spirit to save the country of Dazzeleon that is threatened by an evil and dark power. The spirit will takeover the body of a young girl known to the town folk as Luna.

Next scene - I am in a Barbie pink bedroom that starts with a dress-up mini-game. Exiting to the outside I find a bright, pastel colored world with butterflies, ladybugs, castles and flowers. It takes a few moments for a course correction. This is a beginning RPG game particularly designed to ease girls into that genre. Ignore the intro.

The fighting, turn based, is done by Luna's familiar, Komi, a Pokemon-styled blue animal. His training is done by Luna, who can help in battle with spells. It is a skillful pre-RPG game: there are quests, some of which must be completed before progressing further into the game; clever mini-games which will require at least a couple of attempts; buying and trading; upgrading of skills and battles in which no one dies. There are many characters that Luna will meet during the game - and here is peculiar twist - these characters react to what kind of clothes Luna is wearing resulting in many costume changes - brrrr. So where is the evil? Luna's uncle Matt is digging underground, has turned green and is doing genetic research on animals.

Saves are done by returning home. The manual does a good job of explaining things and the pause button will review the controls used for the current section of the game. The loading time between areas is excruciatingly long and sometimes it feels that you have just taken a few steps before having to endure another load time. Lithuanian developer Ivogamus hits all the right buttons in appealing to girls up to and including the box cover, and it is a skillful introduction to RPG games - it's just that it is so blatant.


Fun Factor: Fun but spotty. Clever mini-games
Female Factor: Luna is the protagonist but has Komi doing battling for her.
Player Friendly: Good manual. Saves would have been easier without having to go all the way back home.

Reviewed by: Editor - 08/08

  • Falling Stars
  • © agetec/Ivogamus
  • Platform(s): PS2
  • To Order: PS2 http://www.amazon.com/ $14.99