Review: Rhapsody - A Musical Adventure

Rhapsody - A Musical Adventure
Playstation
Atlus Software, 2000

Rhapsody is a tactical RPG with an emphasis on music, puppets and romance. :-)

You play Cornet, a horn-playing girl who lives in a small town. She has the unusual talent of being able to talk to dolls. Shortly after the adventure begins, she meets the prince of the nearby castle... and falls head over heels for him. ... Yeah, so I like sappy romantic stuff sometimes... so sue me.

Of course, as in all RPGs, something goes terribly wrong (I will not go into detail to avoid spoilers), and it's up to the protagonist to set things right. So Cornet, who is not a warrior or wizard, will have to do a lot of battling. Fortunately, she can use her horn to recruit puppets to help her out. She is not harmless or useless in battle, though; she can use her horn to power up other party members, and by doing so gains points which enables her to cast some pretty powerful spells.

There are other reasons why this game is called "A Musical Adventure", by the way... it's part musical. Regularly, a character will break out in song. ^_^' While you might want to reach for the mute button, it's best not to skip these songs as they might hold important clues about what to do next, and about the backstory in general.

The game reminds me of Disgaea, and although it's nowhere near as complex, there are many similarities. For example, the way you move your characters in battle; the tiles you can move to (or attack) are highlighted. Spells are selected from a drop-down menu.

Although the game looks like its target audience is young girls, there is more to it than meets the eye, which makes it interesting and fun for all ages and genders. I like the story, and there are quite a few funny moments -- including some humor here and there which is probably *not* meant for pre-teens at all.

Oh, and the game is rare, which makes it pretty hard to get these days, unfortunately (look on eBay or half.com or your favorite used games store). I paid $50 for it... it can probably be had cheaper online (taking into account shipping costs and the increased risk). Still, I think it was well worth it.

Plus

Colorful characters. Colorful graphics as well (although repetitive here and there).

The game has an interesting story which is largely predictable -- but not always, as you will find out. Joyful and sad moments. The story has philosophical moments and also touches on other issues, like the effects of humans on their environment.

Whimsical humor that (again) reminds me of Disgaea and other Atlus games.

Wacky spells like the "Pancake Attack" (where giant pancakes fall on enemies -- too bad there are only a few of such spells).

You can save the game pretty much anywhere you want (except during battle or cutscenes), which is a great boon compared to many other games, where you have to look for save points.

Minus

There's lots of more-or-less pointless dungeon crawling just to find an item or person. This gets old rather fast, especially since the dungeons all more or less look alike.

The game's too easy. Battles are won without much effort (there might be one or two exceptions to this, but I've never been in real trouble). As a result, much of the element-based strategy becomes irrelevant, and getting powerful items isn't very thrilling anymore.

A minor point: Powering up Cornet using the horn takes too long, compared to other characters who can use powerful spells every turn (as long as they have enough MP, which is almost always the case). As a result, spells like the "Pancake Attack" can only be used once in a while.

In dungeons and caves (and a few other places), battles occur randomly. I'm not a fan of random battles because they decrease the control a player has over what's going to happen. In this game, they're usually only a nuisance rather than a threat.

Verdict

A fun game, playable by children and adults alike. Not too long, not too difficult. In spite of its flaws, a fun experience. 8/10.