Alter A.I.L.A Genesis (72.6Mb)
Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis also takes place in a post-apocalyptic world; but we aren't given to know if it’s placed before or after Alter A.I.L.A. It is however very different in that it is a side-scrolling rpg that plays very much more like an arcade platform game, with of course rpg fight/battle scenes. It has a new battle system, new graphics, new mechanics, and a reinvented story and cast.
I was going to post it alongside Alter A.I.L.A, but given the vastly different nature of the gameplay, I think it thoroughly deserves a post of its own! When an enemy approaches, an exclamation mark appears on the screen and you can go into a fight/battle or sometimes carry on without fighting. Occasionally you are not given a choice, and you have to fight! You play as Leon, assisted by 9 other characters to choose between.
The advice is to change ‘active mode’ to ‘passive mode’ inmenu - at least at first, to prevent hostiles taking action simultaneously to your own actions. Enemies and bosses gain points as you do, and they are unable to use their harder hitting abilities early in a fight. If you can down them quickly, you have more chance of beating them! It’s also probably as well not to fight every enemy just for the sake of until you have obtained your ‘exceed’ ability, or you might get gravely weakened in taking on too many fights early on!
“Every stage just looks and feels different, with the game's frequent dungeons having just the right amount of depth to satiate your curiosity without slowing down the story or leaving you badly in need of fresh air. Coupled with a proportionate abundance of puzzles and treasures, and you'll be happy to be going either forward or backward between stages.
The game's storyline is superb; despite it having little correlation with any of the previous game's three plots--at least in terms of its position on the time-line--the story behind Genesis is a worthy spin-off which pits revamped iterations of the original game's cast on a linear adventure. Characters have dropped their code names in favor of pre-assigned ones, their faces and outfits have been retooled (or upgraded, - rather), and their personalities have changed substantially--some even drastically. All of these changes are arguably for the better, as the characters are easier to relate to, their motives are more outspoken, and their new roles in the story provide them with fresh new reasons to be reintroduced and re-explored. There's also no shortage of intrigue, action, or drama throughout the three provided ‘phases’ of the game, which is executed via original hand-drawn, still cutscenes and superior dialogue.
A typical battle in Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis feels something like a cross between an action RPG and a strategy game, where every move can be planned out in advance, every condition taken into account, and yet your expected rate of execution is still surprisingly high. You can pummel through foes with droll, head-on tactics if you wish, but having a strategy from the get-go is simply the better way to approach tough situations. Items and weapons must be stocked up and equipped where necessary, especially for upcoming boss fights, and you must always keep an eye on field effects and Exceed abilities, which can turn a battle in either team's favor instantly. Also, finding rare equipment and items on the field during your explorations can sometimes give you a noticeable edge over the opposition, whereas refusing to stock up on the right items, either out of haste or inability, can land you a one-way ticket to la-la land in what would normally pass as a fair fight.” It really is fun experimenting with weapon and item combinations, and getting the battle strategy right.
Field effects in battle are things like all units having their HP healed by a little each turn or all units having reduced defence, little changes that can influence how battles pan out. You can induce these with items, and bosses can induce them repeatedly and, when it comes to boss fights, they’re fairly clever because they add another level of strategy. But you probably won’t need to bother with Field Effects except for boss fights. Modes, Field Effects, and Boost ailments all stack. If you're creative, you may be able to create a situation where you can pretty much negate everything the boss throws at you, while tossing out ‘Exceed’ abilities every turn. There’s standard rpg fare of elements involved as well in battle scenes. Appropriate music plays throughout the game, and that during battle scenes suits the battles very well indeed.
I've added some extra screenshots, but do view the video, to get a proper impression of the arcade rpg play. That said, it has huge maps to explore, and deep battle strategy - the video might make it look simplistic, which it is anything but! It's very much a full-blown rpg with most excellent rpg elements!
You might find exploration a bit disorientating at first with all the side-scrolling platforms, ladders and chasms to jump and how screens link or sometimes appear not to link, but with this being one of the very few side-scrolling rpgs, it’s a game to really savour!
On this occasion, I’ll leave you to find out about the storyline and characters through playing the game! Suffice that the storyline will probably keep you coming back for more, than anything else in this game!
It’s an excellent game, whether you like rpgs or no, and very worthy of your attention!
Download and Video HERE
RPG Game Maker RTP Run Time Files HERE (Either version should do)
