Customer Reviews

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The game arrived quickly and was brand new, as advertised. I've only played for a few hours, but it's a lot of fun!

Beginning life on the GameBoy Advance in 2001 and followed by a direct sequel in 2003, the series has had a 7 year hiatus.

The story is pretty basic and suffers from redundant exposition that can get slightly annoying, but that isn't the main issue. Perhaps because of the release of the 3DS, Nintendo seems to have rushed the developers to release the game. As a result the story ends somewhat abruptly and sort of feels like half of a game as a result. Seemingly important plot devices, like the Psynergy vortex seen near the beginning of the game being one example, are never properly resolved. This could be because Camelot plans to continue the story in the next game like they did with the first two installments on the GameBoy Advance.

Dark Dawn takes full advantage of the platform's dual screens and touch screen. The top screen can be used to display a useful map of the area (including the locations of collectibles).

Outside of battle, Psynergy abilities allow you to telepathically move certain blocks, smash boulders, light torches, and grow plants into vines that can be used as impromptu ladders. Likewise, certain vessels can be filled with water, which can then be frozen or dried up, which usually affects the surrounding environment. You might, for example, have to fill a lake and then freeze it to get across a valley. Generally speaking the puzzles aren't very complex, but it's fun to see all the steps required to navigate a tricky maze. Almost every area in the game, including towns, have puzzles where Psynergy can be used to access hidden treasures or powerful Djinn, and you have to be observant to find them.

Perhaps best of all there is an excellent balance between battles and exploration. Compared to most RPGs with random monsters, Dark Dawn has a very low encounter rate which allows you to explore and solve puzzles with few distractions.

Like its predecessors on the GameBoy Advance, Dark Dawn is a real graphical showpiece for the system. The many summon spells fill both screens with massive creatures and mythological figures that are more detailed and impressive than anything else seen on the platform (yes, even better than the Square-Enix games) but you can always skip the lengthy animations if you want to. Even regular battle animations can be fairly impressive and involved, and can also be sped up by holding the 'A' button, which was a really nice touch. The settings are all unique and colorful, and some feature really amazing set pieces.

Camelot's Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is not only the stand-out graphical showpiece for the Nintendo DS, but it backs up its strong production values with its excellent design. Aside from a few minor quibbles and the lack of a strong finale, Dark Dawn successfully mixes the environmental puzzle-solving of Zelda with the flashy battles and role-playing elements of Final Fantasy. It's a straight forward mash-up that provides hours of predictably solid entertainment. At the time of writing no sequel has been announced, but I hope one is forthcoming to properly conclude this chapter in the saga.

PROs:

Spectacular graphics
Very low random encounter rate
Imaginative puzzles
25 hours of adventure
5 hours of extra content accessible after the main game

CONs:

Dialogue can be annoyingly wordy
Ends abruptly/feels incomplete

Golden Sun is a turn-based RPG game focusing around a group of eight adepts who specialize in controlling the four alchemical elements. You have two adepts for each element, and through their unique abilities you can do everything from freezing puddles to shooting fireballs. The quest you're on seems simple, but very quickly gets sidetracked and eventually you find yourself setting out to (what else?) save the world. Like the two previous installments, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is a really tight RPG, and what sets it apart from other role-playing games is the amount of class customization you can do. While your characters will naturally grow stronger as they level up, what really makes the difference are little creatures called Djinn. Outfitting your characters with different Djinn will wildly alter the magic available to your characters, along with all of their stats. The game also demands a balance between active Djinn and "set" Djinn. When a Djinni is set, its ability has been used, and your character will no longer gain the stat benefits from it, but in this state the Djinni can be used to perform powerful summons which will devastate even the toughest bosses.

While Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is the third installment in the Golden Sun series, don't let that scare you off. These games are released as pairs, and the story spun by the original Golden Sun on the GBA was effectively wrapped up by Golden Sun: The Lost Age. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn has many tie-ins to these original titles, but any relevant information you missed from the first two games is given to you in-game as this new adventure unfolds. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn begins a whole new chapter, following a new group of heroes (actually the children of the original two games) and, like that very first installment, ends on a cliffhanger that promises us another game to come. That said, if you have played the other two games, then you'll get extra amusement from seeing Garet with a mustache and Isaac with a beard. Regardless, if you're a fan of RPG games, and you've been itching for a solid game with some decent writing and entertaining puzzles, this is a perfect purchase. The musical score is standard RPG fare, but it's well composed and always atmospheric. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn offers approximately 30 hours of game play, if you take post-game content into account, though like most RPGs you could spend a lot longer on it if you're seeking out all of the best equipment, or aiming to level your characters up to level 99.

I've been waiting for a follow up to the Golden Sun serie, this one on the DS is not letting me down. I like the jump to 3d, but it has the same feel as the ones on GBA. The music is good and the story is after the events of Golden sun 2 on GBA. If you enjoyed the previous games, you should give this one a try. I recommend it.

Its been a long time since I've played the previous Godlen Sun games. =P
When I heard of Dark Dawns release, that just got me excited! When I finally got it I wouldn't put it down, and now
I fear I'm almost done. This is hands down a game to buy, especially to those golden sun fans.

Well the title says it all. :p Although I'd say... buy it, especially if you've played the two other previous games.

Très bon jeu (du moins pour l'instant)... Le seul hic c'est qu'encore une fois il est en Anglais seulement... Pour papa sa va, mais pour mon fils a qui je viens de l'acheter, c'est pas éviddent. Enfin, reste plus qu'a esperer que nous recevrons bientot des versions européenne.... soyons patient!