*(TSOS Review - Return to Popolocrois)*

[Chris Knopps]

The following is a review by yours truly originating from the TSOS page on FB

https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-sonic-sanctuary/tsos-review-return-to-popolocrois/1311868445509148

Back When It All Began...

Many years ago, an absolutely delightful game fell into my hands during my PSP days, and that game instantaneously became my favorite to ever exist on said handheld! It was the original Popolocrois title, and with its Ghibli-esque animations and soundtrack, Disgaea-esque battle system, Final Fantasy-esque depth/length and graphics, Sonic-esque cast... Lets just say it was a game full of all the necessary esque’s to make it stand out above the rest in my eyes! And to this day I still hold this game in the highest regard as one of, if not possibly my favorite RPG title in existence. I will admit that this title/series is an overwhelmingly underappreciated franchise, so if you own a PSP and have yet to play this, I hereby slap you and order you to find a copy! GameStop, eBay, Amazon, do it! Just do it! (agh, meme reference, sorry...) and if you have played it, I solute you and offer you a tall glass of respect, as you’ve definitely got a taste for the finest things in life!

However, although quality doesn’t begin to describe this series, for the very reason I mentioned above it wasn’t able to stick around very long, in the west at least. To my knowledge, the series as a whole consisted of five titles released on the PS/PS2 consoles, these only released in Japan, while the west saw only the first title translated and released in a special version on the handheld PSP. Although the series maintained its fair share of popularity in the east, even garnering its own animated series, the west, as tends to happen in many cases, never really got the chance to savor the franchise in its entirety properly. With only the first game available to the west, combined with it only existing on a handheld for us while the rest existed on consoles in the east, those who played it more often than not held it in a regard on par with my own, but sadly it just never managed to garner the recognition it should’ve despite its unforgettable experience, and in the end the series all but vanished from existence in the west as a result. Eventually, it seems this occurred in the east as well, as fans saw high nor hair of a new installment in some time, the series seemingly given an unfortunate, albeit well deserved retirement as a shining star of past glory.

Yes... Many years went by... Until we were hit out of literally nowhere... With this...

After so many years having passed since I played the PSP re-release of the series first entry, to say I was thrilled to see a new, fully translated Popolocrois title coming to the west is an understatement. I was giggling, I was dancing. If anyone saw me, they’d have sent me to the funny farm. For many years I’d hoped to see a grand return from former icons like Spyro and Crash Bandicoot (in a proper manner) but never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to see a new title in this series, certainly never in the west anyways! And yet, here it was, another entry at long last returning me to the world I loved, a promise foretold in its very title, a fairytale for a long time fan turned real...

And It Was Thanks To A Partnership Of My Wildest Dreams To Boot!

 

 

Oddly enough, it was none other than the creators/developers of the Harvest Moon series that helped make this new entry possible. Not long ago, the creators parted ways with their former partner, Natsume Inc. which once did translation work for them. After this split, Natsume Inc. decided to continue making their own games using the Harvest Moon name, since they legally owned it of course, while Marvelous/XSEED decided to rename the series they developed simultaneously, beginning the Story of Seasons successor we know today! Not long after the split, Marvelous/XSEED partnered with the folks at Epics Inc. who worked on the past entries of Popolocrois in an effort to bring the franchise back to life in both the east and the west, and thus Return to Popolocrois - A Story of Seasons Fairytale was born!

 

With Past Detailed And Present Revealed - Let The Review Begin!

 

A Glorious Start

 

 

The moment I tapped on the title after downloading it off the eShop, (it’s available physically as well) I was given an intro clip I could only call delightful. I’ve mentioned it before, but every animated cut scene in this franchise has felt like something straight from the magical folks over at Ghibli. You can see the frames moving along in a slight stop motion sense as said films, giving each cut scene an old fashioned, painstakingly hand drawn feel to them that much of our modern day animation lacks due to technological advancements, taking you straight to the roots of what art is all about no matter the times, the good ol’ blood, sweat and tears that result in countless animations which leave a lasting impression for years to come, and this game has plenty of such cut scenes to offer!

 

How Times Have Changed - I’m Talkin’ Graphics Baby!

Originally, this series also followed a Final Fantasy and/or Disgaea direction in the sense that it used a 2D field, 2D sprites, etc while attempting to convey a 3D feeling with the world around you, and now for the first time in Popolocrois history, it’s pure 3D all the way! For the franchises first experiment in such a world, I’d have to say the staff did remarkably well in maintaining the essence of the old world and cast while evolving them into this new design. Despite the transition from 2D to 3D, everything looks and feels as it should, and it’s easy to tell how intent the staff were in making sure to respect these very expectations, that they themselves felt the same as the consumers they were developing the title for. In short, you just feel the love. Sure, perhaps the graphics aren’t as remarkable as, say, Mario 3D Land or the recent Zelda remakes on the 3DS, but it’s still a lovely piece of work nonetheless!

And the animations? I’d say smooth as butter...

 

A Story Of Two Kingdoms

Prince Pietro has faced many challenges over the years, and each time the poor kid thought peace was ready to reign at last, something’s always happening to muck up his day. In the past, he fought demons and gods combined in the effort to save his mother and kingdom, (I’m not spoiling more than necessary!), and this time around it’s not only his kingdom, but his entire world resting on his shoulders! It’s the birthday of our Prince and his parents have invited many guests from far and wide, some well known to long time fans, and the royal family winds up encountering a strange visitor from another kingdom, a lovely lady with a crisis on her hands! A representative of her land, she seeks the help of Popolocrois in the hope of finding a cure for the darkness sapping her kingdom of all its nutrients, leaving every inch lifeless and barren causing endless suffering for its inhabitants. Knowing of magic capable of fending off this darkness, this visitor offers to teach it to anyone willing to go to her kingdom and aid in the cause of restoring life to the land. It’s a power only very special, very pure individuals can master, and it’s none other than the Prince who offers himself as a worthy challenger for the tasks ahead.

After a little debating, the representative agrees and decides to send Pietro to her kingdom using teleportation magic. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned and once Pietro gets warped away, the magic turns out to be a two way spell! And not only that, but the Prince was sent not only to a different kingdom, but an entirely different world! While sending Popolocrois’s finest hero away to a world now dead, this so-called representative turns two-faced and uses her spell to allow the darkness from her kingdom to invade Pietro’s world in his absence! Now, the Prince has to fight his way through a world on the brink of ruin, trying to find a way to save it despite the odds against him while simultaneously fighting to find a way back to his own! Two worlds on one kids shoulders... If he can handle that, I’m definitely naming mine after him!

So How Does This Story Pan Out?

Pretty well actually! In this game, you’re essentially learning what it’s like to no longer be the Prince you were in the rest of the franchise, training both you and Pietro at the same time to adjust to life as a nobody with a story so out there people think you’re from a loony bin. Throughout the game, you naturally meet new friends that will join your party to fight by your side, (despite thinking you’re a bit wacky for a time), and new enemies that will gladly wipe you out and anyone willing to help you. Along your travels in this world, you’ll learn what, or shall I say, who the darkness really is that’s destroying everything, you’ll meet several women that have a fling for you, and many more wacky good and bad folk. But despite the number of characters you meet, the game does well in giving them all a purpose, their own identities that make them memorable in their own ways to where, despite their numbers, you’ll never find yourself having to ask “who’s that again?” asides for a few random background NPC’s perhaps. (but who ever remembers them...?)

The old “where there’s darkness there’s light” motto fits into the tale as well. Down the line, you’ll discover the world is in a similar situation as Sonic Unleashed, as an easy reference. The darkness corrupting the land and killing everything can only be fought using the power of the ultimate source of light which was taken down through betrayal, and as a means of garnering your aid, you’re sweet talked by this being of light into a deal that if you save her, you’ll be given an easy path back to your own world while saving the one you’re trapped in simultaneously. See there? Simple enough to follow! Get tricked into being warped to a dead world, get used to folks thinkin’ you’re bat poop crazy. Receive an offer to restore the light, saving the world so you can get back to yours. (And you thought it’d get complicated)

THE GAME PLAY - TRAVELING AND BATTLING

In the Popolocrois series, the concept behind how the game plays has always revolved free roaming throughout many locations, while randomly encountering enemies for a quick fight, think roaming through grass in Pokemon, or traversing the lands in Dragon Quest as an easy reference. For the most part, you’re making your way through many expansive over worlds, filled to the brim with hidden things to collect, countless enemies to run into, many impressive settlements, and random inhabitants looking for a spot of help. The primary objective of the game revolves completing various key quests, with nearly 100 side quests available should you choose to delve into them as well for the sake of unlocking all the more content in the game! (And spending who knows how many hours 100%-ing the beast.) Of course for those wishing to breeze through, you’re more than welcome to focus solely on the bear necessities of the game to get by, as even following a straight shot from the start to finish lines will still guarantee you plenty of game time and fun just the same as going for 100%.

Asides the overworld itself, you’ve got plenty of dungeons to visit as well. Although they all share the same general design, ranging from forest, snowy, flowers, ground and ruins, each and every single one has a unique layout all its own despite the similar surroundings. Dungeons are accessed in most cases by diving into gardens using the magic of the guardians of the land you’ve helped throughout your travels. Shrinking you down in a Minimoys-esque style, you’re tasked with finding the demonic forces corrupting the fields throughout the land, in turn purifying the soil upon their defeat and enabling the land to thrive once more.

Once you’ve tracked down all of the demons corrupting an area of the game, (each with a design that will bring another franchise quickly into mind), you’ll be granted access to the temple of said area where the boss awaits you. In this game, each temple boss is a corrupted stone guardian of sorts, each sharing essentially the same design save for recolors, and once you defeat these guardians and return them to their former selves, you’re granted access to a sacred garden, the key locations used to restore the goddess of light back to her former glory.

Battles play out, as mentioned, in a very Disgaea-eque manner, consisting of a grid and turn based system. However, the title also puts a Fire Emblem twist in that makes your attacks have a cinematic flare. Naturally the game implements the mandatory level up system, (what’s wrong with you Paper Mario...?), and the higher your level, naturally the stronger you become and the better the attacks you obtain. There’s also an impressive partner system that allows you to perform attacks alongside your friends for a massive amount of damage, or for a much needed restoration/boost in your health/stats, and these partner attacks have a striking flare to them as well that makes their use both beneficial against your enemies, and worth using for the sake of seeing the animations/effects the staff worked on combined!

THE GAME PLAY - FARMING AND FORAGING

Ah... The humbling experience of starting life anew in a whole new world without a penny to your name and nothing but the generosity of those around you, (or perhaps pity...?). At the beginning, you’re given nothing but a tiny broken down shack to reside in and a miniscule bit of land to farm on. However, this aspect of the game is surprisingly well developed and has an enjoyable depth all its own! While you can tell it’s clear farming wasn’t the primary objective of this game, it was still given the same love and dedication you’d find in the Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons series nonetheless.

This game offers a very diverse selection of plants to grow considering it’s primary focus revolves adventuring, ranging from vegetables to fruits adding up to around 35 varieties to cultivate. What makes the farming so deep in this title is the fact that specific things grow on specific lands, requiring you to make use of the sacred lands you’ve purified on top of your own farm, so you’ll have to travel far and wide to become a master gardener! At first, traversing between locations suitable for planting can be a chore, what with needing to keep everything watered and such, luckily this is remedied fairly early in the game when the guardians of the land grant you the ability to teleport wherever you’ve already been to in their world, making it take a mere matter of seconds to journey between your farms! (And save you more time than you can imagine getting where you wanna go for whatever other reasons as well! This makes the quests a joyous breeze!)

Now, with the fact Popolocrois is an adventure series first and foremost, its traveling and fighting taking center stage, the staff remedied the possibility of neglecting your farms by implementing a handy dandy notification system. Whenever you’ve got plants needing care, be it a mater of watering or harvesting, a notice will pop up with a split second jingle to let you know it’s time to make a pit stop and rake in the cash for your hard work! Each notice will tell you what needs done and which farm needs your attention, so you’ll always know exactly what to do, where to do it, and find yourself right back in the swing of your adventure in no time! This title did a spectacular job of adding a whole new feature while making sure to avoid breaking up the pace. Be it in the fields or on the farms, you’re constantly on the move, working to fend off enemies one moment while working to keep your farms in A+ condition the next. Never a dull moment no matter which your preoccupied with!

The notification system works with your animals as well, as when in need of cleaning, milking/sheering, feeding and the like, you’ll get the heads up so your fuzzy and feathered friends are kept happy, healthy, and constantly producing the goods to further deepen your pockets! The ranching portion of the game is fairly well made as well.

Another surprising addition is the foraging centric portion of the game. Through mining the various stones lining the overworld, you’ve got the potential to craft around 600 items, each waiting to be discovered by your masterful material hunting prowess! And not only do you have the option of doing some digging for the sake of creating some handy/powerful items, you can also go about doing some bug catching in the random flowerbeds, which in turn earn you many rewards depending on how many you catch and the type! This game certainly has something for everyone, and while some aspects have more emphasis/depth than others, there’s always a bit of fun on the side to be had depending on your mood, be it a thirst for adventure, or just a laid back desire to see what the land around you has to offer.

And Then There’s The One About The Spoken For Prince Being A Ladies Man

In an effort to further combine the Popolocrois and Harvest Moon franchises, another interesting feature that was thrown in is the ability to befriend five blessed maidens, but it’s not so much befriending as it is outright wooing. Long time fans of the franchise would know Prince Pietro has a very prominent relationship with the little witch Narcia, and while the Prince is waltzing about this new world, he comes to meet the aforementioned maidens, each having been blessed by the goddess of light and a guarantee that, should Pietro form a strong enough bond with them, he will in turn be blessed himself!

During your travels, you’ll meet these ladies one by one, each designated to their own area/region of the game. To befriend them, it’s simply a matter of speaking to them regularly and giving them items they love most. Strangely enough, just as with farming/ranching, you’ll get a notification when one of the girls starts to miss you, giving you the heads up to pay them a visit so you can further improve your friendship. Throughout the process, the more they like you, the more they’ll take on a rather shy/flustered persona, clearly developing feelings for the Prince in ways far beyond that of just friends, (despite the Prince maintaining this level of interest in them leaving each girl stuck with one-sided emotions.)

Because of the fact Prince Pietro is well spoken for, this makes the inclusion of a romantic concept in the game both, complicated and uncomfortable, especially once Narcia eventually joins you in the apocalyptic world and is standing right there when speaking to these other women and presenting them with goodies, meanwhile you’ve no way of giving Narcia herself any gifts. I give kudos to Marvelous/XSEED for introducing such lovely and unique ladies, but at the same time it leaves the question of why they had to exist in a romantic sense rather than simply be there to befriend and stand out in other ways instead. The concept could’ve worked without making the poor kid a literal womanizer!

VOICE ACTING AND PACING

Voice actors, some are great, some not so much. And when it comes to animation from Japan, it’s sadly often the Japanese actors that best those of western origin by and large. (Even Ghibli suffers from this now and then in my opinion...) However, when it comes to the Popolocrois franchise this has luckily not been the case, as this title proves the focus on quality revolving those chosen for the cast hasn’t been forsaken! Throughout the tale, I constantly enjoyed Pietro, GamiGami, (dude with Eggman’s stache), White Knight and Lady Galariel, (her being the Goddess of Light in the game). And while those are my personal favorites, rest assured that by and large the rest of the cast are spot on as well. While taste in this case will naturally widely vary, rest assured the people chosen for this title gave it their absolute best, and it certainly showed in my eyes. (or ears...).

As far as the pacing of both the plot and the game itself goes, it’s fairly well balanced. There’s plenty to do that keeps you from progressing too fast, yet at the same time I never felt like it was going too slow either for the most part. The only iffy sections to me consist of the beginning and end of the title. At the beginning, it takes a bit of patience to get through the introduction/reintroduction’s of the plot/cast and training/retraining for the game ahead. Think of the Zelda series in this sense, where the game is chalk full of epic times, but you’ve just gotta get through the beginning first. Once you’ve done a little chatting and battling, and zapped yourself into the doomed world, the game quickly picks up in pace.

However, the end did feel a bit off to me. Out of the blue, it seems like the three you see here just suddenly lose it upon their final meeting, their characters kind of randomly jumping out the window in a split second and going insane to various degrees. While it’s clear this was intended from the start, it feels as though Return to Popolocrois was meant to be longer, at least another hour of length at least to flesh out their downfall into madness, rather than stable characters abruptly forsaking all of said stability for the sake of, what I believe, was a last minute push to garner some kind of emotion from both the cast, (which had been represented well up to this point), and the player, leaving you in a tough spot of understanding why what’s going on is happening while scratching your head simultaneously wondering (wait... what’s happening to you now?). It really takes witnessing this point in the game yourself to understand. The beginning and end aside, this entry definitely had a firm priority in managing itself fairly well so players could easily enjoy both the game and the plot without being bogged down nor’ left feeling empty/disappointed by either or.

CUSTOMIZATION AND LENGTH

Another feature this game certainly doesn’t lack is customization! To start off with, remember the topic above revolving voice actors and Japanese often besting the west in eastern/anime based content? Well, should you decide the English actors in this game don’t suit your taste/expectations, you’re free to switch between it and two different versions of the Japanese dub of the game at any time! With subtitles in English naturally... And you read that right. One version in Japanese features more traditional actors while the other features more modern day anime styled actors instead! (Don’t ask what that means, I got this from Marvelous/XSEED... You can hear a difference!).

You’re also free to customize the difficulty of the game based on your experience. It can be an easy as pie cakewalk for those a little more new to the genre/franchise, while those with a bolder attitude and more advanced level can take on the hardest setting. Another handy feature is that, based on both your amount of free time and your grinding preference, you can alter how frequently you run into enemies in the overworld/dungeons of the game. You can encounter monsters at a pretty average pace, or set the game so you’re swarming in challengers ready to take you down with every step you take! (well, pretty much anyways!) You can also choose the design of the very cast itself! The game features a thin black outline around each avatar in the game, and you can toggle it on or off should you prefer to play with everyone taking on a more cel-shaded look instead!

Now, last but not least, lets talk about exactly how much you’re getting for your buck... In this newest entry, the main game averages around 25 hours in length or so. However, with the aforementioned amount of optional quests and produce in mind, combined with all the potential collectibles and the like, you can easily get lost in this game for a number of weeks if you’re in it for more than just the core of the game itself. Spending your time trying to max out affection with the girls, buying all the souvenirs from all the shops, completing all 100 or so quests, collecting all 600 or so items... Believe you me, for those willing to stray off the main path, you’re gonna get caught up in this thing for a good, long time... I'm talkin’ Animal Crossing long, because when you play this game with 100%-ing in mind, that’s what it can start feeling like! (And I personally love it...)

With that out of the way, time for the grand finale!

TOTAL SCORE - 8 of 10 - It’s Great!

PLUS LIST

• Absolutely Gorgeous Albeit Old School Animated Cutscenes
• Delightful Soundtrack That Conveys Joy And Darkness Harmoniously
• Both The Fighting And Farming Work Surprisingly Well With Great Depth
• A Great Story With “Marvelous” Voice Acting
• Whether You Wanna Fight, Farm or Forage, There’s Always Something To Do
• An Ever Evolving World From The People You Help To The Farm You Grow
• Easy To Dive Into For Non-Fans With A Difficulty Setting And Recap At The Start
• A Clear Focus On New Gamers And A New Audience While Staying True To Seniors
• Descent Length For Speed Players - Incredible Length For Collectors!

NEGATIVE LIST

• Unbearably Short Compared To Past Entries
• The “Dead” World Doesn’t Convey This Concept Very Well
• Wooing The Women In This Game Feels Weird
• It Starts Off Fairly Slow And Perhaps A Tad Tedious At First
• Enemies Characters Suddenly Get Thrown Into Different Directions At The End
• Popolocrois Winds Up Far More Destroyed/Corrupted Than The “Dead” World
• Dungeons More Often Than Not Share The Same Backgrounds/Designs
• Temple Bosses Are All Essentially The Same In Design

Return to Popolocrois truly was just that, an extraordinary return to a beloved franchise of old. It lived up to its title in every way I could’ve hoped as a senior fan, except for one, its overwhelmingly short length in comparison to past entries. The first title on the PSP felt like it took forever for me to beat, but this time, although it was a grand return to the world I love, it was far too short lived... There’s just no comparison to the length of this title and the original, and that’s the kicker that hurt most of all... Nonetheless, despite the story being so short, the game offers an unbelievable amount of side content to make up for this issue, and while I still would’ve preferred the core of the game to have had far more girth to it, the side content certainly does its best to make up for this disappointment, and it does so rather well.

At first it was a shocker seeing Popolocrois combining with Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons elements combined into one game, and it had me fairly concerned. But once I got past the beginning of the game, everything quickly came together and it was easy as pie to get the hang of playing essentially two franchises in one game! Although the one sided romance aspect would’ve been better left out, I’m not one for playing as a main with a womanizer vibe, the girls you befriend are all adorable, well thought out, and worth getting to know as you pity them along your journey and wish you could give them a hug, while watching Narcia give that sly Pietro what for... And I thought you were a good kid!

The fighting and farming portions of the game both have incredible depth and effort put into them, resulting in a game that I daresay truly has the best of both worlds in my eyes. You’ve got plenty of stat boosters and weapons to find/construct for battle, and plenty of crops/animals to tend to when taking a break from the hustle and bustle of saving the world! The better your items and fighting prowess become, and the more your farm grows simultaneously, the more your world in Return to Popolocrois, and your enjoyment of it, evolve as a whole!

With the length of the original title in mind, the end of this game made it clear to me it should’ve had more length as well, but likely due to various limits this couldn’t be done resulting in a finale that’s extraordinary, yet at the same time lackluster, creating a mixed feeling of satisfaction by reaching the end, yet sadness there couldn’t have been more length put in to truly earn the display of insanity you witness while taking down your enemies...

Lastly, while not in the review itself, I’d like to point out that, while the plot revolves around the world you’re warped to being near its end, there’s a surprising level of life, ranging from both people to plants, thriving in the world, and the level of destruction seems minimal. Once you return to Popolocrois, you witness a world that should’ve been the one you traversed all along. Popolocrois becomes full of chaos during your absence, with eerie orbs of darkness surrounding you as the world dies before your eyes, your castle in ruins, engulfed by colossal vines like something out of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, and music that leaves you feeling all hope is near its end... I couldn’t help but stop and think at this point in the game that this was the world I should’ve been witnessing/restoring all along.

Nonetheless, despite the issues mentioned, this game was truly a pleasure for me to play, a thrill to complete, and no matter its shortness and faults, was worth every single penny paid! I encourage fans of RPG’s and simulators alike to get on the eShop, or visit your nearest game retailer, as soon as you’ve got the spare coinage in hand to give the spectacular Return to Popolocroise - A Story of Seasons Fairytale title a shot!