Sands of Destruction is a solid RPG with a good battle system that is fun to use – once you get it all figured out. The upgrade system also takes a while to get your head around, but you'll appreciate how it allows you to guide the evolution of your party. But those random battles have got to go. They just make the game feel old, even while it tries to innovate in other areas. The story unfolds too slowly (especially at the poorly paced beginning), but the narrative is interesting and the strong voice work draws you in deeper than you might expect. While not the strongest JRPG on the DS, Sands of Destruction is still a decent play.
Presentation - 7.5
Graphics - 7.0
Sound - 8.5
Gameplay - 7.0
Lasting Appeal - 7.5
Overall -
Jay delves into the past & reviews an NDS missed gem
Oprainfall writes:
"When I first discovered the wonders of watching anime on Netflix, one of the first series that caught my eye was Sands of Destruction. The heroes want to destroy the world? And it’s produced by SEGA?! I was intrigued, since I’d already enjoyed some Square Enix-published animes (Soul Eater and Fullmetal Alchemist). Once I was finished, I did a little research, hoping to find more of SEGA’s work, and discovered that Sands of Destruction was actually adapted from a Nintendo DS game of the same name. And thus, my journey with this RPG began."
I remember, before this came out, the hype was through the roof because a few people from Xenogears were involved. Ugh. This piece here couldn't be more true:
http://rpgland.com/uncatego...
It goes for all kinds of overhyping, really.
"Nintendo’s handheld system has been home to many incredible titles, including some that pushed the boundaries of genres and paved the way for touchscreen gaming. On the flipside, many of the system’s most promising games ultimately failed to live up to expectations and left us feeling a disappointed, underwhelmed, and possibly a little cheated." - GameZone
I really enjoyed 'Hotel Dusk.' It made me nostalgic for the point-and-click PC adventure games of the 90's.
Scribblenauts never lived up to the hype for me, I didn't quite get all the praise to The World Ends With You either.
i guess super scribblenauts getting critical acclaim everywhere was bad huh? stupid article
Hotel Dusk is to date my favourite DS title and is a fantastic game. Its Sequel is also and incredible thought-provoking hand-held title. Both games grip you, I was unable to stop playing both until completion.
Hmm. Interesting... I had sort of written this one off, but maybe I'll give it at least a rental.