From: it05+@andrew.cmu.edu (Isao Takeda)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video
Subject: PCEngine: Valis 4 (first impressions)
Date: 16 Apr 92 20:03:35 GMT
Organization: Senior, Physics, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA


	Hello, 

	I just played PCEngine Valis 4.  This is a great game.


	Plot:  After Yuko ascended to Perfect World (play Valis 3 for more
details), planet Earth had been peaceful.  Tranquility did not last too
long.  A mad emperor Gull-Gear (It was written in Japanese, so I am not
too sure of the spelling.), who had been exiled by god for his wielding
the immense power of Ring of Titan, finally broke the seal and conquered
Earth and Vecanti, a mystic world ruled by Queen Valna (She was a
princess and a co-main character in Valis 3.).  Gull-Gear kidnapped
Queen Valna and the day of execution of Valna has come.  The best
warrior of resistance army, Lena, tries to get a permission from Cham,
now a leader of the resistance army and a former co-main character of
Valis 3, to rescue Valna.  Cham does not let Lena do such a risky thing.
 Lena claims that she would rather die fighting than being a sitting
duck.  Suddenly Cham hears Yuko's voice, saying "Cham, let Lena do what
she thinks she should do."  Iam (I am not too sure of the spelling.), a
little sister of Lena, follows Lena, just because "she has nothing
better to do".  They later meet Asfur, father of Gull-Gear, who wants to
join the party to defeat his son.  

	

	The music is as good as anything I have heard on any game.  There is no
question about the sound quality of music.  (What do you expect from
CD?)  The tunes remind me of Valis 2 and Valis 3.  
	Cinema displays are well-animated.  Thank god that I can understand
Japanese.  Cinema displays are not so fun if you don't know what they
are saying.  If you understand Japanese, you would immediately start not
liking Iam.  
	
	Graphics are good, if not spectacular.  It has several layers of
parallax, which I don't see on too many TurboGrafx (PCEngine) games. 
The colors are not too bright, yet not too dark either.  So far, I have
not seen a slowdown (It does not say much becaues there aren't too many
moving objects.). 
	

	The gameplay is very good.  You can use any of the three characters
(Lena, Iam, Asfur) at any time (at least up to stage 3).  In Valis 4,
characters are more specialized than those in .  I can win Genesis Valis
3 using any character at any place because charcters in Genesis Valis 3
have same moves and almost identical weapons.  In Valis 4, you must
learn to use three very unique characters.  You have to use Lena's
slide, Iam's spin jump (not unlike somersault jump in Genesis Revenge of
Shinobi), and Asfur's ultra Nike shoes at certain points.  
	
	I am sure that many people complained that characters do NOT become
invincible when they slide in Genesis Valis 3.  Well, in Valis 4, the
character (only Lena can slide) becomes invincible when she slides.  
	
	Lifebar in Valis 4 is much shorter than that in Genesis Valis 3. This
may make Valis 4 slightly harder than Genesis Valis 3. 

	In Genesis Valis 3, each character can choose from 3 different magic
attacks to cast (freeze, smart bomb, zap), while each character can use
only 1 type of magic (smart bomb for Iam, zap for Lena, and probably
freeze for Asfur) at several different levels of effectiveness in Valis
4.  You have to collect MP items to gain more Magic Points in Genesis
Valis 3.  Magic Points keep on increasing automatically until you get
hit and lose all the Magic Points in Valis 4.  

	

	I have just started playing this game, therefore these are my initial
impressions.  I may have to change my opinions later.  

	
	Valis 4: (first impressions)

	Graphics: 7.6 (nice parallax and no slowdown, but not too many moving objects)
	Sound: 9 (CD sound is spectacular, as usual)
	Music: 8 (nice tunes)
	Cinemas: 8 (Lena in full motion looks hot)
	Playability & Difficulty : 8 (not too frustrating, not a cakewalk
either, very fun)
	Overall : 8 (a very good game indeed)



	

	IST, a proud member of the master race --- human race.