Illusion of Gaia is a 16-bit action RPG from Quintet, following Will’s world-spanning search across Incan ruins, the Great Wall and the Tower of Babel. The full game was completed with all fifty red jewels and all six Mystic statues collected.
The story is a highlight, with Will’s search for his lost father driving a world-tour structure of memorable set pieces. The shipwreck drift, the village that sacrificed a pig and the Ancestor Wat jungle all stick in the memory.
The transformation system gives the combat real variety, with Freedan the Dark Knight offering higher defence and strength, and Shadow the Ultimate Warrior dealing devastating damage. Each form changes how encounters play out.
The area-clearing levelling loop is a neat twist on the usual system, with upgrades earned by clearing all enemies in a location instead of gathering experience points. The finite enemies mean once an area is cleared, respawning is never a concern.
The presentation holds up, with an interesting art style and a hair-blowing-in-the-wind clue pointing toward hidden rooms. The slow text on important pickups adds a nostalgic touch, and the world map mystery is appreciated despite the lack of an explorable Overworld.
Will’s combat is the biggest gripe, with very short range and low toughness, and the sprint mechanic on slopes is unreliable. The final gauntlet lacks a save point between bosses, healing items are scarce, and Shadow unlocks with little game left to use it.
Overall, the story, the transformations and the clearing-based progression make this one hell of a classic. The short-range combat and slope sprinting are the caveats.