Developer: Ancient Publisher: Sega Released: 1996 Genre: Action Rpg Platform: Saturn
Beyond Oasis was an unexpected surprise at the end of the Genesis’ life. Action Rpgs were rare on the system so to receive an excellent one so late in its lifespan was welcome. Not only did it dazzle with stellar art and unique mechanics but it also showed that Ancient could do more than pump out Streets of Rage. Legend of Oasis would appear a year later, a quick turnaround but not cause for alarm. It improves on its predecessor in some ways while regresses in others but is otherwise a solid sequel in a long forgotten series.
Sequel isn’t totally appropriate. Legend of Oasis is actually a prequel to the events of the first game. The game tells the story of the first wielders of the Gold and Silver armlet. In the land of Aquaria a man named Ordan finds the Gold Armlet and gives it to his apprentice Leon, who is to be the next Spirit King. But as soon as Leon sets out on his quest events play out that pit him against the Dark wizard Agito and his forces that seek his resurrection.
While similar to Beyond Oasis Legend of Oasis has many small tweaks. The first is its weapon system. Beyond Oasis pairs its weapons down to four. These weapons are no longer temporary and upgrade throughout the course of the adventure. The same brawler based combat system makes a welcome return as it keeps battling enemies fresh. The game goes a step further by keeping each weapon relevant by tying certain skills to each. The rod can destroy trees and empowered to purify the undead while the knife is actually the best in general combat thanks to its spinning slash. You no longer keep an inventory of items outside of potions. Food is automatically consumed and the game does a good job of dropping produce frequently. This is to keep your health up but mostly to refill your magic gauge.
The spirit system was Beyond Oasis’ best feature but also frustrating as they drained your MP so fast. In Legend of Oasis spirits drain so little MP that you can keep summon them almost indefinitely. The four elemental spirits return with two more in their ranks, the spirits of sound and air. The spirit’s abilities have been significantly expanded. Aside from their environmental effects they can also empower your weapons in unique ways such buffing arrows to pierce stone and metal or giving the sword elemental properties. These abilities see heavy use in the game’s dungeons as the puzzles have seen their share of enhancements.
The dungeons in Legend of Oasis are its greatest strength. That is fitting as they comprise nearly the entire game. The puzzles have grown in complexity, stretching across multiple rooms and floors compared to the first game’s single room affairs. Each new spirit gives the game the opportunity to use their abilities in esoteric ways. It is amazing how intricate the dungeons are considering some only comprise five or six rooms. Yet the need to keep track of switches and objects that only certain elements can bypass adds a layer of complexity that can make a dungeon take hours to complete.
While the dungeons are part of what make Legend of Oasis fun they are also a source of frustration. Most of the puzzles are straightforward but the game can be a bit abstract at times. Zelda succeeds because it provides just enough of a clue that you can figure it out on your own. Here the game offers very few hints, meaning when you are stuck, you’re stuck. The lack of a map makes the dungeons a slog as rooms have multiple layers and are not as well laid out as they should be. More than likely you will need to consult a strategy guide frequently which is never a good sign.
The expanded dungeons also come at the expense of the overworld. There is barely a world map, with few screens that lead to the game’s dungeons. This is a disappointment as the first game was laden with secrets. The lack of an expansive overworld hurts the game in the fact that dungeon entrances are within other dungeons. This means trudging through the majority of old dungeons just to progress. It isn’t until the very end of the game that a shortcut option is available. But by then it is near worthless unless you really feel the need to find all of the elemental gems.
Beyond Oasis was a beautiful game late in the Genesis’ life. Legend of Oasis looks even better, for the most part. The environments are gorgeous and seamlessly blend in to one another. The sprites are larger and the animation has been upgraded significantly, so much in fact the game has to load when switching weapons. The game makes use of scaling but unfortunately it simply takes the same sprite and enlarges it, turning it into an ugly pixelated mess. The ambient music in Beyond Oasis was not bad but didn’t stand out. The soundtrack here goes further in that direction and is sadly completely unmemorable.
In Closing
Legend of Oasis is an improvement on its predecessors in some ways and a regression in others. Overall Legend of Oasis is a solid action RPG that is still worth your time and much better than Shining Wisdom. But it could have been better.
