''The Sword of Etheria'' is an
action role-playing game developed and published by
Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
, is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has casinos ...
. It was originally released on June 30, 2005 for
PlayStation 2 as (''Over Zenith'') in Japan, and as ''Chains of Power'' in Korea, followed by its release in Europe on February 24, 2006. The game was not released in North America. It was reprinted in Japan on January 26, 2006 as part of the "Konami the Best" budget label.
Plot
Setting
''The Sword of Etheria'' is set in an alternate world where humans, gods, and spiritual beings known as "Katenas" coexist. Katenas are powerful warriors with the ability to encase themselves in full suits of armor called "Lexes". The Katenas are the envoys of the gods. The three great Katenas, chosen by the gods, are collectively referred to as "Oz".
Both humans and Katenas are overseen by the gods. As in
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...
, the gods are described as omnipotent, ambitious, self-serving, and power-hungry. The major source of their power is light; as they consume light, they cast parts of the world into darkness for centuries. The gods seek to destroy humanity and drain the planet's energy source, "Etheria".
Story
The story begins with three Katenas—Cain, Leon, and Almira—on a mission to investigate a physical manifestation of Etheria on the earth's surface. As they approach the apex of their mission, Almira and Leon lose control of their armor, forcing Cain to proceed alone. Cain then vanishes.
The game shifts forward fifteen years later to Fiel ("Feel" in the Japanese version), a boy who lived with his younger sister, Dorothy, and their cat, Toto. Their village is attacked by monsters called "Volo" and a group of Katenas. Dorothy is kidnapped during the attack. Fiel manages to recruit the aid of Almira and Leon, and together, they head out to rescue Dorothy. During their journey, they constantly face danger and obstacles under the eyes of the gods.
Characters
The story revolves around three main characters:
* Fiel: the main male protagonist, who carries a large, powerful axe
* Almira: a female Katena with a spear
* Leon: a male Katena with a large claw on his left arm
Their mission is to save Fiel's sister, Dorothy, who was kidnapped by monsters. Dorothy's cat, Toto, has the ability to transform into a Lex, becoming the source of Fiel's Katena-like powers.
Throughout the game, the protagonists fight three other Katenas–Vitis, Galumn, and Juju–who are under the influence and control of the gods.
Gameplay
''The Sword of Etheria'' is presented in a third-person perspective, with players controlling the actions of the main character, Fiel, such as interaction with objects and people. Players control Fiel during the battle while Almira and Leon are
AI-controlled. The three characters fight in various surroundings including forests, villages, and dungeons. Each character is assigned a
health gauge. If a character's health is reduced to zero, he or she will be incapacitated and forced to recover before returning to the battle. Drawing inspiration from the
beat 'em up
The beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, ...
genre, the game's combat style revolves around performing
combos
Combos, officially called Combos Stuffed Snacks, are cylindrical tubes of cracker, pretzel, or tortilla, available with various fillings.
History
Combos Snacks, created in the early 1980s, are a snack food distributed by Mars, Incorporated, and ...
on enemies. Enemies can be launched into the air to perform
juggle combos, and players can accept aid from their partners for additional hits.
The game also features a "tension gauge" on the right side of the screen. This gauge indicates the player's performance level with combos. The gauge increases when aerial combos are chained and decreases as the player's momentum falls. When the gauge is full, the player will have the ability to perform a powerful "deathblow" attack, combining the party's force to deal extensive damage to the enemies. The level of the gauge increases as the game proceeds, allowing the player to use more powerful attacks. At its highest level, a filled gauge displays the text "Over Zenith," signifying that the strongest deathblow can be performed.
''The Sword of Etheria's'' storyline is divided into chapters, and each chapter features
multiple possible endings depending on a player's actions. For example, an alternate version of the game's ninth chapter features the three main characters portrayed as characters from ''
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the magical Land of Oz afte ...
'', with Fiel as the
Tin Man, Almira as the
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...
and Leon as the
Lion. There is also an additional unlockable story in which Dorothy is playable as the main character.
The game also features an option of costume change for the characters. These costumes can be purchased during the gameplay and they resemble costumes from various
Konami
, is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has casino ...
games, including ''
Suikoden III'', ''
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence'', and ''
Silent Hill 3
''Silent Hill 3'' is a 2003 survival horror game developed by Team Silent, a group in Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and published by Konami. The game was released from May to August, originally for the PlayStation 2. The third installme ...
''.
Development
Many members of ''The Sword of Etheria'' development team also worked on the ''
Castlevania'' and ''
Suikoden'' series. The director and producer, Junichi Murakami, directed ''
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow'', while the composer,
Michiru Yamane
is a Japanese video game composer and pianist. Yamane's musical style draws on baroque, classical and rock traditions, with both Johann Sebastian Bach and Yellow Magic Orchestra as prominent influences. She is best known for her two decades ...
, worked on the music.
Fumi Ishikawa designed characters for ''
Suikoden II.''
''The Sword of Etheria's'' music was composed by Yamane and arranged by Naoto Suzuki. The game's soundtrack was commercially released in a two-disc format on July 20, 2005 in Japan. The soundtrack features an arranged version of the song ''
Polovtsian Dances
The Polovtsian Dances, or Polovetsian Dances ( rus, Половецкие пляски, Polovetskie plyaski from the Russian "Polovtsy"—the name given to the Kipchaks and Cumans by the Rus' people) form an exotic scene at the end of act 2 of Alex ...
'', played during the opening sequence of the game, performed by Martha Matsuda. A remixed version of the song was featured in another
Konami
, is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has casino ...
game, ''
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2
''Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2'' is the tenth home version of Dance Dance Revolution to be released in the United States. It was released by Konami on September 28, 2005 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It was announced in a press re ...
'', along with footage from ''The Sword of Etheria.'' As the game was released in Europe and Japan, it was not released in the United States.
Reception
The game was well-received in Japan, receiving a 31/40 score in the ''
Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the f ...
'' magazine. However, ''The Sword of Etheria'' received more mediocre reception upon its release in Europe, as
Eurogamer
''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson.
Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EG ...
's Simon Parkin called the translation of the European release "disastrous" but praised the combat as extremely rewarding although repetitive.
''PALGN''s Jeremy Jastrzab commended the use of the game's music as a stylish and unconventional presentation but made a note on the poor graphics environments, saying that players are usually surrounded by either dull corridors or barren landscapes.
References
External links
*
''The Sword of Etheria''at
MobyGames
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sword Of Etheria, The
2005 video games
Action role-playing video games
Fantasy video games
Hack and slash games
Konami games
PlayStation 2 games
PlayStation 2-only games
RenderWare games
Video games scored by Michiru Yamane
Transforming heroes
Video games developed in Japan