The first-person RPG series for the Playstation, King's Field, was always an acquired taste, so it seemed a weird choice for a PS2 launch title. The straightforward dungeon crawl is not compelling so much as it is rhythmic and relaxing to explore. Remarkably, Eternal Ring looks precisely like its forebears, but without the blocky graphic. You move through castles and dungeons, hacking and spellcasting at carnivorous plants, slime pods, and ghost-like apparitions. Movement is faster (thankfully), but the walls are often composed of bland, oft-repeated textures.
This action/adventure/RPG tries to be an anime epic, but it ends up being a nice idea that is poorly thought through. The hero Orphen and his band of four embark on satisfying a series of personal quests. His wisecracks fall pretty flat, and the other characters and plotting are about as deep as a lesser Speed Racer episode. The battle system is downright frustrating, as the player stays frozen in place while the enemies skirt about the screen. Another mode of combat, story mode, does allow for movement around enemies. These limitations undercut any feeling of interactivity. The game does have attractive graphics, especially in spellcasting, but it isn't enough to make up gameplay that is either frustrating or bland.
For PC players, this real-time strategy game set in 16th to 19th century Japan may be the sleeper hit among PS2 launch titles. In one level of the game, managing officers and forces, the play is turn-based. Battles are in real-time, and they are classic pre-modern conflicts. Individual cavalry, foot soldiers, longer-ranged artillery and leaders are marshaled into flanking maneuvers, barrages, etc. over vast terrain. The pace is quite slow, which on the one hand makes the RTS engine manageable but also extends some of these contests for up to an hour. But the battle scenes themselves are stunning to watch, and Koei knows how to lay on the history for an involving experience.