First off, I would like to mention that prior to this review, I read
reviews sent by other people on this site, as well as others. From
what was mentioned, I was afraid that Sonic Team let its fans down,
especially after the beautiful NiGHTS. I postponed buying the game
at first, but ultimately, I went with my instincts, believing that Sonic
Team would not let its fans down, and bought the game. After two
days or so of play, this is what I have to say :
In the area of graphics, there is clipping, as expected, but that is
normal in 3D games on any system, even though magazines don't mention
it. There is good reason for that because the levels (missions) in
Burning Rangers are SO BIG! There are lots of polygons on screen at
once, especially in rooms with multi-level floors, which can suddenly
collapse on you, just like in a real fire. The lightsourcing and
transparency effects to complement the numerous explosions and fire traps
are really AWESOME. Furthermore, the character designs are great,
with each character having his/her own personalities, and so are the level
designs. I have only gotten to the second mission so far, which
involves underwater exploration. But from what I have seen, I am
confident that each of the four missions is diverse and loaded with
different effects which have to be seen to be appreciated. It is
just to overwhelming to describe with words. The clipping, unlike
what others have said, does not bother me one bit nor does it take away
from the gameplay. I mean, NiGHTS had clipping also and Burning
Rangers is so much larger and more involved than NiGHTS. The one
thing that I didnt' like, however, was the pixelization that occured with
flames; however, this is a minor flaw in my opinion. (9/10)
The control in Burning Rangers is one of its strongest points. I
have read reviews about the auto jump feature being annoying, but it isn't
and is a must for the game because it helps u escape from floors that
suddenly collapse. Also, it makes jumping from platform to platform
or object to object easier. I find it to be of great help and a very
nice addition to the game. The movement of the characters is awkward
at first, but if u have played Mario 64, it should be easy to adapt to
because the characters are free to roam around anywhere they want. I
have not tried playing it with the regular controll pad yet, so I don't
know what it is like. With the analog pad, however, the control is
great. The camera angles are manually controlled, with the exception
of a few places where it is preset to increase visibility and/or gameplay
aspects. Furthermore, all of the characters have the ability to
jump, double jump, roll to the side, flip backwards, etc. with the aid of
their boosters. Players will definitely love how this is done.
(9/10)
In regards to music, it is fine and suits the game perfectly.
There is not much of it, though. Instead, there is alot of dialogue
going on, and, of course, it is in Japanese. I, for one, think that
the voice acting is great and adds personality to the characters, as well
as the game. This is essential because if for some reason u get lost
during the game or don't know what to do, the voices can really help out -
that is, if u understand Japanese. The lack of music during the
missions is perfect and adds a really nice touch to the overall atmosphere
and "seriousness" of the game. Again, I found it to be really cool.
(8.5/10)
Gameplay is where Burning Rangers really shines. It is very
similar to that of NiGHTS. There is a grading system, just like in
NiGHTS, and collecting of crystals are very crucial to the game because of
several reasons : it aids in the teleportation of the rescued people and
keeps u alive. The intensity of the game is great because fires
burst out of walls unexpectedly sometimes and even cause a chain reaction,
creating bigger flames. It is more complicated than NiGHTS and
involves more exploration. If u can imagine what a fire fighting is
like, then that u have a pretty good idea of how the gameplay is.
But, in my honest opinion, I think the gameplay is perfect and much better
than that of NiGHTS. (9.5/10)
Overall, I believe that Burning Rangers is so much better than NiGHTS.
There are so many things that I have left out because it is just hard to
describe. This is a game that has to been seen and played to be
appreciated. I followed my instincts when I decided to buy this
game, and now I know for sure that Sonic Team does not let its fans
down. This is without a doubt, one of the greatest games of all
time, as well as innovative, eclipsing NiGHTS.
