If there was ever a better way to spend $40, you’ve got it with SCEA’s Rogue Galaxy. Developed by Level-5 (known for Dark Cloud 2 and most recently Dragon Quest VIII), Rogue Galaxy takes you on a grand adventure that’s fast-paced and easy to pick up.

You start the game as a young man named Jaster Rogue, who grew up an orphan on a remote desert planet whose biggest dream is to leave his homeworld and explore the galaxy wile liberating his home from a galactic empire. Sounds pretty clichéd, but trust me, there’s nothing 2-dimensional about this adventure. Jaster gets his wish when he crosses paths with a pair of pirates that are tracking down the greatest hunter in the galaxy. Some silliness ensues and Jaster finds himself making the decision that changes his life – journeying into space!

At first glance, Rogue Galaxy may jump out at you as yet another mediocre RPG but once you put the controller in your hands and enter your first sets of battles (cleverly disguised as the game’s tutorial), you realize this is a rare gem in the rough. Rogue Galaxy has a very unique battle system that combines traditional turn-based elements and meshes fast-paced action elements that everyone loves. You have full control over the fighting system and combined with smart AI controls, battles flow smoothly and quickly. To add a little authenticity to the game, suggestions will be offered to you to better enhance combat.

The battle system centers around hack-and-slash gameplay tied in with spellcasting and a critical attack mode known as “Burning Strike” that adds a unique flair to the overall look and feel of the game. Your party is made up of 3 members who each have their own fighting style ranging from swordplay to gun blasting to archery, and every member contributes something to the overall cause (hence, no redundant characters that serve as filler). Your characters will also learn new skills and abilities through a grid-based level system known as the Revelation Flow that gives a new twist to an old system that we’ve seen before. While you play, all of your inactive party members will gain experience points as well, eliminating the need to waste time keeping everyone leveled up. The Burning Strike technique, once unlocked, adds new depth to the hack-and-slash formula. By following precise inputs on the controller your characters unleash devastating chain attack combos on your foes injecting some spectacular splash to the battle sequences.
Spellcasting in Rogue Galaxy is somewhat different from most other games. Your characters use unique abilities to assist in the fights and you can even cancel out the animation sequences for each action when a spell is casted, but be warned, using your “magicks” will cost you. Every spell costs you “ability points” (AP) and once ability points are used, the only way to get them back is to use an item that replenishes them. There is no natural regeneration of AP in this game. Also, there is no designated healer in this game, so you will find yourself using potions to heal yourself (sometimes a lot of them) or you can find teleporters which serve as fast ways of travel throughout the zones, save points, and healing spots for the entire team.

Jaster and team will travel the galaxy to many planets and meet friends along the way. Also, a conspiracy will be uncovered that will spell certain doom for all the inhabitants of the free world. And let’s not forget about the minigames, particularly the Insectron. Pokemon + Chess = Insectron. In this game, you capture and raise bugs and then place them in battle against other opponents. Also, hunting down and slaying different types of quarry will move you up in the ranks of the Hunter’s Guild where you get an opportunity to make a name for yourself throughout the galaxy. The minigames in Rogue Galaxy are completely optional and not required to complete this game. But who doesn’t want to have fun along the way?

Rogue Galaxy is a very solid adventure game that’s actually an RPG in disquise. It’s cut and polish shines brightly in the darkness of the whole “been there, done that” trend of RPGs with unique characters and hidden surprises along the way. The only real flaw with the game is the camera controls during combat, but it’s never enough to make you throw up your hands in disgust. And, if you have to put the game down for any reason, when you come back, you get an up to the minute recap of where you left off. Rogue Galaxy is an instant hit and rounds out the last few RPG entries for the Playstation 2.

If the gameplay doesn’t already have your mouth watering to give this instant classic a try, maybe the attention to detail that has been put into the game will. When was the last time you received an up to the moment recap of what you were doing since the last time you saved? That’s right, very similar to an instant replay, if you put down the game for longer than a night or two, Rogue Galaxy plugs you back into its world with a brief update on what you were doing last time you played. Beautifully rendered graphics and outstanding cel-shaded character designs are just the icing on the cake in Rogue Galaxy. The presentation of rogue Galaxy gives you the feeling of playing a story instead of playing a game and in the world of cookie-cutter RPGs, that cannot be ignored.