DS #1957: From the Abyss (Japan)

[pakoito]

Can you choose your chara class?

Push your button as fast as you can to 1) kill the enemy 2) regain hp and 3) get skills from the enemy.

Class-based lifesteal spell?

 

[Shanshobo]

Looks hot! Why wouldn't they release it in the West too, Shanshobo?

Because I'm a pessimist

 

[gh0ul]

look really cool, i thought it was secret of mana when i first saw it. cmon english version

 

[LiQuid!]

I need this. Bad.

 

[Strider]

Can you choose your chara class?

Push your button as fast as you can to 1) kill the enemy 2) regain hp and 3) get skills from the enemy.Class-based lifesteal spell?

You can select one of four characters, then a color (I don't think it makes a difference otherwise).
I only played the first guy yet, but I think it's a base skill which everyone has. The guy I play has a sword at the beginning though, and the game website shows the 4 characters having a sword, axe, bow and staff. I suppose this and starting stats will be the main difference.

Oh and I forgot to mention:

Random 'dungeons'! Yay!

 

[Master Mo]

Someone should make a game like this with online coop-multiplayer...

would be awsome...

 

[vinikun]

Local multiplayer at all? Seems like a great candidate for something like that...

 

[Extreme Coder]

If this gets multiplayer, then its teh win!

 

[eife]

for 2 players it seems (maybe more?), yes

 

[diglett]

Looks like Children of Mana, but not as good. Here's a preview:

We initially dismissed From the Abyss when Famitsu announced the title last October -- partly because it seemed like a drop in the ocean of generic RPGs coming out in Japan, and partly because we saw that the studio developing the game is "Sonic Powered." To be honest, we're not familiar with any of Sonic Powered's previous work, but we took its name as a signal to immediately bail out.

It turns out that Sonic Powered has nothing to do with the hedgehog of the same name, and From the Abyss actually has some interesting merits -- it's a 2D ARPG in the same vein as the Seiken Densetsu (Mana) series, styled to look very much like Children of Mana, though with less polish. After answering a set of questions to create your pseudo-personal character, you'll be able to fight enemies with a variety of weapons/magic and capture their souls to gain their skills. Apparently, some ancient seal has been broken, monsters are now roaming the land, and yadda yadda story.

There's even a two-player cooperative mode, but it's limited to local play, and it appears that you'll be playing in a special dungeon as opposed to the main campaign. Hella lame, we agree. From the Abyss hits Japan early next year on January 17th. You can see the game's boxart and some screenshots in the gallery below.

 

[Strider]

2-player wifi.

 

[dudereno]

Well I'm surprised by this title. If you like your button mashing dungeon crawlers then this is not too bad. The first few levels the enemies seem rather soft and don't move around too much. Once you reach the third world things are much more tougher. You have enemies that cast all manner of attacks from world winds to hex spell which stop you from casting your own spells. So if you have a weak character that relies on the health boost spell it could mean curtains if you find yourself in a corner.

Not a bad game and a decent time waster till Advance Wars hits next week.

 

[eife]

Personaly, i find it better than children of mana, wich was REALLY repetitive, with no competence (spell or special attacks) at all...

It's quite good so far (3rd level 4th floor)

 

[Hadrian]

Looks like yet another generic RPG game, I hope I'm wrong and that I could enjoy a English version one day.

 

[Lumstar]

I think it'll get an English version. The track record for DS has been fairly good on stuff like this.

 

[Szyslak]

I've only just started playing this, but so far, it looks really good! The combat is fun, the graphics are GBA quality Mana ripoffs, and the menu system is very useful. I really like the tabs. More games should use the bottom screen for tabs like this.

I hope this remains playable with no Japanese knowledge as the game progresses. This could be a winner in my book.

You gotta love an ARPG where the monsters bounce off each other and cause damage. Fantastic.

 

[LiQuid!]

On the town screen, the second icon from the right is a tutorial for gameplay too. That's how I learn how to use the first skill.

The only thing too hard too understand for me is the first icon on the left (in town). You can save here (pretty useful ^^), but I don't understand the others options.

I think i'll play it a bit or more....

The far left icon in town seems to be a storage place.

Left most is deposit, middle is withdraw right is save

In the deposit and withdraw menus, left is items and right is skills.

...I think. Damn moon language.

Next from the left in the town is the shop. Menus as follows:

Weapons > Armor > Accesories
Items > Magic/Powerful Equips(?)

Middle icon in town is talking to random NPC's. Not sure what this is for yet...

So far it's been pretty easy to figure stuff out without knowing even one syllable in JPN... Fighting is pretty fun too. I'm gonna play some more now!

 

[Deleted User]

Someone should make a game like this with online coop-multiplayer...

would be awsome...

FFCC:Rings of Fate ....maybe. We can hope.

 

[Torte]

At this stage, I'd take any GBA-looking RPG for the DS; the system is still disappointly lacking in this dept!

 

[enarky]

Yuck. The title font looks awful. Completely out of proportion, looks like something a fifthgrader would paint. Or one of those people who make logos for those generic black metal bands.