Gamertell

Title: Avalon Code
Price: $34.99
System(s): DS
Release Date: March 10, 2009
Publisher (Developer): Marvelous Entertainment / XSEED Games (Matrix Software)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone 10+” for Fantasy Violence and Mild Language
Pros: Incredibly customizable characters and world, wonderful story, interesting book interface on the bottom screen
Cons: You’re very fragile initially, searching through book entries can be tedious, you can only store four extraneous codes at once
Overall Score: Two thumbs up, 94/100, A, * * * * out of 5

What do you get when you combine the action and puzzles of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and Zelda, with the collection elements of Pokemon and the socializing from Harvest Moon or Persona 4? Avalon Code. And that isn’t even mentioning all of the mini-game aspects.

Matrix Software, Marvelous Entertainment and XSEED have really stumbled onto something special with Avalon Code. The game uses some familiar game devices, but feels like something fresh and new. The story is unusual, the way you progress through the game is inspired. It’s a joy to play. Even though some of the NPCs are stereotypical characters, the fact that you can “fix” the heroes and heroines revitalizes them as well.

Save the world by whacking everything with a book.

As usual, we have a young, teenage hero or heroine (the player gets to choose) who unexpectedly is picked to save the world. While relaxing outside of town, The Book of Prophesy suddenly appears before him/her, along with the fire spirit Rempo. The world has apparently been corrupted beyond hope of repair, and so the book has appeared. The chosen one has to go around cataloging everything by whacking it with the book. When the world is ultimately destroyed, the book will survive and everything inside will be preserved.

So, you’re tasked with filling up the book. This means you have to go everywhere, see everything and smack stuff repeatedly with a blunt object. Of course there are some evil villains to encounter, people to assist and secrets to uncover along the way as well - it wouldn’t be a good RPG if there weren’t.

Warning: Extensive play of Avalon Code may result in OCD.

Avalon Code proceeds like this - the game is divided into chapters. At the beginning of each chapter, there’s a brief foreshadowing telling what’s going to happen in a cryptic manner. Once the chapter begins, it follows a recurring pattern. Talk to people in town, go out into the field defeating monsters while journeying to a dungeon, defeat certain goals in each room of the dungeon (light torches, throw switches, defeat all enemies, etc) and then fight the boss.

Despite having that sort of framework around it, the game does allow for some freedom. When you’re in the period where you talk to people in town, you can go back and revisit areas, take quests from NPCs and also check out areas that the book has prophesized will have activity. In order to move on to the dungeon portion, you have to engage in some sort of conversation or perform some action, so you run no risk of accidentally making the story progress without your permission.

The book is quite possibly the best part of Avalon Code, and it’s always with you on the bottom screen. It has a memo section to take notes, you can see all the maps, you can change how it looks, check recipes for new items or weapons, read up on monsters or humans and even help determine what the new world will be like. It is totally navigated with the touch screen, so if yours has accuracy issues, you’re going to have problems using the book properly.

I noticed a glitch while playing that popped up three times in Chapter Four and once in Chapter Five. In the desert dungeon in four and the cavern leading to the mountain top in five, the bottom screen suddenly turned white when I’d attempt to turn to a section or save page. No book information, as is normal. Fortunately, if I’d move to a different room, the glitch would fix itself and the map would automatically display.

Also, Avalon Code isn’t going to hold your hand. Read the instructions. Then, after reading the instructions, go talk with other, more experienced players. After the initial tutorial in Chapter One, you’re pretty much on your own. For example - the hammer’s special move lets the character fly, but the game doesn’t tell you that pressing B mid-flight makes you stop. A helpful tidbit, if you don’t want to overshoot platforms and plummet to your doom.

One of the most unique DS RPGs.

There is simply nothing like Avalon Code available on any video game system at the moment. It is a unique creation, combining successful elements from other RPGs into one game, and, rather than failing, these elements all coexist harmoniously. On top of that, it is easily the most customizable game I have ever seen - it’s very likely that no two playthroughs will be alike.

Avalon Code is the sort of game that will take a lot of time, and assistance from other players, to fully complete though. If you want to complete absolutely everything in the game, and completely fill the book, you’ll probably have to work with other players to report where special locations on maps are and to exchange recipes. It’s massive.

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