Golden Sun: The Lost Age Review (no fat)

Game Description

Golden Sun: The Lost Age, as a direct sequel to Camelot’s illustrious original title, focuses on Isaac’s brother, Felix. The new hero, who is equally skilled in telekinesis, takes it upon himself to complete Isaac’s quest. You thus start the game where Golden Sun left off, and find yourself striving to reach the two lighthouses. Unfortunately, you get dragged to a far-away continent called Osenea, and thus need to get back to your previous location.

Golden Sun: The Lost Age Gameplay

Since Golden Sun: The Lost Age is a true sequel to the 2001 surprise hit, it’s almost mandatory to have played the latter to follow the story. However, it’s a shame that Camelot obviously treats the plot as a minor aspect, regardless of the game. Walls of text too frequently pop up, and the Yes/No questions are back with a vengeance. Your answer still has absolutely no bearing on the game, which is disappointing. It doesn’t help either that the plot is generic at best, and that the whole thing has an annoying air of déjà-vu.

The Lost Age is a rather unique sequel in how it plays exactly like its predecessor. Unlike other follow-up titles, it doesn’t boast a plethora of new features, but only concentrates on explaining what happened after the first Golden Sun’s events. As such, you will find the same mechanics present in the original here. Of course, it does have a few neat additions, such as new Djinns to find and use, and a much bigger world to explore, but its extras are sorely limited.

This second installment works closely with its predecessor, as you actually have the ability to transfer your Golden Sun party into the game. You can do so by using the password you obtained by completing the first title, or simply by using a link cable to connect copies of the two games. Importing your Golden Sun save data will enable you to grab a couple of extremely powerful spells, which should be useful against the resilient bosses found in the later stages of the game. In addition, with Isaac subsequently making a welcome return at one point, you will be able to use his character stats you patiently built up in Golden Sun.

As in a typical role-playing game, your whole adventure consists of visiting towns and dungeons where you can find items, as well as buy weaponry and armor. You also need to talk to everybody so you know what to do next. At the same time, the plot will unfold, which will prompt you to snooze through more walls of text or enjoy the revelations, depending on how closely you like to follow the game’s storyline. The world here is noticeably bigger than in the first game, with a larger variety of towns to explore. Beating the game will require around forty hours, and that’s actually assuming you decide to ignore many of the side-quests.

Unfortunately, one of the big flaws of the first game wasn’t corrected, as The Lost Age suffers from a ridiculously high encounter rate. Enemy battles are now easier, but triggering a fight every two steps can be frustrating at times. Boss encounters are also much harder this time around, and you’ll need to be cautious of those. As in the original Golden Sun, you’ll spend a lot of time solving puzzles using your infamous telekinesis moves. The puzzles are now harder and more varied. You will thus find yourself carefully avoiding gaps when you’re not moving statues all over the place. Your spells are as usual the key to overcoming such obstacles.

The first title’s trademark feature is back with more Djinns to find and summon. These are creatures you can attach to your characters. Doing so enables you to use their incredible physical attacks and magic. Moreover, your character’s class actually changes depending on what Djinns were assigned to him. It’s an extremely strategic feature and you can unlock the most damaging spells by appropriately combining several Djinns onto a party member. The Lost Age even manages to make the search for Djinns more exciting, as you’ll often find yourself frantically chasing after them across dazzling mazes. The thing to remember though is that once lost, you Djinn will be lost forever. So as hard as it is to claim one, it’s a challenge to keep your Djinn as well so frequent saves are advisable.

Golden Sun: The Lost Age Visuals

The Lost Age is as impressive as the original with a similar art style and brilliant locales to visit. The game uses an extensive color palette that superbly showcases each town’s multitude of details. Battles benefit from a superb animation, and the 3D flowing camera that made them so unique in the first installment are back.

Golden Sun: The Lost Age Sound

The game disappointingly uses essentially the same soundtrack as the original title, but that’s not such a bad idea considering the quality of the music. With such marvelously composed themes and even a selection of tunes with an orchestrated feel, The Lost Age benefits from pleasant music that further enhances the game.

Golden Sun: The Lost Age Overall

Although Golden Sun: The Lost Age isn’t a leap in the gameplay department over its predecessor, it is still an excellent title and offers the same enticing atmosphere that made Golden Sun such a big hit. While the flaws present in the first game haven’t been dealt with and still exist, this second installment is nevertheless better thanks to a couple of additions and a bigger world to explore. This is one for the collection.

Golden Sun: The Lost Age Cost

The game currently retails for $13.99.