epterra is a unique and amazing planet, designed by a mysterious Creator
so that its continents are layered into World Shells. These shells orbit the
planet core at varying altitudes, and once every century they align in such
a way that a beam of light reaches the core, providing power for a massive
computer that lies inside. In times of great need, the computer may be
accessed by a savior...provided that he or she is in possession of a pair
of ancient keys.
Enter Maya, an orphaned scavenger from Oasis, the only city on the second
World Shell. The single shell above Maya's home is controlled by the
fantastically advanced Chosen. Maya's people, the Junkers, collect bits of
technology which fall from the Chosen continent to the deserts of Junker
territory. This benign littering supports the Junkers, but it comes
with a price: occasionally the Chosen descend into civil war, fighting with ships
so powerful and deadly that the Junkers' homeland is devastated.
The interface for Septerra Core is like role-playing games from the Final Fantasy mold. Maya is center stage, and her size varies
depending on where she is. On the world map, with its layered continents and expansive skies, Maya and her allies are tiny, allowing maximum scale for scenery. In interactive environments and combat, they are taller, taking up about a third of the screen. When Maya travels, her allies trail a few paces behind as she sprints to her next confrontation.
As is also characteristic of the genre, play in Septerra Core is mixed between brain-teasers, plot-advancing scenes, and real-time combat. Maya's successes in combat inevitably lead to experience and gold. Wise players will follow this up with a shopping orgy, spending the treasure on weapon upgrades and healing potions to ensure even more victories.
The story gets underway when Chosen ships appear above the Junker desert.
It is 40 years before the next conjunction of continents that will
permit access to Core, but powerful factions among the Chosen seek to force
entrance into the computer early. The prospect of a rift among the Chosen
threatens the Junkers. More importantly, an attempt to rush the conjunction
will endanger all of the world shells. Fearing the worst, Maya begins to
investigate the appearance of the Chosen ships, but she is unjustly accused of
weapons smuggling. Will she remain free long enough to save the Core?
Original and entertaining
The fact that a world like Septerra could not exist does not make it any
less fun to play in--the world map, with its vertigo-inducing layers of
continents, is fresh and appealing. Septerra Core has great graphics
and gorgeous environments off the map as well, and there are plenty of
eye-pleasing visuals on Maya's journey. Though the game's characters fall
into stereotypes--kindly uncles, absent-minded tech geeks, noble
soldier types--they are not utterly wooden, and their development isn't
without interesting moments.
Combat, on the other hand, involves a mixture of good and
bad elements. Fights run
slowly, and it can take awhile to defeat even a relatively weak opponent.
However, party members can combine their magical attacks to produce a
staggering array of special spells. This flexibility will appeal to players
who enjoy developing and testing tactically efficient arsenals. The
puzzle-solving segments fall into a medium range of difficulty, and overall the game
balances story, battle, and puzzles well.
Plot twists like the one that makes Maya a fugitive also offer a thoughtful variation on the usual role-playing themes. In most
games of this type, the story is very simple: players proceed steadily
forward in the direction of a goal laid out early in the story. The
inevitable threat to the characters' homeworlds, in these cases, provides a
distant motivation for the quest. Giving the
characters something more immediate to flee from adds to the believability
of Septerra Core's storyline and Maya's character. This subtlety and freshness will gratify players who have already been on plenty of quests.
