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• WOG3 Review
Of course the game took time to get from Softmax, and I did have to wait a while until they shipped out what was available. Even with paying plenty for an express delivery, I was happy because it was very lovingly packaged. The first thing I was worried about was stability, and my computer settings having been in a Korean windows environment made the games play as smooth as they should. There's some bugs here and there, most are due to the really strong abilities or targeting when using bigger vehicles. One of the reasons for replaying the game was the changes between versions (patches which are available in the official site), the later patches seem to make the game harder so best to go from 1.3 to 1.4 patch. The other was the branches in the story where the user can choose the next path or whether to kill off an NPC in the opposition's army (my first time through was plenty of trial/error). Since this is pretty old, the voice acting rarely overlaps and sounds kinda funny at times. Most of the characters were casted really good in my opinion. The soundtrack is truly excellent, each style fitting the continents they represent and the emotions for the scenes. The creative direction of music, lack of music (background SFX), plain words or text, and minimal changes between stills seems to do more for the player than an FMV would. The gameplay is simple, solid strategy games. The job system at first was a total mystery but after checking the guide on how to get the best ones someone can easily follow the order needed. I can understand why this game was most popular of the series, it's replayable and very complete. • Character Opinion Just about everyone who doesn't read this shrine writes Sherazard off as a damsel in distress, which (of course) in my opinion is too much of an assumption. Many new fans believe they're much like her, because she's "just another" cliche, pure and pathetic love interest that dies tragically. Well yes, she is full of self sacrifice and it seems that she's just a nice girl who makes all the wrong decisions. Her decisions and behavior however is part of what she represents, mainly to Turins. Few people understand that in this game, what she does reflects what means to be Muslim. Recently the Muslim faith has had plenty of attention and in actuality few would have the self-control to live by it. In the game's case, quite a lot of the actual Muslim faith is applied to the Muslims in the game. Even the poses in which the characters were drawn, especially Sherazard's, are related it. Sherazard is an ideal Muslim, full of inner strength. She never gives into any temptation and is always forgiving. She helps anyone and everyone, she gives without expecting in return, she is always thankful for what she has (I can barely count how many times she says thank you in the game). She could be living an easy life in a palace all day, but she denies herself of things many could not go without in order to find new ways of helping people. Like a Missionary, it takes someone with plenty of determination to go into disease infested places, to actually touch and try to heal sickly people while risking themselves. On Sherazard's suicide, at first one will feel she was being irrational, but that's simply out of character for her, so one knows it's not that simple. This was part of a self realization, her will might have been broken but she was calm when it happened. Her tone of voice when she said she was taking things into her own hands shows she actually was in control. She decided her body was already impure (seeking a life of purity and perfection is part of being Muslim), and her life would be a meaningless worry for Saladin. She wants him to be like her, to forgive everyone. She also does not believe her physical death would put an end to their love. Finally on the Space of Mobius, I think of it as a kind of hell where both Sherazard and Saladin are trapped. Space of Mobius (an idea explored by quantum theorists and often happening in sci-fi stories) in WOG is a loop in time, one that repeats itself, and the way out is by making different decisions. But who is to know what decisions are different from the ones one just made? Beramode (with Sherazard's memories and feelings) has to make these choices, and yet has to make sure that the initial and later actions and choices merge to form the loop again. Usually everyone is quick to think of Saladin being someone who is tortured losing all these people he knew and loved, but that's because only the 3 and 3p2 games mainly focus on his point of view. I believe both of their suffering is equal, and something that points back to their both being one that completes the other. An example is if it weren't for simultaneously playing episode Crimson Crusade, I don't think one would have any compassion or understanding at all for Beaumont. • Bored Yes, we must have been bored. Check out Saladindy (Indiana Jerico from FFO as Saladin) and Sheilazard (Sheila as Sherazard) circa 2001! I have seen many shops in my time.. maybe more will be made. • back |
