Code Age Commanders [コード・エイジ コマンダーズ] Game Sample - Playstation 2

Code Age Commanders: Tsugu Mono Tsuga Reru Mono (or "コード・エイジ コマンダーズ ～継ぐ者 継がれる者～", which is also known as "Code Age Commanders: Successors of the Inheritor") is a Japan-only game by Square Enix in late 2005. Significant for a few reasons, the title was helmed by Yusuke Naora, who had some interesting involvement with past Final Fantasy titles and "The Last Remnant", directed by Toshiyuki Itahana (best known for the Crystal Chronicles and Chocobo spin-off titles) and planned by Kazuhiko Aoki (best known for the "Hanjuku Hero" series). It was heavily marketed at the time as a new IP and released alongside a manga (Archives) and game, "Code Age Brawls", that are all connected. The game's concept was created over a three year period and co-developed by Team Warhead, and the game's script was even fully translated and partially coded before a International release was scrapped due to less-than-stellar sales. All of their influences show, as Yusuke wanted the gameplay to bear more Western influences, Toshiyuki got the characters to greatly resemble those from the Crystal Chronicles universe, and Kazuhiko helped temper the game's more mature themes with humor. The final product was well-intentioned. As the title suggests, the game takes place during the "Code Age", where different factions struggle for survival in a fictional "intraglobular world" where humans are on the verge of extinction and an interstellar threat known as "Otellos" turn humans into mindless puppets known as "The Coded". However, a select group of enhanced humans from the "Arks", special space facilities for the most privileged humans, studied the Otellos, eventually learning how to combat them by mutating their genes with them and becoming "Warheads", people who could fight back by using code to manipulate their bodies. The main protagonist, Gene, awakens to his powers while trying to rescue his sister Aliz near the end of the "Central Code" cycle, which renews the planet every 10,000 years (essentially deleting everyone and thing in it) and rallies those who can still fight to save the world as they know it. The game is told through multiple perspectives at different points in history (Gene, Gerald of the Black Army, Fiona of the White Army, and Haze of the Keepers), hence the subtitle. The graphics are beautifully rendered with light cel-shading here and there for certain effects, running at a "usually decent" framerate (30 normally, 20-ish or less during major skirmishes) and Kumi Tanioka joins Yusuke again for the music that has its own distinct charm, but the game got a lot of flack for its gameplay and padded campaign. Players do things they would do in most ARPGs (slashing, dodging, manage items, etc.), but they are structured in an unconventional way. Players are required to alternate between two buttons to execute combos as a personal preference of the design team, but also to play into the game's "Self Evolution System" where characters grow based on actions taken (Ex: Left hand builds left strength, running boosts speed, etc... slightly similar to Hybrid Heaven), items on the field, and "Code Points" earned by completing missions (a score based on various factors and can only be farmed so much; you get one CP every 1000 points and new high scores split the difference between your old and new score). Otellos can be stored to do things, but having too many causes the "Overload" status where attack increases but health slowly decreases. Points can be used to purchase two upgrades: Body and Shot. Body upgrades can be equipped to slots to improve a variety of physical traits, while Shots are unique abilities separate from the ones Otellos can offer such as advanced healing, high-powered attacks, etc. Be warned that Shots have a single use and since CP can't be farmed indefinitely, some caution is advised early on as those points may be better suited to Body upgrades that can be kept and stacked. Two last features of mention are "Code Drives" and "Code Crisis". Code Drives are fancy skills that require timed presses and can be countered or escaped. Using them frequently can slowly upgrade your arms to a new form with stronger drives, but sometimes trigger a "Crisis" instead. In this form, you are invulnerable, can barely attack and lose health over time, but you CAN use it to rack up more points by rubbing foes until your health is low, getting more CP if you manage to survive. In spite of all this, the game is not as deep as it suggests. Each commander has a core skill unique to them, but they inherit most of the abilities of the previous commander. It's not a bad game, but A.I. helpers are dumb, protection missions tedious, and the controls never feel quite right. It can also use content with "Brawls" which isn't around anymore, so...yeah. Enjoy. ADDITION - Like Us On Facebook:   / thegamingsanctuary   Follow Us On Twitter:   / gs_vyse_and_bel   Visit Us At: