5 Reasons to Play Shining Force

Originally released in 1992 for the Sega Genesis, Shining Force has been re-released many times, and as of fairly recently it has been ported to the iPhone. I loved this game as a kid, and playing it again on the iPhone brought back a lot of memories, not to mention the game still holds up as a great experience. Below I am listing out 5 good reasons to play Shining Force and though there are many more reasons, these are just some that stand out for me.

#1 - Character Diversity & Discovery

There are numerous characters to collect during your adventure, and they range in terms of races, attack types, magic, movement range, etc. Additionally, players are rewarded for exploring and discovering new characters, which otherwise may be passed by.

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#2 - Army Customization

The layout and various terrain types of each battle ground encourage the player to reconfigure which characters they will take into each battle. For example, some characters strive in the thick woods, while flying characters can soar over rivers and mountains.

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#3 - Battle System

At its core, Shining Force is a turn-based tactical strategy adventure. It’s an older 2D game, so you won’t find any features such as attacking from the high ground. However, you will find enough strategic elements in the 2D format, such as how some characters do well as front-line tanks, while others are best at attacking from the rear (e.g. archers and mages). As with chess, your leader cannot fall in battle or the battle is lost.  

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#4 - Visuals

For its time, the artist qualities of this game are top-notch, and what stands out as the prime visual element of Shining Force is the character design. Each character can be promoted during the adventure, and there are unique looks for the different stages of their development.

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#5 - Portable

You can now play it on your iPhone!

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