Inyou Taisenki

I originally became interested in Onmyou Taisenki because I have studied Onmyoudou, a Japanese philosophy, extensively and enjoyed the aspects that the series incorporated into it. It also has magnificent character designs, interesting story, and a premise that drew me in. So when I heard about an RPG for the GameBoy Advance, I had to check it out!

This game incorporates the series\' signature moves very well, with the onmyoudou magic gestures making up your special attacks in battle. It\'s easy to access, at any time, the gestures you will need to use for any of the given allies you use in battle. The quicker you perform the gestures (with the handy d-pad!), the higher your attack percentage will be. If you\'re especially quick, you can get 130% attack and above! It\'s a great system to use, and it can really help you in tough fights.

The story is lovely, the characters are excellent, the designs are fantastic, and the game plays wonderfully. It\'s really, really fun. The game, being an RPG, does require at least a basic grasp of Japanese. It\'s best if you have at least a working knowledge of it, though, so you can follow the story a little bit too. The instructions are very clear, but if you\'re not familiar with concepts inherent in onmyoudou or in the series, you might be a little confused...that is, until you start playing! It leads you through how to do things, and the basics are simple to pick up. If you\'re patient, you might find yourself really getting into it sooner than you thought!

All in all, this is a great game. I recommend it to anyone who likes fun RPGs, and especially if you enjoyed the series or just really like onmyoudou and onmyouji. This is a new twist on an old familiar concept, and it\'s great.