The Sword of Etheria
A PS2 action RPG set in a world of gods and Katenas.
The Sword of Etheria is an action role-playing game developed and published by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo for the PlayStation 2. It was released in Japan as Over Zenith on June 30, 2005, and later in Europe on February 24, 2006, but was not released in North America. The game was reissued in Japan under the Konami the Best budget label on January 26, 2006.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
- Publisher
- Konami
- Director
- Junichi Murakami
- Designer
- Hiroaki Sonobe
- Artist
- Fumi Ishikawa
- Writer
- Kazuyoshi Tsugawa
- Composer
- Michiru Yamane
- Engine
- RenderWare
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The Sword of Etheria takes place in an alternate world where humans, gods, and spiritual beings called Katenas coexist. Katenas are powerful warriors who can encase themselves in armor known as Lexes, serving as envoys of the gods. The three great Katenas, collectively called Oz, are chosen by the gods. The gods consume light as their power source, casting the world into darkness and seeking to destroy humanity to drain the planet's energy, Etheria. The story begins with three Katenas—Cain, Leon, and Almira—investigating a manifestation of Etheria. Almira and Leon lose control of their armor, and Cain vanishes. Fifteen years later, a boy named Fiel lives with his sister Dorothy and their cat Toto. Their village is attacked by monsters called Volo and a group of Katenas, and Dorothy is kidnapped. Fiel recruits Almira and Leon to rescue her. The three protagonists—Fiel wielding a large axe, Almira using a spear, and Leon with a large claw on his left arm—face dangers under the gods' watch. Toto can transform into a Lex, granting Fiel Katena-like powers. They fight three other Katenas—Vitis, Galumn, and Juju—who are controlled by the gods.
Gameplay
The Sword of Etheria uses a third-person perspective, with the player controlling Fiel's interactions and combat while Almira and Leon are AI-controlled. The three characters fight in environments such as forests, villages, and dungeons. Each character has a health gauge; if it reaches zero, they are incapacitated and must recover before returning. Combat draws from the beat 'em up genre, focusing on combos. Enemies can be launched into the air for juggle combos, and partners can assist for additional hits. A tension gauge on the right side of the screen indicates performance with combos, increasing when aerial combos are chained and decreasing when momentum falls. When full, the player can perform a powerful deathblow attack combining the party's force. The gauge's level increases as the game proceeds, allowing stronger attacks; at its highest level, a full gauge displays Over Zenith. The storyline is divided into chapters, each with multiple possible endings based on player actions. One alternate version of chapter nine portrays the three main characters as characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. An additional unlockable story lets Dorothy be the main character. Costume changes are available for purchase, including costumes from Suikoden III, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, and Silent Hill 3.
Development
The Sword of Etheria's development team included staff who had previously worked on Castlevania and Suikoden. Junichi Murakami, who directed and produced the game, had directed Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Composer Michiru Yamane also contributed music, while Fumi Ishikawa, a character designer for Suikoden II, worked on the project. Yamane composed the soundtrack, which Naoto Suzuki arranged. Released in Japan on July 20, 2005, as a two-disc set, the soundtrack features an arranged version of Polovtsian Dances performed by Martha Matsuda for the opening sequence. A remixed version of that song later appeared in Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2, accompanied by footage from the game.
Reception
The Sword of Etheria received a 31/40 score from Famitsu in Japan. European reception was more mediocre; Eurogamer's Simon Parkin called the translation disastrous but praised the combat as extremely rewarding though repetitive. PALGN's Jeremy Jastrzab commended the music as stylish and the presentation unconventional, but noted poor graphics environments with dull corridors or barren landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed The Sword of Etheria?
The Sword of Etheria was designed by Hiroaki Sonobe.
What engine does The Sword of Etheria use?
The Sword of Etheria runs on RenderWare.
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