Blazing Souls
A tactical RPG with non-linear gameplay and seamless battle exploration.
Blazing Souls is a tactical role-playing game from Idea Factory, first released on the PlayStation 2 in 2007 in Japan. A port for the Xbox 360 followed in 2008 under the title Absolute: Blazing Infinity, and a PlayStation Portable version called Blazing Souls Accelate arrived in 2010 in Japan. The PSP edition saw a North American release from Aksys Games in 2011, with Rising Star Games handling the European launch later that same year.
The game offers non-linear progression, letting players tackle the story and missions in any order they choose. Exploration and combat are not separated into distinct screens; instead, the game transitions smoothly between them. During battle, players can use actions like Chain, Charge, Hold, Original Skill, Chain Skill, Special Chain Skill, Break, Break Arts, and Overkill. Positioning units on the battlefield is key, as players must time their attacks to link combos with multiple party members, both in close combat and at range. Over 200 items and skills can be crafted, and monsters can be captured and added to the party.
The story follows the freelance Contractor Zelos and his crew through a series of chance misadventures. They become entangled in a conflict over Elemental Cores, which are sought by beings called Human Genomes and a group known as the Original Saints. These cores hold the power to heal the war-torn world of Neverland, but also to elevate the Human Genome—intended successors to current humanity—as the dominant race. Various subplots involving the cast flesh out this hidden war.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Idea Factory, HyperDevbox Japan / (Android, iOS)
- Publisher
- JP · Idea Factory · NA · Aksys Games (PSP) · EU · Rising Star Games (PSP) · WW · HyperDevbox Japan (Android, iOS)
- Released
- PlayStation 2 / JP · January 17, 2006Xbox 360 / JP · March 29, 2007PlayStation Portable / JP · July 23, 2009 · NA · October 19, 2010 · EU · June 1, 2012Android / August 30, 2012 / iOS / March 9, 2013
- Genre
- Tactical role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- PlayStation 2 / Xbox 360 / PlayStation Portable / Android / iOS
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The story follows a freelance Contractor named Zelos and his crew. They become entangled in a conflict over Elemental Cores, which are sought by beings called Human Genomes and a group known as the Original Saints. These cores are both the key to healing the war-ravaged world of Neverland and the trigger for enthroning the Human Genome as the new dominant race.
Reader's Guide
Blazing Souls is notable for its non-linear gameplay, allowing players to progress through the story in any order. It features a seamless transition between exploration and battle, eliminating separate screens or maps. The battle system includes actions such as Chain, Charge, Hold, Original Skill, Chain Skill, Special Chain Skill, Break, Break Arts, and Overkill. Players can position forces on the battlefield and time combo attacks using multiple party members in melee and at range. The game also allows creation of over 200 different items and skills, as well as capturing monsters to add to the party. Its multiple ports extended its reach across platforms, with the PSP version receiving Western releases.
Did You Know?
- Blazing Souls was developed by Idea Factory and first released for the PlayStation 2 in 2007 in Japan.
- The Xbox 360 port is titled Absolute: Blazing Infinity, released in 2008 in Japan.
- The PlayStation Portable version, Blazing Souls Accelate, was published in North America by Aksys Games in 2011 and in Europe by Rising Star Games later that same year.
- The game allows players to create over 200 different items and skills and capture monsters for the party.
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