Review of Time and Space Warrior: This 28 year old bottle; Aging; Still delicious!

For players who are not familiar with the classic JRPG, Time Warrior may make them feel unfamiliar. This work was released on the SFC platform in 1994, and it has been 28 years since then.

Compared to its contemporaries Final Fantasy 6 and Key to Time and Space, the original version of Time and Space Warrior sold relatively poorly, but it also received many positive reviews due to its unique features. Under the preparation of Square Enix, this classic work has finally been reintroduced in the form of a remake.

Screen arrangement major upgrade

With the support of HD-2D technology, the new version of Time and Space Warrior has significantly improved graphics and a better visual experience.

This work continues the original pixel graphics, but with more vibrant colors and rich details in various scenes. When strolling through the bamboo forest in the mountains, one can find bamboo leaves falling in the wind; Galloping on the desert wasteland, the hooves of the horse will raise waves of dust. Compared to the original, the new version of the game has significantly enhanced its expressive power.

Not only that, the game often features distant shots to highlight the three-dimensional effect of the image. When I played the ninja "Omaru" and arrived outside Oita Castle, the panoramic view of the castle tower suddenly appeared in front of me. What secrets are hidden inside the gloomy and steep towers standing under the purple moon? This kind of scene really makes me imagine.

The new version of the character image has also become more vivid. They can make various expressions and actions, and also have exclusive voice. With the combination of script, voice, and body movements, the character performance is full of tension, and players can also enjoy the story more happily.

While the visuals have improved, there have also been significant improvements to the BGM in the remastered version of Time and Space Warrior. The various repertoire are still supervised by Professor Yoko Shimamura, and have been rearranged while retaining the flavor, resulting in clearer and more melodious melodies.

For example, in "Kung Fu", the system will play BGM "Battle in China". The new track specially incorporates the sound of erhu, making the entire piece appear elegant and lively, which also makes me, as a Chinese player, feel very familiar.

Additionally, I particularly enjoy the new version of MEGALOMANIA. This song mainly appears in BOSS Battle and is also a representative song of the entire game. In the remastered version of Time and Space Warrior, the producer added some pop elements to this song, making it sound trendy and dynamic. I fully immerse myself in the boss battle under this catchy melody, and this experience is very enjoyable for me.

Heroes from different time and space

In terms of plot, the content of Time and Space Warrior consists of several chapters. After starting the game, each chapter corresponds to a protagonist and an era. Players need to first complete their own stories for each protagonist, and then meet others in the final chapter to jointly defeat the conspiracy of evil forces.

Because the storylines of each section in the game are relatively independent, players can decide the order of gameplay on their own. Time and Space Warrior Remastered Edition has an automatic recording function and a more user-friendly experience. When players feel a little tired in a certain chapter, they can directly return to the selection interface and choose a new chapter to experience. The existing progress can also be preserved, and when you want to play, just read the file again.

However, in actual gameplay, I did not frequently return to the selection interface. Because the plot length of each chapter in "Time and Space Warrior" is relatively short, the story's "twists and turns" are quite compact, and it is also easy to immerse oneself.

There are also some shortcomings in this "vertical" narrative. Due to limited space, many character stories are more formulaic, so the game lacks some exciting "divine unfolding".

In this way, the plot of the "Middle World Chapter" seems somewhat unique. It intends to change the traditional narrative mode of "Journey of the Brave", but it doesn't give me a good impression. One reason is that the narrative rhythm of the chapter is relatively slow, and the other reason is that the ending transition is really abrupt. So, the plot of this chapter is a "deduction point" for me.

The woman on the right side of screen is definitely familiar to veteran players

Of course, if we focus on the whole, the quality of the script for Time and Space Warrior is still very high. Each protagonist's story has its own highlights, and it takes three to five hours to complete a chapter. The Kung Fu chapter tells a great story about courage and inheritance; The Modern Chapter explores the meaning of "the strongest" through various battles; The plot of the early and middle stages of "Near Future" is relatively dull, but in the later stages, there are frequent climaxes, making it enjoyable to play.

With the good preparation of each article, I have developed a strong sense of empathy for each protagonist. When they finally worked together to face the darkness, I was also moved by this courage in front of the screen, as if standing on the same front as them. Perhaps more than twenty years ago, someone had a similar feeling in their heart.

The mechanism is concise and interesting

The story of Time and Space Warrior is certainly exciting, but the organic combination with the game system makes this excitement fully displayed.

The game framework of this game can be divided into two parts: "exploration" and "battle". However, the weight of these two parts in each chapter is not the same, with the most typical being "SF" and "Modern". From a certain perspective, these two chapters are like the positive and negative poles of a magnet.

The process of SF deliberately does not emphasize combat. In most cases, the robot "block" played by players needs to explore independently while avoiding enemies. The content of "SF Chapter" has successfully rendered an atmosphere of "space terror". Even simple exploration can make some players feel intimidated& nbsp; 

The modern chapter, on the other hand, eliminates the exploration stage and consists entirely of combat. The protagonist, Plateau Risheng, learns combat skills through continuous challenges and ultimately comprehends the realm of "strength". If we look at the game process, "Modern Chapter" is like a replica of a fighting game. This unique design also fills my experience with freshness.

At this point, let me say a few more words about the combat system of Time and Space Warrior. The combat mechanism of this game is not a classical turn system, but a combination of "action bars" and "battle chess".

Players need to consider the timing of their own character's actions, guide them in their movements, and be wary of enemy counterattacks. Although it may seem complicated, it is actually quite interesting to get started with. Reasonable use of formations and skills can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Now that I pick up the remastered version of Time and Space Warrior, I can still glimpse the strategic and interesting nature of this mechanism.

A related detail is that the new version of the game will also automatically display enemy health bars and weaknesses, while in the original version, most of these blind spots require players to try and error to summarize.

I really like this change myself. It lowers the threshold for the original game, but it doesn't erase the challenge of the game itself. Because in some cases, players must implement the strategy of "catching the thief first and capturing the king". If surrounded by groups of small monsters, it is still quite easy to "capsize".

Being surrounded by a group of enemies can be quite tricky for

Of course, the process of "SF" and "Modern" is quite unique, while the content of other chapters combines exploration and combat. The "Kung Fu", "Primitive", and "Western" chapters have found their respective balance points in exploration and combat.

The Kung Fu section tightly combines storytelling and combat, making it very smooth to play; In the original text, there is no dialogue between characters, but a complete story is still told; The Western Chapter has added limited time missions in regular mode, giving players a sense of tension and excitement. These chapters have all shaped a wonderful RPG experience.

However, when it comes to the most ingenious chapter in design, my answer is "the end of the story". The castle tower that the ninja "Omaru" wants to infiltrate is a huge maze, where he will discover various secret mechanisms and channels. The enemy's commands change with the sound of the bell, and while killing the enemy, ghosts will also appear. "Obimaru" will encounter various unexpected challenges, and the content of "The End of the Story" will be full of surprises as a result. I went from the opening to the ending in one go, without any sense of boredom.

The character design of 's "End of the Story" is the author of Detective Conan, Gangchang Aoyama

In summary, the game mode of Time and Space Warrior is not complicated, but the creators can unleash various creativity on the basic framework and then fill them into the specific process, making each chapter have unique fun. This design was quite innovative at the time and can still continuously arouse the interest of players today.

epilogue

If you are a fan of classic JRPG or just slightly interested in it, you can try the remake of Time Warrior. It is not only a high-definition version of a classic work, but also a tribute to the glorious era of JRPG in the last century. Let old players rediscover the emotions of the past, and also let new players understand the narrative creativity of that era, which may be the value of "Time and Space Warrior Remastered Edition".