A look back at: Growlanser III: The Dual Darkness

They say this is a strategy game, but is it really?

Honestly, this game has a lot of typical JRPG qualities on its own merit, the dungeons, character interactions, and general moving around. Not to mention somehow being a prequel to the entire series despite being the third Growlanser game. Its battle system isn't really any different than it was in II, just halving the characters in the party and providing more notable random encounters. Of course, given the victory and defeat conditions as well as multiple endings and relationships, I guess there is some value in it being a strategy game.

So yes, nothing much to say on gameplay, it's pretty much the same but with less actual fighters this time around. Though character archetypes do have me confused. You expect Viktor, the big science guy, to be the sturdiest, but it is instead Annette, who actually can tank encounters with heavy armor. Plus Viktor and Yayoi will easily fall out of favor for Monika as far as long range characters go, since she joins earlier and is much faster. Many of the fights here can be somewhat annoying, again I strive for mission complete but due to some special circumstances, some of the battles will not allow this unless you're on a New Game +. The randomized dungeons are kinda neat though.

Now I liked Growlanser II's overall scheme with its main character. He's one who actually speaks, and one who has ambitions. Slayn Wilder in this game I'm in two places on. For one, he's a silent protagonist (Wein was the only non-silent one), but he also has this split personality in Gray Gilbert, who's actually chatty but really is notable only for some past interaction as a mercenary or something. The whole deal with Slayn being a spirit messenger can be difficult to come by, and I guess Raimy is helpful* in some missions. The whole civil war aspect is quite interesting to say the least, where at least two enemy generals can be quick to join sides, and there's also Michelle, who's dilemma makes her the most interesting character at all.

This game does have its shortcomings and pulls back into the cliches the rest of the series actually portrays, but manages to stay nice overall.

* oh yeah, and Growlanser II didn't have the fairy sidekick thing. Apparently that was in other games. Also Carmaine, a playable character in II, was the main protagonist in the first game but was silent and apparently had a fairy companion for god-knows-what reason as well.