Apparently when I wasn't looking; I became a big-time Level 5 fanboy. Dragon Quest 8 started it all and now this game....Rogue Galaxy....woo boy. I love it. I love it more than Dragon Quest 8. I love it more than BREATHING. Yeah not really that much. But the 120 hours or so I put into it the first time through went about as fast as any 120 hours of my life. Well except maybe that 120 straight hours I spent makin' loooooove. That seemed to go pretty fast too. It also never really happened in reality. Rogue Galaxy did though! This is another one of those games that seems to have been pretty well-received but didn't exactly make a surfeit of noise. (Using arcane adjectives rules!) If my tiny, insignificant rebellion, errr, blog can cause even a minute (my-newt) swell of renewed interest in the game; then I will feel proud.

The gameplay is top notch. A 9.5 at least. The combat is real-time, fast-paced and includes a manual targeting system. You can fight up to (I think as many as) 6 creatures at a time. You have magical powers, specific team-based attacks and solo uber-strong attacks, called burning strikes, that you can execute via collected orbs from damaged enemies. There's a "revelation flow" chart for every character where you collect items from chests and fallen foes to unlock more unique abilities which is a very cool feature. Oh yeah---there are boss fights. Big, kick-arse bossfights. The level's are diverse and very well laid out. The story that serves as the backbone revolves around a young dreamer named Jaster and his wish to explore the galaxy. While not earth-shattering; it is very intriguing and well done. It so fun, you just might pee. Reason its not a 10? I just don't normally give 10's. Perfect is too lofty and we truly love things because of their warts not because they lack them. If I had to nitpick; there is the rare occasion where the camera gets uppity during combat and messes with your groove. You could count the times this happens and/or minutes it costs you on your available upper torso digits. You might have to level-grind a bit too, and some folks don't care for that. Personally, I don't mind grinding (rrrowww) but it's not everyone's Sippy cup of juice.

The graphics are a 10 in my book. See, I lied--I do give 10's sometimes. The character models are cartoon-like but not cartoonish. It's perfect for this game. The environments are rich and detailed. And the cut-scenes during the story cinematics as well as the burning strikes are amazing looking. I can't really imagine anyone being able to get much more out of the PS2 as far as graphics go.

The sound is a solid 9. The music is rich and each level has its own suitable theme. The opening piece is almost haunting and I'd put it right up there with the "Halo chant" for memorable intro music. The voices are almost all great. The reasons it falls short are: A) There is a lot of repetition in the comments that characters make while exploring and during battle. B) A few of the voices are horribly grating and/or annoying. Maybe knocking off a full point is harsh, but whenever I have a party member that I want to kill with my bare hands almost every time they open their mouth; well I gotta speak up.

All the rest I give a 9-9.5. I know it's cheap to throw a range out there rather than a single, solid number. Here's why I have to make it a spread: there is just SO much stuff in this game. Just the story part of the game is long. 50 hours maybe? 60? And then of course, there are the extras. Anyone who's played DQ8 knows about Level 5's penchant for killer extras. Rogue Galaxy takes the DQ8 formula a big step forward. During the game, you get an alchemy pot-like character that allows you combine and form new, upgraded weapons. You could conceivably tinker with that mechanic for hours. You unlock a factory where you can build new stuff and have it dispersed to different worlds to buy en masse later. Again--could take hours. There is an "Insectron Tournament" that allows you to have staged bug fights with insects you catch around the galaxy. (Think Monster Arena from DQ8 on a slightly smaller scale.) There are conditional Hunting Quarries that boost your hunter rep. Once you beat the main game there is a bonus level unlocked. It's huge. When you beat that bonus level, it gives you the opportunity to unlock a bonus bonus level. The bonus bonus level?? MOMMA PAJAMA. It's simply freakin' massive. And I'm certain that there's more I'm forgetting to mention. In short, there is something for everyone and a lot for anyone who plays. It might even be too much for some. Just to put it into perspective; I'm at about 120 hours and might be at 60%-70% total completion.

Overall, I give this action RPG a 9.5 easy. It's about as close to ideal for me as a game can get. The few minor shortcomings it has just serve to remind you how great the immense game that thoroughly drowns them out really is.