Name: Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Style: 1-player Roleplaying Game
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Developer(s): Camelot Software Planning
Release Date: April 14, 2003
Date of Completion: January 15, 2018
Now, December of last year, I beat the first installment of the Golden Sun series and, two years back, I beat the third installment of the same series. So, it only made sense that I finish it up by completing the second installment: Golden Sun: The Lost Age. Luckily, the game allowed me to transfer my data from the first Golden Sun game. Now, if you want to play the story for yourself, do me two favors: (1) don’t read this because I have a few spoilers and, (2) buckle up because you’re in for a really rich story.
As to be expected, The Lost Age picks up immediately after its predecessor (same world, Waywerd), which, surprisingly ended with the villains (Saturos and Menardi) being victorious in their task – even AFTER being defeated. Even worse, as a sense of irony, YOU take control of Felix, the COMPANION of SATUROS, making you the enemy of the protagonist of the first game. Yeah, confusion and misrepresentation is a bit of an understatement.
Wait, it gets so much better!!!
After finally meeting Issac, the protagonist of the first game, it’s discovered that both of them are victims of the manipulation of a grander villain. Both protagonists were forced to play their roles after having their parents kidnapped. It was also realized that they are technically on the same side as the return of Alchemy (play the game to know what it is) is evitable and, for the greater good, work to bring it to restore the equilibrium to the world.
The story is brilliantly executed showcasing the theme of family and destiny. Plus, the ending was funny as it could get: a mastermind being crushed by the power he sought without learning everything about it.
Now, as for the gameplay features, it’s pretty straightforward. It functions like a traditional RPG. You map out the party’s action, the turn plays it out based on everybody’s speed and repeat. However, there is a mechanic that alters the flow of the game: Djinns. Yep! Those cute little spites – categorized into four planets (Mercury/Water, Venus/Earth, Mars/Fire, Jupiter/Wind) – that the game have you look for three main purposes (summoning, stats augmentation and spell/psynergy alteration – both in and out of battle), all of which affects the flow of battle, adding an extra level of strategy to the game.
Plus, collecting the Djinns opens the door to even more powerful summons that can be either earned or collected from tablets. Needless to say, those little spites are the core of the game’s mechanics. So, the more you have, the better equipped you are in future battles. Which can be a headache if you’re just rushing through the game. Which leads me to one downside: the Djinns.
If you’re not careful with those little creatures, they will be your undoing and there are just some people would don’t seem to understand that. They can’t be rapidly summoned, they need to time to recover after being used for a bigger summon and, when used, they will alter your stats and psynergy which can lead you to a disadvantage, if you’re not careful. It’s a double-edged sword that requires precision.
Still, this game gets a 10 out of 10 from me due to the combined story and the Djinns game mechanic. Plus, the fact that there are some spells I can use outside of battle for puzzle solving is a plus for me – added some realism to the game…despite it being set in a fantasy world. People complained about the textboxes but I say, “What do you expect from an RPG on a GameBoy Advance?”
