Customer Reviews

Riviera: The Promised Land

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Graphics: 7.5/10
PSP > GBA
--
The graphics of Riviera are simple, a throwback to the days of sprite-based RPGs. That said, the graphics are very well done. Though the animation and details of the sprites of the characters and enemy are simple, they are well done. The environments of the game are very simple backdrops, but again they are very well made.

What really makes the game pop graphic-wise, however, are the CG animations and the character portraits. They are in an anime-style, and very well made, helping to you picture the story in your head, instead of leaving you to wonder what's really going on in that 2D world.

The bigger, crisper screen of the PSP helps to make the graphics much better than the GBA counter-part.

Sound: 7/10
PSP=GBA
--
The PSP version of Riviera has a CD-quality remastered soundtrack, and is now completely voice-acted. The voices are available in English and Japanese. This is a plus, especially if you want either 1) a different experience in another play though or 2) think the english voices are annoying.

However, in battles the music and sound effects seem flat compared the the GBA version of the game, particularly with the use of the OverDrive skills.

Gameplay: 8/10
PSP > GBA
--
Riviera's gameplay is solid, but can get a little repetitive. You are not able to move around as you normally do in RPGs, but instead travel between rooms by using the directional buttons, and look around those rooms using ques call 'Triggers'. What this is is a little balloon on the screen with a directional arrow and description of what you'll be looking at. This is a very unique way of driving an RPG, but as stated earlier, can get a little repetitive.

The battle system is completely turn-based. When entering battle, you will be asked to pick a formation (either 2 in front, one in back; or one in front, two in back) and which three party members you will want to battle. Then, you will pick 4 items to bring with you. These can be anything from weapons, to potions to defensive items. The battle progresses turns based upon 'Wait'. When 'wait' reaches 0, it is that persons turn. The amount of wait is based upon which items you use, and skills you use.

Riviera does not used levels for your characters, like most RPGs. To grow stronger you do something called 'Skil up' by using weapons and gaining experience with that weapon. When you 'Skill up', your health and various attributes increase, and you gain a skill which can be used with that item.

The game also makes extensive use of the OverDrive meter. This meters has 4 tiers. Levels 0-3. At level 0, you can't use any skills. When it reaches level 1, you can use level 1 skill. The same is for level 2 and 3. The meter is filled by damaging your enemies, and being damaged by your enemies.

Overall: 7.5/10
--
Overall, Riviera is a solid RPG, and I would recommend it to casual to moderate RPG players. More hardcore players might not like it.

Compared to the GBA version, the PSP version is not quite as energetic, however, it makes up for it by better driving the storyline with the full vocal tracks.

If you already own the GBA version, then you need not worry about this version (Unless you want to see the new cutscenes and extra episode, and want to hear the full vocals). If you have not purchased this game, then I recommend the PSP version over the GBA version.

(Review based upon ~35 hours of GBA play and ~15 of PSP)

Considering the fact that I own the Gameboy Advance version of this game and gave it a good review sometime back, I decided to rent this version to see how much better this version is compared to my Gameboy Advance version and give you my honest opinion on it. In some ways, I'm glad that I did rent it first. Yet, seeing as to how I'm a big fan of Riviera, I'll probably buy it at some point but not for obvious reasons concerning this PSP version. For the most part, the PSP Riviera is the exact same game I played on the Gameboy Advance. The noticable differences in the game are that they improved the graphics as well as the soundtrack, have more voiceacting in the game, added a few new cutscenes, included a dual language functional and reworked the controls all for the PSP port. You play Ein, a Grim Angel, who's been sent to Riviera to start 'the Retribution' that will destroy Riviera, and all the demons that have taken over there, once and for all. That's where the story begins. For those of you new to Riviera, Riviera is not your 'typical' traditional style RPG(like Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire or Golden Sun). Combat and Navigation in the game is alot different than your normal traditional RPG and that is what makes this game so unique & so much fun to play. I won't go into detail about it myself. I'd simply like to direct you to the Gameboy Advance reviews of this game as there are plenty of reviews there that will explain it to you. Either that or look back here later on as I'm sure someone will, eventually, explain it in these reviews. Depending on how you play the game, you'll get more than 40+ hours of gameplay and, as I stated in my GBA Riviera review, RPGs like this one only come along only once in awhile. It'd be a crime missing this one. Yet, I will have to say that if you already own the GBA Riviera- you're better off sticking with that game as there's not much new here to warrant a purchase. But, if you're new to the game, I would suggest you purchase the PSP version. I would have loved to have seen a new episode in the Riviera saga, myself, but Developer Sting thought it was necessary to do another port of the original for the PSP. Knowing our luck, next up will probably be a port of their next game after Riviera which was Yggdra Union. I just hope, at some point, they give us fans the game we want.

This is NOT your typical "dungeon-crawl" style RPG. Each battle is "graded," and how well you do determines the number of actions you can take later. There's also many places where you will be required to match buttons, hit a button at a certain time as a meter moves up and down, or numerous other tricks-of-dexterity.

That said, the graphics and sound is amazing and the story is really easy to get into. If you can handle a little frustration and some thinking, you may want to look at this game.

I bought Riviera the day it came out on a Nintendo system, because I knew that it would have a limited print run. I was right - a month after Riviera came out, I could not see it anywhere. This PSP game gives people who waited too long to try to grab the copy they missed.

Riviera is a game filled with choices. Do I spend time looking for treasure, or do I move on? The time spent on even mundane decisions affects what happens in the game. For the optimist, it gives a feeling of adventure. For the pessimist, it feels like every decision made in the game could have been wrong. I found myself doing every level twice just to see what happened if I changed my decision. The originally didn't appeal to me, but it is an okay anime RPG.

i like the story line and the plot but the only reason i wouldnt give it a five star rating is because of how hard it is to skill up. Once you've skilled up with all your weapons its hard to come across new weapons.

A while ago, my friend told me to try this game. Well, now I've tried it (well, the PSP version, not the GBA!) and I am VERY impressed with it. The leveling system and the overall game is very different from traditional RPGs, so enjoy this unique and awesome game!

If you are interested in Rivera, this is good. He said the graphics and voices were better than the GBA version, but he liked the soundtrack less.

well this game is a total let down because it is so easy and there are no cinematic scence just all pictures, but funny how it is dialogue through out the game though. it is a pretty straight forward game and no need a strategy guide or so whatever. i was disappointed with this game and expectly a game with a map to explore, but instead, the game proceed one scence after another. i won't pay over 20 dollars for this game, but guess what it's too late.

I bought this game, because I thought the graphics were awesome and the battles were pretty cool. The game's got a lot of dialogue and sound effects, but I did not like it.

Even though I am an avid RPG fan, this game is just slow and really palys like one of those pop-up books in a story you follow through with not many choices to make, but to see where the story leads fighting battle after battle.

I don't recommend this game for new gamers or old ones. It was a complete deception for me. Sorry, big fans, I'm hard core, but not THAT hard core to the point of complete boredom!