Genesis - Beyond the Oasis or Story of Thor Review

Beyond Oasis was created by Sega and is known also as Story of Thor. It's an action-RPG and like Crusader of Centy

Gameplay and interface: 9/10

The game has you controlling Ali prince of Oasis and is played from a top down view. Ali can walk around using the directional pad while running is executed as usual by pressing a direction twice. Once running you can change direction but keep on running which is good. Leaping off ledges is another thing Ali can do which can really shorten your journey and is done by holding the direction pad at the edge of something.

Attacking with your weapon is done by pressing the B button. Pressing rapidly has you jab while holding and releasing for a short time allows you to do a wide slash which is probably one of the most important moves in the game. If you're close enough to the enemy, you'll execute a two-hit kick, which is very powerful. One of the most interesting use of the C button is that it allows you to jump if you press and release it while the same button allows you to crouch if you hold it down. This works well as Ali is very fast and makes sense in real life too. Of course, Ali can execute running attacks as well as a number of special moves. All in all, Ali is one of the best action fighters around.

To further complement his arsenal of moves you can pick up other weapons to use. There are three types of weapons, swords, crossbows and bombs. Of course, at the beginning of the game you start off only able to find weak versions of these weapons but you can find more powerful ones later on. For example, you can only find normal bows at first but later on metal or even fire bows. Each weapon however has a limited amount of use however so it's important to make their hits count. Different weapons will change Ali's fighting style, for example, the sword doesn't allow you to run and slash enemies anymore while the crossbow has only one sort of attack which is firing an arrow. All in all, I think it's pretty balanced as each weapon as its advantages and limitations.

Finally, to round off gameplay, Ali will eventually have control over magical spirits which can summoned by firing a ball at the spirit's element. For example, Dytto the water spirit you first obtain can be summoned by pointing Ali at a lake and pressing A. Once summoned you can use spirits power to aid you. Each one has its own way of helping you and using them is a breeze. It mostly involves pressing or releasing the A button or double tapping the A button. Most players will probably favour one or another because of the unique way each handles.

As for the interface, once again it's very easy to use. Start brings up the options and from there you have a number of options like use items, change weapons, check stats or save the game. The map in the options menu is extremely useful as it provides a flag to show you your objectives while a marker to show your current location. Game also keeps track of what you're doing and you'll be given a summary of the results at the end including the class you've achieved and the scores of the top five players.

There are a number of problems in the game which I think prevent it from scoring full points. There is a slight lag when you stop running which makes you vulnerable. I found that in the game, avoiding obstacles was easier when walking than running. Jumping is also a huge headache in this game especially in the later levels. It's not too bad but at times it's frustrating having to jump while enemies are constantly attacking you.

Storyline: 2/5

The storyline isn't particularly exciting, you find a golden armlet which belonged to some hero while someone else has the silver armlet which belonged to the evil villain the hero defeated. Talking to people yields little information either. There is no complex story or deep character development in this game.

Graphics: 4/5

The graphics are fairly good for this game. Perhaps it's a little mediocre in its presentation and there aren't enough enemy types but all in all a good package. Some of the later bosses look pretty cool.

Level design: 4.5/5

Most of the levels are designed pretty well and you can't just attack everything in sight but have to think about what to do. The levels in other words are like puzzles where you have to activate the right switch or something like that. Aside from these levels however which are quite well designed, there are also a number of secret areas such as a racing track and a secret 100 floor dungeon. All of these levels will provide you with bonuses and are often good areas to test you skill in the game. It adds a great touch to the game I think. The game isn't that long or large however, all the action occurs in the Kingdom of Oasis which is a real shame considering how much larger and more atmospheric the game could have been with more islands or locations.

Music and Sound: 2/5

The music and sound are forgettable unfortunately. Not very good at all.

For: Extremely good gameplay, good level design, secret levels in game.

Against: Graphics somewhat mediocre, poor music and sound.