Eternal poison cover install#
Eternal poison cover series#

Once the player has refined their squad, they must move on to mastering other systems. Ten separate mercenaries allow you to round out your squad, but making the best use of them in order to clear each stage and gain necessary experience is certainly a case of trial-and-error. Each narrative provides two to four mandatory characters, as well as a surplus of 'mercenary' units who can be recruited to your cause. As a strat-RPG, the game requires the manipulation of several units during combat. The game gives no clear indication as to when the player has completed these objectives, and so achieving a 'true ending' with any of the initial stories is extremely difficult without the help of an online FAQ.ДЄdditionally, these requirements rely on the mastery of several of the game's deeply complex systems. Each of the three initial narratives has several branching paths, but in order to properly complete them, the player must choose the correct branches and complete several hidden objectives. In fact, the game has a quintuple narrative, but the fourth narrative is only revealed after completing one of the first three, and the fifth and final narrative can only be unlocked upon completing all previous narratives as well as the additional requirement of completing the game's monster compendium.

To begin with, the game has a triple narrative however, even saying that is not a fully correct statement. I spoke previously of the hurdles Baten Kaitos and God Hand placed in front of players, but there are insignificant in the face of Eternal Poison's choices. Perhaps there would have been, if not for the increasingly complex layers of systems employed by the game. Yet, these choices are all of the sort that fall comfortably within the realm of artistic interpretation, and there should have been an audience for the game. Essentially, the game made several artistic choices at the outset which continuously sliced the potential audience ever-thinner.

Eternal poison cover install#

While the choice of genre alone would limit the potential of the install base, Eternal Poison further limits itself through the adoption of a gothic-noir aesthetic, which, like any other artistic choice, was bound to enthral some but alienate others.

Strategy-RPGs use a grid mechanic to govern movement and attack, and while that gameplay can be deeply rewarding, there are few popular franchises in the US that implement this playstyle, outside of Fire Emblem, and perhaps X-COM. Beyond being a Japanese RPG, a genre that relies on some very specific tropes and mechanics and which has limited appeal in the US as a result, it further compounds this niche status as a strategy-RPG. I stated that Eternal Poison was an extremely niche title, and that assessment continues across several elements.

Be advised this article will reference several of the most important revelations in the game's story, so anyone who was considering playing this complicated game from 11 years ago should expect spoilers. Eternal Poison is a game that takes a lot of work to get into, but one that has perhaps the best and most rewarding payoff of virtually any role-playing game I've ever experienced. Nevertheless, the revelations and structure of the second half of the game, especially the end-game content, remain my favorite of the past decade. It features an over-abundance of complicated systems, demanding play mechanics, and a thoroughly baroque and obtuse set of requirements for advancing the narrative. Eternal Poison is an extremely niche title (a Japanese Strategy RPG) with an inordinately high barrier to enjoyment in its initial phase. In fact, I often refer to it as my favorite game that no one played.

Eternal poison cover series#

The final entry in this series of weird games is Eternal Poison (2008), a game which takes the boldest chances and reaps the least success of any of the three games I've discussed so far.