Maken Shao hands-on impressions

[06.16.01] » Atlus' brain jacking adventure possesses the PS2. Read our full impressions, then check out 124 screenshots and the Japanese box art. It's Kaneko-riffic!

   Though Dreamcast to PS2 ports are becoming ever more common, for the most part they've stayed close to their source material. Not so with Maken Shao, the PS2 "port" of Atlus' first-person slasher / adventure. Not only has Atlus switched the game to a third-person view, but the company has also reworked the gameplay and story presentation, fixing many of the flaws of the original. We've spent some time with the recent Japanese release and are happy to report that the result is a much livelier and more playable Maken. Read are full impressions below and be sure to check out 124 screenshots of the game in action.

   For those who missed out on the Dreamcast original, Maken Shao tells precisely the same story with identical characters and locales. In the near future, a top-secret research group has developed a sentient device, called Maken, which is capable of manipulating people's "images" or souls. (These were called Psi in the US version of Maken X.) When Maken is awakened, it takes the form of a sword and bonds itself to Kei, the head researcher's daughter. At the same time, a crime syndicate kidnaps her father and Kei, armed with Maken, is the only one who can get him back.

   The story is entirely unchanged from Maken X, but the way it's told is new. The Dreamcast game's plot moved forward between chapters using largely still black and white pictures to tell the tale. Maken Shao employs rendered scenes throughout the game. And though the quality of these is hardly stunning - they seem to use the exact same models as the game itself - their addition adds immensely to the overall atmosphere.

   And as before, the game's unique atmosphere remains its strongest point. Though the graphics have only been marginally upgraded with a few lighting and blur effects, the varied settings and the creative and eerie character design by Kazuma Kaneko still shine through. Kaneko, best known in the US from his work on the Persona series, is easily one of the most original and imaginative character artists working in video games today. Like Maken X before it, Maken Shao gives fans a chance to see his work rendered out in a more impressive manner than the tiny sprites of a MegaTen game. But while Maken X hid the main characters with its first-person perspective, Shao's third-person camera gives a much better view of the leads.

   The new perspective is more of a trade off than a strict improvement over the original. On the one hand, it gives you a much better view of the surrounding and your current character, but it also can block off what's immediately in front of you - namely the enemies. Thankfully, this has been counterbalanced by much more responsive control than what was offered in Maken X. The vaulting move, which allowed you to jump over and behind an enemy, has been removed, but it's not really missed due to the quicker response time, more useful dodges, and a lock-on ability that will now pick up foes outside your field of view.

   Atlus has also taken the opportunity to completely redo the enemy placement. Multiple enemies are more the rule than the exception now, but the battles remain fair thanks to the view and control changes. Other tweaks are smaller. It's now much easier to reflect projectiles with a well-timed blow, and killing an enemy results in a brief pause in the gameplay, which helps you get your bearings before tackling the next foe. The greater challenge is also counterbalanced by a new beginner mode, in-level save points, and the ability to carry one power-up for use at a later time.

   But the most welcome change comes in a reworking of the brainjacking system used in Maken X. As before, Kei can posses the bodies of her allies and defeated enemies using the power of Maken. In Maken X, however, the system was extremely linear; killing enemies yielded "images" and enough of these would raise your Brainjack level, enabling you to possess a more powerful character. Once a new character was attained, there was almost no reason to go back. The system has been retooled in Maken Shao to be deeper and more rewarding.

   Defeating enemies still nets you images, but these are added to an overall pool that raises your current character's "synchro" level. The images can also be spent to brain jack different characters, but the higher that character's synchro, the lower the image cost. If you can kill multiple foes in succession without getting hit, your "flare level" rises, which raises the character's synchro level even faster. As the level rises, you're rewarded with new moves and combos to use in battle. When the synchro reaches 100%, the character earns a stat boost and new super attack and can be brain jacked at no cost. As a result, all of Maken Shao's dozen or so characters are useful throughout the entire game, and there's a real motivation to unlock the new abilities and hidden characters.

   More than a port, but far too close to the original to be considered an entirely new game, Maken Shao still has plenty to offer, including an unlockable art gallery and a few options we've yet to open up. Atlus has addressed almost every flaw of the original and, while it may not convert those that were lukewarm on the first game, fans of Maken X or those looking for an action adventure a bit different from the norm should be pleased. Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely at this point that the game will ever arrive in the US. The DC game was hardly a major success and Atlus' American office seems uninterested in the title.