You know? It's kinda strange to think about the 3DS still getting new games. On one hand, it feels like just yesterday I was driving home from GameStop on release day, completely wowed by the new console's 3D effect. I can still picture my dad in the driver's seat while I opened the box sitting on my lap, and I can still remember the exact moment it asked me to switch on the 3D for the first time. That moment really stuck with me.
But then, I also can't help but remember all that has happened since then. The fact is that the 3DS came out almost seven years ago, and a lot has changed over the years. The Nintendo Wii U came and went, the Switch released as a hybrid handheld and home console, and right about now, you'd think the old 3DS would be getting ready to die out. Well, thankfully, that's not the case!
You see, Radiant Historia was not a well-known game. It was a very niche JRPG that attempted to capture everything great about JRPGs of the past, while adding its own spin on things. Rather than progressing through the game in a linear fashion as you'd normally do, RH takes the idea of time travel and mixes it into the core gameplay. Throughout the story, you'll come across key moments where the timeline will diverge, and it will be up to you to decide which path to take. These moments, however, can then be revisited at almost any time, allowing you to choose different options instead. Go down one path only to see a main character get killed in front of you? Well, just rewind time and go down the other path to see what went wrong. You might find out something that will allow you to prevent that death down the alternate path. Along with its 3x3 grid-based battle system, which requires you to push enemies into each other to create chain combo attacks, these systems make Radiant Historia one of the more unique JRPGs to ever release on the DS. But again, sadly, it wasn't one many knew about, nor was it one you could easily get your hands on... which I learned the hard way. Of course, today all of that changes. Thanks to this 3DS rerelease, the game is now much easier to find, and it's more likely that word of its release will spread. Even if a physical copy is sold out, the game is still available for digital download on the eShop. But what is it that makes this version different? Well...
Although this game is not a "full" remake of the original, it has quite a lot of improvements. First of all, the game now features full voice acting for all major characters and story scenes. While some lesser characters (such as one-time NPCs) are text-only, voice clips have been added to at least give them some personality. On top of this, the game's dialogue has been reworked to fit the new voice acting and to improve the script in general. As a very story-heavy game, these changes are very much welcome.
Besides the voice acting, the game also features new story chapters, as well as a new key character. This new timeline not only adds to the original experience, but it also gives returning players a reason to dive back in. Of course, the game offers an "original" story option as well, which allows you to play through the game without the new content—just as it was on the DS—but chances are most players will prefer to see everything the new version has to offer. The game also features new character art (with the original art available as DLC) and has been updated for the 3DS's wider screen. Along with this comes new CG images during key parts of the story, rather than sticking with the simple sprites like the original did. (Plus, analog controls have now been added thanks to the Circle Pad, though the original D-pad is still there as an option.)
Overall, this version of the game is a pretty big upgrade from the original classic, and a must-have for turn-based JRPG fans.
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