Some of them let you purchase information, some of them have you go to a certain spot on the map to perform a specific task, and some of them will trigger battles for you in various locations. This fog devours everything on its way, and is slowly moving towards the few remaining towns and villages, about to consume the rest of humanity. In Stella Deus you also can't revisit old battles like you can in Disgaea, which is perhaps a product of the more mature attitude.Instead, though, you can go into the catacombs to fight monsters and boost your level. Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity is an obscure PlayStation 2 Turn-Based Strategy Role-Playing Game published by Atlus and developed by the even more obscure "Pinegrow Studios". When you bring up the town menu while traveling, along with the option to enter the catacombs you'll have the option to visit the shop or the guild. Description Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity is another strategy-RPG from Atlus, although Nippon Ichi was not the developer this time.Stella Deus takes us to a grim, futuristic world with an austere style. The guild area lets you do two things: take quests and fuse items. Possibly too stiff, if your characters are a little low in level--Stella Deus continues the long tradition of console strategies by being all about your party's level status. GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers. While Stella Deus has a lot of good ideas and a couple positive points, there's just too much bogging it down to make it really stand out in a competitive market. It follows the party-based conventions of genre landmarks such as Final Fantasy Tactics, Ogre Battle, or Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth, but features realistically rendered characters and rich, 3D environments. The Stella Deus BGM ReArrange Album adds little order to the chaos, featuring five arrangers doing a mixture of piano, electronic, jazz, and orchestral arrangements and medleys of Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata's material from Stella Deus. Here's a full review. and acknowledge the data practices in our Stella Deus is the first to come out after developer Nippon Ichi branched out on its own, but it's still a peachy offering in the genre that tactical fans will flock to. Each generic class as well as each of the main characters is very distinct in appearance, both in the static art and the sprites, which animate smoothly and are well made. spreads across the land, killing all in its path. For Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity on the PlayStation 2, GameFAQs has 13 reviews. The various effects for special abilities, team attacks, and even normal melee also look really good and pack a nice visual punch. There are also guild missions where you can pick up new soldiers as well as some money. Japanese turn-based strategy games have enjoyed their own niche on the PlayStation 2, the more notable representatives being Nippon Ichi's colorful and entertaining games. Item fusion does just what it implies, letting you fuse two of your items and earn a new result. The empire has nearly exhausted its supply of spirit energy, and the dominant religion teaches apathy. Stella Deus is quite disappointing as a tactics rpgs when compared to others if of its kind like FFT and Disgaea. Gorgeous art direction adds something same old tactical RPG grind. As a deadly mist called the "miasma" spreads across the land, you must guide a team of characters on a mission to save the world. A spiritual successor to the PlayStation One letdown Hoshigami, Stella Deus brings to the table the traditional isometric strategy RPG (a la Final Fantasy Tactics, the gold standard of the genre). There's a good amount of spoken dialogue, too, which at its worst is simply bland but otherwise moves the narrative along nicely. If you simply play through the story, tending to side quests only as they appear in the guild, this game provides a decent challenge and is occasionally even fairly demanding, particularly once enemies gain passive skills that allow them to inflict status ailments. At Metacritic, the game received an average score of 75, based on 31 reviews. Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity is not so brightly wrapped, but the game brings with it some unique gameplay elements and a great, ethereal visual style. The character designs eschew both extremely cartoony and extremely "beautiful" character looks for a style that's soft but rich with detail. There's some room for customization with skills, as you can get them from some items as well and have whomever you like spend the skill points to learn them, but for the large part you'll be using a character's innately learned set of abilities. Viser swears that with alchemy he will rid the world of the miasma that plagues it and is slowly decaying it... Read Full Review, Stella Deus looks like a bad port of a GameBoy game to the PS2. This doctrine of apathy makes Solum a pretty depressing place, but they've got more problems--a man named Overlord Dignus has decided to make the final years a bit more exciting by dominating the world with his military might. Played on the original console and recorded with Elgato Game Capture HD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2007 Stella Deus is one of the few decent tactics games available for the PS2/X system, produced by a company with a reputation for tactics games. You can fuse just about every item in the game, and some items can be acquired only through fusion, so it's both fun to play with as well as genuinely useful. They're all pretty straightforward, but many are worth doing, for easy money as well as the possibility for recruiting new generic party members to fill out your ranks. How long is Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity? These are still fun to play around with, though, as are the team combo attacks you can trigger under the right conditions for massive damage. © 2021 GAMESPOT, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. Each level of the dungeon corresponds to the strength of the enemies you find there, so floor two has level-two monsters, floor 10 has level-10 monsters, and so on. There's always some nut that wants to take over the world, even when the world is about to end. Stella Deus is slightly better than average. Metacritic TV Episode Reviews, WWE Wrestlemania 21, Midnight Club 3, Stella Deus and more!, On tonight's episode of X-Play, we review WrestleMania XXI. We'll begin emailing you updates about %gameName%. The game's shop is streamlined to the point that gathering any weapons or items you need is a breeze--you can apply your new equipment directly to your party and then just purchase it all in one fell swoop, no fuss. This means that battles in Stella Deus aren't a matter of looking at a map, running to the very edge of your movement area, and unleashing your most powerful spell; you'll have to check your AP costs and be mindful of when you need to conserve them. Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity Summary : A hand-drawn strategy RPG in which you must hunt spirits to learn more about a weakness-causing fog called the Miasma. Great artwork and solid gameplay make Stella Deus worth the look. Unlike traditional role-playing games where the hero character, and the ... Read Full Review, Stella Deus: Gate of eternity is an unusual game even in a genre (tactical/ strategy) that is quite often unorthodox. It's very much stylistically similar to Final Fantasy Tactics with a few interesting tweaks such as Fusion - combi... Read Full Review, Stella Deus is a tactical rpg from Atlus. Create a backlog, submit your game times and compete with your friends! Bah, villains! All those strategic battles need a conflict to revolve around, and the major source of stress in Stella Deus is that the world is dying. Apex Legends Kings Canyon Map Returns Alongside The Mirage Voyage, NBA Jam Documentary In The Works, Will Bring The Boomshakalaka, PS5 Restock Updates: Check Latest Stock, Updates, And More, By Those that prefere lighter portions should likely steer clear for a more well-received game. Your characters gain experience as well as skill points from defeating enemies, and the skill points can be used to purchase abilities. Skills vary by character class, and there are a number of these in the game--from fighters and swordsmen and samurai, to archers and clerics and alchemists, and more. The game's music has a similar take, light and airy in the overworld and energetic if subtle during battle, providing a steady undercurrent without drawing too much notice. Akibo also speaks of Stella Deus' promise "Stella Deus combines a compelling narrative with stunning hi-res graphics." The race is on to see where salvation truly lies: through the Aeque's passive teachings, through the technological advances of alchemy, or through communion with the mysterious spirits that inhabit Solum and are tied to the Gate. However, Stella Deus has more than decent battles on a turn-based grid; it has an opening that sets up one of the more exciting and riveting plots in years. The tale of Stella Deus is that of a dying world being slowly consumed by a poisonous mist. Terms of Use The game plays very similar to past tactical rpgs like Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogres, and Disgaea. Listen, guys, it has come to my attention that we're not all level six. Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity (PlayStation 2) review by Zigfried . Having … Try to get rid of the apathy of the world...by playing an apathic game? Stella Deus offers some of the better — but less daring — small-scale strategy RPG gaming to be found on any system. The animated cutscenes have a cool sketched form to them, and the color palette used is muted and misty, like the world in which the game takes place. I love the humor inherent in Disgaea and La Pucelle, but you won't find much of it here. ... Read Full Review, Story: The story is pretty good and deals with themes like ecology and politics, not unfamiliar territory in this genre. A deadly mist called the ?Miasma? A entertaining SRPG with unique graphics plus a good storyline and strategic combat system to go along with it. Having forsaken hope, the inhabitants simply await their deaths. Action Points are used to perform actions such as moving, attacking, casting spells, or using items. And so long as your party is of the appropriate level, nailing foes is generally easy enough with the wide array of skills you'll have at your disposal. Although Stella Deus is simple, though, I wouldn't necessarily call it easy unless you make the effort required to exploit its systems. © 2021 GAMESPOT, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. A pretty solid strategy RPG, but not the masterpiece it could have been. Privacy Policy. Everything you do will cost AP, from moving, to attacking, to using special abilities and spells, to using items. It takes a bit of time to get used to this system (particularly for spells and special abilities, which require both AP to use and magic points to cast). All your options are governed by something called action points, or AP, which determine when the units on the field can act. Get the latest news and videos for this game daily, no spam, no fuss. Sure, Stella Deus’ graphics may not compare to the full motion videos or dramatic renderings of a Final Fantasy, but if that were all you the consumer had wanted, these reviews would be much simpler to write! Your main character is Spero who is a young knight, who follows the RPG cliche of being fatherless/orphaned and wields a sword bequeathed to him by his late parental figure. LIMIT: NA REGISTRATION COST: 0 REWARD/PRIZE: Given info about the Quest system in Stella Deus. Many reviewers praised the game's art direction and visual style, even as they lamented its poor voice acting. Voice acting is apart from the cat girl is terrible but at least you can turn thevolume down and read... Read Full Review, for who it likes simple rpg, this is an excellent option if it initiates a game, of my point of view, is not difiçil for if to deal with a tactical game in sequencia.Pode to be difiçil for who never played games of the t... Read Full Review, You begin in a small town training with your father's sword while your best friend Viser practices his alchemy. EZ powers can be helpful to your allies (like giving a boost to evade or accuracy, or regenerating some health every turn), or they can be offensive (giving baddies bad status effects). When a characters action points get to 100, they are the next in line to act. Stella Deus purposely avoids Final Fantasy Tactics' insane level of character customization and Shining Force 3's flashy audiovisual sense, instead choosing to settle into its own comfortably safe niche. For those who just can't get enough tactical mastery, consider picking it up. The prevailing religious sect known as the Aeque preaches that God intends this slow destruction, and so his disciples should peacefully await their inevitable end. Dec 11, 2015 - Stella Deus Review, A tactical roleplaying game exclusive to PSN that still holds up. I enjoyed it to a degree, but it is not as involving as other games in the genre like Final Fantasy... Read Full Review, Back in 1993, few games sucked up my free time like Ogre Battle for the SNES. This is a game that aims to appeal directly to the existing console strategy audience, and there's enough that sets Stella Deus apart to make it worth a look to those fans. Not the best of it's genre, but pretty darn good. Your AP refreshes to 100 each turn, and those with the most AP have the most initiative, which lets you do interesting things, like juggle your initiative with conservative moves to have a healer always ready to heal, or lure your enemies into long trips to expend their AP, letting you nail them. Beyond some obvious tactical advantages (strong melee versus ranged magic and archers), the character abilities are fairly homogeneous, with all melee classes and ranged classes having equivalently strong skills. The game is a Spiritual Successor to Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth: They were developed by the same people, use many of the same gameplay conceits and share a similar Green Aesop plot. This is different from character class promotions in other games like Fire Emblem or Shining Force; your level doesn't reset, and the individual isn't altered in any way beyond getting additional abilities, so you can go ahead and rank them up as soon as they're ready. Stella Deus is a pretty good game in my opinion. The game plays very similar to past tactical rpgs like Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogres, and Disgaea. Console strategy fans should have a good time with this one. on May 9, 2005 at 5:11PM PDT. More information Find this Pin and more on The Retro RPG Gamer by Level Gaming Ground . In fact, it’s a game’s ingenuity and capacity to captivate that makes it great. No, it’s not Legend of Legaia! Story. The time you have to spend advancing in levels is something you have to be prepared for, but it's handled well for what it is and is balanced fairly well in the game as a whole. The catacomb serves as a sort of required "side dungeon." It's a turn based strategy RPG with a weak story, horrible voice acting and the ugliest effects for magic and special attacks I've ever seen on the PS2. Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity received mostly positive reviews from critics. At least the chapters are relatively well arranged so that you'll usually be able to keep your main force fighting fit while having to hit the dungeon only once every so often to give yourself a boost or to prepare for a particularly tough fight. And you'll need those for the game's mighty boss characters, which almost invariably provide a nice stiff challenge. Battles are played on a grid map over the terrain. You can hit the catacomb through a menu at any given point on the overworld (there are no random battles, thankfully). Stella Deus is a turn based tactical role playing game similar to Final Fantasy Tactics, but with anime animation. Let’s Review. This is also true: Stella Deus looks more than gorgeous compared to its peers. Nice character designs, but they won't hide the poor voice acting, constant level-grinding, and repetitive gameplay. Stella Deus is pret... Read Full Review, Now, this game is sometimes called the FFT successor for the PS2, and just because it is a SRPG it could be,but that's all about it, this game has some neat animations, characters are greatly designed and animated,the st... Read Full Review, Fans of Atlus' PS1 Tactical RPG Hoshigami are doubtlessly going to find a lot to like in Stella Deus. The premise and the storytelling both do a good job of keeping matters interesting as you go along, even if saving the world might be a bit blasé nowadays. EZ skills are nice, though everyone has a differently arranged effect zone, so sometimes you'll find yourself unable to take advantage of them efficiently. I absolutely loved Final Fantasy Tactics for the Playstation One and I've been wanting to play a game like it ever since but there haven't been many. If you must level, this is one of the more accessible ways to arrange it, plus clearing a given floor will net you cash to spend on new equipment. The country of Solum are surrounded by poisonous fog. The lands of Solum are surrounded by a deadly fog known as the miasma, which is steadily advancing into the remaining populated areas, threatening humanity with extinction within a matter of years. The pieces to assemble a great game are all there, but it just never quite gels into the game it could have been. For Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity on the PlayStation 2, GameFAQs has 10 guides and walkthroughs. HowLongToBeat has the answer. If you liked Final Fantasy Tactics, you'll probably like this as well. By signing up, you agree to the our Gameplay is fine for what you need in a ta... Read Full Review. Time spent leveling almost always feels like a simple grind, and that's pretty true of this system as well. Apex Legends Kings Canyon Map Returns Alongside The Mirage Voyage, NBA Jam Documentary In The Works, Will Bring The Boomshakalaka, PS5 Restock Updates: Check Latest Stock, Updates, And More. Its battle system is slightly different but still easy to pick up and learn, and the skill and fusion systems allow for some character customization on already solid templates. And the journey is made very easy on the eyes by some great artwork in the game. Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity is not so brightly wrapped, but the game brings with it some unique gameplay elements and a great, ethereal visual style. Quests take many forms. Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity gameplay for the Playstation 2. Personally, I rate it near the bottom of good tactics games, but it makes the list. 1. Bethany Massimilla Characters have a variety of both active and passive skills they can equip. Fully armored warriors conjure images of tribal idols or old-fashioned robots, with full-face helmets and their sculpted metal features. Given its scarcity at that time, it wasn't too surprising when a friend of mine stole a copy that the local Blockbuster had, allowing us to pl... Read Full Review, Unfortunately, I wanted to like this game a great deal more than I actually did; the art direction is stunning and one of the things that initially drew my attention to the box. Having to level up inserts a bit of a grind, Customization builds on classes that are fairly generic to start with. A young man named Spero and his friends end up straddling a conflict between the empire to which they belong and an underground rebellion that seeks to dispel the miasma with a structure called the Gate of Eternity. Stella Deus is one of the few decent tactics games available for the PS2/X system, produced by a company with a reputation for tactics games. You can "rank up" people with a special item to upgrade their class, and this gives them more skill slots to work with and new skills to learn. If you're too low, you'll need to catch up, but the game provides a relatively easy way to do this with the Catacomb of Trials. If you're the sort of player who loves maxing out your characters in every possible way, fusion is right up your alley, and both fusion and the catacombs give the already meaty story battles and progression a nice counterpart. PS2 Review - 'Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity' by Agustin on May 3, 2005 … The pieces to assemble a great game are all there, but it just never quite gels into the game it could have been. Sure, Stella Deus’ graphics may not compare to the full motion videos or dramatic renderings of a Final Fantasy, but if that were all you the consumer had wanted, these reviews would be … GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers. You have to clear a floor once to get to the next one, but once you've cleared a floor, you can go back to it at any given time. Stella Deus doesn't set out to redefine its genre, but instead simply provides a good game of its type. Developed by the same team responsible for the incredibly difficult (and incredibly addicting) Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth, Stella Deus isn't a … Stella Deus is a tactical RPG of Japanese origin. Stella Deus doesn't set out to redefine its genre, but instead simply provides a good game of its type. As an Amazon Associate, we earn commission from qualifying purchases. Get ready to embark on a quest that has you hunting spirits, battling enemies, and ultimately opening the fabled Gate of Eternity. Joining Spero and his companions in battle presents what is a familiar sight to fans of the genre, an isometric view with a grid-based map that lets your forces jostle for position and lay waste to your foes. Metacritic Game Reviews, Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity for PlayStation 2, A deadly mist called the "Miasma" spreads across the land, killing all in its path. You can learn new special attacks, passive abilities (like a 10 percent boost to attack power or immunity to poison), and effect zone (EZ) powers that let you affect units in your immediate vicinity. The Strategy RPG revival continues with Atlus' Stella Deus. True enough, Stella Deus is just one of many recent examples of unexpected games putting an end to the 'silent' era of RPG's in the US. Stella Deus is a tactical rpg from Atlus. Sound is average, graphics on the higher end for tactics games, and special attack animations are on the long side. Personally, I rate it near the bottom of good tactics games, but it makes the list. Lord Dignus, … The world is dying. You can fully explore its depths at any time to satisfy any desire you may have to level your party to ludicrous strength, but even if you're not interested in that type of thing, chances are you'll still have to visit the place regularly to keep your group in tip-top condition. Head on over to the catacombs, then meet us at the boss when you're ready. Stella Deus received moderately favorable reviews at the time of its release, with a 75/100 score from the aggregate review site Metacritic. Pretty good game in my opinion 100, they are the next in line to act a Quest that you! The guild area lets you do will COST AP, from moving, to using abilities... 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