PS2 Shining Tears review:2 stars (Meh...) - Seems I have a huge difference of opinion compared to most here... but anyways... on to why I gave it a low rating. First off (and most obvious) is loading times. It could have been avoided I believe because maps weren't that huge and it didn't look like way too much detail and information being processed. Graphics I don't have a gripe with so I'll skip that. Dialogue in my opinion was terrible. It was extremely static and just felt scripted. Regardless of the fact that it was. It didn't really give me a sense that people were talking as opposed to that they had lines they were supposed to say. Storyline and setup was equally terrible and overused. A main character with amnesia?! And they just left it that way? The main character never even had presence... at all. He just said "huh? ok..." the whole game (with exception to battles when he first puts on one of the rings). Also you don't get to know anything... ANYTHING about the characters until their specific chapter section comes up (which is really sad because I never got to feel attached to anyone) and once their story is done you don't get anything else from them anyways. Next is the way that the plot and surprises were released. Everything was pretty much centered around one lead character and for some reason "he knew everything but never revealed any of it until after it happened". He even says he knew when things were going to happen but chose not to tell anyone. I know some of you will say he had a perfectly good reason but it's quite possibly the easiest way out of giving a good excuse for keeping information back. I'd get punched in the face if I did that to those guys. To end it all, the ending was just... meh. If you want to try a game worthy of my praise, pop in Baten Kaitos on Gamecube and turn off the voices. It's got a fairytale feel to it at first which I thought was annoying and the card system felt awkward but it's a game that makes you think and the style is awesome (although story is kind of predictable).5 stars (Great game!) - Shining Tears is officially my first Shining series game and I love it! In the Shining series, the games were famous for lots of different races. When I saw how diverse the cast looked, I had to get my hands on it. This game takes me back to playing Albert Odyssey since the party was also diverse in that game. The different characters are quite a team:

Xion, male human swordsman
Elwyn, female elf archer
Ryuna, female human priestess
Lazarus, male dragonian knight (my all time fave)
Neige, female human sorceress
Volg, male wolfman martial artist
Mao, female catgirl ninja

Now that's a diverse crew if I ever saw one!

The graphics are VERY top quality anime. The party members and their facial expressions are simply beautiful. Makes me outright jealous that I can't draw that kind of anime.

The music is similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. You have your standard military themes, normal mission themes and special opera-like themes for grand battles. A beautiful selection of songs, I hope the OST comes out soon.

The gameplay will remind one of playing Secret of Mana and its more recent cousin, Legend of Mana with the real time battle system. You move around a map of an area slaying enemies with two party members. You control Xion (mostly), and you're partner is up to you. You have Charge attacks with Xion and Link attacks with your ally (which differ depending on your friend). The action gets intense from time to time, especially when you end up taking on armies of monsters and enemy races from more than one map.

The story is unique. What intrigues me most are Xion's two rings that are the core of your party's fighting power. A pair of dragon rings grant two characters the power to take on hundreds of enemies at once. That's quite a basis to form a war story! And it seems a kingdom with Rune in its name has once again fit the role of villain. I'm impressed.

All and all, Shining Tears is a great RPG. For some people, the redundancy of training using old haunts may bring the same feeling of mediocrity one may have felt playing Tactics since the systems are similar. However, if this is something you can deal with, this game will be a guaranteed hit for you.4 stars (Why is this wonderful game getting such low reviews???) - First and foremost I just want to say:
**** Ignore all reviews that says this game is bad ****

Okay, Now for the reasons why I made that statement:

Graphics: The graphics are beautifully done in an Anime style artform. The characters are all beautifully done. I would give the graphics a 5 out of 5.

Sound: WOW! Simply amazing. Especially the battle music. Voice acting is limited to the shop owners and some battle voices. Which I think is great. Since I know how to read I don't need the characters reading for me. I would give sound a 5 out of 5 as well.

Story/Gameplay: The story and gameplay are awesome. You control Xion, a hero with amnesia, through a quest to find out who he is and where he's from. Along the way you will meet a strategist/doctor, a cold sorceress, a heart warming priestess, a strong wolf, a cute and perky ninja cat, and you are found lying on the beach by a bow wielding elf. All the while something sinister is brewing. Also, a cute rabbit girl will tell you about the different game mechanics. All playable characters are completely customizable. Shining Tears is simply awesome. Story/Gameplay gets a 5 out of 5 as well.

So why four stars??? The constant loading screens are a little bothersome, but all you need to overcome them is a little patience. I clocked them around 2 to 10 seconds long. In short, if your into more of the fantasy RPG's, then Shining Tears will not disappoint you.

**** Shining Tears is Classic Role Playing at It's Best ****

PS2 Shining Tears Features:
Role Playing Games (rpg, rpgs)
Strategy (Strategic)
Video Games
PS2 (PSX2)
Sony Playstation (Play station) 2
Playstation2 (Play station2)
Action
Adventure
Fighting
PlayStation 2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Action/Adventure

PS2 Shining Tears is the CD-ROM version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "CLICK HERE TO ORDER" button below for around 49.99USD.