Crusader of Centy
| Crusader of Centy | |
|---|---|
North American cover art
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| Developer(s) | Nextech |
| Publisher(s) |
Sega |
| Composer(s) | Motokazu Shinoda |
| Platform(s) | Sega Genesis |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Crusader of Centy (also known as Soleil in Europe and Shin Sōseiki Ragnacënty (新創世紀ラグナセンティ Shin Sōseiki Ragunasenti) (Dawn of the Era: Ragnacënty) in Japan) is an action role-playing game that was released on the Genesis/Mega Drive. The story centers on Corona, a boy who has just turned 14 years of age so must inherit his father's sword and fight the monsters that threaten the human race's very existence. Gameplay takes place in an overhead perspective and focuses on exploring, battling enemies with a sword, and solving puzzles. As the story progresses numerous animals join the hero and aid him, they are used in gameplay like weapons or tools, which often grant passage to previously inaccessible areas. The game's storyline is remarkable for questioning many of the traditional concepts of fantasy role-playing games, such as that monsters are inherently evil.
In Soleil Town, a law requires that all 14-year-old boys go to train and prepare for battle. The game's hero, Corona, has just turned fourteen at the beginning. Corona receives the sword and shield of his father, who died in battle and had a great reputation for his bravery in defending the city.
The story is divided into two parts. Corona must first take time to discover his world and unlock the various levels that make it up. He can then access them at his leisure. During this half of the game, Corona will not have the ability to speak to humans, but only to animals and plants. Only after beating the dragon beast, Merda (Pronounced Mairdah), will the second half of the game begin: Corona has recovered the ability to talk to humans and he will travel through time to build a better world and understand why the monsters are at war with humanity. Is it really the monsters who are the barbarians of the world?
Early in the game, Corona finds himself losing his ability to speak to fellow humans, and gaining the ability to speak to animals instead. Some of them will join him, lending Corona their abilities while they're "equipped". Each animal has its own special technique. The very first animal the player gets is Corona's pet dog, Mac (US version), or Johnny (UK version). He can hold enemies down for Corona to attack. Later, the player gets a penguin, named Chilly (US version), or Penguy (UK version), which will power up Corona's sword with an ice-attack. A total of 16 animals like this can be obtained.
GamePro viewed the game as the Genesis's answer to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and remarked that "While Zelda had tons of hidden surprises, weapons, and fearsome bosses (making it one of the best action/RPGs ever), Crusader of Centy has a too-familiar story line, minor enemies, and a serious shortage of puzzles." They nonetheless concluded that though Crusader of Centy would bore the average RPG gamer, it successfully appeals to its young target audience. The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly contended that the game is a worthy Zelda clone, with two of them going so far as to say it is equally good as the Zelda series. They identified the story and Zelda-like play mechanics as the game's strongest points.
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