With creatures though, a plus side is that you can have up to ten characters in battle per side, at least in player verses player. Depending on which level you are on, you may summon different levels of these creatures to the field. This is automatically done for you when a level starts, so you do not need to worry about spending time to make them. On the downside though, you are limited to the creatures that you bring into battle with you. This means once they are dead, you are not able to bring them back. These creatures can also be equipped with different items, which will raise their abilities in combat, speed, or defence, so it does allow them to be quite versatile. They will also be selected outside of battle, and unless you change them, you will have the same ones throughout the game.

Battles do have a set requirement as well, where it involves either defeating all the enemies on the screen, or... defeating a dark mage. There was more hope for the battle requirements early on, where I was additionally treated to an escape requirement, but overall these are fairly bland. If all else fails you may just need to protect some villagers. Something in addition to the requirements are time limits. These time limits can be a little difficult to achieve on the first run through the level. Because of these limits, you may find yourself losing level after level, if you are not actively pushing your characters to the max. The set time limits are five minutes when you need to beat all the creatures in the level, or ten minutes when you need to just defeat a dark mage. It does seem a little backwards, but it does make the boss battles easy. The sad part is losing causes you to get bumped back to the last save point, so you will need to save a lot.

In the end there is a lot of diversity in the game, from all the different elements of the spells/creatures, which will leave you playing a game of rock paper scissors. Even if you do lose in this match-up, your characters will not be pushovers, as they should hold down the enemy long enough to bring over your mage to give them a blast. The map area is quite large, so there are plenty of fields. On the downside though, the AI is a little... retarded. With you being able to go only in straight lines, and the random attacking of your creatures, it does leave a lot to be desired. The storyline is a little weak, but you can take the battle online and play against other people. There is also a downside with them, since you could be matched up with people that have several levels on you. All and all it is a satisfying game, but it could have been a lot better, especially when it comes to those nasty time limits. In the end, Captain Gordon gives this game… a B-. - Gordon Edward .