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For those of you who don't know, Shining Force 3 is a grid turn based strategy game where you see each attack as cut scene. Only this time, thanks to the power of Saturn, the cut scenes are polygonal, as opposed to hand drawn in the previous games.

Sega is releasing the game in three parts, and the saved game from each scenario is supposed to affect the next scenario. Anyway, you start out with you standard Shining Force party - swordsman, cleric, magic user, and a centaur. You gain experience and gather more part members as you progress through the game, and the game is divided into 6 chapters, each chapter composed of 4 to 5 battles.

Let me mention the good parts first:

The game play is quite balanced - usually all units excepts bosses can be defeated by 2 or 3 hits, including yours. That is, unless you don't follow the flow of the game and gather a lot of experience somewhere. This would make you to put to good use all of your available units, as some of the battles are quite challenging.

There are some changes from the previous Shining Force games. First, there is a friendship factor. When two units attack the same enemy, or interactions like casting spells on a party member, their friendship will increase. Then when they stand next to each other in battle, the friends will support the unit with things like increased attack or higher dodge ratio. But all the friendship will reset if the units dies. So there is a good incentive to keep your party alive. At least better than that $20/level penalty that you have to pay later. Battles can now be carried on more than 1 map. On some maps, there are places like caves that you should be able to send units into during battle. But I have only encounter this on my last battle, so my judgment is going to be based just on that. In that dual map battle, each map has its own objective, but it is necessary that one does not occur before the other. This kind of synchronized attack is very innovative and a good change from the usual normal kill the boss battle.

The spells are heavily influenced by FF7. There are now summon spells. I've only seen 4, so not as much as FF7. Having polygonal cut scenes means that the designers can go crazy with the effects, and they do. Spark spell fills the screen with lightning, and fire drowns you in a sea of lava. And the summoned creatures are hideous. During all the summon spells, there are moments when the camera turns such that it is as if you are being attacked yourself. Very effective use of the rotating camera.

The game is quite long - 30 hours or so. Not to mention the replayability factor. I think a lot people would want to play the game again when scenario 2 and 3 are released, to see how they would differ based on scenario 1.

And now the bad:

Buggy! Usually it is with the attacks where it doesn't switch back to the map until a very long time later. Also, music screws up very often. Nothing serious.

The game has a lot of slow downs. Happens on maps with only around 25 units or some weird things like waterfall. Or in short, maps other than your normal green rolling hills. They would also need to optimize the polygonal battle engine. I don't know if they borrowed that from VF2 or something, but when lightning fills the screen, they are very slow moving and sounding lightning.

The graphics aren't very impressive. Kind of blurry and not very clean. And I personally hate the big headed people who shrinks every time something happens. Didn't I see enough of them in Shining Wisdom?

If you care about game play more than graphics, then I would recommend you getting SF3. Unless you are afraid that you would be urged to buy the next 2 scenarios too. It IS kind of expensive.

Overall: 90%