Dark Half

Westone's Dark Half strayed from the formula in at least two ways, first by staging a dual-perspective story - one as a demon king out to terrorize the world and the other as an archetypal JRPG hero (an approach revised years later as Breath of Fire IV), and then with its diceroll-y, EXP-less progression. Its foundation is no less original, an isometric 'open world' with straightforward, segmented, brief semi-tactical combat. As the proceedings alternate between short, linear chapters (of 1-2 towns plus a dungeon), Rukyu & Falco's disparities also become apparent in gameplay: Whether battle strategy (stationary spellcasting versus mobile teams), party-building (monster capture versus standard recruitment) magic (powerful innate spells versus single-use items), spell-learning/improvement (collecting monsters versus treasure), stats (max-level attributes versus loot-driven random boosts) or even gear (one can't even open chests, whereas the other works with upgrade/exchange systems). Among the few notable JRPGs of '96, theirs is perhaps the most structurally creative.

Sadly their biggest difference involves the weakest element, its hunger meter-like fail state of Soul Power, replenished on one side by hunting villagers and the next via special resources. While typical of their offbeat approach to systems, its effect indirectly discourages exploring and makes their lengthy, puzzle-y, somewhat cryptic dungeons even more aggravating. Nonetheless, their specialty remains the details, which one can detect and appreciate from time to time. For example, those spared or slain in the antagonist's run carry over to the protagonist's, whose subsequent actions will determine the ending. Everything here is wrapped in a sullen, almost pensive atmosphere and marked by morbid humor, mainly due to the villagers (who - on the demon's playthrough, show little panic over the ongoing massacre of their town).