If you're anything like me -- you lucky devil, you -- you find Sega naming an action/RPG Shining Force a bit of an abomination. I can't help but look back fondly to the series' tactical RPG roots. I mean, Sega might as well make a road-building sim titled Streets of Rage, or a crummy pseudo-RPG called Sonic the Hedge ...uh, never mind. For better or worse, Shining Force is now a different genre, and we'll just have to get used to it. Don't worry; we'll get through this together.

The shift took place in 2005 with Shining Force Neo. Shining Force EXA follows suit, and I mean in the sense that it's close to its predecessor in a way that makes you wonder if it's truly a sequel. Gameplay revolves around battling large swarms of enemies with AI buddies in tow. It's a little more mature than the action in Shining Soul or Shining Tears, but is more simplistic than, say, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance or Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

In the game's fiction, the Shining Force itself is actually a legendary sword, and each culture has different lofty takes on what happens if you find it. You don't have to wait long to discover the truth yourself, as you snag it within the first hour of gameplay. It turns out you inherit the massive stronghold known as the Geo-Fortress as a result, and all its gadget glory. The place is a little run-down since its last tenants, though, so it'll take some time before you can utilize all of its features -- from warping to leveling up attributes to training simulations. It reminded me a lot of the headquarters in the Suikoden titles, but more focused on functions than followers.

You'll control two different main characters in EXA: Toma is a cocky sword-swinging kid, while Cyrille is a young sorceress shrouded in mystery and accompanied by a weird talking pet. Centaur Gadfort and the elvish Maebelle will also fight by your side, and others will join your ranks over time. For the most part you don't need to worry about your allies in combat, as the AI can handle itself -- not that you wouldn't appreciate the strategic element, as the combat is pretty simplistic. Co-op would've been nice, too.

As you travel along, enemy battalions will pop up in front of you (sometimes literally), cruisin' for a bruisin'. Dispatch them, move on, and repeat. There's plenty of ambiance to destroy as well, but it all gets repetitive rather quickly (especially if you played Neo). Attempting to spice things up are random attacks on the Geo-Fortress. You'll be minding your own business when you suddenly get zapped back to whichever character you left guarding the home-front to combat the intruders. It's honestly a little annoying to get taken out of what little mission structure the game has like that, and these battles aren't that much fun. Defend the fortress' usually involves taking out a boss or some enemy generators.

All in all, the game's not a bad time -- albeit quite uninspired. Finding new weapons and destroying countless barrels and boxes will keep you going, though there are no platforming elements to speak of, or other things to distract from the button-mashing fights. Bringing EXA down are a poorly written script and several detestable characters. Toma is the worst of the bunch, with his conceited attitude and wannabe toughness. His voiceovers are also the most poorly acted, though several enemies and later allies fight for that distinction. Cyrille's mystique carries the weight of the story, but not enough to leave you engaged.

From a presentation standpoint, Shining Force EXA lags behind its peers. The graphics just don't look that great, and their cel-shaded nature doesn't come off as very attractive. Animations are severely limited, and the camera can often be annoying (you have no manual control). It's amusing to be swallowed up in a sea of monsters with no slowdown, until you try to find your character to fight out of it.

While the VO is by and large decent, the pregnant pause as the game loads the next lines of dialogue isn't. The music's not bad, but I disliked how it would shift to a more tension-filled track when enemies were around -- leaving it perpetually swapping tunes. How a game from big publisher Sega can't compete with the presentation efforts from little companies like NIS is vexing to me.

I can't hate on much in Shining Force EXA, but at the same time it doesn't have a whole lot going for it. Fans of anime-style action/RPGs may want to look into it, though their cups have runneth over in the last few years. EXA doesn't differentiate itself from the herd; in fact, its blatant lifting of so much from Neo is a definite detriment. Shining Force EXA isn't extraordinary. Quite the opposite: it's extra ordinary.