Monstrously fun
Luckily, growing up I had a lot of friends who were either from Japan or were heavily into eastern games — so the opportunity to play imports, including the coveted Radiant Silver Gun, was always an option.
Gurumin kind of got lost in the fray of entering college for me, and after playing it this month with its PC release over 10 years later, I really regret not having the chance to play it so long ago.
Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure (PC [reviewed], PSP)
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom (JP), Mastiff (US), 505 Game Street (EU)
Released: December 25, 2004 (JP) / March 30, 2015 (US)
MSRP: $9.99
From the very moment I booted up Gurumin I fell in love. It’s so damn cheery and bright, and that old school retro spirit of adventure is alive and well. With its Dreamcast-style visuals, It brings me back to that whimsical era of gaming where gameplay and fun factor took precedent over all else.
You’ll play as a young girl named Parin, who sports a giant drill to fight off evil phantoms and help cute “monsters” (yep, monsters are good in Gurumin) who can only been seen by children. Parin is adorable, as she’s not only a formidable heroine, but spouts hilarious dialogue at every turn, voiced by an enthusiastic Amber Hood. The entire game including the hub town gives me a big Brave Fencer Musashi vibe, which is a huge bonus for me.
At the start of the narrative you’ll meet a group of monsters as well as the core phantom group, led by a powerful prince. As the cast starts to fill up you’ll find faces voiced by greats like Quinton Flynn, Dee Bradley Baker, and Tara Strong. Every character, good or evil, is memorable, and the campaign plays out in that wonderful storybook kind of way.
Despite its cutesy veneer, Gurumin has a fairly deep combat system. It boasts charge attacks, timed combos, dashes, launchers and aerial raves, and a few more powers as you unlock them. One of the best mechanics is the air dash system, where you can constantly jump off enemies as long as you can lock-on. It’s satisfying as hell, and the game gives you an ample amount of open and varied environments in which to test them out.
It does have controller support on PC, but I have multiple issues with both the 360 and Xbox One controllers in terms of input lag on the game’s menus. It’s not a dealbreaker as the emphasis is on action, but it was annoying every so often when I wanted to save my game. It’s a good thing Gurumin has a “save anywhere” scheme.
It has a lot of the key elements you’d expect from an older JRPG like a world map and equipment system, but it doesn’t go overboard. Getting to where you need to be is relatively easy, there’s no grinding, and gear nuances begin and end with the head slot. But with these elements in place, it manages to elevate the game above your standard action title, especially when you start getting into some of the gear bonuses that compliment individual styles, like extra defense or leeching health.
Gurumin hosts a lengthy 15-to-30-hour campaign, which has plenty of extras predicated on replay value, like multiple difficulty modes, extra sidequests, a new ending, and a hunt for every item. Thankfully, the additional difficulties alter enemy placements and tactics to incentivize multiple playthroughs. I wish there were something a little more out there beyond a few minigames, but it’s more than enough to keep you interested for quite a while.
I can recommend Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure to just about every action enthusiast out there. Outside of some antiquated elements dating back to the fact that it is an older game at heart, it dares to be positive at nearly every turn, and you won’t be able to play it without a smile on your face.
[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]
