Stranger Preview

[GameBanshee News]

GameShark was able to get their hands on a press copy of Stranger and have dished up a two-page preview based on their time with Fireglow's RTS/RPG hybrid.

Learning spells is a must given how integral a role magic plays in Stranger. Along with being central to the story, magic must be utilized in combat otherwise you simply won't be able to proceed through the game. Magics are based on the three primary colors: red, green, and blue. Four secondary colors derived from combinations of those three include yellow, cyan, magenta, and white magic. Each color offers a distinct array of spells and effects; for example, green magic is geared toward healing whereas red spells offer offensive attacks.

Your ability to cast magic comes from crystals collected from defeated enemies. Various colored gems found through a level are stored in your inventory. In order to cast spells, you need to manage your stock by transferring crystals to your character. Moving red crystals over, for instance, enables you to cast those colored spells. Access to mixed color magic is done by attributing the right balance of primary colors. White magic, as an example, requires equal parts of all three primary colors. Once you've moved the necessary numbers of crystals over from your inventory, you're good to go. The system is unique to be sure, but awfully tedious. Having to micromanage a stock of crystals doesn't seem at all fun.