Summoner - PlayStation 2

The set up to Summoner's sweeping story line is so slow at the beginning that anything good coming later in the game is completely masked. As the story begins, you play as Joseph, a young gent who has vowed to never again use his summoning powers. This is because a demon he had previously summoned to protect his village actually burned the village down and killed everyone he loved. Those who stick through this heavy exposition will be rewarded with a twisting, non-linear plot.

The environments are carefully designed, built, and textured to convey a grand sense of scale and colour. The castle's courtyard, for example, is a great place to visit, as its booths and caravans are festooned with colourful cloths and coverings. The place is abuzz with people, many of whom want to chat and share information with you. The castle itself is immense, dwarfing everything and everyone around it. The game's graphical splendour is cut somewhat short, though, by draw-in problems that give it a terribly disjointed look.

Summoner's combat system is pretty cool. The idea is to chain your attacks by pressing the controller's D-pad while your sword blow is being delivered. A little chain icon appears above your character's head and signals when to time your move. By chaining attacks, you can sustain your own offensive action and make the attacks longer, more interesting, and much more fun. --Todd Mowatt