Format: Cartridge
Genre: Action RPG
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega

As the spearhead RPG during Sega's heated 1991 battle against Nintendo, Sword of Vermillion predictably features some superb art direction. From a technical perspective it is vastly superior to previous Genesis RPG powerhouse, Phantasy Star II, while from an aesthetic perspective it masterfully employs minimalism-- providing just enough detail to kick the player's imagination into full gear.

Yu Suzuki's composer sidekick, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, tries his hand here at an RPG soundtrack, and what a work he created! The game opens with one of the most memorable theme songs of all time, and from village to field to town to cave, one tune after another is emblazoned forever in the player's mind. The sound effects follow suit, coming together into an aural package packed with an incredible amount of character, atmosphere, and charm.

Phantasy Star 2-style, three quarter overhead perspective towns and fights, first-person field and dungeons, and side-scrolling boss fights-- Sword of Vermillion mashes all of these together, all of it works well; dungeons and fields are maze-like but more accessible than most other first-person crawls, while the combat is simple and satisfying. Most importantly the game's pacing is outstanding, giving the player what he wants, when he wants it.

From the title's opening in the small village of Wyclif to the final boss fight against Tsarkon, Sword of Vermillion washes the player with torrents of atmosphere and character. This has been achieved through the perfect harmony of sound track, cleverly minimalistic art, and the oft-shifting perspectives through which the game's world is presented to the player. Those who wondered beforehand what Yu Suzuki would produce should he try his hand at one of gaming's most venerable-- even at the time-- genres, the answer became clear with this release: Sword of Vermillion is an all-time classic.