Genre: RPG
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega

During the transition period between the NES and the "next-gen" consoles (Genesis, Turbo Grafix 16, SNES), visuals became slightly richer while keeping with the simpler, cleaner lines of NES-era titles. Sword of Vermillion is a perfect sample from this era; simple yet able to convey the atmosphere the game designers intended.

Looking back through my time as a gamer, Sword of Vermillion has one of the most eerily atmospheric soundtracks of all time. Whether it's the impressive sounding castle theme, the metropolitan town song, or the especially morose and haunting song that plays in the destroyed cities, this is one soundtrack that stands the test of time.

Created by Yu Suzuki, Sword of Vermillion is perhaps a precursor to his other famous titles, such as Shenmue. In this title, towns and battles are played via a Phantasy Star-esque overhead view, and dungeons are in the first-person, ala Shining in the Darkness. The battle engine is sharp and precise, the story is good, and the pacing between field, dungeon, and town is excellent.

There isn't a whole lot not to like about Sword of Vermillion. The game can drag on a bit in the final quarter, and by the end of the twenty hour adventure you will be ready for the climactic conclusion. This game delivers a great combination of fun real-time combat, dungeon crawling, and RPG story elements, without focusing on any of those elements excessively.