Shining Tears (2005)

Platforms: PlayStation 2

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More games like this

How it feels

It feels like an earnest, old-school fantasy romp with hand-drawn charm and companions whose quirks make each battle feel personal.

old-schoollighthearted adventurefantasyhand-drawncharacter-drivenmoderate pacingnostalgicearnest

About

Shining Tears is an old-school Action RPG set in the Shining universe (previous games include Shining in the Darkness and the Shining Force Trilogy). You play Xion, a hero who is drawn into saving the City of Shilidia from a formerly peaceful neighbor due to his possession of the powerful Twin Dragon Rings. This sets the stage for an epic RPG storyline with fun characters and big surprises. Presented in beautiful hand-drawn 2D graphics and backgrounds, players may choose to go into battles from among 8 unlockable companions, each with their own unique powers, strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the co-op system lets two players cooperate in battles, pulling off special combo moves and leveling up their characters together. Interestingly, the companion you pick changes Xion to the opposite 'soul' dark or light due to the nature of the Twin Dragon Rings, with correspondingly different powers. Single players have their companion AI to help them out of tight spots, too.

More games like this

More by Sega Sammy Holdings

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.