7: Molmorth no Kiheitai (2000)

Developer: Namco Limited
Platforms: PlayStation 2
Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Tactical
Where to get it: Website

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.

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How it feels

A fantasy tactical rpg that feels more like solving a puzzle of preparation and foresight than charging into battle.

tacticalmethodicalpreparation-focusedfantasystrategicmeasuredclassic rpgdeliberate

About

Trouble is in the land of Acralind. Thousand years ago, seven legendary heroes have sealed the powers of evil with seven sacred stones. But now, the stones have been weakened, and the ancient evil raises its head again. Monsters attack villages and towns. It is your task to retrieve the seven stones and to restore peace in the land. In this strategy RPG, the emphasis is on preparation for the battles rather than on the battles themselves. Before each battle, you are able to see the stats of the monsters and even the tactics they are going to use. You must then select seven units of various classes (knights, archers, mages, etc.) and place them on a battle field, which is a grid composed of four columns and three rows. Front row can attack, middle row support or attack with bows, and back row heals. The battle itself is controlled by computer AI, but you can change formation at any time.

Screenshots

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More by Namco Limited

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.