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 For those of you who like action RPG's, Last Imperial Prince is the title for you. Being the only side view action RPG out there for the PC-FX, Last Imperial Prince stands out as a unique addition to your PC-FX collection. It is a refreshing change of pace from all those digital comics and simulations out there.
I found this game unique in that it is the only side view action RPG that has a few elements of strategy/simulation, though not many. It plays like any other action RPG except that the battles are staged at certain points in the game as part of the storyline. However, once in battle mode, you still control the character like an action-rpg rather than choosing commands like a strategy/sim. This makes for interesting gameplay that isn't found in too many other games of this genre.
The opening intro is an impressive FMV animation sequence that leads you into the story. The animation quality is good, although somewhat pixellated at times. Other PC-FX titles have more impressive FMV, but this one is still great nonetheless. The rest of the game consists of small, but impressive system-generated cinema sequences (similar to those found in PC Engine CD games), following through with a satisfying, long full motion anime sequence at the end of the game. The cinemas are detailed enough to allow you to follow the main idea of the storyline even if you cannot read Japanese text.
One of the most impressive features of Last Imperial Prince is its spectacular array of colorful graphics, especially the backgrounds. They are impressive enough at first, and as you continue through the game, they keep getting better and more detailed. This game shows off the PC-FX's ability to handle several layers of scrolling at once, which still impresses me more than the 3D rendered graphics found in the other 32-bit systems. Also, it makes great use of high resolution color, resulting in crisp, eye-catching images .
 The gameplay is good, but not spectacular. Although the game has decent enough control, it can get tedious at times. You often have to journey back and forth between areas in order to advance the storyline, and since major areas tend to be far away from each other, you end up spending most of your
time merely walking to the area in which you need to be. Also, I found the battles to be both really long and very easy, which can make them boring. Once I beat the last boss, I was satisfied (the game is 2 discs long) but I had no urge to play through the game again. However, some areas in the game
are nonlinear maze-like structures that are fun to navigate through. The gameplay IS fun overall, and the control is really tight like most old PC Engine titles.
The sound, however, left quite a lot to be desired. Music is my favorite part of a video game, and though Last Imperial Prince's soundtrack IS redbook CD audio, it's quality is just mediocre at best. Some songs are catchy, but many of them are simply boring and uninteresting. Plus, the game has the option of switching the music to PCM, but the PCM is actually worse than most old PC Engine games. Don't expect a great soundtrack in this game... it's just not there. The sound effects are sufficient, but again, they don't rise anywhere above the mediocre level. I just like them because they remind me of my favorite old PC Engine titles. :)
Overall, I would recommend this game simply for it's originality. It is a nice action RPG and has some great cinema sequences and graphics. Though it has its flaws, it is still a good game overall, and I enjoyed the time I spent playing through it. If you are an action RPG fan, or just want an interesting change of pace for the PC-FX, give this one a try. - Alex Childress
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