Illusion of Gaia, also known in its European version as 'Illusion of Time', belongs to that famous poker of RPG games from the golden age of the SNES: Secret of Mana, Illusion of Time, Secret of Evermore and Terranigma. Super Nintendo was a system which not forgetting the MSX had the best RPG games... we have been able to see continuations and emulations of these games later (FF saga, yeah boyz, or the hyper selling Pokema, and I say 'Pokema' because there are 1000 pokemon+s out there), games with impressive intros but with unoriginal and more burn-out plots. Besides, the Super Nintendo offered an incredible variety of games which fluctuated around the axes of pure role playing game and arcade: Lufia, Breath of Fire, Super Mario RPG, Secret of Mana 2, Chrono Trigger... impossible to get bored. But they were those ones belonging to the poker the 4 well known across Europe.

Illusion of Time is likely to be the most brilliant RPG graphically, it offers very big and well defined sprites, variety of scenarios and live colors; the mode-7 is also present and it serves as a graphical base for the map which provides all the different places in the game. The sound side is also important: based on good quality instruments and many songs with a truly melodic style.

We must also say that the soundtrack must be underlined although with respect to other games, it is not better than others. In the SNES, the quality of this genre reaches the maximum and this is perceived even in what belongs to soundtracks.

Controls in game are easy, only an action button and the rest lies in selecting and using items. The main characters are fast and they acquire some special movements very easy to carry out (a few ones... there are only three, learnt throughout the game, and there are three characters , so nine special movements in total).

Maps are rather long, locations and types of enemies are fairly variated and the enigmas which must be worked out are really well outlined; there are many of them and they all are different enough. Enigmas make the game brilliant and satisfy us. But there is also present the feeling that they are overused to control the action, making the character be stuck for a while, gaining more hours of game to be present in the commercials. That Land of Mu...

And the fun has a direct relationship with this. Although the game offers a map and the possibility of going back (sometimes), it is purely linear, there are no additional or secondary quests in old locations except rare cases, and in general it is pointless going back in order to look into

anything. Not even for gaining more experience, other weak side of the game because when we upgrade our level we only receive more HP and there are no areas to kill enemies or get experience, life, items or special movements.

This is not an universal law in the game, but it seldom fails. Illusion of Time is a too linear game.

But even with all these defects Illusion of Time is attractive enough: the beauty of the graphics, the story which is hidden in it and that little by little gets uncovered; and the enigmas present there are strong enough so that this game gets a B

grade at least.

And something that I have not mentioned yet: the bosses are really hard to kill (Vampires!) and spectacular in general, the soundtrack is frantic there and the final battles are memorable. Some final bosses are not that good but in general they frighten, are variated and the result of a battle is always an incognite. Another positive point.

Enix, Will (name of the main character), The Vampires, the Land of Mu, Sam (mate of adventures... "disappeared") are names which I still remember from my Illusion of Time games. It is not a game that you fancy playing once and again but it is very enjoyable and its damn enigmas are cool to solve!

The best of the game: the technical aspect, the graphics especially; the "quality" of the enigmas present and some of the final bosses.

The worst of the game: it is too linear and the abuse of enigmas may be bothering. Moreover, it is not a pure RPG, we almost do not actually improve our skills by acquiring experience.