Dark Half

Dark Half's central idea is to let the player inhabit both sides of the same disaster. Each chapter first follows the revived demon Rukyu, who commands beasts and replenishes soul through brutal acts, then paladin Falco, who equips weapons, recruits allies and confronts the aftermath. A village therefore has a different meaning on the return visit. Both characters lose Soul Points continuously, so routes, preparation and resource use matter outside combat as much as in the isometric turn-based encounters. There is no conventional level grind: equipment, learned abilities and knowledge of the world provide progress. The ticking resource also prevents a single run from revealing every secret, giving repeat play a concrete purpose. It can, however, rush a newcomer through places worth exploring. Dark environments, ominous organ music and stories voiced through companions make the alternating perspective unusually effective. Blocky sprites and restrained animation keep the visuals from matching the concept at every moment. This assessment covers the original Japanese Super Famicom cartridge. The later fan English patch may help readers, but is neither an official language nor an included feature. For players comfortable with its dark subject and constant pressure, the game offers more than a conventional hero-versus-demon adventure.

Who it is for: Players who like dark fantasy, two-sided stories and resource-driven turn-based RPGs.

Play notes: The original SFC cartridge is Japanese-only; later fan translation is not included in this rating.