Illusion of Gaia

There are action RPGs that mainly want to entertain, and then there are those that also try to move you. Illusion of Gaia belongs to the second group and is still regarded as one of the most atmospheric titles of its kind on the Super Nintendo.

The game belongs to the loose „Quintet trilogy“ alongside Soul Blazer and Terranigma, and shares with them a characteristic tone: real themes of coming of age, of the journey and the search for meaning, interwoven with melancholy and a sense of the mysterious. Instead of a fantasy kingdom, you journey through locations inspired by real wonders of the world, which gives the game an unusual, almost adventurous-archaeological flavour.

In gameplay terms it's an action RPG with real-time combat in isometric environments. You slash enemies, solve logic puzzles and progress linearly through the story. A characteristic feature is the hero's transformation into two combat forms with different abilities, thanks to which both the combat and the puzzle-solving keep changing throughout. The pace is brisk, and the emphasis lies on the experience and the storytelling rather than on complex character building.

The game's strength is precisely its mood. Journeying through exotic places, the captivating music and the melancholy story of friendship, loss and growing up give Illusion of Gaia a tone that appears only rarely in the genre. It's an adventure that, beneath the surface of the action, deals with more serious questions.

Thanks to its membership in the Quintet trilogy, the game is today prized especially among fans of Japanese RPGs who appreciate its bolder storytelling and its connection to thematically kindred titles. For them it represents an essential piece of the puzzle.

Why play it: For an atmospheric action RPG with a more mature story and an exotic flavour, forming an important link in the cult Quintet trilogy.