Genesis REVIEWS: Traysia
Sometimes, a game can have all the right ingredients behind it, and yet still manage to be a complete disappointment simply because the programming experience wasn't there.
Traysia is an RPG that could have been among the top in its genre, yet curious beginner mistakes and balancing issues relegate it to the footnotes of the Genesis library.
Two things are immediately apparent in Traysia's plot. First, is that the developers behind it really believe in its potential, as evidenced by the investment they made to make some nifty "cut scene" screens. Something that wasn't much in use in the 16-bit days.
Second, is that the dialogue is actually pretty decent and flows well. This isn't the usual half-assed attempt in translation, especially popular on the Genesis, but actually decent stuff.
The story involves Roy, who wants to travel and see the world, and so leaves his girlfriend Traysia and goes away. What at first starts as a trip of self-discovery with all the intention to come back, turns into a quest from town to town, with the real possibility of not being able to.
Roy and his newfound friends travel from town to town, resolving one issue after another. While these issues are not directly related, they all might be due to the influence of something bigger and badder.
Due to the decent dialogue and the fact that Traysia actually attempts to tell more story than it keeps in the instruction manual, the plot is actually quite okay.
"One person is powerless, but with all of us working together, we will gain victory"
This is a game that doesn't immediately fall apart after you play it. In the beginning, it actually makes a decent first impression.
Battles are turn-based random encounter affairs, but they play like a TRPG. In your turn, you move your characters and attack with either offensive skills or magic. Position becomes very important, and battles are more strategic because of that.
Naturally, this means that each battle takes more time than other turn-based RPGs, and this is when the game starts falling apart. Once you go into the world map, you realize that the game doesn't actually have an overworld. Towns are connected to dungeons and caves through one extensive world (broken into several parts).
This would actually be cool, if not for two facts. First, the high random encounter rate is a major pain. Second, the very significant lack of a world map. Unlike in physically mapping a dungeon, mapping the expansive world of Traysia (which you will need to do) is an ugly exercise.
Since the battles are fun, and the story is okay, wouldn't beating your head against this mapless world be more tolerable? Not if you realize that the game cannot be comfortably beaten without completely breaking it.
Traysia is an RPG that could have been among the top in its genre, yet curious beginner mistakes and balancing issues relegate it to the footnotes of the Genesis library.
R2: Traysisa:-
Year: 1992.
Genre: JRPG.
Publisher: Renovation Products.
Developer: Telenet Japan.
"Traysia, I am sorry that I have to leave you"
Two things are immediately apparent in Traysia's plot. First, is that the developers behind it really believe in its potential, as evidenced by the investment they made to make some nifty "cut scene" screens. Something that wasn't much in use in the 16-bit days.
Second, is that the dialogue is actually pretty decent and flows well. This isn't the usual half-assed attempt in translation, especially popular on the Genesis, but actually decent stuff.
The story involves Roy, who wants to travel and see the world, and so leaves his girlfriend Traysia and goes away. What at first starts as a trip of self-discovery with all the intention to come back, turns into a quest from town to town, with the real possibility of not being able to.
 |
| And yet I am going to leave my lover behind because of some "self-discovery" nonsense |
Roy and his newfound friends travel from town to town, resolving one issue after another. While these issues are not directly related, they all might be due to the influence of something bigger and badder.
Due to the decent dialogue and the fact that Traysia actually attempts to tell more story than it keeps in the instruction manual, the plot is actually quite okay.
"One person is powerless, but with all of us working together, we will gain victory"
This is a game that doesn't immediately fall apart after you play it. In the beginning, it actually makes a decent first impression.
Battles are turn-based random encounter affairs, but they play like a TRPG. In your turn, you move your characters and attack with either offensive skills or magic. Position becomes very important, and battles are more strategic because of that.
Naturally, this means that each battle takes more time than other turn-based RPGs, and this is when the game starts falling apart. Once you go into the world map, you realize that the game doesn't actually have an overworld. Towns are connected to dungeons and caves through one extensive world (broken into several parts).
This would actually be cool, if not for two facts. First, the high random encounter rate is a major pain. Second, the very significant lack of a world map. Unlike in physically mapping a dungeon, mapping the expansive world of Traysia (which you will need to do) is an ugly exercise.
Since the battles are fun, and the story is okay, wouldn't beating your head against this mapless world be more tolerable? Not if you realize that the game cannot be comfortably beaten without completely breaking it.
 |
| At one point in the game, you won't get a single point of damage |
In battle, if Roy dies its game over, and Roy is usually always the weakest of the bunch. Navigating the world regularly drains your health in useless battles, necessitating going back to camp for supplies. Even with this forced grinding, the battles only become easier after a while.
That is, until you realize you could equip an unlimited number of accessories. Seriously, you can equip as many defensive accessories as you can carry. With how the game calculates damage, if you go beyond one defense number, you are practically invincible for the rest of the game.
Hence, you will be walking around in a maze of a world, fighting hundreds of impossible-to-lose battles that take more time, and that's it for the game.
"I want to visit lands I've never seen before"
Besides the nifty screens the game uses in its storytelling, the game has some really good graphics. It uses those cute-looking chunky sprites, and the world pops because of it. Both enemy and friendly sprites look excellent.
It is good then, that as you wander stupidly in the world, it looks good and all. Otherwise, there wouldn't be much point.
 |
| You forgot the most important thing: all of those accessories |
What's different about the game is how the dialogue box and status bar are always visible in the game. Hence, the actual gameplay screen is limited due to those two screens always open. It's not a big deal, and the extra information would even have been welcome if not for the fact that it is not actually needed.
Musically, the soundtrack is good and uses the Sega sound chip well. Unlike some other Genesis games, the tunes do not feel like they could break the sound chip at any minute and start grating on your ear.
In Conclusion:
Traysia could have been a much better game. If the overworld had a map, then moving around it wouldn't have been such a pain. If the random encounter rate was much lower, then moving around those mazes wouldn't have been such a chore.
Of course, even with those improvements, the unlimited accessories mistake would have made it all boring, and that's not actually an easy fix. Before using those accessories, we see the limited experience of the developer team in how your characters grow. Even with all those battles, you don't feel much stronger.
Like the hero of the story, the developer team went on with a lot of hopes, but unfortunately, their limited experience showed in the final product.
Series:
For those reading one of my Genesis review blogs for the first time, here is the basic concept:
I already reviewed a bunch of SNES games, so, naturally, I am going to review the games of its prime competition. Does the SEGA Genesis stand a chance against the legendary SNES library?
My review series is based on the top 100 list of Retro Sanctuary
Originally, I posted most of my content on a football forum called "Goallegacy," which was the first online community I had ever joined. I found it to be the best place for a football fan (the REAL football, not handegg) to hang out on the internet, but the forum is not as active as it was years ago. Next Game:
So that's it for Traysia, a game I was even too bored to finish. With that many accessories in my hero's pockets, I could move forward without ever losing a fight or even getting one point of damage. However, it was all too boring.
Next game in the list is actually #60, Sonic the Hedgehog 2. However, because I like to play games in order, I am jumping all the way to #20 and playing the first Sonic the Hedgehog game.
Stay Tuned.For Previous Genesis Game Reviews:
Musically, the soundtrack is good and uses the Sega sound chip well. Unlike some other Genesis games, the tunes do not feel like they could break the sound chip at any minute and start grating on your ear.
In Conclusion:
Traysia could have been a much better game. If the overworld had a map, then moving around it wouldn't have been such a pain. If the random encounter rate was much lower, then moving around those mazes wouldn't have been such a chore.
Of course, even with those improvements, the unlimited accessories mistake would have made it all boring, and that's not actually an easy fix. Before using those accessories, we see the limited experience of the developer team in how your characters grow. Even with all those battles, you don't feel much stronger.
Like the hero of the story, the developer team went on with a lot of hopes, but unfortunately, their limited experience showed in the final product.
Final: 4/10
Pros:
- Decent story and dialogue.
- Good graphics and decent soundtrack.
Cons:
- High random encounter rate.
- Very poor game balance that is trivially easy to break.
- Terrible dungeon designs.
- Exceedingly boring once you break it.
Tips:
- Have some colored pens and paper handy, you will need them.
- Just equip the characters with as many accessories as you can.
Series:
For those reading one of my Genesis review blogs for the first time, here is the basic concept:I already reviewed a bunch of SNES games, so, naturally, I am going to review the games of its prime competition. Does the SEGA Genesis stand a chance against the legendary SNES library?
My review series is based on the top 100 list of Retro Sanctuary
Originally, I posted most of my content on a football forum called "Goallegacy," which was the first online community I had ever joined. I found it to be the best place for a football fan (the REAL football, not handegg) to hang out on the internet, but the forum is not as active as it was years ago.
Next Game:
So that's it for Traysia, a game I was even too bored to finish. With that many accessories in my hero's pockets, I could move forward without ever losing a fight or even getting one point of damage. However, it was all too boring.Next game in the list is actually #60, Sonic the Hedgehog 2. However, because I like to play games in order, I am jumping all the way to #20 and playing the first Sonic the Hedgehog game.
Stay Tuned.
For Previous Genesis Game Reviews:
This
blog was originally posted in Destructoid Community Blogs on May 18th, 2016. The blog was slightly edited to fit my newer review format.
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