Last year, the original Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure hit modern platforms as a part of NIS Classics Volume 3, and now its first two sequels are out to keep the momentum going for the long-running RPG series. The first entry went for a tactical RPG approach and the sequels are more traditional turn-based RPGs that keep the story flowing from game to game in unique ways. Rhapsody II is a direct follow-up to the original PS1 game, while the third entry is a mix of a remake of the first game combined with an epilogue for the second game. Unlike a lot of PS1 classics, the Marl Kingdom Chronicles shine a light on just how well these games have held up without needing many quality-of-life improvements.
It feels odd to not have all of the games included here, but with the first game being a part of a different compilation, it does make some sense. The second game is a low-key incredible title and something that came out of left field for me with just how much heart is put into its characters alongside its musical-centric story scenes. It’s rare to see a game use a musical framework at all, with something like Aladdin on the Game Gear being one of the few titles that spring to mind, let alone an RPG. The blend of slice-of-life character interaction with a fast-paced, turn-based RPG combat system works surprisingly well.
The adventures feel like a slice-of-life anime in RPG form, with a fleshed-out world established quickly in Rhapsody II that’s easy to get into. Kururu is a rebellious young princess, and her mother Cornet was the star of the first game who wanted to find a prince and did and now they’re the king and queen and Kururu’s own plans to get a prince have to unfold. She’s stubborn and hates being locked up in her room and/or doing any manner of schoolwork. She loves her family, but doesn’t like how little freedom she has and sets out to have adventures with her best friend Crea.
Both Rhapsody games included here are fantastic and it’s a shame that it took so long to get them released in English, but the wait was worth it. Rhapsody II especially shines brightly as a game that should have been a sleeper hit for decades now and yet will finally get a chance to catch on and just might. It’s legitimately one of the most-engrossing RPG experiences I’ve played in years and it’s a testament to how well-done the game was the first time that with an English text translation and a bit of English text for story cinematics, it doesn’t need much to feel like a modern RPG.
The pace is quick, with story scenes setting up linear dungeons that allow the player to have chances to get plenty of supplies beforehand while still offering a helping hand throughout. You can find allies in the dungeons or even statues to heal up fully without using up items. The game also allows saving to many different slots and you can do it anywhere outside of a battle – so if you make a mistake in a battle, it’s no big deal. You can either reload a prior save or just retry that area again with a game over. Battle pacing is also a huge issue with RPGs as a whole and it’s something that isn’t a problem in either of the games included here.
Both games feature quick battle systems, which is especially impressive for a turn-based setup on games that are twenty years old. One common issue that has come up with older turn-based games coming to newer hardware is needing a fast-forward or full-on auto battle system to speed things up to a more acceptable level and that’s rarely a concern here. There is a fast-forward feature using the triangle button and in using it for random battles in conjunction with auto-battle for fights it becomes tiring. There are a ton of random battles to deal with across both games and those can be tiresome – not troublesome because they usually feature low-level foes, but they do become grating and the grinding from them can get old.
That’s literally the only major issue I had with both of the included games here and it does get in the way of things like navigating out of a dungeon or finding a new location because you can lose track of where you are in relation to things and there isn’t a mini-map to work with. Both games feature similar enough battle systems although Rhapsody III goes for a row-based approach to parties, which makes sense given that it’s coming from a tactical RPG foundation where that’s used to keep healers healthier throughout a battle. Otherwise, the core battle systems are about the same and are a lot of fun to use with clear menus and sharp animations throughout. The usage of context-appropriate environments for battles is also nice and a change from older games sometimes giving you generic voids to fight in.
Visually, both games look fantastic thanks to being rooted in colorful 32-bit color schemes and still look nicer than most fully-new games out there now going for a “retro” look. Characters are expressive facially and with their body language and show even more emotion during the musical sessions where everyone breaks into song and dance. If one chooses, they can enable smoothing filters or even CRT filters on the video – but I found that just using the original pixel art design worked well enough. Rhapsody II keeps the same pixel art design for the text, while the third entry uses a different, smoother typeface that is easier to read in some ways, but also clashes with the pixel art.
The sound design across the board in both games is fantastic, with the music especially being a shining light in them. The soundtracks are pleasant to listen to with relaxing, upbeat songs for regular sections and then more elaborate music being used for the musical sections. There wasn’t a single song in the game that didn’t at least make me smile and make me appreciate just how joyful the experiences were in each adventure and while the lack of full-English voiceover is odd, it doesn’t take much away from the experience. Beyond top-notch music, the sound effect work is also excellent for combat and even story sessions with characters expressing frustration with sighing and grunting.
Closing Comments:
Rhapsody: The Marl Kingdom Chronicles is a must-buy for anyone seeking an RPG experience that makes it easy to see the beauty in the world around you. Its tales are celebrations of hope and happiness and in the case of the second game, are compelling from start to finish. The third entry going from one timeline to another feels disjointed as a result. They’re each worth playing, though, and the collection as a whole does a great job of bringing the games to an English-speaking audience for the first time.
