Lufia: The Ruins of Lore
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Lufia: The Ruins of Lore (Japanese: Estpolis Gaiden: Chinmoku no Iseki) is a computer role-playing game developed by Neverland and published by Taito in Japan in 2002 and later in North America by Atlus in 2003. It is the fourth game in the Lufia series of video games and the first one to appear on the Game Boy Advance.
Story
Lufia: The Ruins of Lore takes place 20 years after the events of [[Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals]], making it the second game in the series chronologically, even though it was released after the third game, [[Lufia: The Legend Returns]]. It is classified as a "gaiden" or "sidestory" game that deviates slightly from the normal Lufia storyline in that it doesn't deal with the Sinistrals, a vile and powerful group of warriors who sought to take over the world in the three previous titles.In this game, the world has fallen into relative peace for several years until the Kingdom of Gratze, a growing military superpower, begins making war with other nations after becoming allied with a mysterious man named Ragule. Their primary goal is to scour the world in search of a powerful monster known simply as "The Beast", that, if came under their control, would all but insure their conquest of the world. The game is told from the perspective of a boy named Eldin, who, during this age of conflict is traveling the world in search of adventure and intrigue. On his journey, he meets a young priestess named Rubius who is searching for mystic shards and stones that will allow her to enter a fabled holy land. One of the places she needs to go to obtain one is actually Ragule's fortress, and once they arrive, they meet the despot and realize that if the world is ever to be at peace again, he must be stopped at any cost.
Gameplay
Combat
Much like the rest of the Lufia series, Lufia: The Ruins of Lore plays like a typical CRPG, where the player must advance through several scenarios and navigate dangerous dungeons, fighting enemies along the way. Unlike typical CRPG games, however, the battles are not random, and the monsters are displayed in the dungeon itself along with the characters. Combat only ensues when they come in contact with each other.
Winning battles grants the player experience points which go toward gaining levels, making the characters stronger in the process, and just like Lufia II, several monsters (called "Disc Monsters" in this title) can be captured instead of slain and used to fight with the party. The monsters can be called into combat once a character's Installation Points ("IP") reach their maximum. These points are visible by a gauge just beneath a characters hit points and ability points, and fill up when they are hit by an enemy.
Characters can also make use of different actions outside of combat. By hitting the B button, each character has a special field skill that can help the party complete puzzles or cross impassable terrain. Certain puzzles or mazes will have to be solved using these techniques at the proper times.
The Job System
Three characters: Eldin, Torma, and Rami, can change their current professions at any time once the player has reached a certain point in the game. Each one grants an increase and decrease to certain stats, and they determine which statistics are increased when a character levels. In addition, each job is also given a rank, which is increased by gaining experience after a battle, and certain jobs require a character to have already mastered another one to advance to it. The "Knight" class gives a character increased strength, but lower intelligence, yet the character must have obtained a master rank in "Swordsman" before they can become one. Other jobs include Chemist, Bishop, Rogue, and Brawler.The Ancient Cave
Similar to previous games in the series, The Ruins of Lore features a massive, optional dungeon called The Ancient Cave. Gameplay in The Ancient Cave differs from the regular gameplay in numerous respects. Only Eldin may enter it, along with his monster companion if he has one. He may also bring only 10 types of items along with him into the cave, not including anything him and his monster may have equipped. You are unable to access your menu in between fights in the dungeon, so keeping yourself healed during fights is vital. There are no monsters roaming around the maps, and the maps are randomly generated each time you enter the cave. Instead, monsters are hiding in many of the bags and chests strewn about the dungeon, waiting for adventurers to stumble upon them. Each floor culminates in a boss fight at the end of the level. Victory allows you to progress to the next floor of the dungeon. Lastly, the only way to leave the dungeon short of dying and losing all of your items, is to find and use an item that can only be found in The Ancient Cave, called Providence.Characters
Playable characters
Eldin: A boy who dreams of being an adventurer and has trained himself to use a sword in order to survive in the harsh world. Until he meets Rami, his life has no real direction, but he is soon thrust into a struggle for the fate of the world. In battle, he mostly relies on his physical strength to vanquish enemies, and his ability to wear heavy armor gives him great defense, though he can learn some rudimentary magic. Out of battle, his special skill is swinging a knife that can cut down tall grass or other impediments.
Torma: A young man with wild blonde hair who has trained his body to be a powerful weapon. Not gifted with the use of magic, he instead utilizes his battle prowess and skill with weapons, and rate at which he gains hit points by leveling is quite high. Out of battle, his special skill is using a rope to cross otherwise impassable chasms.
Rami: An aspiring magician who joins Eldin on his quest. She learns a good deal of damaging and beneficial spells, and is also the fastest member of the team. Out of combat, she can shoot a fireball straight forward to light candles.
Bau: A member of a dog-like race who can't learn magic, yet is a powerful fighter, even if his attacks are somewhat inaccurate. Out of battle he can use his hammer to smash objects that block the party's way.
Other characters
Ragule: A power-hungry man who seeks to use the might of the Gratze military to not only cause unrest for the other kingdoms, but to aid him in his search for the Beast.
Rubius: A priestess who is searching the world for magical shards and seeks to put an end to Ragule's reign of terror.
Dekar: A warrior from the past who aids Eldin and his group. Though he has aged since Lufia II, his spirit remains as wild as ever.
Packaging artwork
Japan, 2002 Image:Lufia_the_Ruins_of_Lore_Packaging.jpg|Lufia: The Ruins of Lore
North America, 2003
External links
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