Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator
- October 31, 1999
- Valkyrie Entertainment
- 83h median play time
"Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator" is a single-player Fantasy RPG with a sensational story and good game mechanics, but also contains lots of grinding and bugs. Set in a unique world with seven continents orbiting a Biocomputer Core, the prophesied convergence of the continents is being impatiently forced, causing a global catastrophe. The player, controlling a young woman named Maya, must navigate this world of war and treachery to fulfill the prophecy and save Septerra.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique and imaginative world with a rich lore and interesting characters.
- The fully voiced dialogue adds depth to the storytelling and enhances the overall experience.
- The combat system, while slow, allows for strategic planning with the Fate card mechanics.
- The game suffers from significant pacing issues, with tedious backtracking and respawning enemies.
- Many players experience technical glitches, including crashes and missing cutscenes, especially on modern systems.
- The gameplay can feel outdated and clunky, making it difficult for new players to engage with the mechanics.
- story153 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its engaging characters and unique world-building, while others criticize its predictability and convoluted storytelling. Despite some jank and slow pacing, the narrative is often described as captivating and nostalgic, reminiscent of classic RPGs, though it may require patience and a guide to navigate its complexities. Overall, while the story may not be groundbreaking, it offers enough intrigue and emotional investment to keep players interested.
“The story is captivating.”
“Epic story and characters that draw you in and make you become emotionally invested in it.”
“A creative RPG that knows how to tell a story.”
“The story is generic.”
“Will need a guide later on in the story, because it gets cryptic as hell.”
“Confusing storytelling; the story skips many parts that are required for us to form a complete picture of the story.”
- graphics65 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Septerra Core" are generally regarded as impressive for its time, showcasing a blend of pre-rendered backgrounds and 3D character sprites that evoke a nostalgic charm reminiscent of late 90s RPGs. While some players note that the visuals have aged and may appear dated compared to modern standards, many appreciate the unique art style and detail that still hold up reasonably well today. Overall, the game's graphics are seen as a strong point, contributing to its immersive atmosphere despite some criticisms of repetitiveness in design elements.
“The environments and biomes are interesting, and the graphics have a 90s B-movie splendor.”
“Great graphics for that era; the pre-rendered backgrounds and 3D rendered characters into sprites are so amazing.”
“Graphics: amazing artwork mixes with great pre-rendered assets create a very unique visual experience.”
“Yes, the graphics nowadays are a bit dated, but they still look decent.”
“I'm afraid the controls and graphics haven't aged so well, but I still recommend it.”
“The graphics look outdated, but for being a game of its time, I can overlook it.”
- gameplay45 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Septerra Core is characterized by a mix of interesting combat mechanics, including a unique card-based spell system, but is often criticized for its slow pace and lack of depth. Players find the overall experience tedious due to repetitive encounters and poorly balanced gameplay, which detracts from the otherwise compelling story and character design. While it offers strategic opportunities, the gameplay can feel drawn-out and frustrating, especially in comparison to contemporaries like Final Fantasy titles.
“The combat system, mixing real-time and turn-based mechanics, is especially interesting and opens quite a bit of opportunities for strategic play.”
“Gameplay: one of the best turn-based RPGs you will ever play.”
“The mechanics, gameplay, and combat are all solid and bring a PC feel to what you'd think to be a console game.”
“Gameplay systems are rudimentary and have little depth.”
“Outside of combat, the gameplay is tedious as well: there is almost no relevant loot, only healing items.”
“The gameplay balance is bad enough—you don't get the ability to effectively target more than one enemy with an attack until two-thirds through a very long game—and the dungeons are byzantine mazes filled to the brim with thousands of incredibly repetitive and long encounters.”
- grinding22 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with many players noting that combat is slow and often buggy, leading to repetitive fights and a lack of engaging loot. While some appreciate the nostalgic turn-based mechanics, the overall experience is marred by the necessity of grinding for experience and gear, which can feel excruciatingly drawn-out, especially in later stages of the game. Players often resort to cheats to bypass the grind, indicating a significant dissatisfaction with the pacing and combat design.
“No grinding necessary, which is awesome!”
“Progression just consists of grinding experience and buying the latest gear from shops as they refresh.”
“The main downsides of this game are lots of repetitive fights; grinding and combat can be a bit slow even for a turn-based game.”
“Honestly, I have never been able to finish the game without cheating because later the game becomes so slow and grindy.”
- music20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack as good and catchy, particularly the battle themes, while others criticize it for being choppy, sparse, and not memorable. Many users noted that the ambient sounds enhance the experience, but the overall musical presence is lacking, leading some to suggest playing personal music alongside the game. Overall, while there are highlights, the music is often seen as a weak point in the game's design.
“And just by thinking of it, I remember so many sounds and the music just keeps playing in my head.”
“The music is good.”
“Soundtrack 10/10”
“The music is definitely one of the weak points.”
“The music is terrible and choppy, and often just decides to quit altogether.”
“The game doesn't play music often enough.”
- stability17 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant glitches and bugs that hinder gameplay, such as freezing issues and combat mechanics failing to function properly. While some players find the game enjoyable and worth the effort to navigate these problems, others express frustration over the lack of improvements in the Steam edition compared to the original. Overall, the game appears to be plagued by stability issues, particularly on modern operating systems.
“Doesn't work, I have fond memories of playing this game in my childhood and was so excited to see it in the store, but whenever I try to start a new game, it just freezes and I have to restart my laptop.”
“The Steam edition does nothing to fix any of them; instead, I ended up noticing new glitches that I never encountered in the original.”
“I have great memories of the game, but the Steam version is unfortunately a buggy mess.”
- character development9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is notably inconsistent, with some major characters lacking depth while others exhibit more engaging growth and personality. While certain reviews praise the charm and simplicity of the characters, highlighting enjoyable side plots and a gripping story, others criticize the overall lack of substantial development. The game offers a mix of one-dimensional characters and deeper narratives, appealing to players who appreciate both straightforward and complex storytelling.
“Its years ahead of its time, very challenging, has plenty of puzzles to solve and doesn't just point you where to go; you actually have to think. It has a very deep and enjoyable story and characters, as well as character development and personalities that make up a variety of types for the game to keep everything tied together and tells a greater story than most JRPGs of current time periods. It was way ahead of its time.”
“Full of quests, fights for days, cool bosses, and decent character development (and side plots for days).”
“Gripping story, plenty of charm and character development, addictive, and best of all, a very decent combat system that is not too overwhelming but still leaves a lot of opportunities to explore, combine, and exploit.”
“Little to no actual character development on a lot of major characters.”
“- the characters are a delightfully cliche group of one-dimensional ragtag misfits who, despite lacking real character development, you'll like for their simplicity.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, featuring funny lines and lovable characters, including amusing robots. Players appreciate the hilarious dialogue options, which contribute to the overall comedic experience, though some may have personal preferences regarding the cast.
“That cast is fairly lovable with a few hiccups, but maybe that's a personal preference. I'm sure there is a main party character everyone here can love, and the dialog options can get really hilarious at times.”
“Nice game with funny lines.”
“Funny robots!”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a compelling story and well-developed characters that deeply engage players, fostering strong emotional investment. Many reviewers highlight its ability to evoke genuine feelings, making it a standout experience that resonates long after playing.
“Epic story and characters that draw you in and make you become emotionally invested in it.”
“Few games in recent years have made me feel so much for the game characters.”
“I nominated this game for Steam's 'I'm Not Crying...' tag, as I believe that despite its age, it looks good, but most of all - the story is not just entertaining, but touching, and you really grow to like all your characters and the world they live in.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere and character design are highly praised, effectively compensating for its somewhat clunky battle system.
“The atmosphere and characters make up for the somewhat janky battle system.”
“The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into its world.”
“Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
“The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to get immersed in the game.”
“Despite some interesting visuals, the overall atmosphere lacks depth and fails to engage the player.”
“The game tries to create a dark and moody atmosphere, but it often comes off as bland and forgettable.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's monetization strategy suffered due to a lack of advertising, resulting in poor sales performance.
“The game was poorly marketed, as there was almost no advertisement for it.”
“The monetization system feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
“I feel pressured to spend money to keep up with other players, which ruins the experience.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability due to tedious mazes and excessive grinding, which detracts from the overall experience and may leave players feeling unmotivated to revisit it.
“To be quite honest, it wasn't such a bad experience... well, actually it doesn't offer much replay value, because there are some really tedious mazes and a whole lot of grinding, so I just feel like taking an instant nap when I think of it.”
