Shining the Holy Ark: I just started to play this one for the first time

[Trovador]

I'm actually plyaing all Camelot's Shining games in a roll from Shining Force 1 to Shining Force 3.

Before this playthrough I already played the majority of the games of the series (except for SW, StHA, and SF3 discs 2 and 3).

I don't know why, but for some reason I have the feeling that this game might be better than SF3 disc 1 though. And I like SF3 a lot!

[DomingoRules!]

It's definitely an impressive title. I don't even like first-person, dungeon-crawling styled RPGs, yet I found myself unable to put this game down from start to finish.

[Moondog]

i grew up playing Shining in the Darkness, Might & Magic 2 and Dungeons & Dragons, so i was already accustomed to dungeon crawlers and this is a brilliant game, which expands on the already great format.

[Trovador]

Back in the 90s I usually didn't like dungeon crawlers that much.

I think the fist one I played was Shining in the Darkness and it was not love at first sight. I used to think the graphics were ugly. Then I played Bard's Tale and a D&D pc game (I don't remember which it was) but I did not like it both of them.

Then I gave SitD a second chance and love it. I still think it is the best dungeon crawler I had played (at least it was the best one for a child who couldn't read English).

Now I'm playing StHA and I'm wondering if I give dungeon crawlers a second chance.

I'm planning to buy "Legends of Grimrock" or "The Bard's Tale" on GOG this year.

EDIT:
I just finished the Aborigine Mansion.... man! Why Camelot never thought about making horror games?! That Mansion is creepy. At first it was giving me chills, then I had at least three jumpscares.

[Pappets]

Yep, that mansion is a bit scary indeed.

[Trovador]

I was about to praise the soundtrack here, but then I got to the South Shrine.

Holy Molly, that cymbals almost made me mad . That level is so good. I like it in every single way, but that soundtrack almost ruined all joy I could have by playing it.

To be fair, I first listened to the soundtrack years ago by looking for the game's ost at YouTube, and I confess I didn't like very much. Except for the tracks 1, 7 and 9 I hated every song. I don't like progressive rock so much and that album is too much for me.

But I must say that I was enjoying the songs while playing. Every song make sense and sounds sound awesome when I'm playing.

Then I got in the South Shrine.

I do like most of

[Pappets]

Maybe it's not the musics themselves that you don't like. It might be you who is not used to hear this type of music. I really mean it! I have experienced several times musics that I didn't like the first time I've heared them and then, some time later, I've listened to these musics again and begun to enjoyed them. It's just a question of habit and what you have inside your mind at present time.

[Trovador]

Are you talking about progressive rock?

I do not like this like genre. It is one of the most boring kind of music I ever heard. There is only 1 progressive rock album I like: Interview, by Gentle Giant.

[DomingoRules!]

But I must say that I was enjoying the songs while playing. Every song make sense and sounds sound awesome when I'm playing.

I believe that to truly enjoy and appreciate video game music, one must play the game it's from. It's one thing to like or dislike a tune on its own, but it's an entirely different experience to be hearing it while being presented with the in-game context it's intended to accompany. Some of my favorite video game songs of all time are tunes that I would otherwise hate, but the association with them tied to their games, and the emotions created by that combination, is what makes them incredible.

In the case of Shining the Holy Ark for example, the boss theme alone isn't very interesting. It's repetitive, and aggressive in ways that I would generally find obnoxious. However, when playing the game, it does such an excellent job of portraying the game's battle system, and the threat bosses pose to the player, that it blends into the gameplay to create something enthralling.

[Trovador]

I believe that to truly enjoy and appreciate video game music, one must play the game it's from. It's one thing to like or dislike a tune on its own, but it's an entirely different experience to be hearing it while being presented with the in-game context it's intended to accompany.

I totally agree.

I remember one day I was downloading Nobuo Uematsu's songs for a friend of mine (his internet sucked that time) and I listened to some of those tracks even I had never played a single The Forbidden Series before. I liked a few, but I remember that I used to hate Chocobo's theme. Two years ago I finally played FF7 and I loved that tune in-game.

And that's what I was talking about. I don't like to listen to most the songs from "Shining in the Holy Ark", but in-game these songs make sense and they really fits in the context. Except for the East and West shrines tunes, they are annoying.

[DomingoRules!]

I can believe that. On its own, the Chocobo theme is kind of repetitive and simplistic, with a bit too much cheeriness for its own good. When you play the game though, it becomes apparent how appropriate it is to the sensation of riding around in a giant (and sometimes adorable, depending on the game) bird across vast fields, through forests, and sometimes even over mountains. Really goes to show how artistic video game music it, that it's able to so effectively ingrain itself into the very essence of what the game wants the player to be feeling or experiencing.

A game's soundtrack isn't made legendary by the songs themselves, but rather how those songs blend into, and communicate to the player the world they're created to express.

[MadeManG74]

It's funny because I had a similar experience with you when I played Shining in the Darkness many years ago. I never really enjoyed it much and figured I wouldn't like Shining the Holy Ark either. Now that you've said you appreciated it with a revisit, I'm very tempted to try it! I just got a Saturn Cart to play backups/modded games on original hardware, so I can't wait to play the Shining Force 3 trilogy, but Holy Ark might be next on the list for me!