By Jimmy Lawton on May 15th, 2008

Rondo of Swords breathes some new life into a stale genre. You can forget what you’ve learned from your vast collection of games that follow typical strategy formula. Rondo of Swords reinvents turn-based combat for better or worse. The game uses a system called "route maneuvers," which changes things up from the usual "move, select a target to attack and execute." In Rondo you can attack several enemies at once by choosing a route that runs through them. At first it may sound lame not having an actual attack option, but the route system only applies to your basic attacks. Magic wielders and archers will be able to attack without moving.

The routes won’t be used solely for attacks. Players will customize their characters with various skills which can increase stats or heal units who pass by them during a route maneuver. But wait folks, that’s not all -- each character will have a momentum counter that determines who your enemies will most likely attack. The higher the counter, the more likely enemies will target a certain unit. The character skill system features a fair amount of depth and customization, as well as a three-tier growth system not unlike Fire Emblem’s.

Everything comes together to bring an entirely new depth to the same old strategy we know and love. You can no longer use your tried and true methods gained from countless hours of classic SRPGs. Every move you make will have to be thought of from a new angle. Enemies, just like players, will be able to pick routes that will allow them to attack as many of your characters as they can move through.

Aside from the fresh and innovative combat, Rondo offers a fairly open story which allows you to kill or recruit certain enemies. What makes this interesting is that you aren’t informed of who you can and can’t recruit. While this means trial and error will be your only option, those who are SRPG savvy will usually have a good hunch on who to try to pick up..

The ability to recruit enemies is a nice touch in filling your ranks, and the multiple endings add a fair amount of replayability to Rondo. However, these elements fail to add significantly to the generic plot, which falls short of the freshness and innovation offered in the gameplay. That said, the story isn’t bad but the characters probably won’t draw one in the way Ike and Ramza might have.

Gamers who are fans of the genre should definitely give Rondo a try -- it’s original and well made. For those who hate tried and true SRPG games, this one isn’t likely to change your mind. Rondo of Swords is a true Atlus gem, not a rock in disguise.