Strahl

it sure beats live actors." That was my first thought when playing Strahl. Japanese animation is always a terrific eye-grabber and Strahl is not a let-down in that department. The disappointment comes in that this adventure is over way too soon! It's far too easy to blitz through. Some of the episodes are so short, you'll wonder why they even bothered with them. Once you memorize the controller patterns, it's all over. It's cool, but don't expect long-lasting fun from this disc.

I'm not a big advocate of full-motion video games, but I have to admit that I found myself enjoying this game quite a bit. I've always liked games like Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, and Strahl draws from the same concept with responsive controls and a quirky story. I like the idea of not only using a sword, but also having to tap the button fast to accomplish certain goals. I just didn't like the pix-elized video. It doesn't do Japanimation justice. It was also too easy.

Strahl is intended for two specific types of people: those who enjoy FMV games and those who like watching Japanimation. Strahl offers clear animation and a strange story. But when you get right down to it, it's the same as the countless others out there: Time Gal, Dragon's Lair, Space Ace, the list goes on. Strahl does little to differentiate itself from the others. Strahl is responsive and as a result, is a little easy. I only recommend it if you like this sort of game.

This is the same type of game as Dragon's Lair or more appropriately, Time Gal. It uses the simple one-motion response with Japanese-style animation to try to maintain the allure of Dragon's Lair and Space Ace. Unfortunately the game isn't that fun. The animation is okay to watch, but these types of games require lots of eye candy to keep your attention. This one is just basic Japanese animation. It plays well and is actually pretty easy. Its real impact is for fans of the genre.