After seven years, the Golden Sun series rises again.

I don't think it's hyperbole when I say that the DS has one of the best libraries for RPGs of any current generation system. This is great for gamers but when something new comes out, the developers have to really push to show how their game is new, exciting, and worth a purchase when there's already so many great titles available. Fortunately, the developers at Camelot shouldn't have to worry about standing out as the Golden Sun series has achieved a cult following since its release on the Gameboy Advance. For seven years fans have been begging for a new game and that pleading has finally paid off in the form of Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. The question is whether this new game can live up to the legacy of the past.

Dark Dawn picks up thirty years after the end of The Lost Age. The world of Weyard was saved from decay by bringing back the lost art of Alchemy with the healing power of the Golden Sun. However, Alchemy's return has caused several major changes in the intervening time. Earthquakes have shifted the layout of the world and new countries have risen up amongst the chaos. It is in this setting that the heroes from the first game are either looked upon as heroes who saved the world or villains that upset the supposed balance of the old Weyard. Isaac, Garet, and the rest of their friends keep a close eye on this new world while training their children to be great Adepts, or magic users. The story proper begins with Garet's son, Tyrell, breaking a special glider that they need to explore the ruins of Mount Aleph and figure out the mystery behind Psynergy Vortexes. These vortexes are able to suck the Psynergy out of the land and Adepts rendering them weak and powerless. In order to fix the glider, Isaac and Garet send their children to get the necessary materials who are quickly swept into a new evil plot.

The story, when compared to the previous Golden Suns, is completely lackluster. While it is great to see the old characters and how they've aged, the plot lacks a compelling focus until the last third of the game. Whereas the first game was dedicated to preventing special lighthouses from being lit and the second game was dedicated to lighting those same lighthouses, Dark Dawn is simply a massive series of fetch quests. There is not one moment in the entire game where the heroes are not being sent to find a special item that will allow them to continue their journey. The villains are introduced early on, but even they don't show up again until the final part of the story. It's a real shame too because there are flashes of potentially interesting developments sprinkled throughout the twenty-five hour plot but none of them ever go anywhere significant. The story came off like a tame cartoon interlaced occasionally with clips from a more mature series. There's some dark stuff in here, but I had a hard time caring by the time I reached that point.  

Thankfully, the gameplay more than makes up for the weak story. Everything you loved about the original games return along with a handful of new systems and abilities. For the uninitiated, Golden Sun is equal parts a RPG and a puzzle game. The road forward is often blocked by environmental puzzles that force you to use your Psynergy powers to figure out a way through. Powers range from moving far off objects to pulling yourself across large gaps to freezing puddles of water to make platforms. It's not exactly mind-blowing to describe but in practice some of these obstacles can be downright devious. I never got frustrated, but there were definitely moments when I had to stop and really think.

The battle system hasn't changed much from the previous games either. Players still have a party of four that have access to various unique spells and can equip a variety of weapons. The twist comes in the shape of the Djinn, monsters which can be attached to your party members in order to increase their stats and grant new spells. Along with the return of some old favorites, there are a wide variety of new Djinn to find and use. Strategy comes into play when using the Djinn as they'll allow you to eventually summon huge monsters but while they're waiting to be summoned, the stat boosts you earned are gone. Different strategies can also be used when selecting who each one should be attached to. Do you buff up the Earth-based Adept with Earth Djinn, or do you give him unique abilities not possible by equipping Fire Djinn? Each player is able to have their own unique method of using the Djinn effectively.

Despite all this underlying strategy, I never had to use it much due to the overall ease of the game. Most of the random battles could be won by simply choosing attack over and over. Rarely did I even have to resort to spells to take down these monsters. I beat the entire game without dying once and never resorting to grinding. In some respects this is a great thing as the grind can be the dullest part of an RPG, but I would have preferred more of a challenge that forced me to use my spells and more unique abilities. The bosses almost always helped alleviate this and often put up enough of a fight that I had to make a plan to heal, use my Djinn, and cast my best magic. The rest of the game is exploring towns, buying better equipment, and talking to the NPCs. It's all standard fare, but it's a shame that the game never introduces any significant sidequests other than finding the hidden Djinn and summon tablets. The game is a lot of fun but never mindblowing.

The first thing many gamers will notice is that the game is absolutely gorgeous on the DS. The game is loaded with unique designs. The world is completely redesigned and every town looks unique down to the NPCs inhabiting them. Unlike Dragon Quest IX there are no repeating designs. Impressively, I never once saw the same NPC used twice. The main characters are also well designed, reminiscent of their parents while still showing that they're kids. While in the overworld, the characters are cute and almost chibi in nature while in battle, the details really stand out and you can see them as strong warriors. The monsters also look great though the game does eventually begin to pallet swap toward the end. By far the most impressive aspect of Dark Dawn's graphics though is the spell effects and summon attacks. Spells are large and vibrant with particles spreading in every direction. Each one feels like it's really hammering the monsters. The summons look so good that they may rival Final Fantasy in terms of presentation. Each one fills both screens and are just beautiful to behold. Dark Dawn's soundtrack doesn't seem to have gotten the same care and attention though. It's not bad at all, but it's not memorable. Each piece of music does its job, but I couldn't remember a particular song if you asked me to.

In spite of my complaints, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn does live up to the legacy of its predecessors. The gameplay works as well as ever and the graphics are some of the best on the DS. However, the story keeps the game from becoming something more. There's always been a joke that many RPGs rely on fetch quests to move them along, but Dark Dawn is the first to make that seem true. Fans of the previous games should definitely pick it up and newcomers will have no problem slipping into this world. Just don't expect an incredibly deep experience.