Ephemeral Fantasia
Encyclopedia
Ephemeral Fantasia is a RPG for the PlayStation 2
videogame console. The descriptive name of the title aptly gives away a key point in the story.
The game is also known as Reiselied: Ephemeral Fantasia, which roughly translates in German as Travel Song. This possibly relates to the fact that in the game, Mouse, the main character is a travelling minstrel who is requested to perform at Xelpherpolis's wedding with help from his guitar companion "Pattimo".
in that the story transpires over a constantly looping period of five days. This is caused by a time loop
created by the main antagonist, Xelpherpolis. In order for the time loop to be halted, Mouse must travel through the same five days multiple times.
This game follows Mouse, who has appeared in other games previously with the characters Pattimo, Beak and Fang. Xelpherpolis invites Mouse to play at his wedding, no doubt because of the fame he has acquired on his travels in previous adventures. Of course, Xelpherpolis doesn't expect him to solve the mystery of the island and free its inhabitants.
Initially, players are presented with the five days in full. Mouse is taken to each of the key locations at specific times in order to witness the events transpire. After the first week, Mouse's guitar companion, Pattimo, notices the time loop in place therefore it is up to the player in order to progress the game by recruiting the playable characters in the game. After the first 5 days have taken place then the events that repeat each week can be ignored by the player in favour of other more pressing matters.
The game itself is not an easy 'pick up and play' affair for the first time gamer. It is a difficult and taxing experience if the player does not know exactly when and where to go in order to trigger certain events that allow the story to progress, or characters to be awakened from the spell of time. It is this initial frustration that often means the game is harshly criticised.
The recruitable characters in the game are as follows:-
Mouse - The main character of the game who uses a sword to attack, and his trusty guitar Pattimo, a 300-year old talking guitar that is part of the Romel Clan. Mouse never is given any dialogue. He is also a "Soldier" rank in the ancient KANON clan, a clan that has time control abilities.
Kyte - A rotund sailor with a taste for his drink, the 'Shark Killer'. Later, he tells Mouse of his ship, the "Matilda," which was sunk by immensely powerful monsters when he and his crew tried to sail away from Pandule. He is the sole survivor of the crew, and endeavors to exact his revenge on the monsters. He uses dried, hardened fish to attack enemies.
Claire - A heavy drinker, Claire is the watchmaker of the game and is the key to saving your items and money each weekly cycle with her Time Vault. Uses a chain for a weapon. Until later in the game, she is not aware of her rank in the KANON clan as that of a "Master."
Rummy - She is a castle guard and Mouse's guide. She loves Mouse and is deeply jealous of the princess, Loreille, since Rummy believes her to be more attractive than she is. A keen fistfighter and martial artist.
Bagoth - The leader of the castle guard and commander of the island's soldiers. He is loyal to a fault, and uses a mace to beat opponents.
Plosi - A painter widely known to be an old pervert, he has no lust for battle and rather weak skills to match, although his magic abilities are quite decent. He is enlisted to paint Loreille's portrait for the wedding. Uses a paintbrush to attack.
Ano - The magic scientist of the castle, his title being a slight contraction in terms. He has powerful magic, using his book to analyse and attack foes.
Rinna and RindRinna - A stubborn little girl who takes a fancy to Mouse initially, but then to Beak when she meets him. She has two forms; the first uses a broom to attack, the second uses dancing and a tambarine.
Gallhint - A bandit who is key to progressing the game's story due to the bandit's raid on the castle. Uses daggers to rip his enemies apart. He cares deeply for his friends and his girlfriend, and is willing to die hundreds of times to save them. He is also a "Soldier" rank in the KANON clan.
Beak - Part of the Golden Three -- Mouse, Beak and Fang. A very strong ally who has a large sword to match.
Lloyd and Lloyd-L - Lloyd is the robotic enigma created by magic science, and it is recovered during the allies' infiltration of the castle. His second form is that of Loreille. Claire later repairs him, making him a playable ally.
Fang - Part of the Golden Three -- Mouse, Beak and Fang. Fang plays the flute and wields a large trident.
Grantus - Part of the KANON, Grantus is, like Mouse and Gallhint, a "Soldier" rank. An ally Mouse actually kills in a duel, yet resurrects by putting a wish flower on his grave. An incredibly strong ally who charges foes with his axe.
There are also non-playable characters (NPCs) that are important to the storyline as well.
Pattimo - A 300-year old living guitar that is a member of the Romel Clan. The two have been longtime partners, according to him, and Mouse also uses him as a sheathe for his sword as well as a fully functional lute. He plays the role of the comic relief character and is shown to be quite sarcastic. Oddly enough, he does most of the talking and scheming.
Xelpherpolis - The main antagonist of the game. He uses time magic to make the island of Pandule repeat the same five days indefinitely, drawing on the powers of the spirits on the island and ostensibly on his own, since he is a "Master" rank in the KANON clan.
The player eventually discovers that Xelpherpolis is drawing on Loreille's power to make himself powerful, since she is a "Holy" rank in the KANON clan. He came to Pandule after discovering it to be rich in time magic, with hopes of making himself as powerful as a god by channeling Loreille's power into his own body; however, this power was too much for him, and it would have destroyed him on the sixth day. This is the main reason that Xelpherpolis engendered the time loop: to save himself from destruction on the sixth day.
In the end, it is revealed that his feelings for Loreille were in fact genuine, and that he invited Mouse to the island because he truly enjoyed Mouse's music, although he was unaware that Mouse was a "Soldier" rank in the KANON clan.
Loreille - The princess of the island of Pandule that Xelpherpolis is arranged to marry in five days. She is also the single most powerful member of the KANON clan--"Holy" rank--although this is only revealed later in the game. Before Xelpherpolis came to the island to ask her hand in marriage, she was unaware of her rank in KANON, and was thus easily manipulated by him.
Jawarro - One of Xelpherpolis's evil minions who is erudite in the field of magic science. She created Lloyd and helps Xelpherpolis control the island's inhabitants' hearts. When Mouse defeats her, she discovers that she is closely related to Claire. Like Xelpherpolis and Claire, she is a "Master" rank in the KANON clan.
Twinboom - The third of Xelpherpolis's evil minions who governs the time loop week after week. He controls the time loop, and when Mouse defeats him, the time loop ceases. He professes to be "far superior" to humans. Like Xelpherpolis, Claire, and Jawarro, he is a "Master" rank in the KANON clan.
Old Hag - Her true name is unknown, and she prefers to be called "the Old Hag." Her main role in the storyline is to give Mouse the Spirit Encyclopedia in order to help him to defeat Xelpherpolis.
Jailson - He is Professor Ano's mentor and superior. He is supposedly the one person on Pandule whose knowledge of magic science is superior to that of Ano.
Zenne - Gallhint's girlfriend and a tough fighter and bandit. She and Gallhint mean the world to each other.
Ephemeral Fantasia was originally to be released on the Sega Dreamcast, and its graphics and loading times were not improved when it was moved to the PS2 console. (For some proof of its Dreamcast origins there are decorative swirls that resemble the Dreamcast's logo on the second floor of the hotel in the game.)
An interview with development team member Makoto "M2" Moribe in Famitsu
reveals that additional content planned for the Dreamcast version was cut when the game was moved to PS2. The Dreamcast version of Ephemeral Fantasia was to feature cameos by Sega characters including Sonic the Hedgehog
, Ulala, Ryo Hazuki, and, oddly enough, notable Sega developers Yu Suzuki
and Yuji Naka
.
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
videogame console. The descriptive name of the title aptly gives away a key point in the story.
The game is also known as Reiselied: Ephemeral Fantasia, which roughly translates in German as Travel Song. This possibly relates to the fact that in the game, Mouse, the main character is a travelling minstrel who is requested to perform at Xelpherpolis's wedding with help from his guitar companion "Pattimo".
Story
Ephemeral Fantasia is similar to The Legend of Zelda: Majora's MaskThe Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, North America on October 26, 2000, and Europe on November 17, 2000. The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first...
in that the story transpires over a constantly looping period of five days. This is caused by a time loop
Time loop
A time loop or temporal loop is a common plot device in science fiction in which time runs normally for a set period but then skips back like a broken record. When the time loop "resets", the memories of most characters are reset...
created by the main antagonist, Xelpherpolis. In order for the time loop to be halted, Mouse must travel through the same five days multiple times.
This game follows Mouse, who has appeared in other games previously with the characters Pattimo, Beak and Fang. Xelpherpolis invites Mouse to play at his wedding, no doubt because of the fame he has acquired on his travels in previous adventures. Of course, Xelpherpolis doesn't expect him to solve the mystery of the island and free its inhabitants.
Gameplay
Ephemeral Fantasia features traditional RPG turn-based battles, with a variety of playable characters and skills. Additionally, there is a guitar minigame that can be played several times throughout the course of the story.Initially, players are presented with the five days in full. Mouse is taken to each of the key locations at specific times in order to witness the events transpire. After the first week, Mouse's guitar companion, Pattimo, notices the time loop in place therefore it is up to the player in order to progress the game by recruiting the playable characters in the game. After the first 5 days have taken place then the events that repeat each week can be ignored by the player in favour of other more pressing matters.
The game itself is not an easy 'pick up and play' affair for the first time gamer. It is a difficult and taxing experience if the player does not know exactly when and where to go in order to trigger certain events that allow the story to progress, or characters to be awakened from the spell of time. It is this initial frustration that often means the game is harshly criticised.
The recruitable characters in the game are as follows:-
Mouse - The main character of the game who uses a sword to attack, and his trusty guitar Pattimo, a 300-year old talking guitar that is part of the Romel Clan. Mouse never is given any dialogue. He is also a "Soldier" rank in the ancient KANON clan, a clan that has time control abilities.
Kyte - A rotund sailor with a taste for his drink, the 'Shark Killer'. Later, he tells Mouse of his ship, the "Matilda," which was sunk by immensely powerful monsters when he and his crew tried to sail away from Pandule. He is the sole survivor of the crew, and endeavors to exact his revenge on the monsters. He uses dried, hardened fish to attack enemies.
Claire - A heavy drinker, Claire is the watchmaker of the game and is the key to saving your items and money each weekly cycle with her Time Vault. Uses a chain for a weapon. Until later in the game, she is not aware of her rank in the KANON clan as that of a "Master."
Rummy - She is a castle guard and Mouse's guide. She loves Mouse and is deeply jealous of the princess, Loreille, since Rummy believes her to be more attractive than she is. A keen fistfighter and martial artist.
Bagoth - The leader of the castle guard and commander of the island's soldiers. He is loyal to a fault, and uses a mace to beat opponents.
Plosi - A painter widely known to be an old pervert, he has no lust for battle and rather weak skills to match, although his magic abilities are quite decent. He is enlisted to paint Loreille's portrait for the wedding. Uses a paintbrush to attack.
Ano - The magic scientist of the castle, his title being a slight contraction in terms. He has powerful magic, using his book to analyse and attack foes.
Rinna and RindRinna - A stubborn little girl who takes a fancy to Mouse initially, but then to Beak when she meets him. She has two forms; the first uses a broom to attack, the second uses dancing and a tambarine.
Gallhint - A bandit who is key to progressing the game's story due to the bandit's raid on the castle. Uses daggers to rip his enemies apart. He cares deeply for his friends and his girlfriend, and is willing to die hundreds of times to save them. He is also a "Soldier" rank in the KANON clan.
Beak - Part of the Golden Three -- Mouse, Beak and Fang. A very strong ally who has a large sword to match.
Lloyd and Lloyd-L - Lloyd is the robotic enigma created by magic science, and it is recovered during the allies' infiltration of the castle. His second form is that of Loreille. Claire later repairs him, making him a playable ally.
Fang - Part of the Golden Three -- Mouse, Beak and Fang. Fang plays the flute and wields a large trident.
Grantus - Part of the KANON, Grantus is, like Mouse and Gallhint, a "Soldier" rank. An ally Mouse actually kills in a duel, yet resurrects by putting a wish flower on his grave. An incredibly strong ally who charges foes with his axe.
There are also non-playable characters (NPCs) that are important to the storyline as well.
Pattimo - A 300-year old living guitar that is a member of the Romel Clan. The two have been longtime partners, according to him, and Mouse also uses him as a sheathe for his sword as well as a fully functional lute. He plays the role of the comic relief character and is shown to be quite sarcastic. Oddly enough, he does most of the talking and scheming.
Xelpherpolis - The main antagonist of the game. He uses time magic to make the island of Pandule repeat the same five days indefinitely, drawing on the powers of the spirits on the island and ostensibly on his own, since he is a "Master" rank in the KANON clan.
The player eventually discovers that Xelpherpolis is drawing on Loreille's power to make himself powerful, since she is a "Holy" rank in the KANON clan. He came to Pandule after discovering it to be rich in time magic, with hopes of making himself as powerful as a god by channeling Loreille's power into his own body; however, this power was too much for him, and it would have destroyed him on the sixth day. This is the main reason that Xelpherpolis engendered the time loop: to save himself from destruction on the sixth day.
In the end, it is revealed that his feelings for Loreille were in fact genuine, and that he invited Mouse to the island because he truly enjoyed Mouse's music, although he was unaware that Mouse was a "Soldier" rank in the KANON clan.
Loreille - The princess of the island of Pandule that Xelpherpolis is arranged to marry in five days. She is also the single most powerful member of the KANON clan--"Holy" rank--although this is only revealed later in the game. Before Xelpherpolis came to the island to ask her hand in marriage, she was unaware of her rank in KANON, and was thus easily manipulated by him.
Jawarro - One of Xelpherpolis's evil minions who is erudite in the field of magic science. She created Lloyd and helps Xelpherpolis control the island's inhabitants' hearts. When Mouse defeats her, she discovers that she is closely related to Claire. Like Xelpherpolis and Claire, she is a "Master" rank in the KANON clan.
Twinboom - The third of Xelpherpolis's evil minions who governs the time loop week after week. He controls the time loop, and when Mouse defeats him, the time loop ceases. He professes to be "far superior" to humans. Like Xelpherpolis, Claire, and Jawarro, he is a "Master" rank in the KANON clan.
Old Hag - Her true name is unknown, and she prefers to be called "the Old Hag." Her main role in the storyline is to give Mouse the Spirit Encyclopedia in order to help him to defeat Xelpherpolis.
Jailson - He is Professor Ano's mentor and superior. He is supposedly the one person on Pandule whose knowledge of magic science is superior to that of Ano.
Zenne - Gallhint's girlfriend and a tough fighter and bandit. She and Gallhint mean the world to each other.
Criticism
Around the time of the game's release, many found the game's anime-inspired look to be appealing. Due to this, it was desired by many people, however the reviews and the people who did buy it spoke of it negatively. They described the time-loop part of the gameplay to be poorly implemented and many who thought the game could be one of the PS2's first good RPGs were disappointed. Overall the reception to the title was not favorable.Ephemeral Fantasia was originally to be released on the Sega Dreamcast, and its graphics and loading times were not improved when it was moved to the PS2 console. (For some proof of its Dreamcast origins there are decorative swirls that resemble the Dreamcast's logo on the second floor of the hotel in the game.)
An interview with development team member Makoto "M2" Moribe in Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
reveals that additional content planned for the Dreamcast version was cut when the game was moved to PS2. The Dreamcast version of Ephemeral Fantasia was to feature cameos by Sega characters including Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
, Ulala, Ryo Hazuki, and, oddly enough, notable Sega developers Yu Suzuki
Yu Suzuki
is a Japanese game designer and producer who has spent his entire career with Sega Enterprises. Often referred to as Sega's answer to Shigeru Miyamoto, he has been responsible for the creation of many of Sega's most important arcade games such as Hang-On, Out Run, After Burner II, Virtua Fighter,...
and Yuji Naka
Yuji Naka
, is a video game designer and programmer, best known as the former head of Sonic Team, a group of Sega programmers/designers, where he was the lead programmer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog....
.