Shadow Hearts

This game is quite underrated... the first in the trilogy was released in the US only 1 week before FFX

The first game in the trilogy... Shadow Hearts is set a little after it's prequel Koudelka, but has a completely different set of characters only slight references are made but nothing overly complicated... Shadow Hearts is set in 1913 and follows a set of characters who travel through china and europe.

The main character Yuri is a Harmonixer which sees him "fusing" into various monsters and taking their elemental properties. You can gain 3 of the 6 main elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light and Dark) and then 2 None Elementals.

Then we have shadow hearts covenant the second in the trilogy and that is set half a year after the end of the first game in the midst of World War I this game was a little more prettier to look at, shinier graphics and voice acting this time round!

Then there is Shadow Hearts: from the new world set in North America (unlike the previous games being in Europe) and it's set in the year 1929. None of the characters from the previous games are present in this game and the only similarities are the fact it's set in the same world...

So the you have quite a unique battle system... It's not overly completed, you have a ring with segments and an indicator which sweeps the ring at different speeds... Status effects can slow down or speed up the indicaor. and you have to press the X button when the indicator sweeps passed the segments... Which are brown or red. Red are smaller and you get "Great" for hitting a red and "Good" for a brown. If you hit ALL the reds then you get a "Perfect" You're characters can have upto 5 attacks.

I would seriously reccomend this game. You even get an accessory that can be tricky to use if you haven't mastered the "Judgement Ring" It removes all the segments but doubles attack power... I use this on the main character who has a pretty average ring. And only when he has 5 attacks. I remember not playing this game for around 2 years and just picking an old save up got into a battle not checking my equipment and had this "Mind's Eye" equipped and somehow managed to remember where the segments were without seeing them lol

My favourite game in the series in the second one to be honest, but the second one does follow on from the first so i'd recommend you start at the beginning for the storyline