Shining Force III

Shining Force III is a tactical role-playing game released for the Sega Saturn, continuing the tradition of strategic combat and character development established by its predecessors.

The game unfolds across three distinct scenarios, each following a different protagonist but eventually converging to reveal a larger narrative. Players control Synbios in the first scenario, and later characters like Julian and Grans in subsequent ones. Gameplay involves moving your units across a battlefield grid, attacking enemies, and using special abilities or magic. Each character belongs to a specific class, such as swordsmen, archers, or mages, with their own strengths, weaknesses, and movement ranges. Promoting characters to advanced classes later in Shining Force III offers new skills and stat boosts.

Battles in Shining Force III are turn-based. You select a unit, choose an action like 'Move', 'Attack', 'Defend', or 'Use Item/Magic', and then execute it. The effectiveness of attacks depends on factors like unit placement, facing, weapon type, and distance. Environmental elements on the map can also play a role. Outside of combat, players navigate through towns and talk to non-player characters to advance the story and manage their party members, equip them with items, and prepare for the next engagement. The narrative presents moral choices that can influence events and character relationships within Shining Force III.