Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon

Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon is a tactical role-playing game developed by Sega and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance, released in the mid-2000s.

The game casts you as Rudo, a young man who finds himself leading the Shining Force, a group tasked with defending the land of Granseal from the tyrannical Empire. Gameplay unfolds in two main phases: exploration and combat. Between battles, you navigate towns and other locations, speaking with villagers to gather information, purchasing weapons and items from shops, and recruiting a wide array of characters to join your cause. Your army can grow quite large, with each character possessing distinct abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.

Combat takes place on isometric grid-based maps. Each turn, you select one of your units and move it to a tactical position before choosing an action, such as attacking, using a spell, or defending. Characters have different movement allowances and attack ranges; for example, a mage might cast spells from afar, while a warrior needs to get close to strike. Positioning is key to protecting your units and maximizing your damage output. This version for the GBA includes new characters and expanded story elements, offering a fresh take on the original Shining Force narrative.

The objective is to strategically deploy your forces, manage their growth through promotions, and overcome the challenges presented by the Empire's forces and darker, ancient threats that emerge throughout the adventure.