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 Everything you wanted to know about Soul Nomad… but were afraid to ask.

I make no effort to hide my whoredom for N-1’s games. Since the days of Aerobiz and the like on consoles are long since dead and buried, they’re about the closest we’ll ever see to the kind of number crunching strategy games that are my meat and drink. They’re still no Civ 4, but they make up for it with a great sense of humor and some of the best localization work around. Now then, on with the show!

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Relax! It’ll make entry all the easier.

Don’t panic! Sure, 200 years ago, the insanely powerful dark lord Gig tried to conquer the world. He even went so far as to create three giant, pissed off, planet devouring angry monsters, the World Eaters. It’s not so bad though, the Lady Layna managed to disembody Gig and seal him away, and with him, went the World Eaters. On the other hand, 200 years later, the World Eaters are back and Layna, while mysteriously still alive, doesn’t quite have the same degree of power that she used to.

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Give yourself up to a demon you trust.

Like all good heroes or heroines (you get to choose your sex… whoopie), the first thing that you manage to do is pick up the cursed sword containing Gig and basically blast away your own essence. You are the chosen one though, so you’re still more or less in control, but Gig’s now got a toehold into your soul and you’re going to need to use Gig’s power if you want to have a chance in hell to defeat the World Eaters and restore something approaching peace to the countryside. That means giving up more and more of yourself to him for the power to do so.

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Make sure you both know the safety word and the limits.

Gig’s power isn’t just for show. Sure, most of it is stuff like “create new characters,” or “buy shit,” but you can also basically just say fuck it, and give yourself over to him wholly, gaining 2,000 levels in an instant, amongst other nasty things. Naturally, you can expect a less than happy ending for the world by allowing Gig free access to your precious precious bodily fluids.

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If you’re nervous, then do it with a friend.

Unlike the other N-1 games, each ‘unit’ is actually a squad of units. Within the unit is a formation, with a front, middle and back, and dependant on where a character is placed, they’ll act differently. Each group will also have a leader, but if the leader is killed, the entire unit is torched. It’s pretty similar to Ogre Battle 64 in this regard, though only one action is performed by each side per ‘encounter.’ It is important to note that the attacker gets to all swing before the defense counters, so if any units are killed in the initial attack, the counterattack could be greatly weakened. Of course, if no units are killed and you don’t have more units there to mop up, then you effectively give them two free attacks to kill your own.

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If you’re too embarrassed to invite a friend, hire a professional.

One of the first powers Gig grants you is the ability to summon Mannikans in battle, animate souls to fight for you. Mannikans come in your usual varieties, wizard, cleric, fighter, saboteur, etc. The currency of the world in this case is Gig Points, rewarded to you by your general evil deeds… which include killing any and all living things and the usual business of RPG existence. GP is also used to boost the level of newly hired units. Each unit has its own properties too. Some fight better on hills, some move more easily in the air, etc etc. Making a quick moving unit full of fliers may be better than your slow as fuck mixed unit designed to max/min or too diverse to take good advantage of terrain bonuses.

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Don’t let your partner wear themself out.

Each unit also has a stamina gauge. Make them fight too much, or force them to bottleneck somewhere and take too many attacks, and their effectiveness starts to deplete. While this isn’t much of a concern usually, in theory, if you have one overpowered unit cutting a bloody swathe through the enemy, once their stamina gets low and their stats are slashed… there could be issues.

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Be sure to experiment and find the right position for maximum stimulation.

Once summoned, Mannikans are put into ‘Rooms.’ Each Room has a different possible formation, along with some slightly different properties. Just because a Room can have more units doesn’t mean that it’s a better room. Position and properties can also make a huge difference, as well as what units you want to have in there. You start out with only a few, but Gig will give you more as you progress.

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Try dressing up, or roleplaying to heighten the mood. A schoolgirl costume may be just what he needs.

Characters can’t equip items, but Rooms can. Decor can be attached to them, basically equippables for Rooms adding new properties, or +10% to the front row’s stats or whathaveyou.

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Remember that there are two of you. What excites him will probably also excite you.

All character also have over the top crazy-ass special attacks that they can use. There are even combo attacks, usable only when you put characters in the same Room together. Since there’s no SP, you’re just limited to using them a few times per stage, and only attacks by the Leader of a squad can be used. IE, if Danette is leading a party with Hero and Levin in it, then you can use Danette’s special, or Danette’s combos with Hero or Levin, but not Hero or Levin’s specials, nor Hero/Levin’s combo. Generic units also have special and combination attacks as well, they’re just much lamer.

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Make sure to tell your partner what you like… and what you don’t.

Aside from the normal items, there are also Gig Edicts that you can use that let you do various evil things to your allies or enemies. Some will let you steal Decor from the enemy, or kidnap an enemy from their squad. Others will let you combine or split two units, making them much stronger (or weaker).

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Be sure to go shopping together for new toys.

Buy new Decor and Edicts from all sorts of stores around the world. Edicts can also be used out of battle to steal high level Decor from stores, bully the innocent, or pick fights with others. Just be aware that the old granny you’ve decided to kick may have an absurdly high level kid or two who won’t take kindly to it.

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Demons can please you in ways that no woman can hope to.

This ‘fetching’ cowwoman… yes… cowwoman, she has hooves… is your childhood friend an ally in your quest to destroy the World Eaters. She’s a bit… overly energetic and cheerful. Nobody really likes her, and Gig will let you know his displeasure at length.

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Remember to talk dirty in order to keep your partner excited.

“Gig is always worth listening to: he is the digital Shakespeare of cursing and swearing, if such figure can ever exist.”

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Once you’re comfortable, invite your friends over to share the tentacle loving.

While there aren’t too many (almost any) past N-1 cameos in the game, the true identity of Endorph shouldn’t be too difficult to divine. And of course, there’s a postgame character or two lurking around.

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There may be some bleeding, that’s normal.

Everything can’t be pretty, there are some pretty ugly rough edges. Graphics are always a given with N-1. The maps are just plain damn ugly. They look like… well… shitty maps from the early PSX era. The story scenes are pretty much just a bunch of talking heads. I’m also told that the vast majority of the generic units are really boring, forgettable, and tremendously underpowered compared to the unique characters. Not really a huge deal since you get around 15 uniques as you go through the game, but still. Compared to the other N-1 games, there’s also pretty minimal postgame stuff. And obviously, with even more options than your normal N-1 games, it’s pretty complex. Still, anybody experienced with the Ogre Battle games should be right at home.

Edicts

Special Attacks (character spoilers, duh)

Combo Attacks (character spoilers, duh)

                                 

Soul Nomad comes out for the PS2 in the US in a couple days and all reviews so far have been… well… pretty much the same as N-1 games always get. “Zomg graphics aren’t PS2 calibur, game is too confusing and it is so not Halo 3,” or “N-1 continues to carve out its niche with another awesome game.” There can be no middle ground apparently. Anyway, if I suddenly disappear on Wednesday, it’s because I’ve given myself over to Gig and am probably in the throes of some terrible demonic power. Worry not though, the power of math is strong in me and I will prevail eventually.

If you have other questions about the game or the like, the head localizer, Phoenix Spaulding hangs out on the Penny Arcade forum (handle: Houk), as do a few of the Doublejump guide writers. Speaking of the guide… Doublejump’s are amazing, but they’re only doing a limited edition printing of this one (5,000 copies), so jump on it if you want one. Now go and buy it and support the best SRPG maker in the business at the moment! Gig commands it!