Shining Force III Scenario 3: Bulzome Rising

Shining Force III Scenario 3
Series	Shining series
Manufacturer	Sega
Creator	Camelot Software Publishing
Year	1998
Game System(s)	Sega Saturn

Shining Force III Scenario 3: Bulzome Rising is a Tactical Role-Playing Game for the Sega Saturn.

Gameplay

Shining Force 3: Scenario 3 is RPG featuring turn-based combat. The gameplay is identical to the previous two installments.

Players who have a save file from either of the previous installments can carry across their progress. Some decisions made in previous scenarios will significantly affect Scenario 3; while reoccurring party members' stats will also carry over.

As with previous installments gameplay is linear as you progress through the story. The game consists of 7 chapters compared to 6 in the previous installments. Broadly each chapter consists of 5 battles with the exception of the final chapter. Battles are punctuated by cutscenes which progress the story line and there are settlements in between certain battles which can be explored; items purchase from shops and so on. However once you progress beyond a point, you cannot return to previous settlements unless if is part of the storyline.

Combat is turn-based and you control an army consisting of up to 12 characters by default. Once a player has over 12 characters in their army they can swap and rotate characters from settlements. Some characters are essential and part of the story while some are recruited and can be missed. Each character has a class and the weapons and armour they can equip are determined by this - swordsman can only equip sword based weapons and cannot use magic wands for example. Each character has a number of stats covering attributes such as Health Points; Magic Points; Attack and so on, which determine their effectiveness in battle. A character's turn is determined by their agility rating, but all characters on the map get a turn each round.

Battles operate on a series of rounds. Once a round ends (i.e.: every character on the battlefield has had a go), another round begins and the cycle repeats until the battle is won or lost. There is technically no game over function, although if you lose a battle you are transported back to your last settlement and lose half of your gold. Characters gain experience points for actions in combat and once 100 EXP is gained the character levels up and gains improved stats and new abilities. Some characters are classed as leaders or key characters and their death in combat would automatically lose the battle (Julian and Gracia). Characters who die in combat can otherwise be resurrected by a priest who are found in settlements.

The battlefield maps vary in size and composition and are divided in many tiles which can be inhabited by a single character or object. Each character can move a certain number of tiles on their turn before they perform an action. Battlefields can feature multiple levels; differing environmental features which can directly affect gameplay; and additional rooms/sub-battlefields which can be entered.

All characters can use physical attacks and use items in their inventory,and some characters have the ability to cast magic. Some characters and weapons are short-ranged while others are long-ranged.

Plot

Shining Force 3: Scenario 3 is the part of the Shining Force 3 saga. Chronologically part of it takes place during the events of scenarios 1 and 2. It begins approximately 60% into scenario 2.

Scenario 3 follows Julian as he accompanies the Gracia, the Holy Child of Elbesem on an expedition to prevent Bulzome's Reawakening. On the way they also reunite with characters from previous scenarios including Synbios and Medion, putting a stop to the war between the Republic and the Empire.

Characters

Shining Force

• Julian - a human swordsman and party leader in scenario 3

• Gracia - the Holy Child of Elbesem He is blessed with the power to use the Besem Staff. He was captured by the Bulzome High Priests who use Gracia to recover the Besem Staff, however Gracia uses it to defeat the Bulzume High Priest Fiale. He is joined by Julian to realise his destiny to save the world and prevent the reawakening of Bulzome. Gracia cannot use any other weapons aside from the Besem Staff. Gracia can cast Aura, Inferno and Shining, which uses all of his MP, but the damage inflicted varies depending on the amount of MP used. Once promoted to Innovator level, he learns Blessing Light which can be used to heal allies or attack enemies.

• Donhort - a veteran centaur knight from the Republic of Aspinia. He is encountered by Medion in a prison cell, who upon release joins Medion as a non-playable character. He uses lance-based weapons. He later leaves Medion's party along with Julian and Gracia as they continue their quest to prevent Bulzome's reawakening. He is not as physically strong as Dantares and Campbell, but still has their agility and movement range.

• Kate - an Imperial elven archer and one of the 4 main starting party members.

• Edmund - a human general formerly of the Republic of Aspinia. In scenario 1 he conspires and forms an alliance with General Garzel of the Destonian Empire and fights Synbios' army, but is later betrayed by Garzel who knocks him off the cliff and into the water. Initially presumed dead, he later returns in scenario 2 as a prisoner of the Empire and again in scenario 3 as either a party member or an enemy depending on the player's actions in scenario 2. Edmund may join Julian's army if you are playing without any save file from scenario 2. He may also join your army if Medion killed Stella in scenario 2 at Anafect Village. In the event that Medion spared Stella, Edmund will appear later in scenario 3 as an enemy, having aligned himself with the Bulzome sect. Edmund is the first of the general-class fighters who uses a mixture of weapons across weapon classes - Edmund can use throwing knives, rapiers and maces. He can also cast Antidote and Hell Blast.

• Brigit - an elven mage from the Empire and companion of Isabella who joins Julian's army at Destonia.

• Isabella - a human priest. She is also Medion's half-sister. Depending on whether Edmund is in your army or not, Isabella either joins Julian's army at the same time Brigit does in Destonia, or later on outside Guarder.

• Cyclops - a Dragonman borne of mixed dragon and human heritage. Cyclops has the unique ability to talk to dragons. He joins you at Destonia Port and leads Julian's party down an escape route out of the town. He uses glove-based weapons and cannot cast magic.

• Rollie - a unicorn and former companion of Jane, the Bulzome High Priest Dessheren's sister. Rollie joins Julian's party at the Dragon Valley if Julian agrees to spare Goriate's life in the battle outside Destonia. Rollie relies on its horn as a weapon, and initially has high attack stats, but is overtaken by the other fighters as they acquire new and more powerful weapons, until Rollie can be promoted to Innovator level.

• Thousand - a white dragon who lives in the Dragon Valley. He initially attacks Julian's party, but Cyclops has the ability to communicate with Thousand and convinces Thousand to join their cause to fight Bulzome. Thousand has very high initial physical attack and defence stats, but as he relies on his claws as weapons and cannot use weapons, he is quickly over taken by his peers until he can be promoted to Innovator level.

• Leon - a Beastman who is attacked by border guards at Guarder as he seeks to escape Imperial borders and to seek out and join Julian's army. Leon starts out as a non-playerable character and only joins you party if you manage to save him during the battle in the plains just outside of Barrier. He uses axes and maces and excels in having strong physical attack and defence stats.

• Honesty - a pegasus knight hailing from the Destonian Empire and formerly of General Rogan's army. She can be equipped with lances, throwing spears and the wings used by the Birdmen. Honesty joins outside of Guarder.

• Produn - a human general-class fighter from the Republic of Aspinia. He may join Julian's army if two conditions are met, one linked to Medion's actions in scenario 2. Medion must spare Stella, Produn's lover, during the battle at Anafect Village. Once this is achieved, Julian will encounter Produn and Stella near Baersol. Produn is reluctant to fight Julian's army as Medion's mother Melinda is with them, feeling indebted to Medion for sparing Stella and allowing them to escape in Scenario 2. However a Bulzome monk takes Stella hostage and forces Produn to fight. Produn can be recruited if Julian's army manage to kill the Bulzome monk without killing Produn. Produn uses swords, throwing axes and throwing spears, and can cast Blaze and Slow.

• Harold - an elven tank driver from Republic of Aspinia and the son of Brutus, King Benetram's assistant and advisor. He joins at Baersol if you approach him in the basement of his house. He lacks agility, but has relatively high attack stats.

• Pendolf - another half-hatched penguin like Penn and Penko. He joins at Aspia if Pen and Penko were discovered in scenarios 1 and 2 respectively. He has overall weaker physical attributes, but can cast Support, and two summons - Penn and Penko.

• Spiriel - a human general of the Empire. In scenario 1 she encounters Basanda who possess her with magic and fights Synbios' twice. Spiriel may join Julian's army if she is spared in the 2nd fight with Synbios in the catacombs of Aspia. She joins Julian as they near Aural Village to restore her pride and as she feels unable to serve either the Empire or the Republic. Spiriel uses halberds, maces and rapiers. She combines strong physical attack and defence, but cannot cast magic like the other general-class characters (Produn and Edmund).

• Jubei - a human samurai whose village was destroyed by the Imperial Rainblood and as a result had been tracking them for many years, waiting for an opportunity for revenge. He encounters Julian in the mountain passes north of Aspia and warns Julian of the Rainblood, Pawn and Bishop, who were ahead waiting to ambush them. Jubei attempts to fight them by himself. He joins Julian's party if you manage to catch up with and speak to him before he is killed. He uses katanas and shuriken stars and can cast Resist, Soul Steal and a dark-element summon called Gaki-Oh. He also possesses overall stronger physical attack and defence stats than the ninjas in scenarios 1 and 2, but has lower agility.

• Primrose - a fairy mage who joins your party at Maya Village. She uses magic wands. She can also fly, so is unaffected by terrain, but lacks defence more so than most of the other mage-class characters.

• Marky - an elven mage who is cursed by Bulzome and fights Julian's army. Gracia can use his Blessing Light spell to lift her curse, after which she joins you. Marky specializes in ice and darkness-based magics. Her benefits from good agility and high resistance to ice, water and darkness-based magic and uses magic wand-class weapons.

• Turk - a goblin who rides an ogre. You encounter him at Dormant Village wandering around. Buy the meat from the shop and talk to Turk again, and he follows you around. Approach one of the wells in the village and his ogre friend jumps out and they join you. Turk is similar to the tank driver characters and uses longbows or the anchor.

• Unoma - Irene's sensei who joins Julian's army if approached at the final town, Remotest. He can only use the claw weapons and cannot use magic.

Classes

Note: Shining Force III uses non-standard names for several classes.

• Soldier
• Knight
• Magician
• Priest
• Archer
• Battler
• Monk
• Birdman
• Penguin