Golden Sun: Dark Dawn

Set 30 years after the first two games, it follows the kids of the original heroes, Matthew (Isaac’s son), Tyrell (Garet’s son), and Karis (Ivan’s daughter) as they embark on a new adventure. The story kicks off when a botched airship repair leaves them stranded in a world where the ancient power of Alchemy is resurfacing, causing weird phenomena like the Grave Eclipse, which blocks sunlight and unleashes monsters. Along the way, they gather more allies, uncover political schemes, and deal with the consequences of their parents’ past actions.  

The plot has its moments, cool lore drops, fun callbacks, and some legit emotional beats, but it’s also kinda messy. The pacing drags in the middle, and the villains aren’t as memorable as Saturos and Menardi from the first game. That said, the world building is still solid, and the new characters like the mysterious Sveta bring fresh energy.

Dark Dawn keeps the classic Golden Sun formula: turn based battles, Psynergy puzzles, and Djinn collecting. The combat is as satisfying as ever, with flashy summons and class changing Djinn strategies. The new Djinn are fun to hunt down, tho some are frustratingly missable.

The DS touch controls are barely used, mostly just for map zooming, which feels like a missed opportunity. Still, the game looks gorgeous for a DS title, with vibrant sprite work and detailed battle animations. The soundtrack slaps too, mixing remixes of classic tunes with fresh bangers.  

The cast is hit or miss. Matthew is a quiet protagonist like his dad, which can make him feel bland compared to Felix’s more defined personality. Tyrell is the hot headed comic relief, and while he’s fun, he can get annoying for some people. Karis is the voice of reason, but she doesn’t get much development. The standout is Sveta, with her tragic backstory and a unique fighting style. The rest of the party? Mostly forgettable, tho they have their moments.

Dialogue is wordy, like, really wordy. NPCs love overexplaining things, and the script could’ve used some trimming. That said, the lore is still engaging, and the nods to the older games hit right in the nostalgia.  

The ending tho? Super abrupt and clearly set up for a sequel we never got. Classic Golden Sun cliffhanger blueballing. But hey, at least it tried to keep the series alive… before Camelot left us hanging, again.

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