Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon

Platform: Wii

Developer: XSeed
By: Kevin Nelson -Senior Editor

I was a huge supporter of the Wii from the very first time I played Twilight Princess on the E3 show floor. When I took the remote in my hand and used it as a sword, a bow and arrow, and boomerang, I was sold on the concept. Nintendo would go on to make the Wii one of the most successful consoles in video game history, and there I was, loyally at their side telling everyone that “I told them so”. As the years went by, however, I became less enchanted with the little white box. Each time a ‘hardcore’ title was released, gamers would pass it over for games with better graphics and the result was more shovelware crapped out into the marketplace.

It wasn’t all bad, every once in awhile there was a diamond in the rough; a game that despite being on the Wii was truly amazing, fun to play, and immersive. But I’ll applaud the No More Heroes franchise another time.

Enter Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon, a Wii exclusive and inexplicably a damn fine game. This one was a bit of a mystery and I must confess that I bought it specifically because it was one of the titles that I couldn’t believe was getting a domestic release. When I saw the first trailer it evoked feelings I’ve not had since I originally ventured into Silent Hill so many years ago and I was pleased that the game was able to convey this feeling throughout.

Fragile Dreams tells the story of Seto, a young boy who, following the death of his caregiver may be the last human being alive. Following his elders’ last words, Seto sets off in the direction of a distant glowing tower where other survivors might be found. En route, he encounters Ren, a mysterious girl who, noticing Seto’s distinctly Yu-Gi-Oh style of fashion runs away from him, leading him deeper and deeper into the ruined world looking for a place to belong.

What is most intriguing to me about this game is that unlike games like Fallout or Gears of War, there is really no evidence of an apocalypse in the usual sense. Seto’s world is falling into decay from lack of use rather than a huge bomb or constant warfare. In fact, besides a few earthquakes, it seems that one day everyone simply vanished. This adds a distinctly eerie feeling to the world that a lot of games miss entirely. There are cryptic hints around the world, describing monsters and odd events that lead up to…something.

The game play itself is a slightly different story. It’s solid, but rough around the edges. The main mechanic is using the remote like a flashlight to explore the environments which works well most of the time. The biggest downside is the lack of a quick turn function which is a major hindrance when fighting large numbers of ghosts….or quick ghosts….or ghosts that teleport. All of these you will encounter often, and the addition of this feature would have been a very welcome one.

The other major gripe I have with Fragile Dreams is the enemy respawn mechanic. This is a game that requires FREQUENT backtracking, and if you run through an area with lots of baddies, you’d better just get comfortable with the fact that you’ll be battling them all every time you run through that area. This might not be such an issue if not for weapon breakdown. If you run into a tough spot and are running low on weapons or health you’ll be spending a lot of time running away from enemies, just hoping to come across something to pull your butt out of the fire.

Overall though, the game chock full of pleasant surprises. The melancholy feeling that originally drew me to the game is present wherever you are, from abandoned subway tunnels to derelict hotels. Even during Seto’s daytime adventures, there is a deeply disconcerting feeling that you’re not really safe. Instead of being a straight up adventure title, the game has some interesting RPG elements that make the constant enemy respawns at least worthwhile to fight. Perhaps most importantly, the supporting characters, from your first partner, PF, to your ghostly sidekick Sai, and all the way to the chicken-headed merchant are unique and interesting.

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon is an excellent example of how a great idea can still be made into an amazing game even without the latest in consumer electronic technology. For the story-driven gamer in need of something to make the Wii worthwhile again this game is a must play, and for anyone who considers themselves a non-biased gamer just looking for something different in a world awash with the same first-person shooter being released over and over again, you could find a lot worse ways to spend your money.

The Good:
I cried. Even Mass Effect, a game where one of the major mechanics is to get to know your team as real people, couldn’t make me do this. There’s something so much more beautiful and tragic about a character who has finally found happiness after years of being beaten down, only to then die…

The Bad:
I had to backtrack through three whole areas because I misunderstood the objective. Also, the game isn’t particularly difficult.

The Ugly:
Seriously Seto, where the HELL did you find that jacket/backpack combo? If the world HADN’T ended, you’d be the biggest nerd EVER.

BONUS! The WTF:
There’s this red painting in the hotel of a kid running away. Every time I saw it, I expected something horrible to happen. I didn’t know what, or how, but SOMETHING was going to happen. Nothing did. I want to know what the story is with that painting. SOMEONE TELL ME!!

I give Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon 4 disconcerting red paintings out of 5.