Finally! Something good.

It’s been eighty four years. 

I’ve played a lot of mediocre to bad games the last few months, sometimes giving a commendation because they’re so unique. But I finally came around to one that I can honestly say is something fun. Oh, Brain Lord, how I needed you. 

Now, Brain Lord isn’t gonna blow your mind or anything. The story is perfectly cromulent. You’re just a dude following in his dad’s footsteps of looking for dragons. Rad concept! Doing so brings you to the village of Arcs, where you help a bunch of nameless NPCs and accidentally become friends with four named characters. And these four make you feel like you’re in a party. You investigate four massive dungeons, discover a lost civilization (for some reason), fight off a lot of bugs, save the weather, help a faerie queen, and save the world from darkness. It’s all pretty standard. There’s a cool twist, and I liked helping my friend get married, so I’m big on this. Could it be expanded? Absolutely. But I’m desperate. 

You play as Remeer, and this is when I remind everyone this is a part of the 7th Saga series. I’m not entirely sure how this is a series, but 7th Saga, Mystic Arc, and Brain Lord are all a part of it. Other than the name “Remeer,” there is no consistency, so whatever. Anyway, he’s mute and has zero personality. The same can be said for the final boss, and the one guy who gets named is short lived. It’s early 1994; I’ll take it. 

Plot/ 7/10


Gameplay is another basic top down, hack and slash action RPG. The sword has a wide range, so the combat isn’t frustrating. You can also wield a battle axe, but that range is awful. You do nearly three times the damage, though, so maybe it’s worth it. You also get access to a bow and arrow and a boomerang, so there are a lot of options here for some fun. And to help expand that, the game gives you two fairies that sit on your shoulder. You choose what those two are, and they get stronger throughout the game. I went with a healer and a strength booster. It’s cool that you can even name the fairies. I had to rename the booster Lucy, because all Sarahs are evil. But writing this makes me realize I could have turned Remeer into a mobile turret. Boomerang with the fireball caster and the water shooter might have been fun. There’s also magic that only Remear gets, which you cast by holding down the attack to charge. So there’s no MP. I rarely used them outside of mandatory moments, but they could have helped the mobile turret build. 

There’s also jumping, and you’re gonna need to jump a lot. It’s a tad annoying sometimes, but I found it fair. At the very least, it was fun. There are also a plethora of puzzles, most of which I liked. They made me feel smart, but maybe that’s because they’re super easy. I dunno? Tell me if you solved them as fast as I did. It’s mostly pushing things like rocks and several types of balls, but they’re a good aside from the combat. 

Gameplay: 8/10


And the soundtrack is rad. Parts of it sound like they could be from Ys, and other songs are just good, chili times. I’m not sure they fit the medieval vibes we’re going for, and that techno song in the caves was definitely out of place, but it’s a great soundtrack. Maybe have a podcast on during dungeons. I don’t think they’re good enough to listen to for three hours. 

Music: 9/10


The graphics are more of a standard affair. Everything works, but nothing looks amazing. Spells are simple pellets shooting through the air. The lack of animations might be the most damning, and it took me too long to memorize what the stairs looked like if they were on south walls. Maybe that’s just me and my terrible eyes, but I take contrasts very seriously. 

Art: 8/10


Brain Lord has everything I want out of a video game. The four NPCs feel alive and make the game feel bigger. The world interacts (in the background) with itself, and unnamed NPCs even comment on what you’ve done to change the area. Exploration is so important, as that’s how you find stat growths. There are no levels, only hearts and potions. It’s a good fifteen hours that doesn’t overstay, filled with neat, tertiary things, like the ability to hack up a shop counter with the axe. 

Charm: 9/10

There are a lot of moments of slowdown throughout the game, ball rooms most notably, but I don’t think there’s ever any in combat. And slowdown is dramatic, so I’ll let it slide! 

In total, Brain Lord gets 40 out of 50 points. A damn fine B-. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but it doesn’t ruin what it was given. It’s the most genuine fun I’ve had since January, and the best reviewed game since Tengai Makyō Zero. I know I hated Mystic Arc, but the last game of this trilogy was so nice. It’s just fun for the sake of fun, and that’s always fun. Games like Shadowrun, Metal Max, and Cyber Knights were cool because of how unique they were on the SNES. But Brain Lord doesn’t need those caveats. It’s a good game. I’d love a remake that expands on the side characters and world, maybe adds some side quests or mini games, but this SNES game is perfectly good enough.

Or all the garbage I’ve been playing in has warped my mind to what a good game is…