In this game you play Maken, which is best described as a futuristic sword that has the power to possess people. The characters you control run around the graphics-rich levels, slashing their way through countless bizarre enemies as the plot unfolds. As the game progresses, Maken can "brainjack" some of the other game characters, and that ability to possess others and play the game from their viewpoint is Maken X's real draw. Another strong point is the game's capacity for multiple endings. The conclusion is determined by the character that you choose to follow, which allows you to play through the game several times without the gameplay feeling stale.

Characters are very easy to control, which is a big plus given that most combat takes place within sword range of an enemy. At times, it feels like the game would play better from a third-person perspective, but the first-person gameplay is easy to get used to. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Beautiful graphics that are free from slowdown
• Multiple endings
• Unique gameplay

• Horrendous voice acting

Diablo was and is one of the great PC role-playing games, and this PlayStation port holds true to the original. You create your character--Warrior, Sorcerer, or Rogue--and take him or her up in experience levels as you hack your way down, level by level, to the bottom of the dungeon beneath the cathedral, where Diablo awaits. Along the way you gain a lot of cool magical artifacts, weapons, and equipment. These mystical tools define your character as much as or more than the obligatory character stats such as strength, dexterity, and stamina.

The game's only flaws are due to its translation to the PlayStation. The controls can be difficult, especially with ranged weapons, and the two-player mode throws both characters on the same screen, often making it problematic to negotiate the various rooms of any given level.

Complaints aside, Diablo is a solid hack and slash adventure game. You'd be either a fool or a coward to pass it up. --John Cocking

Pros:

• Great hack and slash action
• Magical goodies galore
• Classic dungeon crawl

• Awkward controls
• Frustrating 2-player mode

Thankfully, however, everything else in the game is fresh and provides hours upon hours of fun. The backdrops and character designs are colorful without being flashy, the game has a great pace (for an RPG), and players never have to stand around too long for the next thing to do. Even the writing, within its cookie-cutter plot, is smart, well translated, and occasionally funny.

The game's strongest element, though, is its battle system. Taking the best of turn-based and real-time battle engines, Grandia II forces you to choose your moves carefully with respect to timing and position. The battles are very simple in the beginning, but grow increasingly complex as you fight larger numbers of monsters with a growing party of allies. How you meet your encounters--whether you initiate the fight, are ambushed, or meet head on--affects both the timing of the blows and the positions of the contestants. Battles emphasize counterattacks and combination blows, but you'll soon find that movement and defense keep you alive against the tougher enemies. Elemental magic, items, and skill books are just icing on the cake. Even if the battles do grow old, the random fights are fairly easy to avoid, and a versatile AI option lets you cruise-control through the rest.

Grandia II may just be the traditional role-playing game that Dreamcast owners have been waiting for. The question of whether or not it is too traditional doesn't matter, since it offers a better experience than most that have come before. --Porter B. Hall

Pros:

• Battle system creates interesting, complex fights
• Solid, traditional role-playing game for a system with few others in the genre

• Predictable plot and characters