Developer: Flair Software Publisher: Titus Released: 1996 Genre: Action
Contra III is one of the greatest 2d action games of all time. Konami absolutely knocked it out of the park on their first try on the SNES and few games in the genre matched up to it that generation. In light of its success it is a bit dubious that there were few titles that followed in its footsteps. Time Slip was a solid attempt that is better than many give it credit for. The last company I would expect to take a shot at Contra’s crown is Titus. Realm was a late generation release that few heard of. And to an extent that is with good reason. While decent it has far too many annoying flaws to justify its high price. Realm could have been good with some minor tweaking.
Realm has a lot in common with Contra III. You can lock in place while firing which is useful skill during boss battles. Like that title you can hold two weapons and switch freely. The list of special weapons is impressively long at eight. Many are genre stales such as the spread shot, machine gun, and heat seeking missiles. A few are unique like the NR750 charge shot and CBR600 boomerang missiles. Each deals different amounts of damage and come with varying amounts of ammo. This is my first issue with the game.
Limited ammo in a run and gun action game is always a dicey addition. Too much and it can trivialize a game. Too little and it defeats the purpose of having additional weapons in the first place. Realm sits somewhere between the two extremes. Most special weapons give a decent amount of ammo when dropped. The problem is you burn through it so quickly since enemies are very strong or too numerous. The default laser pistol sucks and sadly you will rely on it a lot as the game is relentless.
On top of the consistent action Realm suffers from unclear level design. Like many European games from that period the level design does not do a good job of guiding the player. From platforms that blend into the background to blind leaps of faith the game hits all the unfortunate staples. Nearly every level features numerous stages of aimlessness. There is nothing wrong with crafting massive levels that place an emphasis on exploration. In this case however it leads to confusion as there is little to discover. If they guided the player better Realm would be a lot more enjoyable even with its flaws.
I’m not completely harping on the game because even with its issues you can see the makings of a good game. When you have well stocked weapons and a decent amount of health it is fun. Aside from its general action Realm has a great deal of variety in its levels and their themes. While it is only five stages long every level has a unique set of enemies and bosses. Each stage has multiple bosses with patterns that are easy to spot but still require good execution. The problem is these moments are fleeting. It is frustrating to see a game that is on the cusp of being good but botches the execution.
Realm is incredibly difficult from the onset and only gets worse as it goes on. The first level is not a good introduction as the level design is unfocused, random enemies blast you from off-screen and it drags on too long. These are problems that get worse as you progress unfortunately. By stage three the number of enemies becomes ridiculous and the game is incredibly stingy with life power-ups. Unfair got you moments abound and those limited continues go quick. Surprisingly the bosses are not as difficult but they are damage sponges which kind of ruin each encounter. I really wish the game were better balanced as it does have its good points as I mentioned before. But you have to tolerate a lot of jank to appreciate those good moments.
In Closing
Realm could have been good. A little balancing and this would have been a worthy purchase. But as is you are better off replaying Contra or Sunset Riders. Titus published six SNES games in 1996 and this is one of the better ones. But that isn’t saying much sadly.
