Shining Tears Critic Reviews

The hand-drawn environments are gorgeous, as are the visuals as a whole, but that doesn't mean I want to see the same areas again and again.

Shining Tears is clichéd, has a few flaws in the combat system and is sometimes a little too easy for even one character (let alone a pair of them) to run through. And yet, Despite all its shortcomings, I've really enjoyed playing the game.

With its repetitive gameplay, terrible A.I., painful slowdown, frequent load times, and clichéd storyline, I honestly have no explanation for why the game can still be fun to play, but it can.

Considering how rich your upgrade options actually are, it's disappointing that the combat itself falls a bit flat. This is a straightforward hack-and-slash that is saddled with an unnecessary partner system and masses of foes that can be easily killed.

You can save anywhere or enter and exit battles as needed - nice touches that make this one user-friendly.

Hardcore SEGA freaks and RPG nuts will likely be more forgiving than they have to be, but with the simplistic and repetitive nature of the gameplay and the lack of any challenge whatsoever, it'll be hard for anyone to appreciate it as much as they did the Genesis games.

Those willing to beat back the multiple waves of irritating technical snafus will find a highly flawed, yet ambitious and engaging Action RPG.

Pros: Beautiful art, unique team mechanic. Cons: Repetitious battles, poor A.I., slowdown.

Even though I had some fun with the Shining Tears, most of it stemmed from nostalgia and imagining what this game could have been.

The repetitive gameplay is the real downer for the game. Having to repeat the same steps over and over again gets old quickly.

The pacing just kills the experience and the good ideas that the game brings to the table were never executed the way that they were drawn up.

The graphics are very attractive but there are much better games of this style such as Sega’s own "Shining Soul II." Shining Tears is one for the die-hard fans and 2D enthusiasts only.

I think we're getting to the point where we're going to have to start paying Sega NOT to make games on their own.

Shining Tears is an applicable title for this game, because anyone who spends their time and money on it will break down in tears... Avoid it like a proposition from a girl walking out of the VD clinic.