New Games on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg en-us The Red Arremer demon Firebrand is on a quest to collect all of the elemental Crests, magical stones which preside over their respective elements (Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Time, and Heaven). It is said that when all crests are combined, the Crest of Infinity will appear, allowing its holder infinite power, and the ability to conquer any and all realms with it. However, during his quest, he is gravely wounded in a battle with the Demon Dragon in his efforts to claim the Crest of Heaven, and his nemesis Phalanx uses Firebrand's moment of weakness to attack him and steal all of his crests for himself, with the exception of the Crest of Fire which was broken into pieces in the fight (Firebrand still has one shard of it at the game's outset). Having fallen back to earth in the coliseum where he fought the Dragon earlier, Fireband is forced to destroy him for good to survive, so that he can go after Phalanx and reclaim the Crests. Whether Firebrand wants them for power, or for glory, is never stated.

Main Characters

Firebrand: The story's anti-hero. Known as the Red Blaze by the lesser demons who fear him. He has the ability to tap into the power of the crests to increase his powers, or even take on entirely new forms.

Phalanx: The arch-nemesis of Firebrand. He desires the crests for himself, so that he may summon the Crest of Infinity and obtain ultimate power to conquer both the demon realm and the human worlds.

Arma: A general in service of Phalanx, Arma has been given orders to hunt down and retrieve the Crest of Fire from Firebrand. The player encounters Arma on several occasions throughout the game, each time receiving one of the Crests he was given for safekeeping as spoils of victory (first the Crest of Earth, then the Crest of Wind, and finally the Crest of Time). Upon losing the Time Crest to Firebrand, Arma seals himself within it to help Firebrand in his quest to defeat Phalanx.

Gameplay

The gameplay is a mix of standard platforming, with mild RPG elements and occasional side-scrolling shooter sequences. Each level can be played multiple times, and often the player has to revisit a level with new Crests to access areas, items and bosses that he could not before.

The player collects different 'crests' which, when equipped during the game, allowing you to change into different-ability Firebrands. Some of the powers possible are Earth, Wind and Water. The player also collects talismans, magic potions and other equipment during their journey.

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