Classic Games Database
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Dark Half

Review
Also known as
ダークハーフ

Alternate between hero and villain in an isometric RPG, leading both to their final confrontation.

Dark Half (ダークハーフ) is a Super Famicom (SNES) game developed by Westone and published by Enix, released exclusively in Japan in 1996. No earlier or other-platform versions exist.


							Dark Half cover
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Released
1996
Perspective
Diagonal-down
Visual
Isometric
Size
1.94 MB
Rating
0 votes

About Dark Half

Dark Half is a role playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System that employs an isometric viewpoint throughout all its segments. Its narrative centers on the intertwined fates of two primordial beings: the dark demon Rukyu and the divine hero Roda. The story begins with Roda's initial failed assault on Rukyu's realm, after which he survives, determined to finally vanquish his foe. Rukyu, however, actively seeks confrontation, roaming the world as a destructive sorcerer.

The defining structural feature is the alternating control between these two opposing figures across successive chapters. Players guide both the hero and the villain on separate paths that converge toward a final conflict. In combat, which occurs randomly and uses a turn based system, characters are positioned on a grid. Both protagonists can recruit party members and rely primarily on magical attacks, though their sources differ. Roda utilizes single use spells from scrolls obtained after fights, while Rukyu draws upon a resource called Soul Power.

Dark Half Screenshots

12 images
Title screen
Introduction
Nice starting screen...
Roda on the way
Through the dungeon
Party formation
Roda's available actions in battle
Rukyu stops and reads the four Chinese signs (kanji), meaning: west, north, south, and east
Battle spoils
Beginning of a chapter
Character information
Rukyu targets a spell