Pretty good graphics, an innovative fighting engine, and a sub-standard story. The question... is it good? The answer is 'yes.'
Let's see... oh yes, the graphics in this game are similar to those of Final Fantasy Tactics, but not quite as good. It has great FMV cutscenes, but the in-battle graphics aren't good enough. This doesn't really injure the game in any major fashion, but gives it a more old-school look. Either way, they look pretty good.
Sound. Such a word. I have heard great sounds in games such as Final Fantasy 7, Breath Of Fire III, and Xenogears, but this? No, not really. It really isn't very good. The sound is a major downfall in the game. Either way, you don't notice it too much, but it can get very repetetive, and boring.
At least Kartia has an innovative story and battle system. The story has to do with monsters called Phantoms, that can be be summoned from cards called Kartia. In the game, your characters aren't your main attacking force. Your Phantoms are. Certain members of your party are able to create Phantoms. There is quite a large amount of strategy in this game, because certain Phantoms are weak or strong against other types of Phantoms. This is a strategy-rpg after all. Compared to the storyline in Final Fantasy Tactics, this isn't that good, but still quite impressive.
This game is also quite a challenge. The battles are long and difficult. You can have about 20 Phantoms on the screen at once, creating more of a feel that you are fighting with a large army. Sometimes this game is too hard, though, causing for some frustration. But fear not; when you're done, it's quite rewarding.
This game is pretty boring, unfortunately. I have to say that after 1-2 battles, I get quite bored with this game, and turned it off. There are a few things that make it more fun, though. First, there are 2 completely different scenerios with 2 different main characters. And there is also a 2-player versus mode which allows you to fight against your friend via the memory card. The game itself can get boring, but with an arsenal of other things you can do with it, it's actually pretty fun.
All in all this is a good strategy/rpg. It has many innovations, and a pretty long and involved story. If you liked Final Fantasy Tactics, or Vandal Hearts, the chances are, you'll like this too. Maybe not as much, but you'll still like it.
