Review: 'Ephemeral Fantasia' loses its way

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By Star Dingo

It's Deja Vu All Over Again

(IDG) -- This ambitious, weird RPG takes its cue from both "Majora's Mask" and "Groundhog Day" by setting you (and your creepy, talking guitar) on repeat, forcing you to re-live the same five days until you succeed in freeing an island from its strange temporal curse.

"Ephemeral Fantasia"'s strengths lie in its real-time nonlinear structure and bizarre "Twilight Zone" story. It also boasts a unique 360-degree battle system that -- while not quite fully developed -- is easily navigated and offers welcome new twists.

It's Deja Vu All Over Again

Unfortunately, "Fantasia" has a few frustrating flaws. It loads frequently, the graphics are bland and first-generation, and the music smacks of elevator-itis. Plus, the game's looping structure is cooler in theory than in reality -- keeping track of when and where you have to be to free the islanders is so complex, it almost requires hiring a personal assistant; plus, repeatedly re-treading the same ground can become pretty tedious. "EF" earns high marks for ambition and story, but low ones for iffy execution.