Metacritic Games

Riviera: The Promised Land (GameBoy Advance)

(Also known as "Yakusoku no Chi Riviera" in Japan) Long ago, a war between gods and demons--Ragnarok--erupted, and the world was thrown into a state of chaos. Asgard, the realm of the gods, was overrun by demons and was on the brink of destruction. In desperation, the gods sacrificed their very lives to create fierce warriors known as Grim Angels. Each wielding a godly weapon known as a "Diviner," these angels quickly brought the war to an end. The demons were sealed away, but the gods would soon follow. However, the gods were able to leave behind their power in the heavenly isle of Riviera . A thousand years have passed since the gods' demise. Signs of the demons' return have brought fear to this peaceful land. Without the gods, Asgard cannot withstand another war. And so, fearing their own demise, the Seven Magi, proxies of the gods, have made the fateful decision to actuate the Retribution, a cataclysmic event which will destroy both Riviera and the demons. To execute the plan, the Seven Magi have again called upon the power of the Grim Angels, born anew for the first time since Ragnarok. Now, two angels shall descend to the sacred soil of Riviera ... Little do these angels know of the darkness that will follow if they should succeed... Over 30 hours of intense RPG gameplay with multiple endings! Five exciting varieties of mini-games that unlock rare items and secret paths! Unique item system that allows items to function differently depending on which characters equip them. [Atlus]

Atlus USA
Role-Playing Game
Players: 1
RP (Rating Pending)
Developer: Sting
Released June 28, 2005

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

76 / 100

Critic Reviews

90 eToychest
It's not going to satisfy if you're in the market for another "Golden Sun" game or a new "Tactics Ogre" game. Despite the screen shots, it is not a tactical RPG, and it breaks a number of genre conventions associated with traditional RPGs. It could be argued, however, that this is the best reason to buy Riviera, as it certainly allows for a very interesting and unique experience with an emphasis on strategy and a wonderful story.
88 Inside Gamer Online
The game also features some nice unlockables as well as multiple endings for every character in the party. And just in case you need another incentive, Atlus isn’t shipping too many copies either, so grab it while you can.
88 Gaming Nexus
If you own a GBA or a DS then be sure to check out Riviera if you can find a copy, you’ll find a very fun and challenging game underneath its cutesy exterior, and clocking it at well over twenty hours for the first play through you’ll be long entertained, even into your second time around when you seek out all the stuff you missed the first time.
87 GameCube Advanced
I was delighted to find such a different approach and concept that somehow worked so well. My only real complaint is the inventory system, and frankly that is in itself, trivial.
87 GameSpot
The game ultimately exceeds expectations thanks to its engrossing story and superslick production values.
85 BonusStage
The storyline is captivating, the technical presentation is superb and the unique gameplay twists make for a fresh role-playing experience that’s unlike any other currently available.
85 Deeko
A fantastic storyline, beautiful art design and a soundtrack that will blow your mind are just a few of the factors that make Riviera one of the best RPGs on the GBA to date.
83 Game Informer
An exceptional adventure and worth a try for any RPG enthusiast. [Aug 2005, p.109]
83 GameShark
The storyline ends up feeling quite fresh in the overused area. It is a refreshing storyline that will have you commit to playing it from beginning to the end, trying to unlock all aspects of the game.
82 GamingTrend
This is a very well crafted game, and aside from the sound issues, fits perfectly into the GBA's hardware. Atlus did us all a favor by taking a chance on this and bringing it to North American shores. I can think of only one thing I want to do after playing through it and seeing one of the endings.
80 GameZone
Simple game mechanics, wonderful visuals and a good story all give Riviera compelling elements that should delight RPG fans.
80 VGPub
Any RPG fan owes it to themselves to check it out for its strong story and offbeat, but fun, gameplay.
80 Weekly Famitsu
9 / 8 / 7 / 8 - 32 gold [Nov 2004]
79 Just RPG
A merely solid game in a crowd of giants like "Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones." But for all that, it managed to etch itself a little place in my memory, and I can’t help but recommend it to any RPGer with a little time and an open mind.
76 My Gamer
If you are looking for an out of the ordinary RPG for your GBA, Riviera will definitely fit the bill. Atlus, once again, has continued their legacy of making entertaining but slightly different games.
75 GameCritics
And despite the very real possibility of some people being put off by the huge amount of text to get through, I strongly feel that Riviera has quite a bit to offer—not only to people still hanging on to their GBAs, but to fans of RPG's in general.
75 1UP
An interesting, entertaining adventure in its own right. Atlus' latest probably won't be to everyone's tastes, but anyone looking for a lengthy, engrossing and above all unique handheld quest this summer would be remiss in passing it up.
70 IGN
The plot takes a bit to get going but it eventually does move along, even if it's a story that you've probably experienced in some fashion in nearly every other Japanese RPG game in the past two decades.
70 GameSpy
The game works hard to achieve a balance between elements gamers are familiar with and elements to provide new experiences. For the most part, Riviera manages to keep that balance quite well.
70 N-Insanity
This would have been a great RPG had it not used all the “uniqueness” that makes it annoying rather that a classic.
70 NintendoWorldReport
A game that desperately tries to be different, but it just ends up making itself frustrating in areas that should be simple.
65 Nintendo Power
Just don't expect the next great epic. [Aug 2005, p.83]
60 Nintendojo
Riviera is extremely bland. There are a lot of pleasing elements like the artwork and audio, but it cripples a sense of freedom and feels altogether too straightforward.
60 G4 TV
For all the innovation in Riviera: The Promised Land, it still plays out like a standard RPG. Sure the developers mixed things up--and that’s a good thing--but they left in all the excruciatingly dull parts, and that’s not so good.
58 Nintendophiles
A great experience for a niche crowd, but you'll just have to figure out for yourself whether or not you're part of that niche.
51 netjak
They tried to cram too many unusual features into the game, and though each is interesting and has potential individually, the resulting hodgepodge is no better than the average RPG.

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