Vlarion 3 - Carrier of the Light

This review contains minor spoilers (including some from Vlarion 2).

If you have read my updated Vlarion 2 review, you can probably guess what I am going to say at some point in this review: If you weren't too keen on the earlier Vlarion movies, this won't persuade you. I now don't have to repeat this rather obvious sentence. This review is more aimed at those who actually have an interest in watching Vlarion 3, who get a kick out of Aaron's wonderful, complex and in-depth story, who don't mind the lack of voices and can happily read the text. Oh, and those who have seen Vlarion 1 and 2. Be warned, if you haven't done so, watch Vlarion 2 first.

Vlarion 3 draws you in more, and as it builds up, you can't help but feel more and more excited. It's certainly more gripping than Vlarion 2, which did boast THAT nail-biting ending. The third installment rejoins the story straight after Brian's betrayal, and already we are given a huge new dose of information from one of the new characters, hybrid Lance. At first sight, he seems to be a bright, knowledgeable, young guy, but once you get to know him, you will know why he is vital to the story and will realise why Aaron added him to this long and eventful adventure. If you can bear the masses of white text against the traditional dark blue, rectangular backgrounds, you will be rewarded with yet more story. It's the charm of the Vlarion movies. Stick with the text, and you get a well-developed, marvellous story out of it. Character development comes second.

I suppose you could compare Brian to Lance. After all, they were both properly introduced towards the beginning of Vlarion 2 and 3 respectively, and they are key characters in the story. And this is where I briefly talk about the second new addition to the mighty tale of Vlarion: Tiera. She's a bit like Trevor, seemingly not as important as Brian or Lance, but someone you can happily welcome into the team. She makes her first appearance a good halfway into Vlarion 3, in dramatic fashion, which includes a tense battle. Although it does not feature any Vlarions, this is one battle I really enjoyed watching, and I'm no doubt looking forward to see this one updated when the remakes start coming out. Ironically, Tiera and Trevor don't get along well, which adds a little light-hearted humour. She is certainly an interesting character, and, unsurprisingly, she opens up even more story, as what proceeds this battle is yet again another thorough, mind-boggling story development dose. Watch in content.

Now to cover different aspects of Vlarion 3. The music is again strong and lives up to the standards set by its predecessors. If you want big Vlarions, Polkros and Sharromm should keep you happy, and if you want foes, Kramer and Rosal appear to attempt to stop the group. It also contains many features the previous Vlarion titles had, such as the map and the entertaining turn-based battles. And for you Brian-fans out there, he returns to wreak more havoc. But the main reason why you are going to watch Vlarion 3 is because of the story, right? And it is consistently good throughout its long runtime, from start to finish, which includes a pretty damn good showdown between Dask and...*cackle*... Yeah, like I'm going to tell you. After so much wonderful story, Vlarion 3 ends with Dask making one of those dramatic leader speeches to the rest of the group, as they prepare for the final battle. And at that point, a warm feeling grows inside you and a smile appears on your face until the credits roll. Then, frantically, you quickly close Vlarion 3 and open the finale of this branch. Your brain is on auto-pilot, as you load up scene organiser and close it again. Then, your hand moves your mouse over to the "Play" button. It clicks, and...

Score: 81/100