Vlarion 4 - The Heavens Crumble

This review contains minor spoilers.

It seems like a long time now, doesn't it, when Gelst was taken hostage. When Dask picked Stacey as back-up. When they first explored the Terranite Lab. When they defeated the first Vlarion. Now, this is the end of this branch of the story, as Dask and his company set out to finish this Vlarion war. Vlarion 4, from the go, already has a tense atmosphere thanks to its three predecessors. There is so much behind it that, given that you have seen the previous three, it is hard not to be engrossed in it almost immediately. It keeps you addicted right to the very end, and I'll do my best to explain why I felt like this without revealing too much.

I still remember a particular conversation in which a couple of people recommended me to check out the Vlarion series. I was doubtful at first, but I began to really enjoy each of the movies, despite their flaws. Vlarion 4 is no different, if not, even better. Its superiority shows during almost the whole running of the film, from the battle animations to the dialogue, the latter of which is incredibly gripping at times.

Each character is important to the finale. Some are more than others, but they all do play, what feels like, a key part in the epic. Dask is obviously crucial to the story, being the leader, and having led his group through three movies, it's pretty obvious that he is a great, trusty leader for them. The whole series does not just revolve around him though. Even the "minor" characters such as Trevor do play a part. I still remember him trying to cheer up Dask before the final showdown, being very Trevor-like. The depth of the characters, as I've said before, is really stunning, and I feel that it is worth watching through the slow parts of the movie, as usually the words exchanged provide extra insight to the characters. The number of great, in-depth characters is one reason why the Vlarion series is damn good. We feel for them. We want them to win. All those little things that we pick up do add up and makes the experience that much more satisfying.

As well as having such a wonderful group of characters, one area that distinguishes the Vlarion series to pretty much every single movie out there ever released is the story, and Vlarion 4 certainly does not disappoint. It's probably better I don't say anything about it - watch it yourself. The battles too get the thumbs up, better than they ever were. Alternate Vlarion 3 does end up looking even more awesome years later, but those in V4 are still a treat to watch, especially the final hugely climactic and tense battle. While secretly expecting them to pull through, I was still on the edge of my seat, hoping. Do they actually win? Well, again, watch it and find out yourself.

I guess there are some small negative points worth mentioning to those skeptical, but they really should not put you off. Yes, you do need to see the first three Vlarion movies (that's Vlarion 1, Vlarion 2 and Vlarion 3, not the Alternates). This shouldn't deter you though; it's hardly torture. The series does also boast a complex story which may be hard to grasp for those who would rather prefer to watch mindless action movies, and those impatient may find sitting through the long scenes, which probably isn't helped by some boring camera angles, pretty dull, but really, you would be missing out. To Vlarion fans who have yet to see this one, surely there should be no doubt in your mind? Watch it. The only gripe, if I have to be really nit-picky, exclusive to Vlarion 4, is that Tiera may seem a little too unimportant.

Vlarion 4 is a wonderful film to cap off one side of the epic Vlarion story. If you've watched the first three, you should know vaguely to expect: the RPG elements are still there, so are the character profiles, and so are the MIDIs, still maintaining that old-skool classic feel. Like any other Vlarion movie, there's a lot of reading too, something which I've already briefly talked about. This is compulsory viewing. So what if you have not seen the first three? What is stopping you downloading them and spending a few hours getting yourself up-to-date? V4 heavily rewards the patient movie-viewer and certainly leaves them feeling very satisfied at the end. The only question which remains is whether Alternate Vlarion 4 will live up to this one. With so much hype surrounding it, and judging from the superb Alternate Vlarion 3 (make sure you watch that one after V4 and AV2), with the risk of jinxing it, it looks as though AV4 will better V4. Touch wood.

Score: 86/100