While Sudeki can make for an interesting diversion, it is in most respects a disappointment.
While I hate to be negative, even the game's strong point, combat, is a bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong, the battles in Sudeki are way more fun then the "Fight, Magic, Item, Flee" of most traditional RPGs, but by the end of the game falls into the same repetitive nature. When using Tal and Buki, only two combos are necessary to learn, and fighting comes down to knowing when to get out of the way and timing your button presses. Elco and Ailish fight as if you were playing doom which can be cool at first, but wears thin quickly. The AI that controls your characters is also only marginally OK. While it does an alright job of keeping characters alive, none will ever use a spell unless you switch to them first. Ailish should at least be smart enough to cast her healing spell when the party gets low. Star Ocean 2, for example, was able to intelligently direct spell casters via AI in a somewhat similar combat system. The bar has been set, and Sudeki's lack of even attempting to do similar just screams lack of effort.
Graphically, the game is passable. The character models are what you'd expect out of a release title, and possibly is a sign of how long Sudeki was in development. No big clipping issues and camera control is pretty solid in all but a few rare instances.
The sound, again, was passable. Accents of the characters you meet range from British to down right goofy. Audio cues for different spells are also very repetitive.
The story of the game, there is no simple way to get around this, is horribly executed. While the game starts of mildly interesting, one clichéd plot device after another comes along to whack you upside the head. The ending is also a huge disappointment, with a character telling the defeated villain how pathetic he is and a cut to a short (as in less then 30 seconds) narration about how you've brought about a new age and poof, that's it. Too many plot threads are left unanswered, and in one case (I don't want to spoil the story, but if you play it to the end it'll be obvious) apparently because the writers were too lazy to figure it out.
Overall, the game play is a mixed bag. The game is short, having completed all but one side quest with a total play time of 26 hours. That includes two several hour breaks I took with the game still running. Side quests are typically very simple and rarely require much travel. The collector quests borrow one of the most annoying aspects of MMORPGs but fortunately execute in the most non-annoying way. Boss battles are also a mixed bag. Only one character will participate, but there is usually a puzzle involved that would make using AI controlled party members unworkable. Most boss battles are actually easier then some of the random landscape encounters you begin to experience midway through the game. What really hurts the game, however, are some very stupid design decisions. While usually you are free to explore the world and take a break from the main quest, at some points where it really matters you can't go back. If you are planning on using the ultimate weapons, for example, and don't retrieve them by a certain point then by the time you can go back for them you'll be able to use them in maybe 3 random battles before the end of the game. Couple that with some questionable party assignments at a few points, and you'll see that there's a lot of needless frustration.
In the end, is it the worst game ever? No. In fact, despite the negatives I've laid out, I did find myself enjoying it for a good deal of the time. Should you buy it? Definitely not. The game has little to no replay value. Its worth renting, and a dedicated player will have no problem beating it over a weekend.
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