The Tale of Sephira, known in Japan as Sepha no Ginga Sutōrī (SEPHAの銀河ストーリー Sepha's Galactic Story), is a 3D hack and slash platformer video game published and developed by Gamecom, with additional development of the installment handled by Spike Chunsoft. The game is available for the GigaCom Dyad console as well as the Wii U and Xbox One systems. The Tale of Sephira is a part of the Epic Saga series, taking place in-between Those Who Fight and The Afteryears storyline-wise, although it can also be treated as its own separate continuity depending on how one looks at the entry.
Plot[]
Planet Conquest's and Planet Pelastus' respective armies had fought with each other in an ongoing war. Whilst the former area battled valiantly, they came to the realization that their numbers were thinning. Unable to act, King Milhalt - the father of one Sephira Milhalt - was quick to assume the worst was about to come, until a young man with a feline-esque head showed up alongside some sort of shadowy figure. Unveiling a magical ball, the unknown personage used this object to absorb the souls of Pelastus' soldiers; for Conquest, there was much rejoicing... and yet a few of their units also had their life forces taken away from them! King Milhalt had no other option but to command the rest of his troops to retreat for the time being. Who was the unimpressed half-breed? More to the point, who was the enigmatic person, and what was with the spherical object he possessed?
Years later, Sephira - Planet Conquest's princess and the king's daughter - is trying to convince her dad that she is finally ready to become a queen once and for all. However, before she can even further talk her father into giving her a promotion, Sephira collapses onto the floor thanks to the mysterious character who arrives. With the last thing she hears being King Milhalt's agonizing screams, the princess eventually blacks out. Not long following the incident, Sephira regains consciousness only to find that the king is now in a catatonic state. Despite having no lead, the aspiring queen of Planet Conquest sets out on a mission to retrieve King Milhalt's essence.
Gameplay[]
The Tale of Sephira puts much more emphasis on the hack and slash style compared to many of the other Epic Saga titles in the franchise, and it also does away with most of this series' usual RPG elements. As the title indicates, Sephira is the sole playable character, being able to utilize a variety of methods in order to dispatch enemies and bosses alike; though she regularly fights using a pair of tonfas, she's granted access to magical abilities such as shapeshifting, heat-related spells, and even the power to turn invisible for a set period of time. Throughout the game, environmental hazards as well as destructible objects are a blessing and simultaneously a curse: while you're allowed to use these at your advantage, it's also very plausible that Sephira will take damage if - let's say - she encounters poisonous fog or inadvertently walks into quicksand which can only be mitigated by certain button combinations.
As you make progress throughout the installment, you'll come across treasure chests and similar boxes which contain things like status buffs, health, and additional weapons, with the latter replacing whatever Sephira is currently wielding.
Characters[]
Primary[]
- Princess Sephira Milhalt: The titular character and main protagonist of the game. She lives on Planet Conquest with her father, who is also the destination's king. Cheery and amiable, she usually vows to work hard so that she can one day be promoted to Queen status, although Sephira's parent more often than not loses sleep over this particular goal of hers because of the alien lady's immaturity. During the events of the game, Sephira goes on a perilous adventure to get back her father's life force from a deadly organization whom have had a persistent conflict with the planet's people.
- Gata: He acts as the main antagonist for The Tale of Sephira. His head resembles that of a cat, though the rest of his body is very human-esque in appearance. While not entirely responsible for stealing Sephira's father's essence, he still played a role in doing so nevertheless. Normally cool as a cucumber, Gata tends to be very lukewarm in personality and commits misdeeds just so that he is able to ease his boredom; however, if Sephira is either in his sight or her presence can be easily detected, Gata converts into a bloodthirsty disposition that might spell menacing for Sephira whilst on her journey.
- Migas: A bipedal dog who is valued by Gata as his right-hand man. Unlike his superior, he is (unsurprisingly) comparatively vigilant and determined when on the job, so he occasionally chides Gata for whenever the latter showcases his apathetic tendencies. Aside from his relationship with the main villain and bits and pieces of his temperament, there isn't much else known about him.
- Ibuki: He is an overweight, blue-skinned demon who functions as one of Gata's underlings. Originally an imp no bigger than a person's foot prior to his death, he was eventually reincarnated as the creature that he currently is thanks to the combined efforts of Gata and Kamek. His portly figure aside, Ibuki typically says little, and he chooses to talk only when spoken to. He is more intelligent than he lets on, and those who insult his knowledge are bound to suffer his wrath for it.
- Furorem: Another one of Gata's most noteworthy vassals. Seemingly pallid, she likes riding around on a loose Chain Chomp, and quickly delves into insanity if she is without her companion. She boasts a voracious appetite and regularly absorbs lone spirits with extraordinary gusto, but Furorem in general doesn't act picky at all regarding what she eats.
- Gavin: Many (if not all) have referred to him as the Element Knight. At first glance, he is but a normal warrior who wears no armor; in actuality, however, he has proven countless times to be a formidable, threatening opponent to face in battle, and rumors about the being have spread like wildfire. Though he seems to be opposing Planet Conquest alongside Gata and the rest of his cronies, Gavin has only agreed to help the villains in exchange for cold, hard cash - and if he doesn't require the money, then he's probably doing what is expected of him in order to get closer to a certain somebody.
Supporting roles[]
- King Milhalt: This man is Sephira's father, and as his title blatantly implies, he is the ruler of Planet Conquest. Whilst demanding with his regulations and constantly worries about his daughter, the king can be as benevolent as Sephira so long as one is wise enough not to push his buttons. In the plotline of the game proper, a team of devilish miscreants steal King Milhalt's life force prompting Sephira herself to retrieve her father's soul as she embarks on a mission.
- Cascade Renfro: She is a young weapons specialist and a childhood friend of Sephira's. While playful and generally amicable towards her longtime buddy, Cascade shows more of a sharp tongue regarding other people, and has proven to be somewhat mocking in tone. She maintains a great relationship with her father and two elder siblings, but could care less about her mother after the latter abandoned the Renfro family for reasons Cascade is hesitant to elaborate on.
- Krieg Renfro: One of the two older brothers of Cascade. He is an established womanizer who is never seen without girls clinging to him. In spite of his habits, Krieg still treats her little sister fairly well, and tends to fly off the handle if somebody thinks of bringing her spirits down even for just a millisecond.
- Jared Raigon: He is a prince who is virtually composed of rock and fire. Next in line to become the king of Planet Sauria, his nobility and confidence as a specimen are enough to impress just about anyone. Though he is often seen as a no-nonsense individual, Jared is not entirely a wet blanket, for he occasionally makes jokes that are in light-hearted fun and picks on himself due to the feelings Sephira used to have for him.
- Galactic Petey: Galactic is a plant-like creature who acts as one of Jared's closest allies. Even though he exhibits questionable behavior and can be scatterbrained to a fault, he does in fact possess a hidden heart of gold. From a character design standpoint, he appears to be a hybrid of the Dino and Petey Piranha species.
Audio[]
The soundtrack for The Tale of Sephira was composed by Rasmus Faber, a Swedish music artist.
Voice cast[]
| Name of character | Japanese VA | English VA |
|---|---|---|
| Sephira Milhalt | Aya Suzaki | Bryn Apprill |
| Gata | Kaito Ishikawa | Erik Kimerer |
| Migas | Ryōtarō Okiayu | Jason C. Miller |
| Ibuki | Tetsu Inada | George C. Cole |
| Furorem | Hiromi Konno | Leah Clark |
| Gavin | Hiroshi Kamiya | Greg Ayres |
| King Milhalt | Takehito Koyasu | Marc Diraison |
| Cascade Renfro | Mariko Kouda | Jessica Calvello |
| Krieg Renfro | Tasuku Hatanaka | Ben Diskin |
| Jared Raigon | Showtaro Morikubo | Vic Mignogna |
| Galactic Petey | Keiji Fujiwara | Jarrod Greene |