For many years, Darkness Ethereal and Dark Dreams RPGs have been considered by many to be the closest any QBRPG programmer is going to be to a Squaresoft RPG. This has been proven time and time again, with releases like Lianne and the Dark Crown and Distant Promises. This time Darkness Ethereal battles new terrain by combining their Final Fantasy-style formula with elements from Enix's Dragon Warrior series. The result of this concoction is Mysterious Song, an RPG that proves to be Darkness Ethereal's best effort yet.

But something was missing. What do all Square and Enix games have that Darkness Ethereal games do not? Full-color strategy guides, that's what! One of my favorite things to do when I was little was look up hints on my favorite RPGs. Sometimes I did so because I actually needed help. But sometimes I just wanted to look at the full color maps and simply bask in the glory of its excellence.

So to do Darkness Ethereal's RPG justice, we constructed a game guide just for Mysterious Song, just like the good old Nintendo strategy guides of Final Fantasy games past. We even consulted with Darkness Ethereal themselves for some of the game's information. So if you're just starting out with this game, here's a great game walkthrough that will take you from Taren Castle to Illus Pass!
 
 

Part 1: Taren Castle This is where Mysterious Song begins. The main character, Spear, is about to exit Taren Castle. But before you do, make sure you go downstairs to Floor F2, where King Algameth IX will give you 200 Gold and tell you about your quest. It is best to use this gold to purchase a Long Sword from the weapons store in Floor F1, as the enemies outside will be pretty cumbersome if your attack power is too low. Another important place to remember is the Inn, located just east of the weapons shop.  The price to rest here very reasonable (6 GP). More importantly though, Inns are the only place in Mysterious Song where you can save your game.

 

Part 2: The Town of Fawna Located east of Taren Castle, the Town of Fawna is important because this is where you meet Tiger, the strong warrior who will make your journey through Illus Pass possible. For him to join you, you have to gold from King Algameth IX in Taren Castle. Once you do, Tiger's home is located on the lower right of town. In the Town of Fawna you will also find a large Inn, and a Weapons Store with better armor than that of Taren Castle. If you have the extra gold, make sure you purchase Iron Suits here.

 

Part 3: It Will Take A Tiger Once Tiger has joined your party, cross the western bridge and walk northward until you see a tunnel blocked by a mountain. Once there, Tiger will automatically use his abilities to break the mountain and allow you entry into Illus Pass. Beware! You shouldn't try walking around Illus Pass until Spear has reached Level 4 and is more ready for battle, and even then you shouldn't try to walk through the entire pass or you'll be overwhelmed by the poisonous creatures inside.

 

Part 4: Illus Pass This is where all of Spear and Tiger's training will have to pay off. While there are no treasure chests, Illus Pass is a winding series of catacombs that start you off at the lower-left end. Your party will have to scale this path upward. The path is full of poisonous creatures, so try to work Spear up until he learns the spell of "Heal" (it purges poison) before entering this path. Be very wary of Ogien, the fire elemental. He rests at the lower-right end of Illus Pass and will attack you if you entice him. Although the reward for defeating this beast is great, you are simply too weak to face him now. For the moment, try to make your way to the other side of Illus Pass.

 

Part 5: The MegaWyrm The MegaWyrm is the first boss of the game that Spear and Tiger will have to defeat. You will find it at the upper right end of Illus Pass. While it's raw offensive attack is very damaging (30-40 HP damage even when armed with Iron Suits), one issue of major concern is the MegaWyrm's Poison Attack, which can take away 1-10 HP per turn. This takes it toll, as Spear and Tiger take a while to defeat this mighty creature. The best strategy I found was to purchase an Iron Suit for Spear, as he is weaker than Tiger. Long swords are also a must. I found using the "Heal" spell to be futile, as the MegaWyrm quickly poisons you anyway after you purge the poison. Save your MP for Cure spells and make sure you wait until the last possible moment before you cast it. From here on out, you're on your own. Defeat the MegaWyrm and you will be much further on your way to the land of Mysterious Song!

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