Previous games in the Shining series include Shining in the Darkness, and the Shining Force trilogy, and Shining Tears is an old-school action role-playing game set in the Shining universe. You take on the role of Xion, a heroic figure tasked with rescuing the City of Shilidia from a previously peaceful neighbor who now poses a threat due to his ownership of the potent Twin Dragon Rings. This lays the groundwork for an epic role-playing game plot with a wide cast of characters and a few twists and turns.
The game makes use of hand-drawn 2D graphics and backgrounds throughout its presentation. When engaging in combat, players can select one of eight unlockable companions, each of whom possesses a distinct set of abilities, as well as both strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the co-op system enables two players to work together during combat, performing powerful combination attacks and leveling up their characters simultaneously. Due to the nature of the Twin Dragon Rings, your partner will transform Xion into the opposite “soul,” either dark or light, with distinct abilities as a direct result of this transformation. When playing in single-player mode, the player is accompanied by an AI friend who can assist them in difficult situations.
