The end of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty, which has ruled China in 13th and 14th centuries, is near. People rebel against the tyrannical regime of the emperors. The Holy Flame Society, the most persistent of rebel organizations, is being heavily persecuted by the government, and its leader, the Grand Master, has disappeared. The player takes control of the “Little Master”, who must find allies to strengthen the Holy Flame Society and eventually overthrow the rulers of the country.
Considered the first major Chinese (Taiwanese)-made role-playing game for a console, Sheng Huo Lie Zhuan (“Tale of the Holy Flame”) is a rather basic RPG of the Japanese template. The player navigates the hero and subsequently joining party members over the top-down “world map”, entering towns and other areas represented by icons. In towns, it is possible to rest, chat with the townspeople, and buy supplies. Enemies attack the party randomly. The player must choose which characters to use before every battle. The turn-based engine, menu-based command input, and automatic leveling up are handled the same way as Japanese RPGs of the time.
