This page explains how to start a new game of Illusion of Gaia, and what to do at the beginning of the game.

Make a New Game File

To start a new game, choose Start Journey from the main menu. You will be prompted to choose a Diary to save the game in. You can have up to three saved games. Choose a Diary, then change the sound and button settings if you wish. When you are ready, choose Start Journey.

Meet Will

You start the game in a school. Your character, Will, explains his story. He went to the Tower of Babel with his father a year ago, but the exploration was a disaster. Will managed to make it safely back to South Cape, but his father is gone. Will is determined to become an explorer and find his father.

The teacher warns that demons have appeared outside of town, and children must be accompanied by parents on long trips.

Your friends Seth, Erik, and Lance will meet up later at the cave by the seashore. If you go down the stairs to the left, you find a mysterious glowing spot that turns into a door. Walk up to it to be transported to the Dark Space. You can speak to Gaia there, who says that only those with Dark Power can see this space, which means you are the chosen one. You can then save your game.

Outside, someone tells you how to run: just push the desired direction twice on the control pad and you will run in that direction.

Someone also mentions that a star is approaching the Earth.

Seaside Cave

Go to the south of town, where there is a pier on the water. Go east along the pier and then go into the door with the wood planks in front of it. This is the Seaside Cave where your friends are hanging out. Erik rushes in and tells you that the Princess of Edward Castle ran away to South Cape. Seth and Lance think that Kara is probably the princess. Erik hopes the soldiers will come to town.

After Erik sits at the table, sit next to him. Your friends want to see your mysterious power. Press L or R while facing the blue statue in the corner. It will move toward you. After that, Lance asks you to pick the Ace of Diamonds out of four cards. Stand on any card and press a button. You will always pick the Ace of Diamonds.

Now leave the cave. It is night now. Go back to your house, which is to the right of the school. For some reason, a pig is wrecking the room. Try to go upstairs. Kara comes downstairs and asks a bunch of questions. She says there is singing coming from upstairs. Go up there and talk to your grandparents. After you talk to your grandfather, the girl downstairs will scream. Go down there and go toward the right. The soldiers will take Kara away.

While they drag Kara away, she admits that she is the king's daughter. She says that she feels that she met Will in the past and that they were good friends.

Talk to your grandparents after that. You learn that your grandfather built a viaduct under the castle. It was built like a maze to keep prisoners from escaping. Go upstairs to have dinner. After dinner, you dream that you and Kara take a trip around the world.

In the morning, you get a letter from the king, who asks you to bring your father's Crystal Ring to Edward Castle. Grandma Lola teaches you Lola's Melody.

Red Jewels

Before you continue, you might want to get the red jewels hidden around town. There are 50 red jewels hidden around the world. Finding them all unlocks something good. Give your jewels to the jeweler who is on the rooftop south of the school. You have to jump down from the ledge southwest of the school to get there. Give the jeweler your jewels.

There is a red jewel hidden in the left side of the bell tower on top of the school.

There is a red jewel in the rightmost pot in Lance's basement.

To get another red jewel, go into and out of the Seaside Cave until the fisherman is south of you. Check the pot next to him to get a red jewel.

Leave Town

Since you have been summoned to the castle, go to the north end of town and talk to the guy guarding the stairs. He will let you pass. When you exit town, you will see a map of the land, and you will be asked where you want to go. Choose Edward's Castle. You will automatically walk there.