Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
released on Nov 21, 2019
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is an adventure RPG following three heroes, Vi, Kabbu, and Leif, as they embark on an epic quest in Bugaria in search of treasure and immortality. The game combines flat objects with 3D physics as the player jumps and utilizes the heroes’ unique abilities to solve puzzles and stun enemies while exploring a variety of unique, colorful areas. Battles are turn-based and with timed button inputs that can enhance your abilities.
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One of the very few times where a derivative work actually manages to surpass what initially inspired it.
The combat system strikes a great balance between simplicity and depth. On the simple side, you will always have the same three party members each with only a handful of moves and very low stat numbers to keep everything comprehensible. Using various enemy types and allowing for significant gameplay changes through equipped badges, Bug Fables is able to squeeze as much value as it possibly can from what first appears to be an extremely simple system, creating a satisfying array of challenges.
While other aspects such as the characters and story are weaker, they aren't the main focus. But they serve their role well enough by providing context and motivation for your actions throughout the game and never overstay their welcome.
Going into this game, I was expecting a more nostalgic experience that would scratch the same itch that the first two Paper Mario used to do in my childhood. But while the similarities between the games are apparent, the changes Bug Fables made were substantial enough that it felt far more like an advancement of the original Paper Mario games than a retreading of the same ground. And putting aside my nostalgia, I probably have to admit that Bug Fables is the better game overall.
The combat system strikes a great balance between simplicity and depth. On the simple side, you will always have the same three party members each with only a handful of moves and very low stat numbers to keep everything comprehensible. Using various enemy types and allowing for significant gameplay changes through equipped badges, Bug Fables is able to squeeze as much value as it possibly can from what first appears to be an extremely simple system, creating a satisfying array of challenges.
While other aspects such as the characters and story are weaker, they aren't the main focus. But they serve their role well enough by providing context and motivation for your actions throughout the game and never overstay their welcome.
Going into this game, I was expecting a more nostalgic experience that would scratch the same itch that the first two Paper Mario used to do in my childhood. But while the similarities between the games are apparent, the changes Bug Fables made were substantial enough that it felt far more like an advancement of the original Paper Mario games than a retreading of the same ground. And putting aside my nostalgia, I probably have to admit that Bug Fables is the better game overall.
This review contains spoilers
i spent 50 bones on 2 copies of a game that thought it could gaslight me into thinking naming a honey abomination "ahoneynation" was clever and funny
Never played paper mario but this game is a banger
IGN reviewers be like "Paper Mario fans will be delighted with this loving homage!" because it looks and plays like Paper Mario. I'm a paper Mario fanboy (recently indoctrinated into Mario & Luigi, but I digress), and Bug Fables is the real deal. This game has is original, has a wonderful, multifaceted, engaging combat system, is cute, and has side quests that I actually want to play (remember Troubles in Thousand Year Door?). You can even play a challenging hard mode on your first run if you want to. My playthrough clocked 30 hours, so it's fully featured, too. Would recommend!
I've waited so long for another game like Paper Mario. I'm so glad it came, and I'm so glad it's this good. I love the artstyle to no end.
Not the game I knew I needed, but I'm glad I know now.
When I was a kid growing up, I loved the Paper Mario franchise. It would be a good number of years before I played the Nintendo 64 title, but I would play The Thousand Year Door and Super Paper Mario extensively. While I loved Super and still do, I would hope that the next game would follow in the same style as TTYD, since I found the gameplay to be a bit more engaging. Sadly, I didn't get my wish, as Sticker Star and Color Splash went in directions that only disappointed me. It truly seemed that this would be the direction the franchise would be taking from there on out, and I longed for a day where Nintendo would give the older gameplay style another shot.
Little did I know, though, that it would not be Nintendo that would make the game I wanted. Instead, Moonsprout Games would answer the call. In January of 2018, they would launch an Indiegogo Campaign for their new game, an adventure RPG that is taking heavy inspiration from TTYD. Needless to say, people were drawn in like moths to a flame, and the game would reach its funding goal. Almost two years later, we'd get the completed project, titled Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
While I didn't back the campaign or buy the game at launch, it still remained heavily on my radar, as I've been itching for a traditional Paper Mario experience that also offered a new world to explore. All these years later, I've finally gotten to see this game to the end, and man, this game is full of surprises!
When you first enter the world of Bug Fables, the first thing you'll notice is the presentation. They go for a style here that uses 2D characters in 3D environments. They use this very effectively, creating interesting environments and amazing character designs! Your main trio of characters all look great, and the NPC designs are all unique and highly memorable! Meeting new characters and entering new environments was always a treat, as I never knew what would be waiting for me as I traversed through this game's unique world. Speaking of the world, they do a great job playing with the fact that you're playing as bugs! You get a great sense of scope as you find more human-made objects littering the world you're exploring. Seeing how the bug citizens of this world take advantage of these objects to enhance their ways of life is always charming, as well.
As you start going through the first chapter of the game, you'll get introduced to the combat mechanics almost immediately. Like the older Paper Mario games, battles are turn-based, and when you attack, you play a small minigame to maximize damage. You also have special moves that use TP, which is this game's FP. You can block enemy attacks with well-timed button presses, with even less damage being taken with better timing. This is all standard Paper Mario fare, for the most part, and it all works very well. It never felt like it was the game's fault if I missed an action command or mistimed a block.
Things get even more interesting as you obtain party members. You have three characters of your party in total, and they all fight at once. During battle, you can switch who is in the lead, and the leading party member will do additional damage as a bonus. Each party member has their own specialty, as well. You have one that can target flying enemies with ease, one that can topple enemies, and one that can freeze enemies to prevent them from attacking. As you progress through the game, you'll discover more moves for your party that allow for some interesting strategic approaches to tougher fights.
To add to this, you can find a large variety of medals, which is this game's answer to the badge system. Like badges, you have points that you can use to equip them, and each will have a unique effect. There are medals that get equipped to the whole party, and there are some that can only be put on one character. This adds even more to the strategy of fights, as now you can have specific "builds" that allow you to make characters insanely strong under specific conditions.
I'll give an example. There are a variety of status effects in this game. One of these is poison, which damages you each turn. While there are medals that decrease your likelihood of getting poisoned, there are a ton of medals that reward you for getting poisoned, doing things such as buffing your defense and attack. There's even also a medal that make it so poison no longer hurts! To add to this, you can equip a medal that causes you to get poisoned whenever you consume an item, allowing you to activate your poison buffs whenever you want. This is just one way you can get super strong in this game, and playing with the medal combos to find out which builds work best for you can be a highly rewarding time.
If you don't want a risk/reward build and just want stuff that helps you out with no strings attached, though, you're gonna need to play the game for a while. Frequently as I visited shops and explored the overworld I would find mostly risk/reward medals, which was disappointing since I didn't really want to do a crazy build. Thankfully, though, the more you play and explore the game, you'll find more medals that strictly aid you, so this is a short-term problem.
A good source of medals and other goodies are the side quests! As you progress, more and more side quests become available, that each have their own story to them and end with a reward, whether it be currency, medals, or other things. One of the most important tips I could give to a new player is to explore as much of the world as you can! There's secrets hiding all over the place! Optional dungeons and bosses await those seeking a challenge, and you'll be rewarded very well for your efforts!
I had an excellent time exploring the world of this game, especially as more overworld moves were unlocked. Each party member brings with them a growing toolkit of moves to allow you to search every nook and cranny for secrets. They're also all used to solve fun simple puzzles that keep you engaged as you explore the world. Some of the most fun I had in this game was taking time between chapters to explore with new moves I unlocked to see what secrets were hiding around!
Now, I won't be spoiling the story here at all, but I do want to vaguely gush about how much I loved what they did here! They do such a great job fleshing out the world! There's all sorts of factions in this bug world and there's so much lore to discover for each one! You even have a menu where you keep track of discoveries in the world that you can review at any time to refresh yourself on the inner-workings of this land. You find lore books that add backstory to the creation of the kingdoms, as well as answering questions like why are there bugs that behave like people and others that behave like animals. It gets pretty deep, and those along with the story beats flesh out the world in such an exciting way. The further I played, the more I wanted to learn about the world and all its quirks!
What is a world without its people? The characters you meet in Bug Fables are all varied and interesting, both in design and personality! I loved interacting with characters and seeing their reactions to the events happening in the story, as well as seeing how they develop during side quests. The personalities of the main trio also shine super-brightly here, as well. Watching them interact with each other and the world around them was always a treat, and by the end of the game you'll easily love them all. They all also have interesting backstories that you learn about as you play, leading to some very heartfelt moments that will make you smile.
Their personalities shine in the game's tattle system, as well. All three characters have the ability to tattle enemies, revealing their health and defense. Along with this, each character has something unique to say about every enemy in the game! You don't even need to tattle the enemy three times to see all the dialogue, either! You can check the bestiary and it'll have each character's line in it! They stop at nothing to make sure you see every character's take on an enemy or boss, and I think that's amazing!
Outside of tattling enemies, you can also press a button in each area of the overworld to learn more about the area you're in, as well as potential hints to solving a puzzle. You can also do this near NPC's to see the characters have a small conversation about the NPC in question, and sometimes these will change after you talk to a character and learn new information! They did so much work fleshing out dialogue and lore and all this stuff and it adds so much to this game. Exploring and seeing every exchange between characters was endlessly rewarding, and it was easily one of my favorite parts of this game!
Overall, I loved my time playing Bug Fables! The combat was rewarding and exploring the world was highly satisfying! It also doesn't overstay its welcome, either! My in-game timer said 30 hours by the time I finished, but it was more like 28 because this game does that thing I hate where the timer continues to tick even when you're in the pause menu doing nothing. You can probably finish this game faster if you don't do as many side quests, but I can't recommend doing them enough due to all the goodies they give ya. This is a game that you should take your time with and really get immersed in the world. You won't regret it!
If somehow none of what I said has convinced you to play this game, please look at Tanjerin. Look at this boy. He is so precious. You can talk to him in the game and he's really cute. You like cute little guys, right? R-right?
When I was a kid growing up, I loved the Paper Mario franchise. It would be a good number of years before I played the Nintendo 64 title, but I would play The Thousand Year Door and Super Paper Mario extensively. While I loved Super and still do, I would hope that the next game would follow in the same style as TTYD, since I found the gameplay to be a bit more engaging. Sadly, I didn't get my wish, as Sticker Star and Color Splash went in directions that only disappointed me. It truly seemed that this would be the direction the franchise would be taking from there on out, and I longed for a day where Nintendo would give the older gameplay style another shot.
Little did I know, though, that it would not be Nintendo that would make the game I wanted. Instead, Moonsprout Games would answer the call. In January of 2018, they would launch an Indiegogo Campaign for their new game, an adventure RPG that is taking heavy inspiration from TTYD. Needless to say, people were drawn in like moths to a flame, and the game would reach its funding goal. Almost two years later, we'd get the completed project, titled Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
While I didn't back the campaign or buy the game at launch, it still remained heavily on my radar, as I've been itching for a traditional Paper Mario experience that also offered a new world to explore. All these years later, I've finally gotten to see this game to the end, and man, this game is full of surprises!
When you first enter the world of Bug Fables, the first thing you'll notice is the presentation. They go for a style here that uses 2D characters in 3D environments. They use this very effectively, creating interesting environments and amazing character designs! Your main trio of characters all look great, and the NPC designs are all unique and highly memorable! Meeting new characters and entering new environments was always a treat, as I never knew what would be waiting for me as I traversed through this game's unique world. Speaking of the world, they do a great job playing with the fact that you're playing as bugs! You get a great sense of scope as you find more human-made objects littering the world you're exploring. Seeing how the bug citizens of this world take advantage of these objects to enhance their ways of life is always charming, as well.
As you start going through the first chapter of the game, you'll get introduced to the combat mechanics almost immediately. Like the older Paper Mario games, battles are turn-based, and when you attack, you play a small minigame to maximize damage. You also have special moves that use TP, which is this game's FP. You can block enemy attacks with well-timed button presses, with even less damage being taken with better timing. This is all standard Paper Mario fare, for the most part, and it all works very well. It never felt like it was the game's fault if I missed an action command or mistimed a block.
Things get even more interesting as you obtain party members. You have three characters of your party in total, and they all fight at once. During battle, you can switch who is in the lead, and the leading party member will do additional damage as a bonus. Each party member has their own specialty, as well. You have one that can target flying enemies with ease, one that can topple enemies, and one that can freeze enemies to prevent them from attacking. As you progress through the game, you'll discover more moves for your party that allow for some interesting strategic approaches to tougher fights.
To add to this, you can find a large variety of medals, which is this game's answer to the badge system. Like badges, you have points that you can use to equip them, and each will have a unique effect. There are medals that get equipped to the whole party, and there are some that can only be put on one character. This adds even more to the strategy of fights, as now you can have specific "builds" that allow you to make characters insanely strong under specific conditions.
I'll give an example. There are a variety of status effects in this game. One of these is poison, which damages you each turn. While there are medals that decrease your likelihood of getting poisoned, there are a ton of medals that reward you for getting poisoned, doing things such as buffing your defense and attack. There's even also a medal that make it so poison no longer hurts! To add to this, you can equip a medal that causes you to get poisoned whenever you consume an item, allowing you to activate your poison buffs whenever you want. This is just one way you can get super strong in this game, and playing with the medal combos to find out which builds work best for you can be a highly rewarding time.
If you don't want a risk/reward build and just want stuff that helps you out with no strings attached, though, you're gonna need to play the game for a while. Frequently as I visited shops and explored the overworld I would find mostly risk/reward medals, which was disappointing since I didn't really want to do a crazy build. Thankfully, though, the more you play and explore the game, you'll find more medals that strictly aid you, so this is a short-term problem.
A good source of medals and other goodies are the side quests! As you progress, more and more side quests become available, that each have their own story to them and end with a reward, whether it be currency, medals, or other things. One of the most important tips I could give to a new player is to explore as much of the world as you can! There's secrets hiding all over the place! Optional dungeons and bosses await those seeking a challenge, and you'll be rewarded very well for your efforts!
I had an excellent time exploring the world of this game, especially as more overworld moves were unlocked. Each party member brings with them a growing toolkit of moves to allow you to search every nook and cranny for secrets. They're also all used to solve fun simple puzzles that keep you engaged as you explore the world. Some of the most fun I had in this game was taking time between chapters to explore with new moves I unlocked to see what secrets were hiding around!
Now, I won't be spoiling the story here at all, but I do want to vaguely gush about how much I loved what they did here! They do such a great job fleshing out the world! There's all sorts of factions in this bug world and there's so much lore to discover for each one! You even have a menu where you keep track of discoveries in the world that you can review at any time to refresh yourself on the inner-workings of this land. You find lore books that add backstory to the creation of the kingdoms, as well as answering questions like why are there bugs that behave like people and others that behave like animals. It gets pretty deep, and those along with the story beats flesh out the world in such an exciting way. The further I played, the more I wanted to learn about the world and all its quirks!
What is a world without its people? The characters you meet in Bug Fables are all varied and interesting, both in design and personality! I loved interacting with characters and seeing their reactions to the events happening in the story, as well as seeing how they develop during side quests. The personalities of the main trio also shine super-brightly here, as well. Watching them interact with each other and the world around them was always a treat, and by the end of the game you'll easily love them all. They all also have interesting backstories that you learn about as you play, leading to some very heartfelt moments that will make you smile.
Their personalities shine in the game's tattle system, as well. All three characters have the ability to tattle enemies, revealing their health and defense. Along with this, each character has something unique to say about every enemy in the game! You don't even need to tattle the enemy three times to see all the dialogue, either! You can check the bestiary and it'll have each character's line in it! They stop at nothing to make sure you see every character's take on an enemy or boss, and I think that's amazing!
Outside of tattling enemies, you can also press a button in each area of the overworld to learn more about the area you're in, as well as potential hints to solving a puzzle. You can also do this near NPC's to see the characters have a small conversation about the NPC in question, and sometimes these will change after you talk to a character and learn new information! They did so much work fleshing out dialogue and lore and all this stuff and it adds so much to this game. Exploring and seeing every exchange between characters was endlessly rewarding, and it was easily one of my favorite parts of this game!
Overall, I loved my time playing Bug Fables! The combat was rewarding and exploring the world was highly satisfying! It also doesn't overstay its welcome, either! My in-game timer said 30 hours by the time I finished, but it was more like 28 because this game does that thing I hate where the timer continues to tick even when you're in the pause menu doing nothing. You can probably finish this game faster if you don't do as many side quests, but I can't recommend doing them enough due to all the goodies they give ya. This is a game that you should take your time with and really get immersed in the world. You won't regret it!
If somehow none of what I said has convinced you to play this game, please look at Tanjerin. Look at this boy. He is so precious. You can talk to him in the game and he's really cute. You like cute little guys, right? R-right?