As someone who tried a lot of RPGs but could seldom finish any of them, this was one of the few that completely hooked me from beginning to end. It does everything right and then some.
Gameplay absolutely shines in this game, where traversal in the overworld is made fun and interesting through contextual movement actions like climbing or jumping, and where battles are riveting, with a combat system that's quite simple but still allows for a bit of depth. Regular attacks are finally given a proper use in a turn-based RPG, where they replenish your MP, and every attack also involves the player, with timed button presses. Combat also includes a weakness system which is a joy to strategise around.
As for presentation, this game is quite simply the best looking pixel-art game I've ever laid my eyes upon. Sprites are brimming with life and are beautifully animated, the real-time lighting system is complex and completely baffles me, I cannot wrap my head around how it works. Both music and sound design are stellar work, with some tunes that'll sweep you off your feet, like The Storm Calls For You, and some sound effects are so satisfying and pleasing to hear, you'll be delighted every time you hear them.
I will not touch upon the story or the characters for spoiler reasons, but apart from the two somewhat boring main protagonists, the cast is lovable and endearing and you'll be left tearing up at some of the events that happen to them.
Overall, I cannot recommend this game enough, it ticks every box for me, and just when I thought it lacked difficulty, they added more difficulty modifiers in a post-launch update that left me wondering if the game had any flaw at all. Absolute masterpiece in my eyes.
Gameplay absolutely shines in this game, where traversal in the overworld is made fun and interesting through contextual movement actions like climbing or jumping, and where battles are riveting, with a combat system that's quite simple but still allows for a bit of depth. Regular attacks are finally given a proper use in a turn-based RPG, where they replenish your MP, and every attack also involves the player, with timed button presses. Combat also includes a weakness system which is a joy to strategise around.
As for presentation, this game is quite simply the best looking pixel-art game I've ever laid my eyes upon. Sprites are brimming with life and are beautifully animated, the real-time lighting system is complex and completely baffles me, I cannot wrap my head around how it works. Both music and sound design are stellar work, with some tunes that'll sweep you off your feet, like The Storm Calls For You, and some sound effects are so satisfying and pleasing to hear, you'll be delighted every time you hear them.
I will not touch upon the story or the characters for spoiler reasons, but apart from the two somewhat boring main protagonists, the cast is lovable and endearing and you'll be left tearing up at some of the events that happen to them.
Overall, I cannot recommend this game enough, it ticks every box for me, and just when I thought it lacked difficulty, they added more difficulty modifiers in a post-launch update that left me wondering if the game had any flaw at all. Absolute masterpiece in my eyes.