As an old man who still puts Chrono Trigger at some of the highest peaks the genre can reach, this is one of those rare times where a "heavily inspired by" or "spiritual successor" type game didn't just outright make me want to play the inspiration game instead. I'm glad I'm finally starting to get more of the "hits" when it comes to games I've backed now that they're actually starting to release since my record with that was looking worse than whoever the Harlem Globetrotters go against.
The sprite art and animations are fluid and very well done, I would honestly say they are better animated than the actual animated scenes that are peppered throughout the game as a whole. The world is filled with enough varied races that make them all stand out, though I wish some more of that spread into the playable party. I thought for sure one character you meet was going to become one but they never did.
In terms of combat and systems I also thought it was very well done. This is true turn based, enemies on map like CT and regular battles never lasted too long along with the enemies had a visible number that showed on what turn they would act. The game also tried to break you out of your "hold onto magic and items for big attacks on bosses/large enemies only" habit by having a 10 useable item limit (which is just healing items), low mx mp threshold, having basic attacks recover mp, and needing to use specific damage types to break enemy locks. The lock system is fine. Its not a standard break system, thank god cuz I'm honestly sick of those, but it instead allows you to stop an enemy from casting/using skills (it does not show up for normal attacks) if you do enough of the visible damage type, similar to octopath or braverly, in enough turns. Though there were times were I didn't think it was possible to actually break them all before the cast went off, at the very least each lock you break reduces the power of the incoming attack by a visible percentage. Its was probably a deliberate design so you can't get the boss to just never cast a spell, ever. The game also outright tells you that the action commands are not required to be done correctly to get through the game. That's good. I love me some action commands, but I always agree they should be purely for bonus damage/reduction. Also for bonus points, any boss I used the delay causing skill on was actually effected by it so it was ACTUALLY USEFUL for when you would actually want to use it. The fact that character swapping in battle doesn't cost a turn is a LARGE plus. You don't need to worry about anyone being underleveled either because everyone is always going to be the same level, even if they leave the party. The characters don't have individual exp bars, its one shared one and when it fills then everyone gets their level up. Also you get X Strike in this game cuz any good CT inspired romp needs X Strike.
In terms of story and characters, it was ok. I think those are the weaker part of it and the main reason why this game is 4.5 instead of 5 for me. Only one character design wise really stuck with me and you can tell the team had A LOT of fun animating them. Writing was good at best and try hard memey at worst (especially for one character and some naming). Some emotional moments fell flat cuz I didn't care for the character in question. The ending also felt kind of anticlimactic but I have since learned there's a true ending (that you need to beat the game first to even attempt to get) so maybe my mind will change in that regard once I do it. The requirements for that though seem kind of annoying I'll be honest. Music was good the whole way through, with the battle theme being one of the best in the game and due to the battles not overstaying their welcome it didn't get old. The game also wasn't very long for a first time run, took me a little over 23 hours and that's with me going out of my way to do extra things which I think its a fine time. This is what I expected given its sources as this time was around that time during my last replays of CT. Brevity is lost in this medium and I'll always appreciate a game that knows when to end itself.
I found exploration to be a bit tedious. Not in terms of your first times going through areas, but on returns if you wanted to check those newly accessible puzzles with your unlocked abilities. The areas aren't long but that doesn't make the trek through them any better, especially when low level aggressive enemies still want to attack you. Thank god there's no encounters on the overworld map, but I would have appreciated getting the fastest form of travel anytime other than RIGHT before entering the final dungeon. Clearly they intended the player to do the return trips and cleanup at that point or later, and it will make that 18 times easier. Speaking of puzzles they were I think the perfect level. Most were easy and didn't take much though but the ones that did weren't horribly obtuse or asinine, they just took looking at it more than 10 seconds.
If you like Chrono Trigger or other games similar to it, you owe it to yourself to play this game. GOTY contender for me easily, though imo it doesn't have much non remaster/remake competition.
The sprite art and animations are fluid and very well done, I would honestly say they are better animated than the actual animated scenes that are peppered throughout the game as a whole. The world is filled with enough varied races that make them all stand out, though I wish some more of that spread into the playable party. I thought for sure one character you meet was going to become one but they never did.
In terms of combat and systems I also thought it was very well done. This is true turn based, enemies on map like CT and regular battles never lasted too long along with the enemies had a visible number that showed on what turn they would act. The game also tried to break you out of your "hold onto magic and items for big attacks on bosses/large enemies only" habit by having a 10 useable item limit (which is just healing items), low mx mp threshold, having basic attacks recover mp, and needing to use specific damage types to break enemy locks. The lock system is fine. Its not a standard break system, thank god cuz I'm honestly sick of those, but it instead allows you to stop an enemy from casting/using skills (it does not show up for normal attacks) if you do enough of the visible damage type, similar to octopath or braverly, in enough turns. Though there were times were I didn't think it was possible to actually break them all before the cast went off, at the very least each lock you break reduces the power of the incoming attack by a visible percentage. Its was probably a deliberate design so you can't get the boss to just never cast a spell, ever. The game also outright tells you that the action commands are not required to be done correctly to get through the game. That's good. I love me some action commands, but I always agree they should be purely for bonus damage/reduction. Also for bonus points, any boss I used the delay causing skill on was actually effected by it so it was ACTUALLY USEFUL for when you would actually want to use it. The fact that character swapping in battle doesn't cost a turn is a LARGE plus. You don't need to worry about anyone being underleveled either because everyone is always going to be the same level, even if they leave the party. The characters don't have individual exp bars, its one shared one and when it fills then everyone gets their level up. Also you get X Strike in this game cuz any good CT inspired romp needs X Strike.
In terms of story and characters, it was ok. I think those are the weaker part of it and the main reason why this game is 4.5 instead of 5 for me. Only one character design wise really stuck with me and you can tell the team had A LOT of fun animating them. Writing was good at best and try hard memey at worst (especially for one character and some naming). Some emotional moments fell flat cuz I didn't care for the character in question. The ending also felt kind of anticlimactic but I have since learned there's a true ending (that you need to beat the game first to even attempt to get) so maybe my mind will change in that regard once I do it. The requirements for that though seem kind of annoying I'll be honest. Music was good the whole way through, with the battle theme being one of the best in the game and due to the battles not overstaying their welcome it didn't get old. The game also wasn't very long for a first time run, took me a little over 23 hours and that's with me going out of my way to do extra things which I think its a fine time. This is what I expected given its sources as this time was around that time during my last replays of CT. Brevity is lost in this medium and I'll always appreciate a game that knows when to end itself.
I found exploration to be a bit tedious. Not in terms of your first times going through areas, but on returns if you wanted to check those newly accessible puzzles with your unlocked abilities. The areas aren't long but that doesn't make the trek through them any better, especially when low level aggressive enemies still want to attack you. Thank god there's no encounters on the overworld map, but I would have appreciated getting the fastest form of travel anytime other than RIGHT before entering the final dungeon. Clearly they intended the player to do the return trips and cleanup at that point or later, and it will make that 18 times easier. Speaking of puzzles they were I think the perfect level. Most were easy and didn't take much though but the ones that did weren't horribly obtuse or asinine, they just took looking at it more than 10 seconds.
If you like Chrono Trigger or other games similar to it, you owe it to yourself to play this game. GOTY contender for me easily, though imo it doesn't have much non remaster/remake competition.
Xitomz
8 months ago
I'm sorry to disapoint you but the true ending will be as anticlimatic, don't wanna spoil it but don't expect anything that makes that ending good by any means, it stays the same!