Very nice game

I would describe this Stories of Bethem: Full Moon as a game which wants to be a Zelda game, but fails at every conceivable point to understand what makes Zelda games appealing to play.

Let's start with the basic game mechanics. In Bethem, you have a mana gauge. You can only attack with spells, so every action you can do costs mana. This mana refills slowly, at a speed depending on your currently equipped bracelet -- more powerful bracelets give faster regen. Except, once you've regenned about 10% of your MP, the speed drops dramatically anyway, and seems to drop off almost entirely once you reach 50% MP.

See those bushes? The ones everywhere? You have to waste MP to get past them. The little logs and whatnot? Waste MP. The holes? Waste MP. Exploring actively makes you more vulnerable in combat by wasting magic you could be using to defend yourself. Irritatingly, the spells which don't have combat uses (for example, the one that fills in holes) cost even MORE than your attacking spells, which serves no purpose other than to try to make you waste time or magic potions, which you can carry in limited supply.

As a result? When I find a new exploration tool, my knee-jerk reaction is not "Oh cool! I know a bunch of places I could use this!". It's more along the lines of "Oh, it costs even more mana? Great. Just great." I cannot describe how bad that is in the context of a Zelda-like.

The dungeons also leave a lot to be desired. Here's a rundown of the first four. 1) Block Puzzles, the dungeon. Agonizingly slow block puzzles. There's literally a point where the game wants you to push a block down a long hallway with no obstacles for a treasure chest -- in other words, they went out of their way to waste your time. 2) Warp Mazes. Because we all enjoyed Sabrina's Gym in Pokemon Red, right? Trying random exits in entirely identical rooms to eventually trial and error your way to the goal with no other gameplay challenge? 3) Dark Dungeon. And by dark, I mean you can see literally your own character and the tile in front of him. You walk in without the fire magic you need to see, do half the dungeon (fighting against ranged monsters, in the dark) to get it, and then things are a little better... if you spam the fire magic every five seconds, which will make you run out of mana. There are candles to light, but hey! You can't see the candles. Hope you enjoy firing randomly into the darkness. 4) Statue land, where lighting candles will move statues that only exist in this dungeon. Oh, except for one particular statue near the end of the dungeon, which is activated by a kill room you get to at the beginning. Y'know, because consistency in game mechanics is too much to ask.

Oh, but don't think you've seen the last of slow block puzzles or warp mazes or can't see more than one tile in front of my face gimmick once you've gotten past their theme dungeons. They just sprinkle them in everywhere, and they remain the same horrible, unfun gimmicks as they were in the first place.

Let's see, what else? The combat! The combat in this game is trash. Because you're a mage, the game has the smart idea of introducing elemental resistances and weakness. Mostly, this consists of giving all the enemies in a new area resistance to the things you've got and weaknesses to things you won't get for literal hours. Powering up your bracelet helps increase your attack power, but it's done through limited collectibles. About that third dungeon, where you can't see anything -- it's also full of fire spiders, which take eight hits to put down at the time, are hard to dodge, and do a very healthy amount of damage to you for that point in the game. And you can't see them, because it's dark. Don't forget that you're probably somewhere between 10~50% mana because you had to waste it all getting rid of bushes, and therefore will run out of mana and have to kite until you recover enough to attack.Oh, and almost every enemy is faster than you and/or can attack diagonally, which you can't.

Even basic, silly things contribute to making this game a chore. You'll sometimes -- often -- find pit traps under bushes, which need a mid-game spell to fill in. In the early game, the fact that they're hidden by bushes is a form of cheap damage. But it also shows up in other ways. There are no holes not covered by bushes. Which means that you can go all the way through a maze, get to the last little row of bushes, and discover a single hidden hole blocking your way... so you have to walk back. Why was the hole not at the beginning of your path, if it's meant to gate progress? Why was it not visible? On that note, your basic spell penetrates up to two bushes at a time, so obviously they're usually placed in threes, or fives -- anything to make you waste an extra point of mana.

That's what this game is. Every single little thing is just lacking that element of consideration that would make the game fun to play, and it all adds up to an insulting, unenjoyable experience. On every screen, you'll find something and ask yourself, "Why are they making me waste my time and mana on this? Why does this need to be here?" The music is good, and the graphics are good, but don't let that and the nostalgia for a real Zelda game fool you. This game is a waste of time and a wasted opportunity, and my advice is to leave it well alone.

As of writing this review, I have played roughly 20 hours, so I feel very comfortable giving this game a huge thumbs up.

Coming into the game, I was expecting a cheap Zelda clone that I'd be able to knock out in about 5 hours and then regret the purchase. I've gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised by this game. You can tell that the developers really cared about making a quality product here, and it shows in spades.

So what does this game that so many Zelda clones seem to lack? Heart and charm would be the two biggest aspects, in my opinion.

The heart comes from how the overworld, dungeons and various other locales have all been well fleshed out with secrets and puzzles. You can see that these were not just thrown together all willy nilly, but were constructed with thought and planning for the best gaming experience.

The charm comes from the character interactions (specifically bewteen Khoma and the Red Witch). While the translation does make it hard to understand things at times, it is a rare occurance, and it doesn't detract from the overall experience very much, if at all.

As far as gameplay goes:

-The controls are very tight (I play with a controller, have not tried k+m).

-The puzzles themselves range from easy to challenging. I ran into a couple headscratchers, but nothing that made me ragequit or resort to using a guide.

-Combat is fairly basic, but with enough depth to not make it boring or repetitive. Most people play these games for the exploration aspects anyways, I would imagine.

-The music in this game is really great. Game soundtracks are an important part of enjoying a game for me, and this games soundtrack really delivered.

So to wrap things up, I would highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys Zelda-like adventure games. You will not be disappointed by this one, I assure you. Give it a shot and support a developer that cares about delivering a truly enjoyable gaming experience!

My playtime: 28:17 (normal mode) + 65:31 (glory mode) (based on internal clock, 100% achievement). Note that you need to play the game twice for 100% achievement.
Grindy Achievement: No.
Optional Achievement: Yes (45 achievements).
Difficult Achievement: No (the glory mode is quite hard on some part, but it's not too difficult to beat).
Developer Response: Yes (~1 week).

Stories of Bethem: Full Moon is a game a action RPG game where you go through several dungeons to save the world. The game style looks like a zelda game combined with shooter games. (Actually, I want to say bullet hell but it doesn't as extreme as those)

The music are great and sounds relaxing. I really love them, especially the one in The Meadow because i can feel the adventure vibe in it.

The graphics in this game are using 2D pixelated graphics. The mappings are great and each map looks beautiful. However, there are times where an item will be hidden behind a tree which can't be seen from our perspective. I'm sure it's intended from the developers, but inspecting every trees that you find to make sure that you miss nothing isn't cool.

I enjoy the character dialogues, especially the conversation between the red witch and the main character, Khoma. The main character, although is kind hearted, he can be mean at times which makes it quite funny. All in all, i'm enjoying the story and the ending is quite good There seems to be a room for sequel too.

As i said, the game looks like zelda games combined with shooter games. You'll explore a map and kill enemies (if you want to). There are bushes which can drop some gold or heart or even grasses. Unlike zelda games, the "heart" in this game is converted to numerical values so you'll have a lot of hearts (read: HP) in the game.

Because you'll play as a "wizard", you'll need to cast a spell in order to attack. Each spell will cost a specific amount of MP and although the MP can recover by itself, it takes a significant amount of time to get it to max MP. Luckily, there are "MP orbs", save point, and those "healing fountain" which can restore a significant amount of your MP (and HP on the latter two).

There are also some potions that you can take to fight your battles. You'll have a cap of 3 HP and MP potions although you can increase it to 7. There is also a yellow potion which can fully restores your HP and MP although you can only carry one at a time.

There will be a lot of spell that you can learn (up to 10). Some enemies are also weak to certain element so you might need to switch your strategy for different enemies. However, the few "end game" normal enemies tend to be very strong that it takes several hits (around 5, i think) to beat. Not to mention its nasty attacks which can kill you if there are a lot of them in the area.

This game also provides a lot of dungeons. These dungeons are zelda like; meaning that you'll explore the room and find keys until you reach the boss room. Each boss needs a different strategy to defeat although there are some bosses (not main bosses) that uses the same strategy. Since there are a lot of bosses in the game, i thought that the final boss will be difficult. However, the final boss is much weaker (since it's not an actual fight) rather than one of the mini boss in the area (blue + red witch fight).

Some areas have puzzles that you need to solve before you can advance. These puzzles are usually the same kind, although some puzzles might be a bit hard to solve. These puzzle areas are usually marked with a purple piece on the bottom left in normal mode. Some of the areas also have enemies that's quite tricky to beat.

There is a map in the game. However, the map doesn't really helpful since there is only a bigger map of the continent outside the dungeon and squares (which determines the area room) inside the dungeon. You can't navigate between floors and there's no detailed treasure tracker (will be explained later).

There are also a lot of collectibles in the game which helps you to 100% the game. Most of these collectibles can be found in the treasure chests in the area. Some might be hidden and some might need a specific skill that you'll learn later to open. The problem is, there are too many chests on the latter case which forces you to backtrack the area several times just to get it. I ended up forgetting most of it after i get the required skills and i ended up having to re-explore all areas again and again.

There is also a treasure tracker to help you treasure hunting. However, you need to learn a specific skill in order to use it and it only tells you the unopened chests. Not very helpful in case you stuck. Luckily, there are some people that can help you to find all of certain collectibles.

This game also have costumes which will change your clothes once you equipped. Most of them also provides some interesting bonus when you wear it.

Pros:
- Tons of dungeons
- Puzzles
- Costumes (with some bonus)
- 10 learnable spells
- Elemental weakness
- Some unique bosses
- Potions

Cons:
- Unhelpful mini map
- Slow MP regen
- Some enemies take a lot of hit to beat
- Too many backtracking
- No replay value except for achievement

This is a action RPG game where you'll play as a "wizard" in zelda like world with shooter style gameplay.

Yes.
It's a decent action RPG game. I'm enjoying myself when i play this. If you like zelda games, you might as well buy it. The sale price is also very cheap compared to the playtime.

This review is from an old school 80s kid who grew up with Nintendo and Genesis games...

This game is an excellent 2d ARPG. Yes, one could describe it as a Zelda Clone, but that shouldn't be taken as a negative.

You play as a boy trying to find his father, or something like that. You gain magic spells that can be used to solve puzzles and fight monsters. Instead of weapons, you use spells to dispatch enemies.

The game plays just like a top down Zelda would: you have a overworld that you can explore and find treasture; you find items that expand your abilities and allow you to progress further into the game; there are dungeons that test your physical prowess and mental ability; and the fighting is done in real time. There's a story tacked on, but it's not very good or engrossing.

I really enjoyed playing the game because the puzzles are nice brain teasers and the game is easy to pick up and play in short bursts or long sessions. Finding hidden items is never boring and there's always something new to discover. Also, you learn new spells that keeps the action fresh and entertaining.

System wise: there are no options for resolution or graphical effects. However, I did not have any problem running the game and it looks like it was running at 1080p. The sprites are colorful and the animation, although not amazingly dynamic, looks fine and suits this type of game.

Stories of Bethem is quite a charming game. The gameplay compares well to old Zelda games like Link to the Past. You are without a sword, though, and all your abilities use mana instead making mana management important. The abilities/spells you aquire are interesting, they add new fighting mechanics, and unlock new areas for you to explore in both new and already explored maps. Exploration always feels important and rewarding.

Pros:

• Fun exploration
  
• Quality puzzles
  
• Unique abilities
  
• Great level design
  
• Nice, coherent art-style
  
• Great post-release support

Cons:

• Mediocre writing
  
• Slow natural mana regeneration

I haven't beaten this game yet but so far it's quite good. I'm writing a review early because it's a travesty that this game has so few reviews; I intend to update it later. But I've played enough to know the positive rating is deserved.

Simply put, if you like Zelda you will probably enjoy this game.

This game is quite fun and i had lots of great playing with it. The playing is reminescent of a Zelda clone game, but that does not make it bad. It has several side quests, a museum to find enemies, and costumes, which are also fun. Also, the developer listens to you about this game and implemented a idea i told them about. All in all, the game is quite fun, has fun boss fights and skills to use, and the developer cares about this game. This makes it a positive recommendation in my book!

Bethem is an action-adventure game built in Game Maker Studio.

Can't say much in regards to the story so far (just started playing), but it seems humorous and doesn't take itself seriously. English translation is a little rough in places (especially in regards to the jokes-lost in translation). There may be a little too much exposition/dialogue given the tone of the story, at least at the start.

If you like Zelda, the action based combat mechanics are very similar to older Zelda games such as Link to the Past or the Gameboy titles. There is an overworld, there are dungeons and associated puzzles to solve in order to progress. The interface, item mechanics and character abilities are all taken from Zelda.

It includes a very pleasant soundtrack. The sprite work and animations are passable (albeit simplistic). Controller support (xbox) is great, and game feels very responsive; combating monsters and solving puzzles is actually fun and I found myself wanting to complete each area and progress.

There seem to be some problems with running it on modern high-end hardware. I can only play in windowed mode, and have had to disable avast real time scanner every time in order for it to start.

From the perspective of a Zelda fan, this is a pleasant surprise that came out of nowhere. I would recommend it on that basis. But I must caution that it is a little rough/unpolished around the edges for a release title, both technically and in terms of visuals.

At first glance, you think, OH! wait this is just another Legend of Zelda rip off, and you're right for the most part. The game tells you where to go but its up to you to find out exactly where in the general area of the X on your map that you need to end up. There are dungeons, bosses, trade quest lines, shops, rupee/coin currency, potions, bombable walls...etc

Puzzles are abundant, taking advantage of the spells you get along the way to complete certain tasks but often times leave you exiting a room and re-entering because you accidentally burned a bush or something.

the enemies are abundant, but 99% of the time they are just rendered different colors of enemies you fought at the start of the game with added HP. each new "ZONE" does offer a new enemy which you haven't encountered but it doesn't change anything considering right behind it is probably a blob from the beginning but this time its blue or beige.

Bosses are a bit challenging since there is 0 indication on how you should kill them, you'd think a recent spell you just got is the answer but often times it isn't.

IT REALLY bothers me that there isn't a sword, im about 58% through and still only have magic, it's nice dont get me wrong but my instinct BEGS me to mash the A button in hopes i will swing something faster than i can fire off magic.

GET USED TO BACKTRACKING!!!!! that is all i will say on that....

PROS:
Great music
Funny dialogue
Pleasing graphics
LOTS of puzzle solving
Simple controls
Basically a Zelda clone

CONS:
NO SWORD!!!!!!!!!!
Enemies will gang up on you and drain your health faster than you can fire off magic
WAAAAAAY too much backtracking
WAAAAAAY too many collectibles i can handle 1 or 2 things but 4? ugh thats so much when each item has around 25-40

Overall, for the $5 price tag, it's a good purchase. what you are getting is a Zelda Clone that delivers everything Zelda related for the most part.

OH!!!! i forgot to mention....this game doesnt have many guides if any at all so if you're looking for a game that you'll definitely get stumped in, then this is for you.

it is 12/29/2017 and I have just finished the game. quite a long game IMO. pick this one up for sure