Thorne - Death Merchants is a very simple game, it plays like most RPG Maker games but instead of having turn based party combat, Thorne’s combat is real-time and very fast paced. It really caught me by surprise, it features some nice changes to the default sprites of RPG Maker and it plays in a very different way when compared to other games made with this engine. It is also worth saying that this is the first part of this series but still, the ending is not abrupt or anything, it leaves room for more events to unfold and the story of this part is done, it doesn’t end in a cliffhanger or anything like that.

Before elaborating on some key aspects of the game, I think it is important to first mention some things that I didn’t enjoy about Thorne. The first one is obviously the lack of voice acting but I guess that for a small indie studio this is somewhat hard to put into a game of this scale. The second complaint I have is the fact that a lot of times, it is not very obvious where doors are located when they are on the sides of the screen. Since you have no 3D view they just look like another corridor or dead end, if you get close enough though you’ll go through that passage and proceed to another room. That said, I did find myself a couple of times looking for a place to go when in fact I just had to run against the wall, so to speak.

You play as Crow, a well known mercenary, and you start your journey in a prison cell being interrogated by a guard. You’re being accused of killing someone in a nearby village and so you are explaining to this guard on how you are not guilty of this crime. This how most of the game takes place, you play as you are telling your story to the guard.

Without spoiling, the overall story is pretty decent. What appears to be just another set of simple jobs for a reputable mercenary such as yourself leads to a series of events and mystery concerning the little village of Hollow Lake. The villagers ask for your help because the local noble has been ignoring them and locked himself in his mansion, leaving the villagers defenseless. It is up to you to help these people and investigate a series of murders that have been occurring.

The game is pretty simple and therefore there isn’t much you need to know, and what you need to know is explained to you early on. For combat, it plays like an action RPG of sorts, A is your melee attack, S is your ranged ability and Q is heal. When you’re low on HP you can use Rage which gives your attack a little boost but requires you to rest at the inn in order to be able to use it again. The game offers atleast 2 different ranged abilities, daggers and molotovs.

The game doesn’t hold your hand, you can go after the main quest if you choose to do so or you can just go on different paths and explore the world. The game rewards exploration because while exploring you can find different kinds of loot. Even though the game has a lot of items for you to find that either heal you or cure certain ailments, I never found myself using any of these because there was simply no need. Sometimes, when you kill an enemy, they will drop loot bags but you can also acquire loot merely by walking through the levels, some spots might have something hidden.

The game has its own menu where you can check your different stats, equip or use items, check your quests, the usual. Still, while the game has various different stats for your character such as strength and agility, the game doesn’t tell you what these do and how they affect your gameplay.

The game features a small but nice soundtrack and the writing is fairly decent even though there’s ocasionally some spelling errors in the dialogue. Combat is serviceable along with level design. Still, for me the story makes up for all the less good aspects of the game. In the end Thorne - Death Merchants is pretty good for its price and I’m looking forward for the next parts of this series.

Thorne is an interesting idea for an RPG Maker title. It's set in a dark fantasy setting as opposed to your standard anime looking world. In fact, the world feels more like something ripped from a George R.R. Martin book! So, the setting is incredible! Unfortunately, that's where my enjoyment ended!

The English version of the game is full of spelling errors! Nearly every paragraph has a few misspelled words. In fact, sometimes it is difficult to understand what exactly the characters are saying. This to me, is a game breaker in an RPG! If a game rips you out of your immersion, so you can try to decode what the characters are saying, then it's NOT a good RPG. A role playing game, should allow you to lose yourself into the fantasy world. This however does not.

The controls seem awkward, and even moreso when using a gamepad! The second battle in the game, pits you against 4 enemies. The enemies are easy enough to defeat, but they are on you quickly. They can and do push you all the way to the back entrance of the map. Forcing you to fight them while locked in the corner since the only way out of the entrance passage is up....and up is where they are standing.

Overall, the game had potential, and could have been good. It just infuriated me more than entertained me.

I loved to play RPG Maker games, especially those that has good storylines and that have some unique features that is different from the run-of-the-mill type games.

Well, I had a wonderful time with this game, Thorne.
The game mechanics is very unique, as we do not have he regular leveling, or armors, etc.
What it has is a single weapons, and a number of different accessories slots.
So, it is quite refreshing.
The fighting itself is also different as well.
Instead of turn-based, 1-action-per-turn combat, you actually move your character around to try to avoid being hit, and press the attack button (direct combat or range combat) to try to hit the enemy. So the combat mechanics is slightly different.

Another really interesting thing is the 22 Steam achievements. Although you can finished the main quest in 2-3 hours, I actually spend 10 hours, playing the game 3 times, and trying to figure out all the different achievements. This is because the activation of certain events are not too obvious and trying to figure out how to trigger them is part of the fun of the game. There are also different type of exploration puzzles, hidden items, partial keys, etc, that make the game interesting as well. I loved this game.

The only shortcoming that I can think of for this game is : IT IS TOO SHORT :).
However, as I understand it, this is Part 1 of an 8 part episodic game and that we would be able to carry forward our save game to the next episode.
This is really excellent. Furthermore the price of slightly more than $1 for such a game is defintely worth it!!
I love this game, and would look forward to buying and playing all 8 episodes.
Keep up the good work, developers... and I definitely recommend this game.

Imagine if you will some company from the 16-bit era tried to make The Witcher. Congratulations, you just imagined Thorne in a nutshell. A real time RPG with an enjoyable story, and optional side quests if you want to spend a little extra time in the country of Rowen. I look forward to other episodes coming out.

My favorite genre of game, the rpg, I remember fondly my first rpg, the amazing Final Fantasy 7, Cloud and his merry band of terrorist (yes they were terrorist, but back when the game first released terrorist meant something totally different than it does today) I still recall being amazed, the graphics, the sounds, the mini games, I couldn't play the game enough, I put well over 100 hours into FF7, and that was my first save.. other amazing games the suikoden series, who could forget Breath of Fire 3, even Shadow Madness (called one of the first American RPG's by Game informer.... whatever that meant) So what do Final Fantasy 7 and these other amazing games have to do with Throne - Death Merchants.. not a single thing, except they are both members of my favorite genre and they are all amazing games..

Well then, shall we move on with my review of Thorne - Death Merchants? Aside from the main character being named Crow, and the name of the fort, nothing else was related to Game of Thrones, so I removed this section

The Story

The story starts you off as Crow, a man shackled in a keeps dungeon. He's bloody and retelling the tale of a murder!!! Did Crow commit the murder, was he framed? Did the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker frame him??? That is what we'll get to see first hand as you relive the story that Crow tells to his jailer. I'll expand upon the story as I move through the game...

The Gameplay

The game play is different from many of the other rpgmaker games out there.. it's made using real-time combat as opposed to turn based combat. I certainly don't mind the real-time combat, It felt out of place for a game using this type of engine, although I did quickly adapt to it, and quickly grew accustomed to it. After nearly an hour of game play I have to say real-time combat had me more immersed in the game, it felt more interactive, rather than just snoozing through battles pressing the attack button, I was more apt to pay attention during combat, and the combat had an air of difficulty other games made with the same engine don't have.

All the normal rpg options are there, items, equipment, quest, status, the game had an added selection called encyclopedia, this section gives you a brief description of the enemies and NPC's' you're met throughout the game. (handy addition and helps with immersion). Another difference between Thorne and other games, is armor, you don't equip armor in the game, instead you equip accessories, which increase your stats, you can equip 4 different accessories. Another really useful option is the auto loot, no more toiling away checking every barrel/crate/pot/bookshelf. The items are automatically looted by using sprint, can make finding all the hidden items fairly simplistic.

A few tips to keep in mind... if the game starts in a tiny window, use alt + enter to bring the game into full screen mode.

Some useful default button's if you're a controller user (xbox 360 wired) You can remap the buttons but these are the default selections
Y is the attack button,
A is the run button
B brings up your main menu
X is used for interacting with people, and options in your menu.
LB is used for range attacks
RB is used for switching which ranged attack to use
Backspace/select is used to heal

Pro's
Fun and interactive combat,
Start to a great story
contoller support (yeah i'm that guy, who loves playing his rpg's with a controller)
Auto loot ++++
Music is pleasant
The game is fairly difficult, and requires more than just looking away and choosing the attack option

Con's
Lots of grammar and spelling mistakes (I suck at teh (intentional) spelling and grammer, but I'm not selling a product)

Unresponsive controls are the bane of this game existence. Action rpg's are fine, but the combat needs to be adjusted to allow far more fluid attacks, and magic.. no reason exist why I should be full MP, press the button and have no magic come, no reason exist why I should press the sword attack button 5 or 6 times before my character eventually attacks..


The Verdict
So the meat and potatoes of any review is the verdict, was the game worth playing, and if it was worth playing would I recommend it for other gamers... The short answer is absolutely....

The long answer is.... ABSOLUTELY!!!! if you aren't into THESE types of rpg's, then odds are the charm and quaintness will be totally lost on you. If you have a natural bias against RPG maker or old school games you'll most likely not enough this game at all... (but hey it's cheap and has cards so maybe even you can find a use for it.) For those who appreciate a well told story (albeit with some spelling and grammar issues) you'll do well to pick this up. It certainly won't have 50 hours of gameplay, but for 3 dollars what do you expect. You'll play it, you'll love it, and you'll be wanting the developer to finish up the story (This seems to be an episodic game where you'll get a part of the story now, and then after development is finished have the option of buying??? (not sure) additional episodes to finish out the story)

The game took me a little over 2 hours to complete, the developer is planning on making this an 8 part game, thus far the game has a pretty good foundation on which to build.

If you enjoy RPGs -especially those made with RPG Maker- but want something a bit grittier, then Thorne - Death Merchants may be the title to satisfy your cravings. It tells the story of the aforementioned Thorne, also known as the Crow, a mercenary that leaves a trail of dead bodies behind him. Travel through a corrupt world as you meet new people and collect bounties. A fair warning, this game contains quite a bit of vulgar language so some may find it offensive.

Thorne has been taken prisoner for a murder he did not commit and most of the game is spent in a flashback as he explains his story to the captain of the guard. The story, and therefore the game, is rather short. Most of it takes place in one village where the murder you’ve been accused of takes place.When Thorne first arrived he only wanted to drink at the tavern but soon found himself knee deep in the village’s problems as he accepts mercenary jobs from the people. The story that unfolds is rather interesting and becomes more complicated than Thorne anticipated. To go further would spoil things but do expect witches, werewolves, corrupt leaders, beautiful women and evil specters.

The controls of the game pretty simple, you can use your mouse and keyboard to move and attack enemies or you can use a game controller. I found it easier to use a controller but certain things didn’t quite work right. The game gives you no indication of which buttons match which actions, unlike if you use a mouse and keyboard. I never figured out how to use the rage attack with the controller. If the cursor of your mouse is hovering over something it will keep that thing highlighted no matter what you try to select with the controller. That being said, I still appreciated being able to use a controller as I prefer them for RPGs. The user interface isn’t very fancy, a common occurrence in many RPG Maker titles, but it works.

Thorne has a basic sword attack, a ranged attack, and a desperation rage move he can use when his health is low. He can also heal himself. Unlike with many games of the genre, battles are not turn based, but real time. Enemies walk around the screen and will engage you if they see you. This will either turn some people off or please some people, either way it is nice to see something different even if it wasn’t my cup of tea. You have the ability to change your gear to fit your play style, however there aren’t many options due to the length of the game and you can get by pretty ok with just using the optimized gear choices. I also found money in the game to be a bit useless since you find plenty of items during your quest, most of which I rarely used, but if you find yourself in a pinch then stock up. You have no other party members which is a shame but makes sense in the story, however you can acquire a wolf companion to aid you in finding treasure. I never used this feature at all but it is needed to acquire certain achievements.

The artwork in the game is dark and gloomy, fitting the tone of the story. Everything is done in a retro pixel style with well drawn portraits for important characters. There are no cutscenes and the only piece of full artwork is the main title screen which shows Thorne in chains. I did have a bit of an issue with lighting in the game when night fell. I know it’s supposed to be dark at night time but it make it hard for me to see what I was doing and where I was going. The music is in the game is fitting, nothing too amazing but also nothing too annoying either. Everything is in a good balance and nothing seems out of place.

As mentioned earlier, this game is very short and can be completed in two or three hours, maybe four if you’re on the hunt for all of the achievements. My biggest issue with the game was lack of directions. You don’t get a map until near the end of the game and unless you look in every nook and cranny and talk to everyone you possibly can then you’ll miss side quests, and even then some things are time sensitive, which was not indicated in-game. The game has Steam achievements and trading cards and the developers seem to working on new updates and listening to the community. It would see that more episodes of the story are coming in the future which will hopefully flesh the story out more, as of now the price isn’t too bad for the length of the game and it’s a nice change from a lot of the RPG Maker titles currently on the market.


Lunar Productions[lunarproductions.tumblr.com]

Thorn - Death Merchants is a Nintendo-syle game that presents a challenging - almost too difficult - series of challenges for you and your character in a medeival-fantasy environment. There is a mixture of puzzle-solving, combat, locating hidden items, exploring, and light roleplaying (not really much in the way of dialogue choices though).

This is one title that i really wish there was a 'sideways' thumb as opposed to up or down. Here is my summary list of positives and negatives;

+ Doesn't pull punches on the dialogue - adult humor and swear words are common
+ Interesting mix of characters in the game
+ Interesting plot and premise
+ Fairly large amount of content that I could tell (I haven't finished it yet)
+ Satisfying mix of inventory items you can use
+ Low priced game

- Difficult, sometimes frustratingly so
- Your avatar often gets humg up on the terrain (have to wiggle back and forth to get unstuck)
- No full screen. This was a huge minus for me.
- A large number of typos in the dialogue
- No auto-save; prepare to save often or prepare to replay large amounts of already-played content

I'd change this review to 'positve' if only it was available in full-screen.

If you like the old-school games like Legend of Zelda on Super nintendo, you might enjoy this. Fans of full-screen, 3d, full-immersion, 'modern graphics' games will not be impressed however.

30 Minute Quickie Impressions:

It's well done. You can tell they spent a lot of time making it.

It's easy to get surrounded and die. The combat is fast-paced.

It needs another round or two with the spell checker.

It's currently $1.79. That's a large order of fries. Go for it. You don't need those fries anyway.

A lot of problems make for a poor package. Combat and menu's are extremely clunky. Full screen looks poorly stretched. Natural window is tiny and cannot be resized through convenient means. Writing actually isn't bad what I played of it. Payed a buck. I wish I hadn't but not enough to refund it. I just recommend caution before purchase.

Pros
It cost 1 dollar for me
Probably, there are good texts and story
No bugs.

Cons
Boring game
Poor battle system. Click for attack, click again for other attack. Right click for ranged atack. Press "W" to heal yourself, Press "Q" to add more damage... Repeat these actions, until you ll get bored.
There were No HP/Damage info, only lifebar. So this is no tactical/strategic game. Just click, go, click, attack, click....

I probably could play this on phone, but it really stupid to spend you lifetime by playing this game on PC.