A story-driven RPG Maker game that, while not revolutionary, delivers on its premise. Its story is full of fun and interesting bits, but it has nothing that elevates its gameplay beyond the ordinary.

The combat is a competent implementation of the standard turn-based formula, it can be very fun if you play by the game's rules and do your best to understand what you were given. There is enough variety in the abilities to keep the encounters fresh, even before considering elemental variations. Getting new equipment and weapons greatly improve the party's stats and give you a clear sense of progress.

The optimal strategy varies wildly, depending on the enemies, the party composition and the available mana, keeping you from acting on autopilot unless you are overleveled. Bosses aren't particularly hard, but they can't be mowed down mindlessly, especially if you aren't fully-stocked on consumables.

Unfortunately, it is not without problems: The game doesn't properly teach you about hidden mechanics, like fire attacks having a chance to lower enemies' defense, and doesn't explicitly tell you when you are exploiting elemental weakness, leaving you to rely on guesswork. Also, monsters' status icons are hidden behind the party's status bar if the monsters' sprite is tall enough and the dedicated button for skipping a turn is one of the arrow keys, making it easy to accidentally skip a turn until you get used to it.

Outside combat, the game is full of content. The mini-games and optional areas are either very simple or gimmicky, but that doesn't stop them from being entertaining. Maps are neatly designed and pleasant to walk on. Searching for optional areas and bosses was one of my favorite moments, even if it is easy to miss content while flying around in the dirigible.

The story has a large scope and epic proportions, never failing to keep stakes high. The intro feels a little too slow, but it does an amazing job catching you up to speed and introducing the new world to the player. The writing is fine, with just a few clumsy lines and misspoken words, but nothing major.

The pacing is weird, but works well for the presented scenarios: epic moments happening in quick succession with little to no build-up, which, far from being a problem, keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story itself is nothing revolutionary, but it works, enhanced by the many twists and turns.

This is a good game overall, with much fun to be had at its story, exploration and side content, even if Steam achievements don't reflect that. This is not a game for everyone, but if you give it a chance and ride the rollercoaster, you may thoroughly enjoy it.

Follow Masafors Group of Friends, if you want to read more reviews like this one in English, German, French or Belgian Dutch.

We got this game for free from the developer/publisher but that doesn't influence our rating.

A story-driven RPG Maker game that, while not revolutionary, delivers on its premise. Its story is full of fun and interesting bits, but it has nothing that elevates its gameplay beyond the ordinary. The combat is a competent implementation of the standard turn-based formula, it can be very fun if you play by the game's rules and do your best to understand what you were given. There is enough variety in the abilities to keep the encounters fresh, even before considering elemental variations. Getting new equipment and weapons greatly improve the party's stats and give you a clear sense of progress. The optimal strategy varies wildly, depending on the enemies, the party composition and the available mana, keeping you from acting on autopilot unless you are overleveled. Bosses aren't particularly hard, but they can't be mowed down mindlessly, especially if you aren't fully-stocked on consumables. Unfortunately, it is not without problems: The game doesn't properly teach you about hidden mechanics, like fire attacks having a chance to lower enemies' defense, and doesn't explicitly tell you when you are exploiting elemental weakness, leaving you to rely on guesswork. Also, monsters' status icons are hidden behind the party's status bar if the monsters' sprite is tall enough and the dedicated button for skipping a turn is one of the arrow keys, making it easy to accidentally skip a turn until you get used to it. Outside combat, the game is full of content. The mini-games and optional areas are either very simple or gimmicky, but that doesn't stop them from being entertaining. Maps are neatly designed and pleasant to walk on. Searching for optional areas and bosses was one of my favorite moments, even if it is easy to miss content while flying around in the dirigible. The story has a large scope and epic proportions, never failing to keep stakes high. The intro feels a little too slow, but it does an amazing job catching you up to speed and introducing the new world to the player. The writing is fine, with just a few clumsy lines and misspoken words, but nothing major. The pacing is weird, but works well for the presented scenarios: epic moments happening in quick succession with little to no build-up, which, far from being a problem, keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story itself is nothing revolutionary, but it works, enhanced by the many twists and turns. This is a good game overall, with much fun to be had at its story, exploration and side content, even if Steam achievements don't reflect that. This is not a game for everyone, but if you give it a chance and ride the rollercoaster, you may thoroughly enjoy it. [h1]Rating:[/h1] [h1]6/10[/h1] [quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/30583719-Masafors-Group-of-Friends/]Follow [b]Masafors Group of Friends[/b], if you want to read more reviews like this one in English, German, French or Belgian Dutch.[/url][/quote] [quote]We got this game for free from the developer/publisher but that doesn't influence our rating.[/quote]