Quick summary:
This is a game that can be described as "emulation is the sincerest form of flattery" (imitation carries a negative connotation, that I don't want to apply here). Whoever made this, played, studied and copied adult JRPG's, to make its own a reality, and the result is a competent piece of entertainment, where the real problem, is lack of experience. (and logistics, and resources, and genre expansion, and professional maturity, and proper feedback to the dev, and the constraints of Patreon...)
Point is: This is still at "learning to walk" phase. Here's why.
Good: Sound RPG foundations (gameplay/ story progression); Guided experience (less freedom, more order. It depends on who you ask, really); Dungeon design (lately all i see is "crap", so this one shines); Aesthetics diversity (doesn't get stale); Combat "HUD"; Enemy designs, and attention to detail (love for the project, if you will).
Neutral: H-events during battle (They need to go faster, add some BGV -moaning-, and change viewpoint more often, it's too mechanical right now); Art (I like it on difference factor, I don't like it as "fuel material", this is still an adult game); Protagonist (looks are fine she would be an "oni" if Japanese, but personality needs work. Just standard hero and "dopey" is not enough); Quality of life; Party members exist; Skills are gold sinks; Music choices (snake vendor track is pretty good) Chuckling inducing humor (immature and funny are not mutually exclusive).
Bad: Visibility issues (There's too many areas where visibility is partially blocked (obscured). No idea what possessed the dev to do this, but I'm playing the game, and I need to see all of it. 1 "Rock tunnel" dungeon with the "range of sight circle" is fine, more than that is just plain annoying); H-scenes not differing from combat H-events (Back to the drawing board, prioritize player "turn-on" - think oneone1-, you are "glued" to ass, camera shots, and exaggeration, not amusing); Overstays its welcome, whether we are talking about combat, quests, adult content, or just repetition in general(many JRPG's do that, though)
Score: It's hard to say. I can criticize Japanese JRPG's (I know) openly, cause there's a lot of them, and even the average ones are in the way of my fun. "Patreon people" doing games like this one is a different matter. Let's use logic:
Premise - You want a bird to fly you a message somewhere.
Question - Do you kill the chick that can't fly, cause it's useless?
Answer - No, you give it time and support it, until it can fly, and help you.
And that applies to any "western entertainment", mimicking "Japanese stuff" that you enjoy.
Let's say this a 8/10, and it's recommended if you are a fan of the genre. Buying it? Let's wait for the avian to actually fly.
(One more thing the harkness test is dumb. EVERYTHING can be effed in fiction, even the Eiffel tower)
This is a game that can be described as "emulation is the sincerest form of flattery" (imitation carries a negative connotation, that I don't want to apply here). Whoever made this, played, studied and copied adult JRPG's, to make its own a reality, and the result is a competent piece of entertainment, where the real problem, is lack of experience. (and logistics, and resources, and genre expansion, and professional maturity, and proper feedback to the dev, and the constraints of Patreon...)
Point is: This is still at "learning to walk" phase. Here's why.
Good: Sound RPG foundations (gameplay/ story progression); Guided experience (less freedom, more order. It depends on who you ask, really); Dungeon design (lately all i see is "crap", so this one shines); Aesthetics diversity (doesn't get stale); Combat "HUD"; Enemy designs, and attention to detail (love for the project, if you will).
Neutral: H-events during battle (They need to go faster, add some BGV -moaning-, and change viewpoint more often, it's too mechanical right now); Art (I like it on difference factor, I don't like it as "fuel material", this is still an adult game); Protagonist (looks are fine she would be an "oni" if Japanese, but personality needs work. Just standard hero and "dopey" is not enough); Quality of life; Party members exist; Skills are gold sinks; Music choices (snake vendor track is pretty good) Chuckling inducing humor (immature and funny are not mutually exclusive).
Bad: Visibility issues (There's too many areas where visibility is partially blocked (obscured). No idea what possessed the dev to do this, but I'm playing the game, and I need to see all of it. 1 "Rock tunnel" dungeon with the "range of sight circle" is fine, more than that is just plain annoying); H-scenes not differing from combat H-events (Back to the drawing board, prioritize player "turn-on" - think oneone1-, you are "glued" to ass, camera shots, and exaggeration, not amusing); Overstays its welcome, whether we are talking about combat, quests, adult content, or just repetition in general(many JRPG's do that, though)
Score: It's hard to say. I can criticize Japanese JRPG's (I know) openly, cause there's a lot of them, and even the average ones are in the way of my fun. "Patreon people" doing games like this one is a different matter. Let's use logic:
Premise - You want a bird to fly you a message somewhere.
Question - Do you kill the chick that can't fly, cause it's useless?
Answer - No, you give it time and support it, until it can fly, and help you.
And that applies to any "western entertainment", mimicking "Japanese stuff" that you enjoy.
Let's say this a 8/10, and it's recommended if you are a fan of the genre. Buying it? Let's wait for the avian to actually fly.
(One more thing the harkness test is dumb. EVERYTHING can be effed in fiction, even the Eiffel tower)