[Review of v3.004 on 5/29/2022]
Well, RPGM, we meet yet again.
I just can't seem to get away from you. Granted, it's mostly my own fault. I wouldn't review games that didn't somehow catch my interest, and somehow it always seems to be your little engine on my "to play" list. Maybe I secretly like playing your deeply-aged, turn-based combat and exploring your highly derivative, soulless, prefabricated worlds? I just can't afford to admit to that, though; my sexual fetishes and addiction to porn have me worried enough as it is.
Not that this is a bad offering. Far from it. The Mercenary's Adventure is actually a good game. The biggest issue plaguing your engine are the games designed as though they want to be made in another engine, or would rather exist as a CG set than a game, but Takamakuran knows how to make a good throwback to traditional, turn-based, SNES-era RPGs.
It's all about forcing the player to make strategic decisions. Do you go into that cave off the main quest path, knowing you only have 3 revival items left? How many times can you use your weapon's item skill charges and still make it out of the zombie horde? Is this dungeon where you should use those highly coveted Full Restores, or should you save them for the final boss? It's hard to balance these games such that the player feels themselves walking a tightrope, but Takamakuran knows how to do it.
To its credit, RPGM, you help make things rather laughably accessible, since you can save almost anywhere and just hit F12 for a reset when you need it, but that doesn't mean it's a breeze to actually get through the game. Honestly, this game will take you quite a few hours if you want to see all the content and reach a level where you can properly address the end boss, and there's plenty of hurdles (read:turn-based battles) that will waste your time if you don't figure out an optimal strategy for each of them. Yet, somehow, it never manages to feel terribly unfair -- the game is actually pretty well balanced and uses some tactful design choices to let the player know what they're in for. I actually had to look carefully at my options and try to intuit my combat results as being either sufficient or insufficient for further progress, which requires a degree of design nuance you just don't see in the typical RPGM game. These were hours playing a game well spent.
To that end, we should talk a bit about what players will be staring at for those many hours. Despite the previews, the artwork is actually better than average, with some sequences even slightly animated or with some subtle object tweening or motion to convey certain events more dynamically. The artwork is also distinct in its sketchy, haphazard fashion, and it starts to come across more as a stylistic choice than a sign of incompetence. Oh, and there's an absolute metric shit-ton of that artwork in this game. No, really, it's honestly rather impressive in comparison to your usual offerings, RPGM.
In addition to the absolute oodles of sexual content, there's also artwork for just about every living creature you fight or talk to (save some truly ignominious NPCs). Some of the monster designs are actually rather cool when they aren't downright terrifying body-horror... the Amalgamated Devil and the second Bandit Boss come to mind. Occasionally, there's even scenery or specific shot choices meant to convey moments that might not work with the typical top-down pixel art you usually provide us, and it works to convey the mood of the game's sequences well.
Naturally, all this artwork means that there's tons of sex scenes as well. The developer has a kink for scenes with girls getting fucked into a drooling mess by impossible men with no refractory period, and... well... that's pretty much it. Sure, there's different flavors of 'fucked-silly' in each scene, but there's really no significant variations outside of the woman's basic appearance, some speaking habits, and which page of the Kama Sutra her scene falls into. No problem for me, I'm actually here for it, but players shouldn't be surprised if they were looking for a more specific kink.
The story overall is a bit tired, not unlike you, RPGM, but it's characterization is at least entertaining. The writing/translation itself is actually okay, and I noticed very few spelling mistakes or egregious grammatical misadventures. The sex scenes are, admittedly, mostly filled with word soup, but at least you don't have to feel guilty putting the scenes on fast forward when you're just not quite into them. The best part of the writing is that it definitely services gameplay -- there's a couple encounters where your character is intentionally made to feel like a scrub, and the story itself acknowledges those moments in a good way.
That's all there is to it, really. This is a competently made RPG with an ahegao addiction. It's sad to see how rare a good RPG is when it comes from you, RPGM, but at least this game proves that it's possible, and that you can be used for something other than just an artwork showcase. Good work, Takamakuran.