Crimson Memories: Witch Hunters by Rebezion/Falcom (czech)

This sequel of the first Crimson Memories starts basically like the first: we have a warrior, this time a blonde man named Delvin, reaching the Tower of Light. Unlike Teodor from the first game, he isn't alone since he arrives with two other adventurers: Ryne and Minstr. The two rushes into the tower, leaving him alone, and what follows is once again the exploration of the tower, floor after floor.

Crimson Memories: Witch Hunters is like the first an action adventure with combat against lots of monsters, exploration, puzzles and boss battles. The interface and controls are the same of the first game, but there is a bigger quantity and variation of locationg and challenges. The story seems also a little more complex.

Download Link

Internet Archive 

Rmarchiv.de

 

Youtube Playthrough

 

Random Fact: while the protagonist of Crimson Memories 2 is a redhead girl, Delvin is instead very similar to Teodor from the first game: they both wield the same sword, and their clothes are very similar too: the black haired Teodor wore dark red clothes and a mask, while the blonde Delvin has brown clothes and no mask, but for the rest they're identical.

 

 

Final Verdict: ok, aside for the fact this game was not translated, it's apparently more of the same, compared to the first, even if it seems to add some new kind of puzzles of enemies, but the game remains more or less the same.

Crimson Memories by Rebezion/Falcom

The game begins with a warrior named Teodor that reached the Tower of Light: here grows the Fruit of Life, once every century, a fruit that can heal every disease. No doctor can cure Teodor's lover Isabel, so this is the reason why he is here. Inside he finds the first of the gobies, a group of creatures that will help him. Unfortunately other humans like him entered the tower to survive the different challenges and deadly creatures of the tower and take the angelic fruit, so Teodor's quest won't be easy!

 

Crimson Memories is an action adventure created with Rpgmaker: while it includes some typical elements of the rpgs such as experience levels, mana points and healing potions, but the game is about exploring, avoiding traps and battling enemies in real time. This is a pretty difficult adventure that includes different floors with various challenges, enemies and also boss battles against powerful rivals.

Download Link

Internet Archive

Rpgmaker.net 

Rmarchiv.de

 

Youtube Playthrough

 

Random Fact: Crimson Memories is the first of a series of czech action rpgmaker games, unfortunately only this first entry was translated into english. It was followed by Crimson Memories 2 and Crimson Memories: Witch Hunters. Each episode is a stand alone story and has its own protagonists.

 

 

Final Verdict: although I usually didn't like the action rpgmaker games in real time, this was one of the few exceptions: it's a very high quality and well designed game, and the extreme difficulty was part of its characteristics. However it seems that some skilled players finished it, so it can be done! 

Notes on the Second Mellynd War by Eike

 Some years after the first game we see three heroes of the first adventure, Mark, Shin and Pete Mk. II, involved in a losing battle that opposes the prince Oskar of Etgos, another well know character if you played the first game. Then the real story begins with three students: Amos, Eugene and Lester. The three friends live a peaceful and more or less quiet life in a town near the Etgoesian border, but soon the rebellion will reach their homeland too.

This sequel is basically a stand alone adventure: we have new characters, a new setting and a new story. This time every playable character has a special Steamglove that lets him/her use special moves. It's powered by coal that works more or less like Mana in other games. Despite this introduction of new "powers", the game is still a lighthearted low-powered and low-fantasy adventure, and the prologue let us play once again for a while as some of the characters of the first game (others are also mentioned), but apparently, like the true protagonist of the adventure, they also were able to find these coal-powered steampunk gloves that unleash various elemental attacks. Unfortunately only a 2-chapters demo was released, and you can find it here:

Download Link

Rmarchiv.de

Random Fact: Unlike the first game, that used taller custom made charsets, this game uses smaller, more classical RTPs assets and edits. In the beginning also the first game used these, but they were changed in later versions of the game for a more unique visual style.

 

Final Verdict: this is a good demo, but unfortunately it's not as refined as the previous adventure by Eike. It is still fun, with some charming characters, still it could have been as great as its older brother. Pity!

Notes on the Etgoesian Crisis by Eike

This adventure starts in 1784 (1914 in the Wesslinger National Calendar), in the small and pacific country of  Edgoes.  The tale follows the terrible person, anti-hero Orson E. Rockefeller, who doesn't seem a terribly bad person, but of course, he does terribly bad things. He will stoop as low as needs be and soar to any heights that he must in his quest to vanquish his foe, the Mayor of Bredfort. It all starts when when Orson comes back from a vavation to find that his house has been burnt down, and sold, by the mayor. Whatever for? Well, as it happens the Mayor just very strongly dislikes Orson. A narcissist with a messiah complex, the mayor offers Orson 13 francs for destroyed home. It is this villainous act that launches our hero on his crusade to get the mayor in a good deal of trouble with the Edgos ruler, Lord Ingram. 

 

Notes on the Etgoesian Crisis is a complete adventure game that is about six hours long. This game has a rather unique setting: instead of a typical fantasy or futuristic world, the story is set in a rural simil-european ,Nederland-inspired country where firearms are rare but still available, where there are no monsters and there is no magic, replaced by science. The game is also low-powered, in fact there are only ten experience levels. Orson may unlock up to twelve different companions that provide lots of extra cutscenes and optional dialogues. The game includes some really well made original custom portraits for the main cast.

 

Download Link 1.1 version

Download Link 1.0 Plus 

Internet Archive

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de

Random Fact: this game is set in the same universe of Because We're Here, a visual novel/dating sim created some time later. You can find this game here: https://studio-elfriede.itch.io/because-were-here.

 

 

Final Verdict: this game is still one of my favourite Rpgmaker adventures, and for many differente reasons: the setting is unique, characters are interesting, difficulty is balanced and maybe on the easy side but for an adventure game it's ok, and pacing and lenght are well calibrated. Recommended!

Frontier Extreme by Frontiers

Some Guy is the weird name of a generic character summoned to become a hero and save the city of La Pine. He wakes up inside a house that is strangely located inside a Church, a place populated by weird characters like a talking cat, a talking bird, and... uh, Uncle Save that at least will provide to be useful. Anyway since the different worlds collided reaching La Pine won't be so easy for Some Guy: exploring various weird areas and solving puzzles and quest he'll have to slowly but relentlessy reach his objective. Well, he's the only one that can do that!

Frontier Extreme is a 2006 parody of classic adventure games, but the game isn't just bizarre and populated by weird characters, but it's also… "gamey". This means that the game constantly reminds that it takes place into the world of gaming, quoting and referring to other videogames from mmorpgs to old classic games like Zelda. The access to many locations is also blocked by doors of different colors, requiring keys of the same colors to be removed, and this seems something that seems inspired by Doom. The adventure requires exploring and solving puzzles and quests, a lot of work went into this game considering the variety of locations and resources used, but as usual, you are free to play it and make your own opinion:

 

Download Link

RpgmakerArchive  

Rmarchiv.de

 

Random Fact: the title screen is a background taken from the 2001 game Gensou Suikoden Card Stories. An odd choice to use a serious and realistic landscape without characters, considering that the game seems to be quite wacky and colorful.

 

 

Final Verdict: a very old game with a distinct charm and a unique weird style. I didn't understand the need for some custom features like the custom menu, anyway I still found the game enjoyable enough even if it's not the usual rpg adventure. Probably for this reason some players won't like it, and others will like it more!

The Iron Age by Superstroke

The game starts telling us of the Creator, the entity that made the world and now calls the chosen heroes in times of need. The Ancient is the protagonist, a descendant of these old heroes of the past and the current Chosen One. He is awakened from his slumber, and given a sword called Glorious. A sword that cannot be used in battle, but a relic that can store and release great power. Then our hero starts travelling to restore the balance in a dark world. So the unnamed protagonists starts his journey, and other immortal spirits of the previous Chosen Ones will join him in his quest…

 

 

The Iron Age is a peculiar dark fantasy Rpgmaker game where we play a lone immortal character: there is no game over, after every death the protagonist wakes up at the previous savepoint with all his items and experience levels. Each level it's possible to select which characteristic will be upgraded or which skill will be learned, and later the hero also gets a couple of summons that add extra party members. The game is linear but there are some hidden areas for extra battles and loot. The game was released as a demo, and the story is incomplete, but reaching the end allows to play infinite battles and also unlocks all four summons.

Download Link

Internet Archive

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de

 

Random Fact: The Iron Age is a homage to the Dark Souls series, and there are many details that confirm this: the immortal protagonist starts with a broken sword, like in Dark Souls, there is a Solar Cult that is similar to the Warriors of Sunlight, and the savepoints indicated by burning eerie blue light are basically the bonfires.  

Final Verdict: I enjoyed this game because it uses an original concept that makes it similar to the soullike game merging it with the classic Rpgmaker system. I'm sad that there is no complete version because the setting is charming, and playing it was an interesting experience!.

D.O.G and the abandoned train by Phantavi-Productions

 

Detective Othis Green, or D.O.G for short, is the local detective in New Pork Kitty. After a long day of work, Lennart the Elephant, a watchman at the station, runs int his office. He said he heard strange noises coming out of the train. He asks Othis to investigate the train, and Othis agrees. But as the brave dog enters the train, the doors close and the train starts riding. Will Othis find out why the train is riding? Has it something to do with the disappearence of the new conductor?

D.O.G and the abandoned train is an action game that includes puzzles, enemies you must evade (the protagonist may bark and scare them sometimes, but just avoiding them is safer!), levels to complete, items to collect etc. This isn't an rpg (despite being made with… Rpgmaker) but rather a real-time mystery adventure divided into thematic levels (the town, the sewers, the raiload station etc.) each one with its challenges and opponents. This is a linear but fun experience different from most Rpgmaker games. 

Download Link 

Internet Achive
Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de 

Random Fact: this game was made for a school project. The target was children from about eight years old. 

 

Final Verdict: this unique adventure with no combat is pretty much linear, but I enjoyed it, even if later stages become a little repetitive since it also utilizes only some aspects of Rpgmaker without really introducing many new mechanics. But the setting and maps are well done, and it entertains!

D. Doomsday Door by Osahal (japanese)

This game takes place after the events E. Eve return the Eden, and begins with our protagonist, a mysterious and amnesiac young man with a gas mask, being rescued from a dump by two scavengers. He joins their group, initially facing rival gangs in the slums, but later one of the two scavengers becomes infected by contaminated blood, and starts developing incredible powers but also betrays his friends. This attract the attention of the corporation, meaning troubles for the protagonist and his allies that plan to stop their now crazed former friend.

 

D. DoomsDay Door is the 2009 sequel of E. and for this reason the story can be appreciated more by those who played the first game, even if the main cast is all new and it's a stand alone story, but there is the return of Eve. Battles are usual Rm2k style but there are a lot of custom sprites, portraits and charsets, showing that the developer really improved his style making edits and drawing cutscenes. Like in the first E. there are many scenes of violence and religious references.

Download Link

Freem.ne.jp

Rmarchiv.de 

Youtube Playthrough

Random Fact: while the adventure doesn't see the return of the Kerberos/Hellhounds-like troops from the first game, now replaced by squads of peacekeepers and nuns armed with gatling guns, there are still references to classic cyberpunk anime. For example the powerful and insane ex-friend is obviously inspired by Tetsuo from Akira by Katsuhiro Ōtomo: he initially even wears a red cloak and develops the trademark grotesque arms seen in Akira, before becoming able to control his powers.

 

 

Final Verdict: Doomsday Door is the sequel that improves the first game in all aspects, with better graphics, combat, story and characters. It has a very violent but interesting and immersive story, and it really captivated me with its dark setting and custom art. Fun game!

Spirit in the Mirror by MirroredSpirit

Young Anthea lives in the secluded village of Pendal. Her body is frail and she cannot face long exposure to the sun. Trapped in a state of boredom and feeling useless, she lives her life reading books about faraway lands and magical adventures.

 

One day, she visits her favorite spot: an abandoned church. Almost as if a prayer being answered, she is sent into another world, in another stronger and healthier body, and she finds she is able to communicate with the souls of the dead. In this new world, she meets a man traveling on a dangerous journey: Mehrdat, a soldier of the Kindgom of Light. Her heart young and trusting, she throws herself at him, entwining herself in his mission.
Together, they embark on a dangerous journey, traveling toward horrific darkness where she learns the truth about herself and the world she came to.

Spirit in the Mirror is a linear jrpg with a couple of original gimmicks: first is that most party members are seven spirits that have to be found (except for the first, Luthar, that is automatically added) in order to be added to the party. Each one has three upgrades that add new powerful skills, and these are obtained interacting with some items or people called "mementos". The second is the elemental gems system, that lets the player change the set of skills of the protagonist, depending on the elements of the gems equipped. Characters are also healed after battles (or partially healed if they fell in combat).

Download Link

Internet Archive

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de

 

Youtube Playthrough 

Random Fact: the game is complete and has a single ending, but originally the developer planned to add an extra, optional dungeon. This was necessary to obtain an alternate epilogue, but unfortunately these extra features were never implemented.

 

 

Final Verdict: this game was really a gem, well a rough gem since it shows some unfinished parts like an unobtainable party member, and some unfair battles when fighting enemies that can paralyze/freeze the heroes, aside for this it's a really well made complete adventture with some nice features that I recommend to most players!

Jaquio: Angel of Death (JAOD) by DRxeno02

The story begins by chronicling a mission setup by the resistance group, Chivalry, to steal a powerful weapon from a militant pseudo government, Vesta Inc. Jaquio Balder, being one of the highest ranked soldiers in Chivalry is assigned the task of completing this operation.

The more Jaquio learns about what Vesta Inc. is doing and why they are doing it, the more Jaquio learns about his direct connection to them. Lies, deceit, mysticism and magic encompass this complicated tale about a hero trying desperately to learn about himself and his forgotten past. But the more he learns, the more he realizes that every decision he makes has dire consequences to the people he loves, and even Earth itself.

Jaquio: Angel of Death, or JAOD, is an adventure with a modern setting, exploration and stealth sections: the game uses a lot of custom sprites, menus and options, but in the end it doesn't differ from most of other rpgs I posted recently. Probably the most important thing is that in the beginning you play as a solitary character, and stealth will be important for the first part of the game. Moreover there will be various options and choices to solve different problems, and some approaches may be better than others.

Download Link

Internet Archive 

Rmarchiv.de

 

Random Fact: the game rewards the player with experience points not only for winning battles and reaching the required objectives, but also for secondary and optional tasks, like investigating a door left open and check optional areas. However sometimes doing extra work means extra trouble: alerting enemies, fighting more battles, etc.

 

Final Verdict: was this inspired by Metal Gear Solid? Well the stealth sections and weirdness would confirm this, anyway aside for the slow walk and lenght of some battles, I found the demo pretty entertaining and the battle animations were really cool. Plot isn't overly original, but it works!

Tales of the Wind by Raging Lion Productions

Mike, Conrad and Duke are three friends that live in the same town. The mayor asked them to investigate the mines since something happened and there are monsters now roaming inside. Being the best warriors and adventurers they explore the mines finding a giant bug and a... stargate! Yes, it's really a stargate, but while the one in the 1994 movie teleported the protagonists to an ancient egyptian world, this instead sends the three heroes to an ancient incan world! Here the real adventure begins with them getting involved in the war between incans and aztecs empires.

 

 

Tales of the Wind may be just a quite short demo, but for its age (released in 2000) it is a pretty good game. There are a couple of simple puzzles, some nicely animated sprites, many well made edits, but the best aspects of this game surely are the maps. These are really well made, colorful, full of little details and well ahead of their time. They really stand out, pity that the game ends in media res during the mission to rescue the incan princess.

Download Link
Rmarchiv.de

 

Random Fact: this was surely the first Rpgmaker game ever made with a mesoamerican setting. Not that I know many other games with this setting.

 

 

Final Verdict: I wasn't a fan of the battles, but despite its age, I must admit that this game had some excellent maps and environments, unfortunately it's pretty short but the quality was high at the time, and it's still noteworthy today. 

Eternal Star by Ultima187

Seiron is an adventurer that together with his friend Lance and his boss, Brocks, found an item that let them access some mysterious ancient ruins. The trio decides to explore the place, hoping to find some kind of treasure, but the place is flooded and infested by various monsters. After facing some challenges, the three scavengers start searching the abandoned place until they see a couple of armored knights... how did they enter the sealed place before them? But soon they hear a scream. The adventurers run away, except for Seiron that decides to investigate, and he later rescues Airionne, a mysterious young girl, from the knights.

 

Eternal Star is a rpgmaker story driven adventure that was unfortunately left incompleted at early stages, meaning that it's possible to find typos and some bugs, but also some pretty good ideas and interesting aspects: for example the save points can be not only used to save and heal the party, but also act as vendors for consumables. Still the selection will be reduced compared to the items available at the real shops. Moreover he game lets you increase the movement speed if you believe that the default one is too slow. 

Download Link

Internet Archive

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de

 

Random Fact: the save points and traders sell consumables, some shops also sell armors and accessories, but in this game you will never buy weapons, and the reason is simple: in this game weapons are always upgraded by the smiths rather than bought like in other games.

 

Final Verdict: not my favourite game game from this author, still it was a pretty good fantasy adventure. I liked the maps and characters, even if I didn't like a lot the part where you have to do a tour of the city. After that section, all becomes better and more interesting.

The Super Ninjas Deluxe + by Slowstep

 

You are the clan of Super Ninjas. Gather your party and hunt for treasures. Venture into the super sarcastic mythos, of the planet/moon Pluto, thousands of years in the past. Being a game about ninjas, we start with a party composed by our protagonist Ninjilor and Ninjette, but after leaving the ninja hideout the duo is encouraged to find allies (the active party is of four members, as for most rpgmaker games, but the playable characters are 36! Some are more useful than others, some have requirements, others do not), ninjas or not. But ninjas are better of course, since they can use ninja weapons and equipment, for example.

 

 

The Super Ninjas Deluxe + is a wacky fun game about exploring a big unknown world, beating baddies (especially pirates!), collecting loot, levelling up and unlocking new characters. The joy is all about discovery (and humorous dialogues/interactions too), the only problem I found is that some areas have some strong opponents that you've to face when you are very well equipped and expert, but this isn't a big problem since you can save anywhere on the main map. Moreover, as you progress, you will unlock some teleports (represented by red flashing doors) that will make backtracking less time counsuming, because coming back to the hideout is necessary to unlock some particular things. So, just because this is a game with some humor and lots of weirdness, do not expect it to be easy! 

Gamejolt

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de 

 

Youtube Trailer

 

Random Fact: this game was made with Rpgmaker 2000 in 2002, but the first version was quite simpler and shorter. The edition we have now is in fact called "Deluxe +" because in the course of the years it was improved, and a lot of content was added. 

 

 

Final Verdict: one of these games I'd call "mindless fun"! Not to be taken seriously, of course, but still a game that offerent me hours of fun. Like in other games I showcased before, it leaves a lot of freedom in exploring the world, meaning that you may find yourself in deep trouble, so save often! 

A Celestial Weapon by MoonWolfV

Soldaria and Senecia, two nations separated by a narrow sea. Most citizens in Canaburg, the capital of Soldaria, have been brought up to believe that the war that they have with Senecia has been going on for the last thirty years. 

The protagonist, a normal worker named Vincent, has a friend, Sophie that believes this is all but a lie. Finding a report in the government archives confirms her suspicion about a “meteor” which had crashed in their territory recently. Knowing what this means, Vincent, Sophie and their friends head to Senecia to try to warn them of this plan which is to be carried out against them.

 

A Celestial Weapon is part classic adventure jrpg with a party of varie characters and part conspiracy/spy story. While the game includes monsters and supernatural events, it's set in a fictional modern world where guns and bombs exist and knights and mages belong to a forgotten past. However our team will be a ragtag team of differently skilled characters, from a doctor to an assassin. The game includes many edits and some original custom cutscenes and battlers. 

 

Itch.io page 

Download Link

Internet Archive

Rmarchiv.de

 

Random Fact: this game was remade with Rpgmaker MZ, so you can also find and play its improved and new complete version called A Celestial Weapon: MZ Edition here:  https://moonwolfv.itch.io/a-celestial-weapon-mz-edition

 

 

Final Verdict: a pretty classic adventure but with a modern setting! While I wasn't fan of the custom made bsttlers, I found the maps pretty well made, also for the selection of chipsets. It's a strange game because it uses portraits made with another rpgmaker version, and it also mixes a lot fantasy and modern aspects without really merging them.

E. - Eve return the Eden by Osahal (japanese)

Hundreds of years ago, a new virus spread on the ground, and human beings at that time abandoned the ground, and started living underground. 
The protagonist is a soldier that works for a corporation, and during an operation where they eliminate e group of rebels, he finds a little girl that he decides to adopt. Unfortunately the corporation now wants the girl, since she seems to possess special powers. After the death of his wife, the protagonist decides to search for the rebels and protect the little girl from the three powerful corporative agents that are on his tracks.

 

 

E. is a cyberpunk rpgmaker adventure, a violent tale of revenge with an original futuristic setting and religious overtones. The developer used Rpgmaker 2000 and a lot of resources consists in RTPs, but there are also lots of edits and original custom made cutscenes, facesets, enemies and portraits made by the author. While in some place the art is a little stylized (like the portraits, but for the sequel Osahal really improved the art of the game!) it gives to the game a unique flavour and a dark cyberpunk anime feel of series like Akira and Ghost in the Shell. The futuristic setting is pretty dark and bleak, very different from the usual rpgmaker games, and this makes the game stand out. E. was followed by a stand-alone sequel that improved the game structure and aestetics under every aspect, and for this reason was quite more popular: D. Doomsday Door.

Download Link

Mirror Link 

Rmarchiv.de

Original site (via Waybackmachine)

 

Random Fact: the design of the armor of the corporative soldiers (worn also by the protagonist in the first scenes of the game) is clearly a homage to Mamoru Oshii's Kerberos Saga, know also as Hellhounds. The series primarily follows the Special Armed Garrison, nicknamed "Kerberos", a heavily-militarized counterterrorist police tactical unit operating in Tokyo. They role is pretty similar in this game, they are basically the enforcers of the corporation, and initially the protagonist belongs to one of their squads.

 

 

Final Verdict: the systems in this game are pretty much standard, but the story an setting aren't! I was impressed by some cutscenes and portraits. It's also very violent and dark, but this goes well with the cyberpunk setting, I just wasn't a fan of the Rtps and edits that I think weren't really fitting with the custom futuristic assets, and in fact this was fixed in the sequel.

Final Frontier by Bottomline2k

Final Frontier starts with a cutscene about betrayal: the city of Kydor is attacked thanks to some inside help, and a gloomy dark figure watches from afar as the city is destroyed. Then begins the adventures of three distinct characters, that can be played separately in any order, scenarios that were surely going to converge to a single storyline. I any case the three characters and scenarios are these:

Nathanael is a sorcerer that is searching for an ancient relics for his patron: the adventure starts with the exploration of a tutorial dungeon, and later moves to a town where the protagonist has to meet his boss. That part includes also a minigame.

Gaidan is the tiger-man that discover he can summon the power of the Gods to protect his hometown from an invading army (maybe the same evil army that attacked Kydor). Together with his friend Farnham, a dog-man archer, will have to infiltrate an enemy base and perform a mission to sabotage their enemies.

Will is a young gunslinger that is searching for his father, a vicious killer. He is capture by the elves when he trespass their territories, but he befriends them and start working as an adventurer. He later joins Raiza the mercenary and Chester the thief to explore a dungeon, looking for an ancient relic. This part includes not only battles but also a couple of puzzles.

 

Unfortunately only two early demos of Final Frontier were released, so there is no indication that the three heroes would have met, but it's highly probable, since some loose connections may be made between the three scenarios. This is really a pity, since the game looks good thanks to good maps, a good use of the graphic resources, many edits and some animated custom made sprites (a water dragon, a polar bear, etc). Final Frontier seems to introduce some original mechanics like the rat catching minigame or Will's gunslinger abilities, but unfortunately in the demo most of these aspects are never explored fully, so the result was a promising introduction to a game that never was.

 

Download Link (2000 demo)

Download Link (2001 demo)

Rmarchiv.de (both versions)

 

Random Fact: as I mentioned before there are two versions of this game, in fact one is the 2000 demo, and the other the 2001 edition. I played only the more recent one, the one subtitled Boundless Heart, that's available from the last two links. They differ not only for the main title screen (you can see the old one below) but the newer version has also 39 more maps. So I guess that has more content to offer, of course.

 

 

 

Final Verdict: it's really a pity that these three different scenarios go nowhere, because some of the characters were quite interesting, especially Will's story leaves a lot of questions and mysteries. A real pity. I must also say that some of the custom sprites and animations, while they do not merge perfectly with the rest, are still well done!

The Puppet by Rei/Happy

The games begins with a long narrative about how evil was dispatched and sealed away, and this great evil has a name and title: Lucius the Vampire Lord, commander of the undead hordes. 

Many centuries later the real game begins with Ansem, a former member of the Dragon Warriors, starting a personal quest about searching for a cave in the snowy mountains in the North, a place that he keeps dreaming about. Even if this voyage will let him learn something about himself, he will also make a powerful enemy. After a tragic return home, Ansem will start a new quest, a quest for revenge.

 

 

The Puppet is a classic story driven Rpgmaker adventure: expect exploration, puzzles, battles  and the occasional optional sidequest, if you are looking for extra loot. The game stands out because it's mainly a single-person adventure about revenge, unlike most games that present a cast of characters working together in a party of four or more to save the world. At least this is what happens in this first chapter, because this is an incomplete version where  unfortunately many areas are locked or unfinished. For the rest it's surely a high-quality demo of a dark fantasy adventure with lots of edits, custom sprites and nice maps.

 

Download Link

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de

Random Fact: the author of this game is well known for two other games: Ascendance, a demo of an epic techno-fantasy adventure that involves multiple protagonists, and Elegy Eve, a short complete event game with suggestive visuals made for the Gaming World Halloween event in 2008. These two works, like The Puppet, are really high quality game and they will be featured here sooner or later.

 

 

Final Verdict: dark fantasy adventures are rare, and here the developer created a quality rpgmaker game: this is a pretty large scenario with many areas we can explore. A pity that some of these weren't completed because the setting is captivating and different from most other fantasy games.