Trials of Kokoro

TL:DR This is a real hidden gem of a game, absolutely deserves more attention for the excellent design, story and love poured into it. Even if you don't like visual novels you may like this one. This game...it must have come from a very talented, passionate and I daresay a warm hearted soul. Though its impossible to judge someone's character based solely on a game there is definitely a special type of gratitude that must exist in the mind of someone to pen a story that attempts to flesh out its characters the way this game does. Typically in doing a review I would focus on the mechanics that make the game but because the story and what I would call the design philosophy of the game is what gives it its heart, the best way to sing its praises is to touch on these things. Its worth mentioning here that kokoro means heart in japanese and that is part of what drew me to this game to see if it could deliver on such potentially cliche or corny premise, I must say it did for me and then some - it surpassed my expectations which is saying a lot. I've played my fair share of games but visual novels usually turn me off. The story like any good book is engaging to the point of not wanting …

Trials of Kokoro is not a bad game. In fact, it's rather good! I am however, debating on if the price is matching the experience though. The game (at this moment) is $13.99 USD and is roughly about 16 to 18 hours in length. There is no real replay value or any kind purpose to go back through the game a second time, compared to others of the similar price point. It is also not as long as some of those other games. No exploration as there are no maps as this is much closer to a visual novel than a traditional RPG. No different builds or unique encounters that come to mind and no achievements to hunt. The music is rather fitting and nice throughout, even though there is a weird jarring that the menu to manage your party has it's own music that can be vastly different than the scene you were in. Gameplay wise, it is rather straight forward. It is a ATB-Turn Based game where there is a variety of abilities to speed up, slow down, or even stun to keep someone from taking a turn. Though, the stuns will never work on a boss or feel like they don't work very often. However, the main issue is that there is some rather sudden difficulty spikes in the game. Primarily in the last two acts, …

This is a high quality game that I enjoyed even though I am not fond of the pantheon subject matter but that goes along with most games in a fantasy setting. I liked the mixing of visual novel combined with rpg battles. Speaking of rpg battles, the battles in this game are very strategic. Each character has a number of choices in buffs and debuffs. It is not like other rpg's where you merely use your best attack and do away with the debuffs because bosses are immune to them which count for most jrpg's. No, in this game, bosses are immune to nothing. You can buff yourself, debuff your opponent, cause poison to weaken them over time. There are a number of ways to finish a battle. It is quite a tactical turn based rpg system. The characters also have a lot of personality. I grew attached to a number of them. I am however more interested in game mechanics than story so I will be focused on that. There were a few things I did not like however. Each character can equip a number of items that each give different effects. I like this but because the game does not allow for grinding but instead you go from one fight to another, you cannot buy everything. This gave me anxiety during the f…

TL;DR: There is a lot of passion put into this game and the fact that ToK is so unknown is a loss for the gaming community. The gameplay is completely linear, which for some it may be a negative, but believe me that the developer made the best out of it and almost every battle feels unique and special. The characters are endearing and you can feel their growth as the story progresses. Probably my favorite part of the game. Quality of life features could have been improved though, especially in the menus. Like if I buy a new piece of armor, I would like the option to immediately equip it. The battle system is pretty much the classical turn-based RPG formula. Each character has a clear role and they complement each other pretty well. It feels quite polished and the overall experience was pretty fun for every battle. I think in part this is thanks to the fact that the number of battles is predetermined, so the developer was able to fine-tune the battles and make each of them feel challenging but rewarding. I really enjoyed the game and I hope with time it will become more well-known.

Trials of Kokoro ToK is a unique game that blends visual novel and turn based combat well. It has awesome characters and writing. The combat is smooth and explained well. I enjoy the strategy behind the fights as well. If you mess up the game is unforgiving, but if you plan right you will be victorious! The message behind the story is a good one and one I think people should read and learn from. Overall a very solid game and worth playing and supporting the dev!

An amazing game that no one should miss, especially if you like visual novels, JRPG-styled games, or just games with a profound and well-narrated story. This game is a mixture of a visual novel (containing a good amount of dialogues to read, using different characters moving through different locations within the game lore) and a turn-based tactical RPG (where you will control your heroes in very well- designed battles against various types of enemies and bosses) that excels at both. In one hand, the story is perfectly well tied, with characters that you will feel identified with, situations that will immerse you into weird storylines and convoluted plots. On the other hand, the battle system is really good, works smoothly and works on very standard bases (defeat the enemy, use elemental vulnerabilities to deal more damage, buff/debuff...) but with ingenious twists (e.g. specific types of actions needed in certain combats to resist instakill skills from enemies, amazing interaction between party members...) that will delight you for hours. While I initially thought this would be a good game for a weekend, after playing on the second hardest difficulty (out of 4 available), I can r…