Ringlorn Saga Gaiden

[b]Fun bump combat with rock-paper-scissors and shapeshifting, set against a creepy atmosphere[/b] A nice follow-up to the first, based on the same [i]bump[/i] system -- where you just run into the sides and backs of foes rather than [i]manually[/i] stick everyone with your sword. Like the first Ringlorn, it has that [b]rock-paper-scissors[/b] bash-slash-stab selection for what your [i]bump[/i] does, and it's up to [i]you[/i] to figure out which type does the most damage to [i]whom[/i]. The biggest mechanical difference in [i]Gaiden[/i] -- and it is a big one -- is the addition of the [b]shapeshifting[/b] system, which sees you automatically taking the shape of whatever monster your revenant character kills directly, and unless you are [b]super-leveled[/b], monster form will always do more damage -- especially if the attack vulnerabilities are aligned in your favor. This is a much more [b]occult[/b]-feeling game than the previous, and in two ways: most obviously in the tone, since you [i]are[/i] an undead creature with spooky powers; in the other, since "occult" just means [i]hidden[/i], it is simply a more mysterious game to play. Hints are fewer and you'll have to grope …

A slight mechanical improvement over the first game, still a pretty fun if rather basic ARPG. A lot more freeform this time, but also a lot shorter. The monster possession mechanic, somewhat reminiscent of Temple of Rebirth from the first game but refined, makes it slightly more puzzle-like since monsters have different innate characteristics. The story, while still nothing special, is slightly better, with a rather amusing twist.

This game isn't for everyone. This is like the classic NES games in that this game does not explain itself, and part of the adventure is figuring out how it works. At first, you spend alot of time dying without really understanding what's going on. It's short, it's simple, it's cheap, the atmosphere is good, and once you get fluent, the gameplay is satisfying. The mechanics are very awkward at first. Frustratingly so. Stances and attack types to figure out, and you start off quite weak compared to the enemies. Grinding is very difficult. But once you get fluent in the mechanics, it's a solid (but simple) action rpg. There are two elements that I thought weren't clear enough, and with a game this short, I felt like it really limited the experience... although figuring the game out is part of the experience, so it might be considered spoilers. I'm not gonna give you the answer here, but I will highlight the question, and you can look it up if you want. [spoiler] If people aren't engaging in conversation with you, it's because of something you're doing [/spoiler] and [spoiler] there is a way to open locks right away. [/spoiler].

After enjoying the first Ringlorn Saga, I jumped directly into this spin off sequel and I was happy to notice that not much was changed. We still have a gorgeous presentation which this time is oozing with dark atmosphere from every pixel, the same bump system gameplay with a much expansive bestiary of enemies and a return feature from the bonus dungeon of the first game with the Enemy Possession gimmick. Enemy possession is gonna be a key factor to this game, not only it allows you to avoid death giving you a second life bar and sometimes much powerful starts, it's also used for exploration. Some sections can only be accessed by flying or with a smaller body, some enemies might also be able to unlock treasure chests and some also have the ability to fly. You really have to experiment a lot to see what every enemy brings to the table. This game also has a much more gripping story frm the first, being the soul of a dead warrior brought back by the goddess in order to get the blessing of the five spirits before destroying the dark lord who has taken over the land. By every blessing you receive you also unlock some memory of your dark past, it's a simple story with a dark tracig twi…

More Ringlorn Saga, Yaay! Gaiden uses the body switching mechanic from the bonus dungeon in the previous game, but improves on it by allowing the player to exit out of monster form as well as not switching forms when you already have one. This is a “thank God” change as majority of the non-humanoid monsters (+ mages) are terribly slow and makes you less able to react to enemy movements for the bump combat. A trade off is that the playable character is noticeably weaker whilst the monster spawns escalate more starkly per level. It’s intended that you use monster forms as a resource to bolster your strength and survive. The world overall feels a lot more dangerous, not just because of the different colour palette, but for how easy it is to die if you're careless in your base form. The game takes the concept of weapon attack types and weaknesses and shifts it to strategically changing forms to kill monsters effectively either for experience or weaken them so it’s easier to kill them in your base form. That being said, even though gaining levels is still important in monster form, I found myself bat-flying past enemies most of the time as combat does become tedious depending on …

A lesson in boiling down an RPG to the bare minimum while retaining atmosphere. Despite the minimalism, I like how much care is put into the story sections and presentation. I feel like the art was not compromised. No hand holding made it generally fun to explore and worked well, but I almost dropped out in the beginning before I figured out why NPCs weren't talking to me. Got it cheap, so extremely worth it!