Faye Falling

this game is so unbelievably underrated. I know the phrase "hidden gem" is kind of a meme, but if any game were unironically deserving of that title, it'd be faye falling. this is a game that undeniably has so, so much heart put into it. I found myself tearing up at some points; no spoilers, but there's a certain point that genuinely shocked me (/pos). not to mention the cross... faye falling knows how to make you feel a certain way. plus the art style is really pretty, and the gameplay & battle system are so good, especially for an indie game made by one guy. it's pretty simple, but I never found it to be boring in the slightest !!!! it's a fun take on minigame-based battle systems. learning every enemy attack is really genuinely engaging and makes me feel like I'm actually getting better over time. and the boss fights are so emotional - especially the last few ([spoiler]gabriel, the parasite, and faye[/spoiler]) just make me feel so many things. (the "quest complete" sound effect playing after them does take me out of it a little, but it's funny so it's fine LMAO) + the story in general is great, too - the game is so atmospheric and auauuugghh it's SO GOOD . it even has a bunch o…

A delightful, emotional, story-driven game with light JRPG and shoot 'em up elements. The presentation is simply superb, boasting beautiful pixel-art graphics, sombre music, and a fair smattering of evocative, poetic prose. On this basis, the game is an easy recommendation, and the developer, easily praised! Great work! The gameplay, on the other hand, excites less enthusiasm. The RPG mechanics are quite shallow, and the balance of combat... the tools given to the player and the enemies... feels all over the place. For example, enemies capable of inflicting status effects are infinitely more bothersome than those who are not, and pickpocketing is an infuriating dice roll unless one happens to pick the class that can [i]simply ignore it.[/i] Actually, granting the player the ability to dodge every direct attack may be at the root of these issues — the mix of avoidable and unavoidable damage in the game as it currently is simply feels awkward, at least to me. At any rate, though, combat is so easy that this is all easily overlooked. Though, on the subject of difficulty... (As the section below covers NEW GAME PLUS, it is of little concern to prospective buyers; however, I ho…

I played the demo for quite a bit, I can easily say this game is worth a try if you like JRPG-styled indies with fun minigame style combat. The mood, setting, graphics, and the sparse bits of dialogue is really interesting.

[h2]Story[/h2] The overall story and MC's thoughts resonate with me fairly well. It even made me shed a few tears on some moments ([spoiler]when the Numinas doesn't forsake Faye despite having rejected all 3 blessings and the true ending[/spoiler]). Your choices not only affect the ending, but also change some actions automatically done by MC's. At the same time, I have a few issues with the story presentation. [spoiler]The message/encouragement not to give up is rather explicit, whereas the foreshadowing feels moderately implicit. I also wish we could get to know more Faye's past. For example, why Faye's mother decided to leave her and her father[/spoiler]. Some side quests expect you to re-explore earlier areas, but many characters don't behave differently towards choices you've made, and it reduced my immersion with the story. [h2]Gameplay[/h2] I enjoyed both the combat mechanics and dodge mini-games, despite agreeing with the issues stated by other reviewers. There are fair variations of dodge mini-games, although class/specialization doesn't feel that different across my playthroughs. The game also lets you earn more XP/Gold through optional mini-game trials and grinds if yo…

Super atmospheric and melancholic RPG through a geometric purgatory. The levels are varied but feel connected, and the gameplay revolves around navigating the environment. The combat uses a dodging minigame similar to Undertale, but here it's more focused on RPG mechanics and strategy. Overall a very nice, polished game.

I assisted with the play-testing of this game, making it all the way through to the final boss in around 7 hours. Interesting story and many different environments and QTE battles. Not much grinding required and the puzzles are varied. A few interesting side characters and lots to explore on most levels. Priced pretty well for a solo-developer game including all design, music and gameplay.