Manafinder

A really good smaller rpg that has me excited for the sequel being made!

Manafinder blends somewhat Mystic Quest-esque gameplay design (though much more credible than that) with the moody and sometimes bleak storytelling of Alundra. The story is generally well-written and intelligent, and gameplay is fast, engaging, and addictive, despite its simplicity. I had a hard time putting it down until the end. I do have some critiques, but if the premise sounds like something you'll enjoy, you can probably go ahead and get it. If you're on the fence, though, let's look at some of its shortcomings. If you were skeptical of the two-character combat, you're unfortunately justified, as combat is one of the weaker parts of this adventure. The dog is not particularly useful most of the time, due to his inflexibility and mediocre stats, so this isn't much different from solo combat. Combat here is all about overpowering enemies with the correct weapon and element selection, with the occasional spell to tilt things in your favor - but Scar can't do any of that. All he can do is attack a target of your choosing or use a weak healing item on himself, making him really just a bit of extra damage and a second pool of hit points. He contributes no utility or action…

I look forward to Manafinder II!

Solid JRPG that doesn't overstay its welcome (about 15 hours for me to 100% my first playthrough with minimal grinding). A bit of customization in progression via gear and buying perks as you level, but nothing super in-depth. Solid story, kept me entertained throughout. Also allows for player choice with 3 different endings.

A very commendable effort from the small team of developers and artists. A throwback to the classics of the JRPG genre, which gets a lot of things right. [b]I'll start off with the positives.[/b] + Visually the game is very stark and diverse. + The music is pretty good and inspired. + The game structure is unusual for a JRPG, which is really refreshing: you don't go from point A to B to C, but rather, the main settlement is placed right in the middle of everything, kinda like Majula from Dark Souls 2. + The sidequests are fairly interesting and offer insight into the lives of others settlers, while also upgrading your playable characters. + The enemy design is great, with lots of unique models. + The game offers dialog choices that can alter how the game ends. There are 2 main endings, and one other early bad ending. + There's no weapon slot in your equipment menu, rather, every weapon you find can be used at any time. Each of the weapons has its own uses, some are strong against certain types of enemies, while others inflict status ailments. + The amount of side activities is decent. You can hunt rare monsters, find collectibles and weapons, etc. + This may not be a positive fo…

A cute game with more to recommend it than not, although it's not perfect. Setting: Interesting setting, with fun characters and side-stories. 10/10 Story: Pretty fun story overall, although I feel like the antagonists felt a little flat. I'll give is a 7/10. Combat mechanics: The main character has a very 'spellblade' combat style, with the ability to enchant your weapons with different elements, use varying weapons without needing to spend turns swapping, and occasionally throw in proper spells, although since mana is a very limited resource, every spell feels like it needs to be meaningful. Fun and unique, but not the best balanced; it's pretty easy to become overpowered, especially if you do enough of the sidequests and other side content. 8/10 Non-combat gameplay: The game has a pretty wide variety of minigames, and they're _mostly_ pretty fun, although sadly one of the more annoying minigames is mandatory towards the end of the game. 7/10. Exploration: Generally pretty fun overall, albeit simple. The environments are gorgeous and well-realized, but mostly pretty linear or at best having a lightly-branching layout. Music: Fairly fitting overall; not an instant classic so…