Score: 10
"Wow"
date: November 18, 2009
I have to say, I'm truly impressed. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this is the best flash game I've ever played. It's certainly the only time I've ever made a voluntary donation to a flash artist, but I appreciate the huge amount of work you must have put into this and would love to see a sequal.
My biggest criticism is that the game did seem rather stupid at first, and I expect that this will have put many people off. When Nera is the only main character it just doesn't work to portray her as an inexplicably rude and angry person. The first few scenes just seemed like a rather half-hearted attempt at a plot, with ideas that seemed like something out of a game for a 7 year old.
However, once the three main characters meet up the game really starts to come into its own. Emi's happy-go-lucky personality counter-balances Nera's ultra-moodiness very nicely. Then we start learning about Gely's true identity and the nature of the strange world the character's find themselves in, and the story and dialogue become more and more engrossing.
The combat system is unique and brilliant. It's really not too difficult like some people are saying (I completed every battle on the insane setting), it simply requires a lot of thinking and strategy, kinda like a game of chess. The potential for using your unit's abilities to complement and enhance each other is very clever and enjoyable. Your idea of conjuring the tarots to help in battle is inspired.
Building up the characters is really fun and exciting, and the attributes and perks are well balanced. There's even good replay value in building up the characters in different ways.
Best of all, the game is long, with many hours of lifespan. I didn't expect that at all, since most of the flash games here are mini-games. As a side note, I'd really like to know why I only appear to have the game 98% completed. got all the moon shards and won all the bonus battles, and even got The Lover's tarot. What more should I do?
Finally, it makes a big difference that the game is well-polished. The artwork is very appealing, with lots of nice little touches. The combat animation is beautiful and adds to the appeal of the characters.
All in all, despite a slow start this game turns out to be totally awesome! For all those who are struggling with this game, stick with it for a while and read the strategy guide where necessary!
