Reviews for Relic

[SubNoctem]

There's a lot to say about this game.

First off, it was an enjoyable JRPG experience that felt true to the genre with a few minor qualities that set it apart. Coding was solid, the artwork was great; I especially loved the character avatar while walking around an area map, it brought back some nostalgic memories of games like Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, and Tales of Phantasia (or pretty much anything that was released on the SNES). At first I didn't like some of the timing details of the combat system - enemies attack no matter what, getting into combat without moving - but after coming back and playing again, I felt that it really helped to speed things up. However, with mechanics like that, it would be advantageous to have some kind of pause function in case somebody has to divert their attention (i.e. bathroom break). The story was good, which is a bit surprising. There are very few flash RPGs that have enough depth to keep me interested. The character bios and cut scenes helped to brew an interest in the characters, rather than just having them be a faceless mage/warrior party member.

There are a few aspects of the game that seemed arbitrary, so get ready for some nit-picking. First off; no back buttons. Early on when I was unfamiliar with the character battle action rotation, I would accidentally tell Cinnecat to attack, when I wanted him to heal. There's no way to fix an action once it's been taken. I also noticed that an enemy's exp. output was directly affected by the player level. Their health and difficulty would stay the same , but it would always take about the same amount of battles to level. On second thought, I think I'll add this fact to the plus side; nobody likes grinding. I also noticed that the potion prices were all off. It's actually cheaper to buy a bunch of 75hp healing potions than 100hp healing potions (also applies to mana pots) since the price between the two is doubled. If you use 2 or more of the lesser potions, you've already saved money, rendering the higher pots pointless.

I've also run into a fairly severe bug. If I have Fjor use her Snap Freeze ability on the 'leader' enemy in the top left corner at any time during the game, the enemy that appears in that position will remain perpetually frozen throughout the rest of the game (ironically this served as my 'pause' function). This certainly made the game easier, but I wasn't looking for easy. I've reloaded the game several times and this exploitation is repeatable.

Bottom line is; You've shared a wonderful game with the NG community, and I enjoyed playing it. Cheers!

[adeade]

so my character froze right. Pressed Q now the menu button doesnt work and i cant save.

[Genocode]

Pretty good game dude, I'll continue playing it later!

I suggest you to add a quick button for the "Fight" Command, the letter "F" for the WASD control and the right "ctrl" or "ins/0" keys for the arrow control, for example.

I put 4 stars because I think there should be more explanations about the stats and the magics.

Regards!

[craziarteest]

Great Game!

The gameplay is pretty intuitive and the characters are well developed. I like that you use the same characters throughout all your games.

You already know about the spell choosing bug, and the freezing one. I'm playing in firefox and had issues.

My only other wish is that when you upgrade stats, you can reset them if you accidentally hit the wrong stat.

Awesome game

[kfunk]

I remember you!!!

I recognized your artwork almost immediately. It is very distinctive....and the fact that you reuse characters didn't hurt either. You were behind Hood (excellent game) and Guild Dungeons (great concept with terrible gameplay - sorry).

You are a very creative individual. Every game that you make is innovative in some way, and I am happy that I can watch you progress as a designer. What I love about your games is 1) great artwork 2) you actually attempt to provide your game with a story and 3) creativity/innovation. You are perfectly willing to ignore game tropes and come up with different spins on classic ideas. Guild Dungeons is a great example - you created a new type of game with three levels 1) City Upgrades 2) Dungeon Crawling 3) Interchangeable Leaders. The problem with Guild Dungeons was its playability - the economy made no sense and you had to click buttons (literally) thousands of times to trade goods. Personally, I think that you should have gametested GD much more than you did, and that you uploaded a buggy unfinished game. Sorry, you probably disagree, I am just giving my honest opinion.

For better or worse, I see all of the same qualities popping up in this game. Your artwork is top notch, and I like your drawing style. I particularly enjoy the fact that you came up with (or reused) several very distinctive characters, and liked the background imagery. You should also be lauded for coming up with several different types of animations/backgrounds/cut screens etc. The story in this game is probably the weakest of the three games, but there is no room for complaint. You actually provided a coherent plot with decent dialogue and there is a minor (but ultimately undeveloped) element of mystery. I know some of the other reviewers knocked you for not including character development, but (while it was simple) I personally enjoyed your story. The little descriptions that you gave every item is a testament to your creativity and the thought that you put into this game. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I think that your willingness to ignore rpg tropes such as inns, buying equipment, resting, and grinding should be applauded not attacked. Yes, the only way to heal is through potions, but I never found that to be an issue. It is not worse...it is different (and in some ways an improvement). Other than that, the rpg is fairly standard, but I did enjoy the beholder scout and did not mind having to search for treasure.

Once again though, playability is your achilles heel. Just as in GD, there are issues with buttons and a lack of hot keys. Thankfully, you at least do not have to click thousands of "plus signs" in this game. Overall, however, this game would be MUCH more fun if the buttons were made more intuitive. The issues are basically a bunch of little things. Having a "back" button in battle for example, having hot keys in battle, having your inventory be visible so that you can be sure that you have not forgotten to equip a piece of armor, etc. The fact that this game is buggy is another continuity with your previous work. I read about all of the issues that you are having (I fortunately did not have to press "Q" and hear the "horrible sound"). I must admit that I inadvertently benefited from freezing the boss, as noted below...made the game MUCH easier. Still, unlike GD this game was actually playable, and I enjoyed myself. Yay!

In sum, you are talented and creative, but in the future you should focus on making your games more playable and less buggy. I suggest intuitive controls that are hard to screw up and have all of the buttons people will want. Gametest your stuff before you submit it and edit whatever you have to edit to make it run smoothly. There is no reason why you can't combine creativity with workability. I am personally looking forward to your next submission.

Very Nice Job