Once I begin a brand new retro RPG from the KEMCO / Exe Create combo, I accomplish that with the data I’ve possible been right here earlier than. Their video games are usually minimize from the identical fabric, however the higher ones carry sufficient twists and allure to assist them stand out. Spirit Valor, sadly, didn’t.
The sport does have a promising begin. We’re as soon as once more on the finish of the normal 100 years of peace after vanquishing an as-of-yet undefined evil, however we’re additionally on the finish of that journey. Spirit Valor begins with what seems to be the ultimate boss battle, solely it doesn’t finish as deliberate. Our hero passes out, two different heroes disappear, and nobody appears certain of whether or not the evil overlord was truly defeated.
We find yourself becoming a member of two pairings as they piece issues again collectively. The extra compelling of those is Richard and Alice, primarily as a result of Richard can be fused with a spirit who’s in a position to management his physique whereas he’s sleeping (good factor Richard’s not Roger). The opposite duo consists of Vivian and Finn. They’re all pretty typical, however too broadly drawn. Extra on that in a bit.
Due to his spirit connection, Richard is ready to use magic by default. The opposite solid members, nonetheless, should kind contracts with spirits or seize the essences of enemies throughout battle. This permits gamers to customise and degree up the characters’ magic talents as they see match, and you’ve got the choice to take away these talents to make room for extra (4 energetic from an inventory of ten). It’s an honest system that helps to allay the redundancy of the random, turn-based battles, which largely play out as you’d count on; a timeline dictates when your get together members can take a flip, at which level they will defend, assault, use an merchandise, or use/summon a spirit.
Past that mechanic, nonetheless, there isn’t an entire lot to do together with your get together. You degree up as you achieve expertise, and you’ll purchase/buy higher armor and weapons as you go. Most KEMCO titles have been a bit extra ingenious with get together administration and abilities as of late, inflicting Spirit Valor to really feel like a step backwards. It doesn’t assist that the sport can be fairly straightforward. Like most KEMCO video games, you should buy pretty priced DLC that helps you degree up quicker, but it surely’s not wanted right here. The traditional problem spike with bosses isn’t as pronounced, so you may simply push by with a bit grinding or a well-optimized get together setup.
Exploration additionally feels lackluster. You’ve bought your common cities to go to and dungeons to discover, each of which have minor drawbacks. The dungeons are fairly linear, so working by them doesn’t really feel as adventurous as regular.
I do like, nonetheless, that you could open warp factors in them for later entry. The cities are oddly linear, too. If, graphically, the highest of a tree meets a stump, it’s best to be capable to stroll behind/underneath the treetop, proper? No, it’s blocked as if the tree has truly fallen down. It looks like a lazy strategy to management entry, and the overall overworld simply isn’t very effectively completed.
The battles, nonetheless, look a lot better. The characters have respectable element, and the animations/settings are fairly full of life. It’s bizarre that the heroes have a chibi-like design that the enemies don’t, but it surely’s not off-putting.
All of those little points could be simpler to beat if the story was higher, however I wasn’t in a position to get into this one. That is largely as a result of the dialogue felt pressured and juvenile, typically simply attempting too onerous to be humorous. The characters are likeable sufficient, however their personalities and interactions all the time felt fabricated.
I’ve advisable quite a few KEMCO RPGs as enjoyable time-fillers between bigger adventures, however I can’t accomplish that with Spirit Valor. The battle system appears to be like good and performs effectively, however the sport isn’t compelling exterior of fight. If KEMCO’s subsequent launch returns some urgency, I’m able to go. In any other case, I’m comfortable to sit down within the inn of the introductory village and await the following adventurers searching for help.
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