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Game Title: Weapon Master Elisha Developer: Game Engine: RMVXAce URL: http://www.rpgmakervxace.net/topic/13754-weapon-master-elisha/ Download Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kfti1oeq2pb4hew/Weapon%20Master%20Elisha.exe POSITIVE POINTS: The use of hand-drawn sprites, portraits, and custom facesets, as well as the visually appealing combat, may be the most redeeming features of the game. NEGATIVE POINTS: Combat is FUCKING ANNOYING. The story also doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and there are quite a bit of bugs. STORY: The only problem with this is, the plot in the demo isn't really explored, and you instead go on an adventure with four of your friends, filled with teenage pranks, stereotypical lolis and chibi-ness. However, the clever use of the frame device (a story within a story, or in this case, a game within a game) is another redeeming aspect; perhaps if the developer were to step into this territory instead of making the plot linear, it would be much more rigid. Dialogue is cheesy and shoddy. Something feels missing from it, and being flashy with custom facesets doesn't make up for it. There are also some points in the game where the dialogue is either chopped off from the border of the text box or isn't clear at all. All in all, the story and dialogue lacks rigidity. There's also apparently a bad ending, good ending, and true ending, with variable choices made throughout the game, but this isn't really explored in the demo, either. AUDIO/GRAPHICS: The graphics, at least, are the highlight of the game. The game uses custom facesets whenever one of the main characters talks. This, in and of itself is a good quality design, but the facesets are extended far beyond their regular proportions, making them look pixelated and otherwise unprofessional. The conversation system isn't fairly new to me; there's a script that makes that happen. Audio is composed of the regular Ace RTP, as well as RPG Maker 2 and 3 RTP, noted in the credits. Audio is hit and miss; some things feel just right for the place where they are supposed to be, other times not so. Some of the music cuts out periodically before it goes back to the beginning, leaving you confused about the track playing. This is also probably another reason why the game is 647 MB in size. What I would recommend is making all of your audio files into .OGG files to reduce size. If you do this, you can reduce the size of your game by at least 25-30%. You can also get rid of the RTP (your general audience will already have the RTP installed). This is probably the biggest offender of the game's massive size. Mapping is generally made up of the RTP. A lot of things about the general "lay of the land" don't make a whole lot of sense either (i.e., the first town with the ocean to the north looks weird). In the second town you go to, it seems as though a lot of the pots and boxes in the port are just C/Ped across the map, making it an eyesore for the audience. There's no distinct variation with the boxes or pots. Dungeons in general are also a big offender, using boxes and rocks as obstacles in your path, but they are all lined up in one place. All in all, there lacks finite detail in certain parts. GAMEPLAY: Not really bad, but not great, either. The biggest offender is the combat, which lags like hell for one, and some of the character portraits don't make a whole lot of sense (i.e., Riki looks sad when she attacks, as opposed to her usual smile when she's neutral (which freaks me the fuck out by the way)). Another disheartening part of the battle system is that your characters have crap stats and can't even hit a wall, even if it was staring them in the face (seriously, 75% HIT Rate is kind of a turn off). What's more, the enemies in the first dungeon seem to Poison you after every attack, and if you aren't geared up then and there, it's going to be a major pain in the neck to navigate the dungeon. Speaking of Poison... And I'm well aware that you can hide the HUD, but once you exit the main room where it gives you that instruction, it no longer seems possible to open the HUD. NPCs are dumber than rocks and say the most obvious things. But I guess that's what makes them so cliched. The Side-Quest system can definitely be re-worked. As it stands, it's mediocre, but given some spruce with something like XS - Journal or Modern Algebra's Quest System, it can be a fun, inventive feature. At the start of the game, you run really fast (like, Sonic the Hedgehog fast), but once you get off the boat, you walk at normal speed again. One or the other, mate, and personally, I would prefer the Sonic the Hedgehog speed, because then I can jack around to see how quick my reflexes are by testing myself with stupid things like running to the end of one town to the other in an intricate pattern without messing up. When you leave a shop, you appear inside the door. You gain skills at a fairly fair rate, after every couple of levels. Of course, if you could hit your targets in the first place, I'm sure those skills would be excellent. Seriously, if you're that concerned about the game being too easy, just up the EVA rate on your targets, and set the HIT Rate to 100%. I see no problems here. I had to stop at the second dungeon (the tower after you get the boat) because I can't seem to transfer anywhere. I've pulled the switch....what then? OVERALL SUMMARY: A bit disappointing. Riddled with bugs and glitches, mapping is mediocre, and the plot is not rigid. RATING: 2.5/5. I'm even tempted to go as low as 1.5.