official [ Oc Review] - You Are Not the Hero

[Ocedic 249]

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Title: You Are Not the Hero

Author: Seita

Version: v2.0

 

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YANTH has propelled itself into popularity on the legs of its own merits in recent months. After gaining recognition on RMW and being featured on RMN, YANTH has finally made its way to these fair forums. I played the original demo some months ago and was impressed with its production values. Since then, the game has undergone a tumultuous expansion, with new artwork and additional content.

 

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The most impressive part of YANTH is its ability to take the withered flowers of RTP graphics and package them into a beautiful bouquet. In spite of some custom graphics here and there, this is unquestionably an RTP game, yet it looks better than most games with custom graphics. The mapping expertly walks the line between beautiful and functional, with a world that is quietly appealing and fleshed out without exhibitionistic extravagance. YANTH singlehandedly writes the book on how to properly utilize RTP graphics; it does not disappoint with its attention to detail. There's always some kind of visual representation of onscreen action, such as the main character bouncing around frantically when a rope crashes down on her. Small details like this bring the world to life and immerse the player in this quirky little universe.

 

 

This new version adds character busts, replacing the facesets of yore. My feelings about these are mixed, as I feel they compromise the tone and charm of the game. It feels like a half measure in which the author doesn't know whether or not he's putting effort into making a lighthearted parody. Overall, it's not a big deal but I felt that the facesets fit the game's themes more appropriately; the busts don't really add anything substantial to the experience. Also, there's a new health and mana UI which takes up way too much screen space. When you first encounter it in the tower, it even blocks the dialogue. Such missteps are surprising for the author, as he's generally on the ball with polish.

 

 

The audio of YANTH consists of a mix of RTP and DS music. Nothing wholly groundbreaking, but I imagine the point is to convey a sense of genericness (part of the reason I'm against the busts). The music fits the mood without overstepping its bounds. What really shines is how the author utilizes sound effects, which are well timed and liberally peppered throughout the cutscenes. If it isn't clear by now, the presentation as a whole is just outstanding. For those who don't believe in RTP, this game is a testament to the opposite.

 

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YANTH employs unique game mechanics and ventures into the realm of platformer rather than traditional RPG. On one hand, it's a breath of fresh air from the typical grind of RPGs, but RPG Maker is a poor engine for top-down platforming to say the least. In the first platforming section in the tower, you'll probably fall into holes many times thanks to the awkward controls. When the game leaves its focus on jumping, it becomes quite a bit more tolerable. The action is fast-paced and frenetic in the first chapter, but slows down in the second chapter to be more exploration and puzzle-solving based. At times, this can leave the experience feeling inconsistent and undercooked. Although the amount of variety is impressive, in terms of the gameplay the game never finds its sweet spot of what it's going for. Is this supposed to be Zelda? Or Mario? Depending on your expectations, the amalgamation of game modes will either leave you enamored or disinterested at certain sections of the game. The author needs to be wary of feature creep in future iterations of the title.

 

 

Having said that, YANTH is generally fun to play. Each level lasts a short amount of time, with plenty of NPCs to interact with. The game boasts some replayability by rating you based on performance and giving players a summary at the end of each level and allowing them to retry the level. The experience does start to drag in the second chapter when it trades fast-paced action for dungeon exploration, but never to the point of causing boredom.

 

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Story is basically something completely disregarded in YANTH. There's some backstory that parodies the generic JRPG tale of a band of heroes facing an insurmountable evil, but the focus of the game is on the plight of Petula, a typical villager girl whose life is thrown into turmoil. The JRPG heroes raid her home for loot, and her village is invaded by the army of evil. The writing focuses less on story and more on humor, with mixed results. Sometimes, the game is genuinely funny with Petula being the only sane person stuck in the absurdity of a JRPG world. Other times, the game's referential humor is cringe-worthy, like the contrived conversation in which Petula states "the cake is a lie". Really?

 

 

Overall, there's not much to say here. Story and writing is definitely not the main draw of the game, but enough is there to keep the game moving along. I will say that I was turned off by the game's self-deprecating 'intro', which seemed like a thinly veiled attempt to deflect criticism by describing itself as a 'bad game'. Like a supermodel calling herself fat to get showered in compliments, it was a tad grating and unnecessary.

 

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Fun, unique and charming, YANTH is a great game that everyone should try, given its short length and accessibility. Some of the new additions are questionable, but none manage to dampen the lighthearted experience. Definitely worth a download.

 

Grade: B+