Ocedic 249 Posted September 1, 2013 Title: Trial Author: CogentJin Version: Demo Trial is a criminally neglected project due to its modest thread presentation that doesn't rely on ostentatious flashiness. My first impressions of the thread was distaste for the facegen characters, which is usually a sign of laziness in RM games; the story synopsis also failed to grab my attention. But then I expanded the screen shots and realized that this game is a digital testament to not judging a book by its cover. What started as simple curiosity turned into a surprise gem of a game that feels like a cross between Final Fantasy and Battle Royale. You can probably surmise from the screen shots that this game is gorgeous, yet they only tell half of the story. Trial combines beautiful backdrops with superb sprite animations and little touches that bring this game to life. I've stated in other reviews that sprite animations and edits are the best way to make your game look great, and Trial is a perfect example of that. The game shows the action that happens, rather than relying on exposition or forced dialogue. Seeing this game in motion makes the vast majority of RM games look boring and static in comparison. Even the aforementioned facegens are edited so that they don't look like creepy, lifeless dolls; the faces reflect the state of the characters with blood on their faces after a battle or an apple in the frame when eating. It's clear that a lot of love and painstaking detail went into every facet of this game; the author manages to strike a fine aesthetic balance without crossing into the realm of gaudiness. The mapping is above average, with fully parallax environments that are detailed without looking cluttered. There is a weird black border around some maps that is initially jarring, but I understand the logic that the author was going for in that it provides clear exit and entrance indications to the player on what would otherwise be perfectly square maps. Paths are clear and the mapping helps facilitate a clear flow through the game, though sometimes the opportunity for exploration feels limited and unrewarding. There was only one pathing bug that I found, which is very impressive considering that everything is parallax. The game's audio features a lot of solid tracks while also making use of silence to control tone and mood. Sound effects are also used to great effect, working in tandem with the animations to make the game feel immersive. Gunshots, parkour, etc. Some ambient audio doesn't quite loop correctly, but otherwise it's hard to find flaws with the game's audio. While Trial is definitely a JRPG, at the juncture of this demo there aren't many RPG elements that have been fleshed out. The first two scenes of the game serve as an extended intro to the world and idiosyncrasies of the game, and the demo feels like an extended tutorial. It gives a taste of things to come, but this demo feels a bit more like an adventure game or visual novel than full blown RPG. Thus, there isn't much to comment on in terms of the RPG aspects, but the game makes up for it by offering some interesting gameplay mechanics that help it stand out from other RPGs. A lot of sequences involve timing and patience, which are placed throughout the demo to break up the large sections of story. For example, in one section you have to sneak by a villager to steal his lumber while another has you navigating around a horde of zombies. The gameplay sections are about the right level of difficulty, offering a challenge without being too frustrating or difficult. While there's a lot of NPCs to talk to and some interactive objects, it can feel like there's not much point to exploring the world. Again, this harkens back to the fact that the game's RPG elements have yet to be fully realized. I'm hoping that the next demo offers more hidden areas to explore, because the setting of the story lends itself to allow exploration and side quests. Having said that, the game does a great job thus far of giving the player a sense of building up. Never before in a game have I felt like earning 1 R.B. (the equivalent of gold) to be such a tremendous milestone. Trial is literally a rags to riches story, so it makes sense that the beginning starts off slow instead of having the player be some bad ass monster slayer from the get go. At the end of the day, in the current demo the gameplay takes a backseat to story, but I had a lot of fun and there's certainly enough action to feel like you're a part of the adventure. I'm hoping the RPG elements come together as cleanly as the rest of the game and that future iterations of the title expand on the RPG aspects. I will make a quick note that some sections felt slightly unpolished like the crashed ship part which requires the player to pick up the sword twice before proceeding. Such bugs do dampen an otherwise solid experience. The strength of Trial lies not in its story, but how it tells it. Unlike more poorly written games, Trial doesn't assume that the player is an idiot and allows inflection and subtlety to tell the story, which is good because the dialogue is adequate but not impressive. By letting action and animation dictate the flow of the story, this leaves room for dialogue to focus on characterization, which is one of the game's strengths. The characters you encounter are likeable and unique. At times they come across as one-dimensional, but the main character does show a bit of growth as the story progresses. The downside is that the cast of supporting characters is rather large and the player isn't given much opportunity to interactive with them which lends to the one-dimensional feeling. The story itself is intriguing, with the protagonist landing upon a mysterious, monster-infested island. There's a sense of mystery to the story, which moves the game along early on. As the game progresses, some questions are answered and the focus changes to a character-driven narrative. The game excels at both areas, always providing the player with an incentive to continue. The author has a very good sense of action, creating an almost filmic sense of tension from the very beginning. The events and story feel unpredictable; watching the characters cross a rickety log bridge gives you an uneasy, ominous feeling thanks to the constant sense of danger that the author managed to create. I do have to mention that there's a few spelling and grammatical errors here and there. And dialogue doesn't appear to be the author's strong suit, but he does a better job than most RM users. Well-paced and charming, the writing of Trial is the real star of the show here. Beneath the fancy graphics lies a very engaging story backed by an awesome cast of characters. This is the first game from this site that I wanted to finish solely because it was a blast to play rather than progressing for the sake of a review. I had fun throughout the demo and the end left me hungry for more. While other designers try to mask shallow stories and poor writing with fancy graphics, Trial is engrossing on multiple levels in which the graphics harmonize with solid writing. A highly recommended download for all players. Grade: A- As the first game thus far to earn a grade in the A range, Trial receives the Dog Seal of Approval! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CogentJin 12 Posted September 2, 2013 Hey everyone! I've been sitting here for a while trying to think of exactly what to say, whether it be about my game or to everyone who has tried it out. Honestly, it just boils down to this community being as great as it has been and really welcoming me and my game. I've had several messages sent my way with questions or concerns; they're always appreciated and I enjoy talking about the project. Other people were nice enough to show me bugs or other flaws and I'm happy to report that they have all been taken care of thus far with the v0.2 demo. So, I believe a big thank you is in order to everyone. Thank you. As for this generous review, I really did take it to heart and I'm already trying to rid any blemishes that are in the demo before moving forward with the rest of the game. For example, something that I can fix now would be the jagged black edges that indicate where the map transitions. I tried deleting the black bars completely and putting arrows but they looked very out of place; so I opted for a cleaner style with a low transparency (so they don't mix with the shadows) and used blur so it's a bit more smooth. I'm still trying new things but I need to get this sorted out now before moving on so we'll see.Original: New: I know that's not a very interesting update but I think detail is a big part of it. As for the writing and dialogue, that is just my responsibility to make sure it fits perfectly and can be held in a high regard. I just have to keep my eye open and make sure the game stays on a clear path with its direction (and find those dang bugs that keep escaping me during test plays--Hahah!). In the meantime; much praise to everyone and enjoy! Thanks again, Ocedic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
