Operation Backlog Completion 2025

Turn-Based RPG Legrand Legacy is Out Now

 Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Jan 242018
 

We haven’t talked much about Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds before, although I did interview the developers for Nintendo Chit Chat.

Legrand Legacy is out now for the PC, with a Switch version to follow in Q3 2018 and PS4/Xbox One versions in Q1 2019.

It is a turn-based RPG inspired by classic JRPGs. Here’s the official description of the game from the press release:

After displaying mysterious powers beyond his control, Finn is freed from violent slavery and vows to save his liberator’s daughter. This leads him to a prophecy, a group called the Fatebounds and their quest to save the land of Legrand from the resurgence of a conflict that previously left it in war-torn shambles.

Saving the world may be a colossal task, but Finn is not alone. While adventuring, he can recruit citizens of Legrand to join the Fatebounds and upgrade their headquarters, Dumville Castle. As their ranks swell, the Fatebounds will acquire the services of shopkeepers, blacksmiths and others in addition to party members who can turn the tide of battle.

The Fatebounds must master both turn-based combat and tactical warfare to counter their enemies’ weaknesses. Victory will grant them stronger attacks, new magical abilities, and the materials needed to craft new weapons and armor.

When the battle for their homeland gets tough, Finn and his companions can take time to enjoy the beautiful environments of Legrand, depicted in a delicate balance of eastern and western oil paintings. Narrative-driven side quests, fencing competitions, heart-racing hack and slash battles, and fishing are among the abundance of activities waiting to be enjoyed in this yet-thriving world.

“Legrand is a land full of life, engaging activities and nostalgic throwbacks to the JRPGs of yore,” says Iain Garner, director of developer relations, Another Indie. “This epic tale pays homage to the greats with its beautiful and riveting world, cast of exotic characters, and twists waiting to be uncovered.”

It was inspired by many classic JRPGs, include Legend of Dragoon (another game I need to play), with timed button presses as part of its combat system. There are also tactical warfare scenarios, as well as a city restoration/recruitment activity. The launch trailer shows some of this in action.

Legrand Legacy has gotten good reviews so far, and it also seems fairly lengthy. Although a lot of indie RPGs are on the shorter side (especially compared to the classics they pay homage to), Legrand Legacy is supposed to be about 40 hours for the main story and up to 60 hours if you want to do all the side content.

It’s available on Steam now for $24.99.

I’m not sure yet if I’ll get Legrand Legacy now or wait for one of the console versions, but either way, it sounds like a game I’ll want to play. What do you think about Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds?

My Uncertainty About DRPGs

 Video games  5 Responses »  Tagged with:
Jan 222018
 

I love RPGs, especially JRPGs. This is no secret.

But there’s one style of RPG I’ve never really gotten into: DRPGs. Dungeon crawling RPGs often seem to have a lessened emphasis on story and character development, which are the main things I play RPGs for. Instead, they focus on exploring dungeons (obviously).

Last year, I played my first DRPG, Mary Skelter, to review it for MonsterVine. I actually enjoyed it a lot, especially because it does have a story with some interesting features.

Still, the longer I played, the more tedious it felt to go through floor after floor of the maze-like dungeons.

At first, I found the exploration fun, but eventually I got tired of dead ends, branching paths, and even more rooms to check for items, and I just wanted my exploration to have a more meaningful payoff. Yet it seems like this sort of exploration is what DRPG fans like.

On the other hand, some people describe Severed as a DRPG, and that game was fantastic. And I keep glancing at Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux even though it’ll probably have these mazes.

So for those of you who have played a lot more DPRGs than I have, what do you think? Is it just not the genre for me? Are there specific ones I should give a try? Do some have great stories and non-tedious exploration?

(Side note: are the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games considered DRPGs?)

Let me know in the comments! Also, thank you to everyone who has supported Ascendant Hearts so far!

Ascendant Hearts is Now Out on Steam!

 My Games, Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: , , ,
Jan 192018
 

Remember, Ascendant Hearts, the romantic comedy visual novel funded through Kickstarter that I wrote the script for?

It is now out on Steam!

Ascendant Hearts tells the story of a young man named Hayato who is mysterious transported to a world where the tropes and mechanics you find in JRPGs (and MMORPGs) are how life actually works.

It’s a lighthearted parody filled with romantic hijinks and nods to the JRPG genre as Hayato joins Shiori, Aiko, and Chise in a quest to stop unexplained monster attacks.

Plus there’s a mad scientist! You know how much I love mad scientists.

Ascendant Hearts has multiple endings in addition to the possible romance outcomes, and it should take around 5 hours or so to complete, depending on how fast you read and whether or not you go through it multiple times. It normally costs $9.99, but it is on sale for $7.99 until January 25.

I had fun writing this visual novel, and I hope you’ll enjoy it as well. Feel free to ask me if you have any questions about it, and if it sounds interesting to you, check out Ascendant Hearts now on Steam!

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