Frail Hearts Versicorae Domlion is a dark JRPG, reminiscent in many ways of Shin Megami Tensei in both combat and tone, and is sure to be an instant classic for fans of less lighthearted stories.
I was instantly captivated by how perfectly made this game feels. It has a distinct and beautiful art style with portraits and images that evoke and convey emotion and tone in a way that very few RPG’s manage, let alone ones that aren’t triple A games. The soundtrack for this one is literally the best I have ever heard in an RPG. Sure, it’s not the sweeping, bombastic stuff you’ll hear in Final Fantasy, but it doesn’t need to be – that sort of music wouldn’t fit here. Instead, we get a hauntingly beautiful set of tracks which do EXACTLY what a soundtrack should do. It sets the mood, conveying the unease and growing darkness of the plot and hinting at the mysteries yet to come. It, like the visual style, is artful and skilled in a way that ninety percent of indie games will never manage. Likewise, the sound effects that filter in from time to time add to the mood, often helping to build tension in a way that dozens of explicit horror games completely fail at.
I think the most amazing part of this is that the game was created in RPG Maker. You’d hardly be able to tell, given the array of high quality original assets they’re using here. I’m well aware that the phrase “RPG Maker” often causes people to roll their eyes, if not outright cringe and walk away from a game due to its general accessibilty for new designers. (Despite the fact that making a game is a huge undertaking, even with the tools doing the heavy lifting.) This is one of those times where even if you generally dislike RPG Maker games, you really need to make an exception. If they hadn’t said that it was using that engine, I never would have guessed.
I think the most amazing part of this is that the game was created in RPG Maker. You’d hardly be able to tell, given the array of high quality original assets they’re using here. I’m well aware that the phrase “RPG Maker” often causes people to roll their eyes, if not outright cringe and walk away from a game due to its general accessibilty for new designers. (Despite the fact that making a game is a huge undertaking, even with the tools doing the heavy lifting.) This is one of those times where even if you generally dislike RPG Maker games, you really need to make an exception. If they hadn’t said that it was using that engine, I never would have guessed.
The gameplay is reminiscent of the original SaGa Frontier – you have four characters with intertwining paths, and their stories are going to intertwine as you explore what’s going on in the nation of Gris. You can’t switch between them at-will, but the individual chapters are fairly short, so you’ll still find you have ample opportunities to swap to a new person, should you choose. Saving is similar-while it’s not at-will, the game offers frequent opportunities to save in between every few scenes in a chapter, and ample save slots. The game cautions you that you should make several save files, in case you find yourself on a path that’s too difficult, and while I appreciate that, it highlights an issue with this narrative style. There’s obviously an optimal path of whose perspective to follow at any given point in time, and there’s no way you can know this without a guide on your first run. I don’t like the idea that at any point, I may run into a situation where I can’t progress, not because of a deliberate story choice I made, but because I simply didn’t know that I should have completed Character B’s third chapter before starting on Character C’s second. The combat feels very familiar, generally like any traditional JRPG. That’s not a bad thing, as combat is minimal here. It makes every encounter feel meaningful, giving it a weight that it wouldn’t have otherwise had, were there random battles. (This does, however, mean that you can’t grind up to get past a difficult encounter, beyond going back to another branch point and levelling up via completing another chapter in a different character’s path.)
If you like your games brooding, somewhat melancholy, but not grimdark, this game is for you. It is mature in all the best ways, and that’s not a euphemism for “it has boobs”. If you like Poe with a hint of Lovecraft thrown in for good measure, where a character’s mind is often darker than the worst they already encounter in a less-than-perfect world, this game’s for you. If you can’t tell, I’m a fan of this one by an overwhelming margin. It’s worth full price.
CLICK HERE to buy Frail Hearts Versicorae Domlion on Steam.
The Chuck is a lifelong gamer who was born in Ohio, but now lives in much closer proximity to Mickey Mouse.
The Chuck has found his life to be a series of improbable and almost unbelievable events, starting when he was twenty and caught the bubonic plague from a prairie dog. He was as surprised as anyone when he found out that's something that can happen.
When he isn't gaming, The Chuck can be found enjoying baseball, (American) football, pro wrestling, and horror movies. He is most commonly seen in the company of one or more cats.
Reclusive by nature, The Chuck is (like most semi-feral creatures) reward-driven. Approach with caution and some form of treat.
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