Once I begin a brand new retro RPG from the KEMCO / Exe Create combo, I accomplish that with the data I’ve possible been right here earlier than. Their video games are usually reduce from the identical material, however the higher ones carry sufficient twists and allure to assist them stand out. Spirit Valor, sadly, didn’t.
The sport does have a promising begin. We’re as soon as once more on the finish of the standard 100 years of peace after vanquishing an as-of-yet undefined evil, however we’re additionally on the finish of that journey. Spirit Valor begins with what seems to be the ultimate boss battle, solely it doesn’t finish as deliberate. Our hero passes out, two different heroes disappear, and nobody appears positive of whether or not the evil overlord was really defeated.
We find yourself becoming a member of two pairings as they piece issues again collectively. The extra compelling of those is Richard and Alice, primarily as a result of Richard can also be fused with a spirit who’s capable of management his physique whereas he’s sleeping (good factor Richard’s not Roger). The opposite duo consists of Vivian and Finn. They’re all pretty typical, however too broadly drawn. Extra on that in a bit.
Due to his spirit connection, Richard is ready to use magic by default. The opposite solid members, nevertheless, need to type contracts with spirits or seize the essences of enemies throughout battle. This enables gamers to customise and stage up the characters’ magic skills as they see match, and you’ve got the choice to take away these skills to make room for extra (4 lively from an inventory of ten). It’s a good system that helps to allay the redundancy of the random, turn-based battles, which largely play out as you’d count on; a timeline dictates when your occasion members can take a flip, at which level they’ll defend, assault, use an merchandise, or use/summon a spirit.
Past that mechanic, nevertheless, there isn’t a complete lot to do along with your occasion. You stage up as you achieve expertise, and you may purchase/buy higher armor and weapons as you go. Most KEMCO titles have been a bit extra creative with occasion administration and expertise as of late, inflicting Spirit Valor to really feel like a step backwards. It doesn’t assist that the sport can also be fairly straightforward. Like most KEMCO video games, you should buy pretty priced DLC that helps you stage up sooner, however it’s not wanted right here. The traditional issue spike with bosses just isn’t as pronounced, so you possibly can simply push by means of with slightly grinding or a well-optimized occasion setup.
Exploration additionally feels lackluster. You’ve received your typical cities to go to and dungeons to discover, each of which have minor drawbacks. The dungeons are fairly linear, so working by means of them doesn’t really feel as adventurous as regular.
I do like, nevertheless, that you would be able to open warp factors in them for later entry. The cities are oddly linear, too. If, graphically, the highest of a tree meets a stump, you must have the ability to stroll behind/below the treetop, proper? No, it’s blocked as if the tree has really fallen down. It looks like a lazy method to management entry, and the final overworld simply isn’t very nicely performed.
The battles, nevertheless, look a lot better. The characters have first rate element, and the animations/settings are fairly energetic. It’s bizarre that the heroes have a chibi-like design that the enemies don’t, however it’s not off-putting.
All of those little points could be simpler to beat if the story was higher, however I wasn’t capable of get into this one. That is largely as a result of the dialogue felt compelled and juvenile, typically simply making an attempt too arduous to be humorous. The characters are likeable sufficient, however their personalities and interactions at all times felt fabricated.
I’ve advisable quite a few KEMCO RPGs as enjoyable time-fillers between bigger adventures, however I can’t accomplish that with Spirit Valor. The battle system appears to be like good and performs nicely, however the sport just isn’t compelling outdoors of fight. If KEMCO’s subsequent launch returns some urgency, I’m able to go. In any other case, I’m completely satisfied to sit down within the inn of the introductory village and await the following adventurers searching for help.
