Heads Will Roll
Summary: A text-based RPG with static graphics, but beware that even on normal difficulty it is challenging and has a high degree of randomness, which is just as it should be for a game about a mediaeval foot soldier. If you are OK with that then give it a go, its a lot better than one of those walking simulators that pretend to be RPGs these days.
Summary for those who have played A Legionary’s Life: The obvious differences are that HWR has graphics and you can save and reload, but the main gameplay difference is that in LL an attack only costs stance/energy if you miss, while in HWR it always costs stance/energy. Hence in LL you often end up just making the same low-risk attack every turn, whereas in HWR you can’t do that, and this plus the varying attacks for different weapons makes combat in HWR more varied than in LL.
– Real player with 32.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Dating Sim RPG Games.
A lot of game for the money.
A hybrid cross between a “Choose Your Adventure” and a single character, turn-based battler.
It’s an engaging mix and when it works, it works quite well.
Unfortunately, the game is quite buggy. I have yet to make it through an entire run without encountering a game breaking bug ( usually at the end of a battle ). Since you can’t save during battle, you are sometimes forced to replay the same battle multiple times. This can be tedious or frustrating depending the difficulty and length of the battle you have to repeat.
– Real player with 26.1 hrs in game
Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story
I am a huge fan of the Valthirian Arc flash games on Kongregate, and I will sink hours into them, creating stories for my students and being really eager to see how they grow and evolve- I truly love those games. So with flash no longer being supported after this year, I was thrilled to discover I could buy the next iteration on steam and show my support for the developer.
Coming in with this high expectation, I was deeply disappointed. Playing through the game, you can see the seeds of fantastic ideas- a Game of Thrones style division of kingdoms, diverse maps and styles of missions, unique student classes and trees. However, none of these ideas come to fruition, and are stunted by a number of bugs in the game itself. There’s no personality to the kingdoms until the ending cutscenes- and no bonuses or reason to ally with any of them other than using their missions for leveling your students. The maps become highly predictable and tedious, and the random generator was constantly giving me strength based students - and without individually clicking on each recruit, no way to scroll through recruit options- so my teams were terribly unbalanced. Which, I discovered, didn’t matter at all, so long as my students had high level weapons, which I could use to artificially boosts student stats in their weak area (You’re dex based? Take a dagger that adds 200 strength). At the same time, I had no idea of those stats affected them (why does a Knight or Scout need MP? Does Dex boost attack speed for all classes? Does strength boost my Mage’s attack power, or only their intelligence?). Moreover, besides their special ability, I don’t understand the differences (if any) between the top tiers of students- why would a paladin be more useful versus arc draconus of the same level? The difficulty systems means nothing after the first chapter, because one or two star missions can be just as difficult as four stars, which can also be pitifully easy. This is frustrating because when I (am FORCED to, as opposed to previous systems where you could stockpile Fame for the next requirement) graduate my high level students, it’s really hard to get my new apprentices up to a workable level when the only options for grinding exp is the two “training” missions that don’t award XP for completion (and you earn a pitiful amount for defeating every creature on the map). These are things I could learn to live with, even enjoy, but the game itself is terribly bugging. If my students level up on the mission, there’s a good chance they glitch and cannot attack or interact with items, although I can control and move them, which makes the game think I can still finish the quest when I can’t. Several times the game crashed when I loaded it and started specific missions. Many of the arrows that allow you to scroll through menus don’t actually work, and I have no way of scrolling through my buildings, rooms, or floors. The list goes on.
– Real player with 49.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Dating Sim JRPG Games.
I backed this on Kickstarter and they delivered a decent product. It’s not a terrible game. It’s just middle of the road and you could probably be playing something better.
The game play loop has you level up heroes, make a skill choice or two, and then change to an advanced class and start leveling up again. Every “semester” you’re supposed to graduate at least 1 student in exchange for getting a ton of money and “fame” which allows you access to the advanced classes. As the game goes on, a character’s max level for different classes gets higher which gives them access to more abilities within that class. You’re encouraged to graduate characters at max level, so you need to be earning your graduates a lot more experience as the game goes on.
– Real player with 31.0 hrs in game
Made Marion
DEMO AVAILABLE! Check the lil' download button on the right!
What do you do when your best isn’t good enough?
Lady Marion of Glastonbury is going to have to figure that out, and fast. Removed from her position of power and thrust into an unwanted arranged marriage, she finds herself careening through Sherwood Forest toward the troubled town of Nottingham.
Released from the confines of her previous life, who will Marion become? A freedom fighter? A knight-at-arms? A reluctant spy? Will she help create peace in Nottingham or hasten the coming confrontation between the strict Sheriff and the rebel Robin Hood?
And will a woman who resisted marriage end up finding love where she least expects it?
Find out when you’re… Made Marion.
A Romantic Action-Adventure Story
Made Marion is an otome visual novel - a romantic story primarily aimed at women, though of course all genders are welcome to play! It’s inspired by the tales of Robin Hood, but with many of its own twists.
Welcome to Avalon, an alternate-world Medieval kingdom in which humanity exists in a sometimes-uneasy balance with the mystical fae folk. Avalon’s hero-king Richard has gone missing, the nation is deep in debt from a recent war, and the commoners are agitating for more representation in government.
Step into the shoes of the proud young noblewoman Marion and guide her adventure in a richly-detailed fantasy world thick with political machinations and mystical intrigue. Decide who to trust and who to love. Can Marion make the right choices to save Nottingham from a dire fate?
Features:
Gorgeous Graphics with a Celtic Flair: Enjoy our beautiful, expressive characters and a unique world inspired by a variety of Northern European cultures. Celtic design elements are threaded through our character and background designs.
Proactive Heroine: Her name is in the game’s title for a reason! Marion isn’t just along for the ride; she drives the plot forward in many ways and has her own goals and desires.
One Big Choice, Two Different Worlds: After the game’s prologue, you’ll make a big choice that either sends you to Sherwood Forest or the city of Nottingham. Each side has a different cast to romance, and the two sides have a different feeling to them. Sherwood is a swashbuckling action-adventure, while Nottingham has more political intrigue and spy hijinks.
Role-Playing Choices: Instead of using a traditional affection meter, you’ll be making major role-playing choices in each route that lead to two possible happy endings. Choose to be clever or straightforward with the flirtatious Robin. Make idealistic or pragmatic choices with Geoffrey and Gui. It’s up to you, and you won’t be punished with a bad end for your personality choices.
Meaningful Bad Ends: Our bad endings are designed to be logical and interesting, giving hints about the wider story and world or showing a different side of the game’s characters. They’re also easily reversed, as they come from one-off choices.]
Made for Adults: We’re a sex-positive, LGBT-friendly otome game aimed at adult readers, with an over-18 cast. We aim to be mature without being “edgy” and to portray sex as a part of the characters' developing relationships.
New Features Incoming
Thanks to our successful Kickstarter (we love our backers!), Made Marion will be receiving a number of enhancements beyond what’s shown in the demo. We’re already implementing them in the full game, and we’re very excited about them!
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5 CG illustrations per love interest (35 total)
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Ambient Sound
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Cut-in illustrations to add interest to longer scenes
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Sprites for animals and fae creatures (hug a greatstag!)
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Animations to spice up (literal) magical moments
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Improved glossary
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More accessibility options (always planned, but now being implemented)
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Alanna’s bard songs now have professionally recorded backing tracks and will be recorded in a sound studio instead of on an at-home mic.
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And more!
Meet the Love Interests
Robin of Locksley: A deposed lord who is leading a rebellion against the autocratic Lord Geoffrey of Nottingham. A strong and capable leader with a tendency to hide his true feelings behind a wall of jocularity.
John: Robin’s second-in-command, a gentle giant of a man battling inner demons from his tragic past.
Will, the Scarlet Blade: John’s half-brother, a daredevil swordsman with several large chips on his shoulder.
Lord Geoffrey: Known locally by the derogatory nickname of “The Sheriff,” this stern lord is determined to rule by law, even if the law entails some very onerous taxes. Can Marion uncover the reasons behind his harsh policies?
Meissa: A mysterious, mischievous sage from an enemy land. Kind and compassionate, they harbor a dangerous secret.
Alanna Dale: A merry bard in Geoffrey’s court. Easy to fall in love with but difficult to truly know, she guards herself with layers of lies.
Gui la Londe: A gorgeous, graceful chevalier who is a confidant of Lord Geoffrey’s despite their very different worldviews. He would like to recruit Marion for an important mission of behalf of the Crown.
Read More: Best Dating Sim Romance Games.
Killer is Dead - Nightmare Edition
Don’t mind the almost 150 hours I have logged in this game. I’m just a dumb completionist who usually wants to finish most things in the game, specially achievements.
That being said, I’m fairly confident that I’ve played this game enough to say for certain that I wouldn’t recommend it, with the exception of it being on a good sale. This game is simply not worth full price.
Before Killer is Dead I didn’t know much about Suda51’s work. I read about killer7 but never played it. I do own it on Steam though. It seems to be much better than KiD, just from what I saw on the store page. But anyway, KiD apparently has much of Suda’s pure style. And it is a lot of style indeed, but this game doesn’t care to go much beyond excessive style.
– Real player with 145.0 hrs in game
‘In this job you will come face to face with the darkness.[…] I’ve been enchanted by her beauty!’
Damon
‘We are executioners. Professional killers hired by the state and high ranked clients to do jobs that no one else should ever know about. Monsters, maniacs and creepy mutants – everything is real in this world and we try to keep it a secret. The ‚Dark Matter‘ curses everything it comes in contact with, transforming it piece by piece into the abominations called ‘Wires’. Do you know where this ‚Dark Matter‘ comes from? From the moon! The dark side of the moon to be more precise. It is ruled by a mysterious man and this person gathers the darkness to take over earth. Sounds like solving this problem is the perfect job for you Mondo, isn‘t it?‘
– Real player with 35.2 hrs in game