Game Title: Kolmesarta
Engine: RPG Maker VX Ace Lite
Status at review: In Progress/Demo

Background:
As the title suggests, this is, or was, a Secret Santa review. The intended recipient is Deckiller. I didn't have a lot of knowledge coming into this game, but I seem to recall this game being promoted (as it were) during the VX Ace Lite Cook-off.


Graphics:
The mapping is consistently good, and the lighting/weather effects added an extra layer of immersion. I saw some animations that I didn't think were part of the RTP, but opining a new VX Ace games proved me otherwise!


Audio:
As far as I can tell, this is entirely the RTP. Saying that, I think the choices with music/sound were appropriate.


Story:
The game is set in a kind of archipelago made of three large islands, each one being nations onto themselves. There is, of course, political tension between these nations. For example, the more militaristic of these nations has their ambitions kept in check by the other two. How long this situation can last is dubious enough. The rise of monsters that have mutated/changed by their connection to Essense (basically, this game's magic) is also quite troubling!
This sounds like the perfect stage for a rag-tag team of humble-beginnings individuals to become true heroes. The game doesn't provide exactly that, but it's pretty close in my opinion.


Playing the game:
I like how, during the intro, the screen flashes as it introduces each nation. Also, the name "Gala" made me smile, but that's a story onto itself.
It's good to know that I can learn weapon skills permanently by using them! I can understand the logic behind this. Though, until I got the message that I learned a skill permanently, I wasn't quite sure what "number of uses" did. I dunno. Probably a moot point!
Call me crazy, but I'm liking this puzzle with the mine carts. Especially how the camera moves with the mine cart. Okay, the camera doesn't always move with the mine cart, but it's still pretty nifty!
For some reason, I thought the game would end after the boss fight at the Essence Node underneath the mines? I was proved pleasantly wrong.
I probably took longer in the Sunken Ruins than I probably should have. I initially analyzed a switch to reset a crate on the upper floor rather than the floor the switch was on.


General Observations:
What the heck is affinity? Oh, intelligence. Okay.
The fact that spells use TP makes for some interesting interactions. For one thing, Scan is the most reliable way to get TP, if one is running low. It doesn't cost any MP/TP itself, and even if you already know the properties of the troop you're facing, you still get 8 TP per target.
There doesn't seem to be too much point in training skills beyond the five uses it takes to learn them permanently. For the record, I trained each one I earned/got up to ten uses. If there is another threshold at, say, 15 or 20, were a skill evolves (or like mechanic), I didn't reach it.
I like the cut-scenes with the antagonists. Pro-tip: Don't mess with Simone.


Summary:
Kolmesarta does well with it's political overtones and it's use of RTP mapping. Though, I think that if this steps out of the bounds of VX Ace Lite, this could be a serious hit.


BOTTOM LINE: N/A