This game was different from the other RM Venture entries in several ways, and for the most part that was a good thing.

STORY:
A guard captain of some sort in a post-apocalyptic wasteland dares to stand up to a creature beyond his own abilities and is cursed as a result. In an effort to free him from the curse, his daughter and one of his subordinates join him on a quest to slay the monster. Along the way they enter a cave and meet high-level monsters representing the respective elements, which seem to either have helped cause or be a result of the scorched wasteland that makes up most of the world. The story wasn't anything too special, but it may have been the darkest one I've played so far; in some ways even darker than "Infinite Loop." That approach sets it apart, at least. It ends on a hopeful note, but with very little actually resolved.

Note: There were some writing errors, but as the writer's first language is not English I do not consider them a significant flaw.

GAMEPLAY:
Wander through the cave, dealing with different struggles along the way, including switch puzzles, a lava floor, and a very interesting room where you had to walk along moving tile sections without falling off. These were some of the most complex and unique obstacles I've seen so far from the RM Venture entries.

The actual battles with enemies/bosses were very unique as well. Rather than mana or TP, your special skills required you to sacrifice "resistance," a separate meter that helped guard against attacks, money, or even your own life to activate. The money suddenly became very precious when I realized I had to spend it to cast "cure" on party members. Also, the game was very well balanced, as I just barely managed to beat the last two bosses without re-trying, despite utilizing my special skills and items to the best of my ability.

My only real issue with the gameplay was the way the "Poison" ailment stuck with party members even after they died. If you were poisoned without an antidote you had no choice but to retreat back to town and buy one.

GRAPHICS:
Unique sprites and a side-battle system, along with lighting effects that fit the dark, lava-filled, and bright sections of the cave. No complaints.

SOUND:
The ambient noises were great, the music fit I guess but it wasn't anything special, and I could barely hear the other sound effects.

ATMOSPHERE:
Good job setting up the barren post-apocalyptic world.

FINAL VERDICT:
I felt like the game was lacking a certain "wow" factor that it needed to push it over the edge from "good" to "outstanding." It was definitely a good game, and impressive considering the one week time limit, but I guess the lack of resolution in the story is where it fell short of the winning entries. I wanted to know why these monsters could talk and why they were acting so high and mighty, or why there was a shopkeeper in the mostly-dead town right outside the cave where they were based, or at the very least get a little more character interaction between the hero, his daughter, and his subordinate. A game's story doesn't need to be earth-shattering (apocalypse pun not intended), but it does need adequate closure at the end.