LOOKING BACK: GRAVE SPIRIT

What is Looking Back? A series of articles talking about those classic Rpg Maker games from the past.







Created by: Zohaib.
Made With: Rpg Maker 2003
Gamepage: Here
Download: Here!

Within an ancient land, undisturbed for ages, evil resides in a towering fortress... A young wanderer, without a name and past, has been forced to travel to this fortress by a shadowy spirit who controls his every move. Setting out on an uncertain journey, the nameless wanderer has no choice but to succeed in pleasing the spirit's wishes or die trying...

Don’t expect any extremely new ideas in this game. The biggest thing it has going for it is its extremely unsettling art style, and its interesting story. I’ll say it right up front. I found the puzzles in this game to be too easy. The biggest challenge was fighting the urge to want to escape the dungeons and graveyards quickly, as the air about the places you visit in this game is extremely unsettling.

The biggest gameplay element in the game is collecting coins, which can be used to buy important items from the faceless men hiding in the dens. Your first weapon is attained this way, and it is basically the only thing you use frequently in the entire game. A couple puzzles did stump me in the first dungeon, but after that I found myself breezing through the game. Most of the bosses provided considerable challenge however, even though the only reason you have to fight them is to escape their dungeons. The save points in the game are really well done however. Unlike most games, the save points are so creepy, that you actually feel less safe when you use them. On top of that, the music that plays when you do use them is...nonetheless, probably the creepiest thing in the game.

The art style of this game is amazing, it takes precedent over the more average gameplay. The music is also quite amazing. It’s a mix of demented lullabies and deep throaty demonic whispers that makes your stomach churn. It may have been over-hyped, but I personally think that, for what it tries to give, it doesn’t really disappoint, and I loved every minute of it when I was playing it, even though it was also an unsettling experience. Did I mention the game is unsettling?