VACANT SKY acts I, II, and III.

Introduction
Alright, for this review, I am going to review each act as if it were a separate game. This is because I have heard how different each act is, and I want to highlight any progression/regression seen throughout each individual release. (Note: I wrote each review after finishing an act individually, not after completing all 3). Also, to avoid spoilers, I’ve merely decided to directly point out the game’s flaws and achievements, hopefully to help the author to understand what I personally believes works, and what doesn’t. In other words, this review is aimed more towards the creator than the general public.

ACT 1
(I didn’t read the author’s comment about getting a new download for Act I before reviewing until after getting through it… I apologize for that, however, I still feel that much of this review is relevant to the overall experience, carrying over into the other acts).

Plot and Dialogue 2.5/5
The dialogue in this game is rarely stilted, and Sailerius was careful when handling each piece. Auria has her own personality that is easily distinguishable from the other characters in the game, however, I felt that the other characters lacked her presence. While the dialogue flowed naturally between characters in every scene, the supporting characters leave a very hollow impression upon the player. I feel that this is the biggest problem with the writing as a whole, but it could easily be fixed up if Sai were to give the supporting cast a little more presence of voice.
The story itself unravels quite slowly in this Act, but it does have some redeeming qualities. The format in which the plot unfolds is very well done, beginning with scenes from the villains’ point of view before allowing the audience to become acquainted with our main protagonist. In playing this particular act, it became quickly apparent that it relies more on setting up the story than on gameplay. I understand why this was done, but it is my belief that many players will be turned off of the barrage of cutscenes and will quit before getting into the “real” gameplay. My suggestion, if Sai is still fixing this act up a bit, is to add some more gameplay. This could include new areas to explore along the way, a couple little side quests here and there, or even a few grinding areas closer to the beginning of the game.

Graphics 4/5
The art is beautiful in this game, and definitely recognizably different from any other RPG I’ve ever played, both commercial and non. The character faces are without a doubt my favorite part of playing this game so far. Resources are extremely well used too, and some of the backgrounds (like for instance, in the first town) create the perfect atmosphere. The menu system is pleasing to the eyes, and I was very impressed with the drawn out maps (accessible through one’s inventory).
Where the graphics lose points is in the design. At one point I was going to try and write down all of the passability issues, until I realized how many of them there were throughout. Also, there were a couple times when I was at a loss where to go. Entering houses from the side is quite acceptable, but it is important to draw attention to these entrances (yeah, I got lost looking for the cell phone store). Some of us players aren’t as observant as we’d like to think, and we need certain things handed to us (especially at the beginning of a game).

Sound 5/5
A custom soundtrack? Yes! There isn’t much I can say about the music except that it really fit well with the game. While I have no complaints, I would have liked for it to change up a little bit more than it did (when a scene changes to black at a point of high tension, the music should really switch to something urgent or dire). Also, there is voice acting! Awesome. That really helped, because up until I heard Auria’s voice for the first time, I was picturing some whiny, depressed, tired girl’s voice to go along with her rather excruciating thoughts to herself (emo). Hearing the lines from the more upbeat sounding voice actress helped me to like her a tad bit more.

Gameplay 1.5/5
What can I say? There isn’t much of it. I didn’t appreciate dying in the tutorial battle either. As I’ve stated before, this game is very plot heavy and does not rely much on its gameplay the way I suspect Act 2 and 3 will. Also, I believe a few more areas or minigames or sidequests or whatever could help to keep people playing. To comment on the battles, they’re really pretty bad. It takes 3 or four direct hits from an enemy to kill an ally (like, right away), and when I’m fighting 3 baddies at a time and haven’t found any decent items yet… well, you get the picture.



ACT 2

Plot and Dialogue 3.5/5
Where this act really shines is in its writing. While I found many of the cutscenes to go on a little too long at times, the conversations are livelier, and characters show much more personality than before. I still don’t like Auria all that much, but this is by far not the first RPG to feature an annoying emo in the leading role, so I’ll deal.
I won’t give away spoilers here, but there are a few twists and turns along the way that move the story along. The plot is definitely strengthened in this chapter of the game, but it’s still rather difficult to be invested in these characters given how slowly things progressed in the first act. Nevertheless, there are a few interesting moments to be had, and some difficult choices to be made.

Graphics 4.5/5
Again, the art is incredible.
In terms of design, the passability errors from the first act do not carry over into this one (or at least, not that I noticed). Each area is relatively easy to navigate your way around, and at no point did I feel overwhelmed by stagnant or repetitive landscapes.
My only issue, small as it is, is that there was very little room to avoid monster parties in the dungeon areas. It just made very little sense not having random encounters when you’re basically forced to fight a majority of the battles anyway.

Sound 5/5
There is little else that I can say that I didn’t say in my Act 1 review. It is very fitting, and never annoying. Kudos!

Gameplay 2/5
Perhaps I’m alone in this view, but grudgingly hard battles do not a great game make. I was very happy to see that different gameplay modes were offered this time: easy, medium, and hard. Hating my experiences with the difficulty level of act 1, I opted to play in easy mode. While this does make battles a little easier, I’m still left mostly with a party of characters who only take 3 or 4 hits to go down. And it does nothing to stop those enemies’ whopping critical hit attacks, which will knock you out in 2 hits if done simultaneously. I understand this was all done to try and make battles seem more tactical, but there’s nothing tactical about endlessly tapping the space bar to kill enemies each and every encounter (the special attacks all take up way too much SP to be of much use to me, so you’re forced into being extremely conservative with it). If SP usage had been adjusted a bit, I think it would be a much more enjoyable experience (even if it’s only done for easy mode).
Aside from battles, you’re still basically just trudging from one town to the next in search of the next major cutscene.
The one thing that was done better in this act was the customization. Having a big, full party, and many new skills available to me made character customization much more useful this time around. Many of the skills were actually really well handled too, but then the SP shortage creeps up on you all too quickly. One thing that I would have liked to see was more customization for the other party members, as many of these cool features are only available to Auria.



ACT 3

Plot and Dialogue 2.5/5
I found this act, storywise, to be the cap to the end of the game. It basically felt like it was preparing you for the final bout of your journey. The dialogue was still on par with the second act, but characters also still seemed rather dull.
There are some “bad endings” that can be achieved throughout this act, and apparently two main ones. While multiple endings are often a good idea, and it gives the player the ability to play more of a role in the story, much of this felt like you were being asked, “do you want the bad ending now, or would you like to continue playing?” and unfortunately, that’s how this tacked on addition felt. While I didn’t achieve every ending, for this particular game, it ultimately didn’t feel very necessary to have them included at all. Knowing that there is a “correct” ending that will lead into the next volume took away the meaning of having other endings, for me. As with many aspects of this game, I understand why the creator tried it, it just didn’t achieve the desired effects.

Graphics 5/5
I had to bend to the 5 on this one because the menu system has been overhauled and looks beautiful. I think when these acts are put together into one complete edition, it will be commonly perceived as one of the best looking RMXP games available.

Sound 5/5
Again, can’t say much more about it.


Gameplay 3/5
This act gives you a new set of game modes that attempts to further improve gameplay for players who suck at this game (like me). They are Beginner, Novice, and… I forget. Something that described itself as basically impossible.
I’m not going to repeat all of the new additions act iii had over its predecessors here, as you can all read them on the game’s main page. I will say this, however, they were much needed, and made for quite the improvement. I think if all of these tweaks were added to the full edition of the game, more people would be interested in this game (aside from just the story).



Final Comments

VACANT SKY really wasn’t the game for me. I didn’t like the characters, and there was minimal gameplay on an overall very linear path. However, I do not regret playing this game. The graphical art is something of a spectacle, and not to be missed by anyone who can appreciate it. The music is most fitting, and quite varied throughout. For anyone who does like story driven RPGs with an emphasis on cutscenes, it is highly recommendable on that basis alone. Looking at these acts as part of the whole, it feels like a complete and solid experience, and something that I think everyone should at least give a try. When Sailerius finally packs these together, and Act III’s features have been implemented throughout, I’m expecting an even more impressive piece of work with a very loyal following of fans.

3.5/5