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Sacred Reviews: Yule's Phoenix

Introduction

"Yule's Phoenix" is a game that leaves me with rather mixed feelings. So much so that I'm not sure where I want to end up on the scale when it comes to this game. On the positive side of the scale the game is meant to be a Secret Santa gift from Starmage to Liberty which gives the game a lot of positive karma in my opinion. On the downside the game lifts a lot of its elements from another project by Starmage. In a way this game feels like the sloppy seconds of another project.

Story
Summary
A short adventure about Liberty being drafted as the chosen savior of everyone's favorite holiday.

Comedy
"Yule's Phoenix" does try to approach certain aspects of the game from a more comedic slant. Sadly the jokes Starmage went for feel even more dated than my GameCube and PS2 combined.



And while normally I'd be able to get behind a game poking fun at itself for going with dated design concepts. The jokes in this game just fall flat for me, but I'm willing to admit that this aspect of the game is highly subjective. After all, some of my co-workers laugh at management for writing notes about the crew needing to work a 7 and 1/2 hour shit in order to get a break, while others are entirely stone faced about it.

Gameplay

"Yule's Phoenix" recycles the combat system from "Once Upon the Woods". So much so that if you played that game then you'll be able to readily beat this game in 10 to 15 minutes. In fact, the only real difference between "Yule's Phoenix" and "Once Upon the Woods" in terms of combat is the difficulty. While, "Once Upon the Woods" would place the player in tight situations where they would need to take down monsters in a certain sequence in order to achieve victory. "Yule's Phoenix" is far more casual. So much so that I'd almost call this game boring. At least if your the kind of RPG veteran that likes to live on the knife's edge when it comes to success.

As for why this game is so much easier than the game it's based on. I'd have to go with that being the result of a few factors. For starters, the game is far more generous when it comes to giving the player HP & MP restoring items. As a result, it's a lot easier for the player to beat the game by simply spamming special skills. Additionally the game includes three playable characters instead of the two you had access to in "Once Upon the Woods". As a result it's a lot easier to keep pace with the enemies since your never in position where your out numbered. And finally the character in this game aren't as fragile as Hansel and Gretel from "Once Upon the Woods". As a result it's a lot easier for the player to simply tank hits and than fire back.

Graphics

"Yule's Phoenix" is a blend of custom and RTP assets. A decision that helps give the game some unique flavor, but largely confines this game to feeling like dozens of other games you can find on this site. And while this doesn't mean the game looks bad. It does mean the game lacks the usual sort of visual flair I've come to expect from Starmage.

Conclusion

"Yule's Phoenix" is a game whose greatest weakness is that it feels so much like "Once Upon the Woods" that it comes across as a mod rather than as it's own game. Add in the lowering of difficulty and the questionable comedy and I'm left with a mod that I really don't care for. On the other hand, this game is short and may appeal to more casual RPG fans. As a result, I'm not sure if I should recommend for or against this project. All I know is that I'm probably not going to be playing this game again anytime soon.

Posts

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Hi thesacredlobo! Thank you so much for posting a review for this game! XD :D Though admittedly, it does have aspects of Once Upon the Woods in it, cause I was kinda in a bit of a hurry before the deadline for the Secret Santa, since holidays and all. >.<

Still, I really appreciate this detailed feedback from you as always! XD :D
author=Starmage
Though admittedly, it does have aspects of Once Upon the Woods in it, cause I was kinda in a bit of a hurry before the deadline for the Secret Santa, since holidays and all.


It's understandable, but leaves me with the feeling that this game is more of a mod for "Once Upon the Woods" rather than its own game.



It also doesn't help that the perimeter for the starting areas for both games once you've entered the dungeon is almost identical.

author=Starmage
Still, I really appreciate this detailed feedback from you as always! XD :D


Your welcome.
Oh my! Yes indeed, thesacredlobo! >.< that's kinda one thing that happened when I rushed a bit with working it due to the deadlines already nearing, and I was very occupied working on my Seasons RMN event game that time that I lost check. >.< I admit that it is really lazy and has no excuses cause I could've done better to at least make the maps more unique from the Hansel and Gretel one. xD :)

But yes, I am thankful nonetheless that you took the time to share your thoughts on the game and play it! ^_^

I was in a hurry, yes, but I did enjoy the creation of this project as my gift for Liberty. xD :)
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