I agree!

Yeah, this guy here has it all down... because this is probably one of the strangest RM* games I've played to date. And when I say strange, I do not merely suggest one single aspect of the game, but rather the full extent of the brief (yet still a good two hours), psychadelic pixel trip that flashed on my screen.

Gameplay & Flow - 3.5/5:

Barkley uses Chaos Dunk! ... but nothing happens

I'd really like to omit the battles from this category but seeing as they are an integral part of the game, it'd really just be turning a blind eye to some of the problems within this game.

"... So what? Does it play bad?"
"No; in fact, battles are smooth and looks good."
"Well, is it too hard, is the game unbalanced?"
"No, maybe a bit easy, but that's all."
"Is it fun?"
"..." - Yeah, there you hit the spot. Battles look really good and flow well, despite the generally aggrivating rm2k3 battlesystem, but combat is boring... boring as hell. There is nothing more to an enemy encountering than mashing attack until the enemy is dead - the problem is; neither you nor the enemy are capable of dealing sufficient amount of damage. Even if your character(s) are given a small variety of offensive skills (consisting of purely damage-dealing with or without elemental afflictions), none of them seems to be more effective than attacking simply because there's less buttons involved in selecting attack! I mean, sure, simplicity works but to some extent but this really felt like there was no thought behind battling, at all. FORTUNATELY we're not talking random encounters, which would have been a disaster for a game like this, especially since the experience curve is really high and difficulty is non-existing.


Yeah, atleast KoG agrees that Kung-fu Panda was a pretty terrible idea...?

Everything else - went a pretty strong balancing between awesome puzzles/minigames to seemingly untested bugfests (no offense here). Speaking of bugs and glitches, this demo has alot of them - although I won't drag this review because of it (I'm terrible at testing for bugs myself), it is suggested that an updated release with extensive bugfixing be put up soon enough (heh). It's interesting how out of the two only ABS battles (what is this??!!) I encountered, one flowed pretty well and was a refreshing change from the regular battles, and the other one not only felt really bad executed, but also broke the game.

When mentioning the setting (below) this game has alot of extras (or at least I think they're extras) and awards exploration in a manner which is reminds me alot of the Zelda-games.

Disregarding the incredible dullness that are the battle mechanics and occuring bugs, the minigames find in this game are generally entertaining and fun.

Plot & Setting - 2/5:

Blablabla, yeah and that dancing dude steals the show, now move on

Since Monstrous Wars at this point is fairly short, there really isn't much time to develop the proper storyline or plot but also, due to the schizophrenic nature of the disjointed limbs that makes out the current demo, it is impossible to really grasp the defining and interesting aspects of the ongoing plot.

After a pretty well-made, seemingly standard fantasy-esqué heroes, wars and evil wizards awakening this or that evil, then being defeated, we are brought to follow the events of the common sword-wielding, hairstyled teenager whose name is Toshi - apparently also running from slimes in the games other intro-part. After some adventures of the everyday life of our hero, we are suddenly faced with something that seems like world-destruction and after an apparently grave injury, you become stranded in the big city.

This is basically where the plots makes a huge halt; it just doesn't go anywhere... or it goes everywhere, seeing as a major change in setting (read below) just occured. We're giving options to free-roam the pretty big city and explore some different areas and sub-plots, but there's no drive in the plot and there doesn't seem to be anything happening that's relevant to the character (also, read below) or player perspective.
This is where the characters/dialouge, setting and graphical clashes really affect the narrative-experience.

The pacing of the storytelling and it's incredibly odd cutscenes leaves you more confused than intrigued... not to say that what's going on isn't interesting, but rather; is it relevant? What am I watching - is it really happening or is it some odd dream? People around talk about some gods and lots of catastrophical events but it... doesn't get to me.

So this is a fantasy game, amirite? The colorful village, saving-owls and the classic blacksmith... that's where you're wrong! As you gradually progress from fighting slimes and bees in the forest, you'll soon find yourself in murky tech-corridors, "repairing" computers, only to be thrown back in the common cathedral/shrine, facing dragons and wizards. But then! You're thrown into a big modern gray cityscape with only the occasional trees and playgrounds - only to enter a high-tech laboratory with lasers, big-screen monitors and holograms. In the final stages of the demo, you're in somekind of virtual reality which is set in a highly post-apocalyptic junkyard.


Toshi, that's binary for "go fuck youself, you would-be-jrpg-stereotype!"

In short, the problem here is a basic plot that doesn't feel fitting for the rest of the games overly trippy atmosphere and...

Characters & Dialouge - 3.5/5:

Man, do I have to see social satire everywhere I look?! I really just want to get on with my escapist dreamworld of depressing cities with suffering people and poisonous atmosphere...

... Mysteriously phrased dialouge. Yeah, the dialouge is either really oddly phrased (I recognize the occasional GW-hinting here and there) or really well-written. A bit pompous at times, but for the most part, it is remarkably witty and short enough to not break the flow or seem angsty. I don't know if it is just me but I really like the writing, dialouge and small extras popping up here and there. Of course, it isn't spectacular all the way through but some people are just right-through boring, aren't they? Now, that being said, most people you talk to aren't really going to give you any predictable responses whatsoever - some will be really strange, some will sing, some will explode... yeah, TRIPPY.

My main gripe here has to actually to do with a single character, aptly the one chosen for, what seems to be, the main protagonist; Toshi. Not considering the wierd mix of settings and dialouge, after playing one and a half hours of the game, I still have no idea who Toshi is, what his goals are and what relevance he has in the plot overall (except for his remarkably trippy dreams that seems to develop further towards the end of the demo) and why I should care; his brother that makes some appearences has more definition, carries more characterization and is generally a more interesting character than the lead.

Due, not only to the lack of dialouge but also linking to the plot & setting gripes, I cannot even being to phantom why, after getting to the big city, my character Toshi had a need to visit the mayor, going through the trouble faking to be a reporter of somekind just to... ask him some questions any guy on the street could've told him? Basically what I'm saying is that there are alot of interesting characters and interaction but I have absolutely no idea who my character, Toshi, is, why I have to go through the various tasks presented to me.

Graphics & Level Design - 4.5/5:

W-what is this, I don't even--

Let me start off by saying that this game LOOKS FANTASTIC, and it's visuals gets more and more impressive the further you progress in the demo. There's minor details to everything, sprites move, run, talk, dance, laugh, mirrors/water reflects, there are animals, birds, fumes, fog and in later stages, awesome mapping detail over impressive panoramas that create an immense atmosphere. I know the amount of work that was ATLEAST put into something like this, judging from personal experiences, but in this demo it really shows of the work and dedication put into every single detail; it enhances the game experience to a great degree and really motivates exploration before you knew there was also game-related rewards to be gained.

Even if some of the dungeons have good layouts, there's quite a few problems with exiting this direction, enter the opposite, which is really annoying and also I have a gripe with some confusing locales. "Can I walk under this?" "Where do I exit the screen?" "Do I push a button here, or can I walk on it?" and general inconsistensy problems with interactive objects on the screen; what can I search through and how does it stand out from the rest of the scenery?

These small gripes aren't really as important as the a major issue with this game; GRAPHICAL CLASHES. There's not only the small ones, where using CT-tall sprites, mixed with RTP-sized ones, customjobs and what not popping up here, talking authors and sources; whereas Final Fantasy 6, Theodore, Mac&Blue, Dajhail and various ripped chipsets don't mix style-wise - it's more a question of ambience really.


We're the inquisition. We interrogate those how commit crimes of inconsistency-craft! You will now burn at the stake!

I mean, even storywise, starting off light-hearted, light graphics, full of colour, life, animals, grass and trees, layers of cliffs and the general marvels of nature. Then, suddenly, plated corridors, dark lockerrooms filled with bugs, boxes blocking exits - going futher with dark streets and smog-filled air, rounded with some more "sophisticated" 19th century-styled interiors - to matrix-styled spaceship interiors and then total apocalypse? Of course it feels as psychadelic as the story and dialouge implies, but it also screams inconsistency.

Musics & Sound - 5/5:

la

Really, I found the music in this game to be awesome. To start off - I'm not sure wether there was a random battletune evented or just changed for good measure but either way - it really caught my ears. I believe there are some rips here and there (unfortunately one of them was a Chrono Trigger one, but only
for about 10 seconds, while the other was Castlevania: Cirlcle of the Moon which is AWESOME in my book) but really, KoG did a great job of putting this soundtrack together and the music really fits the game perfectly.

Sounds... well, given the amounts of extra detail put into this, it would work with the appropriate use of soundeffects in the right places. Simply-put, consider this a well-done category aswell.

Final Thoughts

I thought it was going to be harder to review this game it really turned out to be... but saying that, I can also clearly state that this is the TRIPPIEST and most psychadelic RM game I've played yet. And in terms of indie-games in general, it really keeps up! Damn, man, I think we have a winner!
Final Score - 4/5:

We're getting there, my goth-panda friend

Given some time for refurbishing (bug-issues among them), ALONG with the actual completion of the game will probably add this to one of the best RM*games I've played as of late. Also, note that I hate giving scores - I feel like one of those people who can't be satisfied with proper feedback and rate all games with between 4 and 4.5, regardless of what's written in the actual review.

"Man, this game is awesome" - Mr.Nemo, countless times during playing Monstrous Wars.