Everlong

As I promised when I wrote something on the summary page of this game, I would like to give a review. Before I start, I would like to give a clue that the first time I played this game was in my late primary school (I was probably 5 or 6th grader), besides playing Legend of Mana and Suikoden 2 using PS Emulator. It was around Win XP time back then. I watched my older sister played the earliest version of this game (and also playing). My sister finished the game and started the Game+ mode, while I couldn't finish it as our PC was broken after that.

Went to high school, our PC had better specs. I downloaded the newer version (it was between 3.22 or 3.27). There were minor: minor changes here and there of the storyline, the change from Ether to Tincture, changes in some place names. But, the rest was still the same Everlong I knew: the odd battle where Vetu was an easy prey, the very-hard-to-acquire skills in Skill Shards, unlimited money when all chars were in level 90+, little glitches during battles (rage mode in monster, even though the monster 'raged' had vanished), font didn't work properly, etc (Sigfried's review says it all). However, I finished them last year, because I was stuck battling Guardian Aquaron before I went to other city to continue my study in uni. I planned to write a review, then, but I forgot.

Apparently, I just knew yesterday that this game has been updated to v3.32. I was curious with the update, so I downloaded it and I'm starting a new game after some time finishing the previous version. I'm so surprised that there are noticable changes from the lastest version I played. I'm not going to rate the gameplay and the storyline alone. Here, I would like to point out the improvement of the game.

Storyline
I'm quite amazed that the lines in conversation throughout the story has improved. The storyline, too, has improved. I mean, the story still uses the same frame as the previous versions, but there are new scenes. When I say new scenes, I really say so. I'm nowhere half the game in this version, but I can asy I like the improvement of the storyline. I also like the fact that the characters' traits and the conversation becomes more realistic. I remember that when I played the earliest ver. of this game, I was mocking Glen in my heart for naming the Blackguard "Brad", just because the Blackguard was amnesia, forgetting all of his memories except his urge to take revenge on Altair and Cirigoth, and he wore a belt from Bradley&Co.

Gameplay
Now let's talk about the gameplay. I have noted down some points during my early experience of playing this game. Of course, I will add other points of gameplay later during my gaming experience.
- Actually, I had noticed that Tyr-Anox and Cirigoth armies have faces in their dialogue box in the previous version, as well as a cat in Cornstock (?) and a dog in one of the eastern villages in Western Continent. What I like is that DJC adds new characters to be involved in the story, although not all of them are involved in the battlefield (like Delilah's father and a demon summoned by Altair, the conversation with Gang members in Golem's Pass before the combat, etc).
- In this version, the skills is more accessible than before. For example, you can get Sammy's Holy Wrath before he battles the tree spirit in the forest. You can get Azrael (was Brad in previous versions)acquire more skills (and Psyche) in level 25 (while it's really hard for you to get the most basic skills in the previous versions), etc.
- Until I played on v3.22/3.27, I always felt awkward in playing either groups after they were separated when they crossed the river. I sensed impairment of PATK, MATK, and speed between Glen's team (Glen, Meredith, Justin, Vetu), Sammy's team (Sammy, Julia, Drakeor, Keen), and the pair Vixen and Willis. You see, Glen and Justin are swordsmen, but Glen is also a sort of elemental guy, which helps Vetu. Besides, Meredith, Justin, and Vetu are bloodsucker when they have acquired fancier skills. That made the usage of potion become less when using Glen's first team before uniting. However, this privilege didn't (and perhaps doesn't) happen in Sammy's team, also Vixen and Willis. In terms of healing, Sammy's team was better than Glen's as there were Sammy and Julia who could heal the whole team and Drakeor could heal himself, but I saw that only Sammy and Drakeor who possess 'elementals'. Their combination of elementals was a bit awkward for me, compared to Glen's team. As for Vixen and Willis, I wondered why Vixen's damage was so-so, although she's not a healer. I was (and am okay) with Willis, although I was a bit awkward with some of his skills. I was feeling awkward, too, with the spending points of some skills, which was somewhat a bit too pricey, while the use or damage wasn't worth it. I had forgot which spells were pricey for the use. Well, I feel like the normal ATK of the characters have improved in v3.32 and more equal. Well, this is just my guess, tho, so I can be wrong.
- Money system. One of the things I realized earlier in the game is money system. In the previous versions, you'll see the gold is quite easy to earn and you'll be wondering how to spend your 999999999+ G if you have reached advance levels. Items are quite cheap, you can save money from buying equipment and weapon in shops as you get better ones in dungeons, etc. Here in v3.32, the money faces denomination and you'll get very small amount of money from your hunting. BUT, the prices of equipment, weaponry, and potions are also adjusted. Some of them are super cheap (like herbs and some weapons), yet some other are very expensive (Tincture, which once was named Ether in the earliest version, costs 50, while Tent costs half. It used to be vice versa in the previous game)
- The traders are quite useless in the previous versions. I can say that in most of my encounter with traders in the previous versions, I can rarely trade anything since what I have cannot be traded with what they offer. In v3.32, I can do that as an alternative of acquiring potions.
- Font in v3.32 is fixed, yet the software doesn't run in full screen, not like the previous versions. But, the font is fixed, tho. In the previous version, the font can't be used properly in newer Windows (well, I played the earliest ver. of this game in WinXP, then I played for the second time in Win7, then in Win8).
- New SFX and interface. I notice new SFX when aborting menu, when I choose a command/menu, etc. I also notice the logos on the left side of battle commands and menu. It's okay, tho, although I like the menu and command without small pictures beside them. I feel a little bit awkward with the characters' stats shown after the battle. I prefer Suikoden 2's afterbattle characters' stats interface. But, it's a good thing, tho, for an oldschool JRPG style game like Everlong. I also feel a little bit awkward with the characters' short stats, money, how many percent EXP they acquire on the top of the game when pressing Z to choose the menu categories (Menu, Skill Shard, Maps, etc). I feel so as I never saw them in the previous versions. By the way, I love the foe's HP, AP, and Speed bar. It really helps, although I'm not used to the change from MP to AP.
- I notice there are changes in some dungeon maps (e.g., hideout cave for Glen and other escapees of Tyr-Anox), Golem's Pass, etc. I like that.
- Change in names. I'm a bit surprise with name changes. I'm always used to see Brad as the Blackguard's name, yet it's newly changed to Azrael. I'm used to see Cirigon as name of a black knight riding black horse as a boss in Portown (now becomes Mariner's Landing). Some of spells and towns have their name changed, too, like Mariner's Landing (used to be Portown), the bride crossing from Golem's Pass have a name, so on and so forth. For someone who has played the previous version of this game like me, name changes are always surprising and I always have this awkward feeling. But I'll try to make myself used to it.
- I haven't yet arrived to a fire in Justin's castle in v3.32, but I saw glitches in the battlefield there in the previous versions. After the triggered monsters had died, trigger electrocute still appeared, I don't know if this is fixed in v3.32 or not. I'll give an update later.

This is only my confusion while playing the game. Why some people refer the Tyr-Anox as Tyr-Anon (as well as Cirigon when refering Cirigoth)? Isn't it the castle name? I don't know how to call the troops, Tyr-Anox and Cirigoth or Tyr-Anon and Cirigon?

I give this 4 stars for the improvements DJC offers in this game. I know, anybody of you, who play this for the first time or for the x-th time would have different opinion about the rating. I believe there is always a room for improvement for any games, including this one, but I really do appreciate DJC's effort to improve the game, to give better gaming experience for anybody who downloaded this game. I can see that there are noticable changes (which is in a good way) in newer versions. That's why I give 4 stars. Let other players give more reviews.