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Reviewer power! Maaaaake UP!
Marrend- 02/17/2015 06:55 PM
- 1728 views
Game Title: Sailor Moon - The Silver Millennium
Engine: RPG Maker VX Ace
Status at review: Complete
Background:
My knowledge of the Sailor Moon mythos extends only so far as the few episodes of the show that I watched when it aired on Cartoon Network in the early 2000's. Which is to say not much at all. Though, for full disclosure, I did play Sailor Moon - Another Story. In any event, I didn't expect to understand all the references a game like this would make. However, it was not my aim to review this game based on it's merits as a Sailor Moon fan-game. It was my aim to review based on how it fairs as a game in a general sense. How well did it work out? Read on!
Graphics/Audio:
I may not be a huge fan of VX Ace-generated face-sets. However, I'm surprised by how much the game gets out of them. Character sprites are spot-on, as far as I'm concerned. Mapping... could probably use a bit of work. There were a lot of wide-open areas (some of them having obvious lag) and dungeons that were obviously generated using Ace's random dungeon creator.
As for the audio, well, for one thing, there's a mess-ton of files in this audio directory. No doubt, taken from various Sailor Moon games and/or sources. Which is understandable, for a fan-game. However, it gets a little silly when being inside buildings has a different theme than wandering towns. I dunno, call me conservative, but this seems a bit much.
Story:
Queen Serenity presides over Earthlings and Lunarians alike in an age of peace and prosperity. However, where there is light, a shadow is cast. The yet-unborn heir to the lunar kingdom is an especially bright light, and the shadow seeks to claim it for itself!
Playing the game:
This game is a story-driven game above all other things. There are no side-quests to be had, and the plot is quite linear. This makes a certain amount of sense, as the game is, essentially, a giant prequel to Sailor Moon. It may be a fan-game, and may take liberties with the mythos, but, at some point, it must suppose that certain events must occur in order for things to turn out the way they did.
In any event, below is a compilation of stream-of-consciousness notes that I took playing the game. Expect spoilers, amongst other things.
What the... Is this really the origin story for this series? Well, it might not really matter. It's the origin story for this game, and that's all that matters.
Showing pictures when you load or save a game, huh? I think I can understand what you might be thinking with this move. However, the time to load or save games is almost irrelevant for RPG Maker games. I dunno, I feel like I'm coming off very meanly, here, but, to me, it just feels like unnecessary fluff.
Darigaaz, these maps are huge! I mean, I understand that this is a palace, and all, and that they tend to be on the large side. I dunno. I kinda like how there's a treasure to find on most maps, so there is that.
That Rose equipment looks insanely powerful.
This map that I teleport to when I get to Earth lags really badly. How many events are on this map?
Beryl? The name sounds oddly familiar. The "final boss" of season 1? Might want to look that up at some point.
Yeah, this Rose basically allows me to curb-stop all the enemies ever. Even the bosses I've been fighting have been push-overs.
Now Sailor Venus, and no more Rose. Okay, let's get this game started for real!
Hrm. This desert that players get access to after getting the sleeping sickness herb is also pretty large.
Is that a dead end with no treasure. BOOOOO!
I passed a clipped-off palm tree somewhere in this desert. Damn, I probably should have screenshotted that.
Interesting. So, I fell down a hole into a cave whose structure is... oddly reminiscent of something the random dungeon generator might make.
Is this a chapter select? Hrm. Seems like it. Ooookay, let's just run with Jupiter's chapter, then.
What's with these single-enemy battles an Ganymede? The fights don't last long enough to get to Queen Serenity's turn, or for enemies to get a turn.
Another aside while I'm at it: What's the deal with money? I've barely spend any this game. I might have bought... something during Chapter 1, but most of the stuff I have has been found in chests or from enemies. Though, I suppose this isn't necessarily a point of complaint. More an observation.
Your turn, Mercury! Darigaaz, you're level 6!? Oh boy.
Aaaaand, we are set upon with an escort mission. So I actually want to avoid fights. Well, let's just see how this goes.
Aaaaand, we're back to Queen Serenity. Not sure what to make of that. Though, I can't help but to notice a bit of lag with this town.
Okay, so, there's a few things in this shop that catch my eye. But, I dunno. Considering my track record, and how this party has been performing, I don't really feel a need to buy anything.
Hrm. Not quite sure how to progress from here. Mercury was going south when we last saw her, so I would assume I would go north to meet up with her. Though, to be fair, my characters don't know that. Do I have to talk to a specific person, then? Hrm...
Huh. Apparently, I managed to skip over visiting that one large building. *shrugs*
Random encounters on top of on-screen encounters? Innnnteresting.
Mercury's chapter's done, and she's level 11 to everybody else's level 20-ish. No doubt, she's going to lag behind for the rest of the game. See, this is one of the disadvantages of setting an initial level!
Well, let's see how Mars stacks up.
Ooookaaaay, why is my speed reduced after getting to the survivor's compound? I don't like it. Especially if it stays this way. Which I highly suspect will happen.
Oh, okay. Speed has returned after Rei joins. Weird. I still don't like it.
Darigaaz, Rei, why are you level 5? Is there actually supposed to be an order to these chapters?
Okay, that was a ton of events that just happened. In fact, there was a whole chapter of nothing but events?
No offense, but the voice-over that (I presume) comes from Princess Serenity after battle is really annoying.
Now, I know I'm supposed to be here at the Sea of Tranquility for shopping, but, according to my various lists, I... already had the items in question? Maybe I should have tried talking to the Queen before coming all the way out here to test the event structure, but, oh well.
Ooooh, I didn't have a carrot. Derp!
Of course Serenity gets kidnapped.
Why can I not dash on this map? Because of the cold? That's... kinda lame.
But I can dash on the next map. Ooookaaaaaay?
More split-ups and globetrotting, eh?
Thinking back to Mars' Chapter a bit. What if I went there first, like her starting level suggested? That boss was on the tough side for the four-person party I had. If I did Mars first, I would only have Mars and Venus for that fight. Unless the game can somehow "detect" what chapters have been done (and therefore, party-size), and adjust the difficulty, I would probably be overwhelmed by that boss way to quickly, and basically rage-quit. Though, this is all very much supposition.
Bit of out-of-order sequencing, here. I just left the town on Neptune after going through some imposters, then I get an event with a few citizens telling me about the imposters.
Nothing says "final boss" like having half a million HP!
I'm finding it utterly hilarious that my most effective attack is Venus' Double Attack, which does over 2000 damage on each hit. Though, the Venus Love and Beauty Shock is interesting. The fight's still going to take forever, though.
I'm also finding it hilarious that the only warrior in this party that could survive the one attack that deals 3500 damage... is Venus.
What the heck, game? I almost had that boss! Just one more turn! But, nooooo, you had to give the boss a two-attack turn with the 3500 damage attack.
I'm supposed to loose that fight, apparently. So, wait, what's the damn point, then? If that was a battle players are not supposed to win, why let it last this long? Why give the illusion that players can actually win? This is just... incredibly frustrating!
Okay, there's apparently a kind of post-game play after the credits-roll.
I may not have personally seen the episode, but this sequence feels like the episode where Sailor Venus joins the Sailor Scouts in the show.
General Observations:
There are some odd passabilities in this game. Certain tiles (like flowers) are considered obstacles, and they really shouldn't be. It makes getting around places a bit more convoluted than it should be at times.
Maybe it's just the equipment I had (ie: Roses for everybody), but, the magic attacks (which are the trademark moves) are typically weaker than the physical attack skills that the scouts have access too. One would expect the trademark abilities would be the focus of combat for a game like this.
Summary:
While I may not care for a number of decisions that were made about the game, and how it plays, I generally had fun with it. I can't say that I'd recommend it, in a general sense. To fans of Sailor Moon? Sure.
BOTTOM LINE: 3/5
Side note on ratings (since there is/was/will be somewhat of a spate on what rating means what between each user):
1/5 -> Terrible. Forget about hitting an audience. The game is so bug-ridden, or otherwise unplayable, that what entertainment can be found in the game has a hard time coming to the surface.
2/5 -> Bad but playable. I had a poor experience with the game. When played by a player the game actually caters to, it would serve it's purpose.
3/5 -> Average. A solid experience, but snags somewhere along the line cause it to be held back from being "good".
4/5 -> Good. I enjoyed the experience, and have no qualms supporting it if was considered for a featured game (if it wasn't featured already).
5/5 -> Excellent. Among the paragons of gaming experiences, and instant feature material in my humble opinion (if it wasn't featured already).
Engine: RPG Maker VX Ace
Status at review: Complete
Background:
My knowledge of the Sailor Moon mythos extends only so far as the few episodes of the show that I watched when it aired on Cartoon Network in the early 2000's. Which is to say not much at all. Though, for full disclosure, I did play Sailor Moon - Another Story. In any event, I didn't expect to understand all the references a game like this would make. However, it was not my aim to review this game based on it's merits as a Sailor Moon fan-game. It was my aim to review based on how it fairs as a game in a general sense. How well did it work out? Read on!
Graphics/Audio:
I may not be a huge fan of VX Ace-generated face-sets. However, I'm surprised by how much the game gets out of them. Character sprites are spot-on, as far as I'm concerned. Mapping... could probably use a bit of work. There were a lot of wide-open areas (some of them having obvious lag) and dungeons that were obviously generated using Ace's random dungeon creator.
As for the audio, well, for one thing, there's a mess-ton of files in this audio directory. No doubt, taken from various Sailor Moon games and/or sources. Which is understandable, for a fan-game. However, it gets a little silly when being inside buildings has a different theme than wandering towns. I dunno, call me conservative, but this seems a bit much.
Story:
Queen Serenity presides over Earthlings and Lunarians alike in an age of peace and prosperity. However, where there is light, a shadow is cast. The yet-unborn heir to the lunar kingdom is an especially bright light, and the shadow seeks to claim it for itself!
Playing the game:
This game is a story-driven game above all other things. There are no side-quests to be had, and the plot is quite linear. This makes a certain amount of sense, as the game is, essentially, a giant prequel to Sailor Moon. It may be a fan-game, and may take liberties with the mythos, but, at some point, it must suppose that certain events must occur in order for things to turn out the way they did.
In any event, below is a compilation of stream-of-consciousness notes that I took playing the game. Expect spoilers, amongst other things.
What the... Is this really the origin story for this series? Well, it might not really matter. It's the origin story for this game, and that's all that matters.
Showing pictures when you load or save a game, huh? I think I can understand what you might be thinking with this move. However, the time to load or save games is almost irrelevant for RPG Maker games. I dunno, I feel like I'm coming off very meanly, here, but, to me, it just feels like unnecessary fluff.
Darigaaz, these maps are huge! I mean, I understand that this is a palace, and all, and that they tend to be on the large side. I dunno. I kinda like how there's a treasure to find on most maps, so there is that.
That Rose equipment looks insanely powerful.
This map that I teleport to when I get to Earth lags really badly. How many events are on this map?
Beryl? The name sounds oddly familiar. The "final boss" of season 1? Might want to look that up at some point.
Yeah, this Rose basically allows me to curb-stop all the enemies ever. Even the bosses I've been fighting have been push-overs.
Now Sailor Venus, and no more Rose. Okay, let's get this game started for real!
Hrm. This desert that players get access to after getting the sleeping sickness herb is also pretty large.
Is that a dead end with no treasure. BOOOOO!
I passed a clipped-off palm tree somewhere in this desert. Damn, I probably should have screenshotted that.
Interesting. So, I fell down a hole into a cave whose structure is... oddly reminiscent of something the random dungeon generator might make.
Is this a chapter select? Hrm. Seems like it. Ooookay, let's just run with Jupiter's chapter, then.
What's with these single-enemy battles an Ganymede? The fights don't last long enough to get to Queen Serenity's turn, or for enemies to get a turn.
Another aside while I'm at it: What's the deal with money? I've barely spend any this game. I might have bought... something during Chapter 1, but most of the stuff I have has been found in chests or from enemies. Though, I suppose this isn't necessarily a point of complaint. More an observation.
Your turn, Mercury! Darigaaz, you're level 6!? Oh boy.
Aaaaand, we are set upon with an escort mission. So I actually want to avoid fights. Well, let's just see how this goes.
Aaaaand, we're back to Queen Serenity. Not sure what to make of that. Though, I can't help but to notice a bit of lag with this town.
Okay, so, there's a few things in this shop that catch my eye. But, I dunno. Considering my track record, and how this party has been performing, I don't really feel a need to buy anything.
Hrm. Not quite sure how to progress from here. Mercury was going south when we last saw her, so I would assume I would go north to meet up with her. Though, to be fair, my characters don't know that. Do I have to talk to a specific person, then? Hrm...
Huh. Apparently, I managed to skip over visiting that one large building. *shrugs*
Random encounters on top of on-screen encounters? Innnnteresting.
Mercury's chapter's done, and she's level 11 to everybody else's level 20-ish. No doubt, she's going to lag behind for the rest of the game. See, this is one of the disadvantages of setting an initial level!
Well, let's see how Mars stacks up.
Ooookaaaay, why is my speed reduced after getting to the survivor's compound? I don't like it. Especially if it stays this way. Which I highly suspect will happen.
Oh, okay. Speed has returned after Rei joins. Weird. I still don't like it.
Darigaaz, Rei, why are you level 5? Is there actually supposed to be an order to these chapters?
Okay, that was a ton of events that just happened. In fact, there was a whole chapter of nothing but events?
No offense, but the voice-over that (I presume) comes from Princess Serenity after battle is really annoying.
Now, I know I'm supposed to be here at the Sea of Tranquility for shopping, but, according to my various lists, I... already had the items in question? Maybe I should have tried talking to the Queen before coming all the way out here to test the event structure, but, oh well.
Ooooh, I didn't have a carrot. Derp!
Of course Serenity gets kidnapped.
Why can I not dash on this map? Because of the cold? That's... kinda lame.
But I can dash on the next map. Ooookaaaaaay?
More split-ups and globetrotting, eh?
Thinking back to Mars' Chapter a bit. What if I went there first, like her starting level suggested? That boss was on the tough side for the four-person party I had. If I did Mars first, I would only have Mars and Venus for that fight. Unless the game can somehow "detect" what chapters have been done (and therefore, party-size), and adjust the difficulty, I would probably be overwhelmed by that boss way to quickly, and basically rage-quit. Though, this is all very much supposition.
Bit of out-of-order sequencing, here. I just left the town on Neptune after going through some imposters, then I get an event with a few citizens telling me about the imposters.
Nothing says "final boss" like having half a million HP!
I'm finding it utterly hilarious that my most effective attack is Venus' Double Attack, which does over 2000 damage on each hit. Though, the Venus Love and Beauty Shock is interesting. The fight's still going to take forever, though.
I'm also finding it hilarious that the only warrior in this party that could survive the one attack that deals 3500 damage... is Venus.
What the heck, game? I almost had that boss! Just one more turn! But, nooooo, you had to give the boss a two-attack turn with the 3500 damage attack.
I'm supposed to loose that fight, apparently. So, wait, what's the damn point, then? If that was a battle players are not supposed to win, why let it last this long? Why give the illusion that players can actually win? This is just... incredibly frustrating!
Okay, there's apparently a kind of post-game play after the credits-roll.
I may not have personally seen the episode, but this sequence feels like the episode where Sailor Venus joins the Sailor Scouts in the show.
General Observations:
There are some odd passabilities in this game. Certain tiles (like flowers) are considered obstacles, and they really shouldn't be. It makes getting around places a bit more convoluted than it should be at times.
Maybe it's just the equipment I had (ie: Roses for everybody), but, the magic attacks (which are the trademark moves) are typically weaker than the physical attack skills that the scouts have access too. One would expect the trademark abilities would be the focus of combat for a game like this.
Summary:
While I may not care for a number of decisions that were made about the game, and how it plays, I generally had fun with it. I can't say that I'd recommend it, in a general sense. To fans of Sailor Moon? Sure.
BOTTOM LINE: 3/5
Side note on ratings (since there is/was/will be somewhat of a spate on what rating means what between each user):
1/5 -> Terrible. Forget about hitting an audience. The game is so bug-ridden, or otherwise unplayable, that what entertainment can be found in the game has a hard time coming to the surface.
2/5 -> Bad but playable. I had a poor experience with the game. When played by a player the game actually caters to, it would serve it's purpose.
3/5 -> Average. A solid experience, but snags somewhere along the line cause it to be held back from being "good".
4/5 -> Good. I enjoyed the experience, and have no qualms supporting it if was considered for a featured game (if it wasn't featured already).
5/5 -> Excellent. Among the paragons of gaming experiences, and instant feature material in my humble opinion (if it wasn't featured already).
