Introduction

Born under the Rain is another entry in the McBacon Jam #1 contest and is arguably the best entry in the contest based on what I've experienced so far. Although, I hae to admit a bit more of a fondness for Ruin Frontier, but I attribute at least part of that to my love of mecha and my lack of interest in ancient Egyptian mythology. I guess, my love for that was sort of killed by The Mummy Returns (2001), Scorpion King (2002), Stargate (1994), and I'm sure I could think of a host of other movies and TV shows that have killed my interest in this ancient pantheon of gods. Still, I shouldn't let my own personal baggage get in the way of enjoying a game and Born under the Rain is a very solid game that I manage any fan of RPGs could enjoy.

Story

You play as Masud a man who has done a terrible thing and is now stuck in the body of a mummy. Worse yet he has to listen to the petulant whinings of the body's former owner, Odion. Though to lift the curse you'll need to find and smash Anuket's Tear. Though along the way you team up with a pair of treasure hunters that are after the tear for their own reasons. Will you save yourself or will you aid the treasure hunters who are on a quest far more noble then your own?

Though the real strength of the narrative isn't in the overall plot, but in the strength of the characters on display here. There various problems and character moments help to give them a shade depth that a lot of RPG Maker games just don't seem to have.

Gameplay

Born under the Rain features turn-based combat with a non-random encounters. Battles will start once you've come into contact with an enemy that is in a set location on the field in order to hinder your progress. This aspect of the game allows for the developer's to control the strength of the player to a certain extent and allows for boss battles that are challenging, but not overwhelming.

To further enhance the system each of the character's has four default skills but can gain an additional four skills based on their equipment. This helps add a strategic sense to the fights since you need to consider both your stat gains and the usefulness of the ability to equipment offers. It makes for an interesting trade-off between power and skill. To further add to the strategic nature of the system certain abilities are limited in how frequently you can use them in any one engagement.

The game also makes a smart move in changing things up every now and again with a few simple puzzles as well.

Graphics

On the visual side of things the game definitely makes the player feel like they are in ancient Egypt.

Sound

The original soundtrack is pretty good and helps add to the feel of being in ancient Egypt as well.

Conclusion

Born under the Rain is a rather solid little title that features solid gameplay in conjunction with a story that helps enhance your motivation for continuing to play. The game is definitely one of the better titles on the site which is impressive considering it was made in a matter of weeks by people that usually don't work together.