Loop's Quest

I've never challenged myself to make a game in a week or a 10-day event, but if I had, I don't think I'd have come anywhere close to what pianotm has done in such a short time frame. Making a really good game takes considerable time, effort, and knowledge. It's incredible to see what CAN be done when time is limited, and Loop's Quest is a good example. It is a fun little adventure, made for the Golden Age of Game Mak event, which stipulated a game featuring RPG cliches and minimal resources.

STORY:
You play as Loop, a 15-year old girl who happens to have a cult practicing right under her feet in the cellar. Upon discovering the cult, she learned that she is a descendant of the Great Wizard who sealed away the Demon Lord 1000 years ago. It's now up to Loop now to save the world from certain doom. What happens next is a fairly predictable, but still entertaining journey as you set out to follow your destiny.

I found it amusing that Loop never actually talked during the game. Whenever it was her turn to speak, you only saw "...", but the other characters act as if she had given standard replies or said something profound. There isn't much character development to speak of, except for a side plot involving Ara and Vargas.

Graphics and Music:
Developed with RPG Maker 2000, the game uses the standard RTP package for graphics, music, and sound effects, with a small amount of customization thrown in. The only graphic that looked out of place to me was the bats in the first dungeon, but everything else fit the scenes.

The music meshed with the scenes good enough, with the forest being the most notable. I can't say that any of the music was memorable however, as none of the themes stuck in my head after finishing the game, but the selections were decent enough to keep my headphones on.

Game Play and Development:
The game play in Loop's Quest is pretty straightforward. Walk around, press the action button to interaction with people and objects. The battle system is RPG_Maker's native front view style and all battles are standard and contain no special events or switches in them.

Development-wise, the game is filled with simple events containing a single page. Most of the NPC's you talk to just say the same thing, which is probably ok as you're generally not expected to re-visit some of the places you've been to before. I have one nit-pick though, and that's when I'm reading long passages at bookshelves. I search the left side, middle, and right side of all bookshelves, only to find the same long passages of text on all three. It's not a show-stopper by any means, but it can be easily avoided with a choice to "Read Again? (Yes/No)".

One last thing, I really liked how most of the doors were animated in this game. When you press the action button on a door, it swings open, Loop walks through it, and then it swings shut again. I have not seen it done quite this way in other RM2k/3 games before and I thought it was a nice touch overall.

TLDR/Summary:
Loop's Quest is a short game made in a week's time during the Golden Age of Game Mak event. The story does cut off at some point but there is enough content to entertain a player for a good 3-4 hours. Graphics and music fit the scenes well, but it's all stuff we've seen before. Story is pretty straightforward, but fun, and there's jokes, cliches, and lampshades for those curious enough to seek those out.

If I were to make a game in a week or 10-days, I don't think I would have accomplished this much.