Beyond the Pale

Synopsis:

"Harold, beyond the bounds of time and space - deep within the very mind of the cosmos - confronts his true love, the Herald of the End Times, before she undergoes her final transformation." - Ethanz, "Beyond the Pale" author.

Story:

This game has a heavy emphasis on the protagonist's past self and his romantic companion. Character's are briefly developed, but it's still possible to catch a glimpse of their personality, though you can't really explain their motivations and actions. Albeit nothing is really explained in what I would rather call a "demo", it could possibly be worked on and become a really interesting narrative, as the player progresses through the plot trying to find out more about what led up to the current state of events and why things are what they are in this work of dazzling fiction.

Gameplay:

You're thrown right into action. The opening sequence sets the mood and what's coming up next without delay. There are only two battles in this game, one right after the opening sequence and one against the final boss. Skills are varied and have interesting names, but other than that, there's nothing more else to them.

Both battles are relatively easy. Once you find a good strategy, the enemies are easily defeated. They also don't have any particular weakpoints and their attacks are predictable. Some of the user's skills and attacks can take a little while to execute, all in a very fashionable way, but still slow, such as the "Final weapon" regular attack and one of the special hidden skills.

Graphics:

The graphics used in this game are the ones found in the Run Time Package (RTP) with a few modifications, such as the actors' face portraits.

Verdict:

"Beyond the Pale" is a very short RPG Maker MV game that seems more like a "demo" than an actual game. It can be beaten in a few minutes and the plot will leave you with many questions. Nevertheless, it can still be worked on and developed into a full-lenght game. The author has clearly demonstrated he has the ability to do so if he takes the effort to take it to the next level or even make a completely different game, but with the same amount of detail and thought that was put into this small, curious, adventure.

Notes: Bear in mind this is my first-ever review on a game in this website. I'm looking forward to reviewing many more games, in particular ones made in RPG Maker MV. I hope you (the author, Ethanz) have found this review helpful and that it can serve as feedback for your future endeavors in RPG Making! Hope to see more from you soon!