Paradox of Creation (AKA Proof of Concept)

Paradox of Creations sets out to prove it's possible to make an rpg with a pokemon style battle system. This game does just that, and more.

Gameplay

Gameplay is a lot like pokemon. You have four different moves you can use against enemies, and elements like fire and water are replaced by names like 'creative' and 'ranged'. The battle works pretty well, except that the elemental system wasn't mentioned anywhere, even though it has a large impact on how much damage you deal. Once I figured it out, it saved me a lot of grinding against weaker enemies. The amount of grinding is ok after you use the right elements. Also, I noticed there's some rebalancing that needs to happen- a few enemies can kill you in one shot at the same level- cough cough hornets- and the right element has too big of an effect on your damage output. But overall, the battle system works.

Aesthetics

The music is an original choice which seems vaguely like Pokemon, but different enough to set it apart.

Character

Surprisingly, character is where this game shines. There's not a lot of conversation, but what there is defines each character. You learn about their backstories and personality, and end up caring for them more than you would a non-speaking pokemon. A nice touch was one character that has an in-battle ability called 'moody' which randomly raises and lowers stats.

Plot

Another twist to this game is the post-apocalyptic atmosphere. You're forced to leave your inn to get supplies, and your 'pokemon' are other survivors at the inn. The story is pretty short so far so not too much to say about it other than it leaves a lot of open ends and the ending gets you interested in what the rest of the game might be like.

Pros
Characters/ dialogue
Unique concept

Cons
Some grinding necessary
Some balancing issues

I am not giving this a score because of its status as a demo.