Introduction

The Fable of Gretel is one of those games that feels like a lot more time was spent on developing its visual style and flair then it was on gameplay. I suppose some would argue that my assessment is unfair since the game does make a valiant attempt to create an active battle system in RPG Maker 2003, but the limitations of this engine effectively cripple any game that attempts it. So, while I can applaud their efforts at using RPG Maker 2003 to create a game outside the norm. It doesn't change my opinion that this game suffers because of that decision.

Still, I suppose I should discuss the story before launching into some sort of rant about how inadequate the zelda-esque combat system is.

Story

On the story side of things this game starts out by introducing us to our narrator, Jolo. A cankerous old bard that can't seem to get over how alive young people seem now a days. And, I'd be remiss if I didn't admit to finding his inclusion as a narrator a bit odd since it's later revealed during the game that Jolo has been dead for centuries. Though, I suppose the game could have been making a subtle joke about being dead on arrival.

Outside of the odd choice in narrator it appears that ImpaledJanus also chose to play a bit fast and loose with the fable as well by having Hansel and Gretel meet the witch after having crossed over to the next dimension as they say. I suppose, one could argue that this change was for the best since it adds a little spice to the story and makes it a little less predictable considering how well known the fable of Hansel and Gretel is, but by that same token it's lack of loyalty to the source material could be considered a pointless addition to the story for the sake of padding out the game.

About the only major headache I have with this game is that the dialogue is hard to read because of the choice in font. Oddly enough this doesn't appear to be an issue in the Italian version of the game, but seeing as how I can't read Italian that isn't much of a help.

Gameplay

On the gameplay front this title clearly tries to lift several elements commonly found in the Legend of Zelda franchise such as an active battle system as well as includes a few puzzles to solve along the way. Though, before I discuss why the combat is so flawed in this game I'd like to take a quick look at the puzzles.

For starters the game only includes a few puzzles and most of them either don't seem to work right or rely more on brute forcing your way through. The only puzzle that feels like an exception to this rule is the first puzzle you'll run across in this game which is all about figuring out how to read a chart in order to place stones in the correct position. A puzzle that is only made difficult by the lack of clear instructions in the English version. As a marginally interesting side note this puzzle is much easier to solve in the Italian version.

Though, where the game really stumbles and falls is the combat system. This is because the game can react in unexpected ways when a hit takes place. For starters the enemies appear to get drawn into the player when they get hit. Though, I suppose this could be an attempt by the enemy to lunge at the player in order to ensure that every blow the enemy takes is returned to the player in equal measure. Thankfully, this issue can be avoided by running in for a quick blow and then rapidly backing away from the enemy.

Secondly an enemy may be in the direct path of your attack, but may not register it. I'm not sure why this happens, but the only thing you can do about it is attempt another blow when another opportunity presents itself.

Thirdly you may hit an enemy, but it may take several moments for the hit to clearly register which is rather off-putting in my opinion. Or lastly an enemy may take hits for no reason whatsoever. I suppose, this last one works to the player's advantage, but it makes the game feel poorly designed.

All and all these issues are a good example for why an active battle system doesn't work in RPG Maker 2003. The engine just can't handle such a combat system do to its own limitations. And any game that attempts to include such a system is only going to suffer for it.

Visuals

On a graphical level The Fable of Gretel is impressive. The game truly captures the look and feel of a game on the Game Boy Color and I can only compliment the developer for his or her efforts in this area. I even like the fact that the game appears to be played on a Game Boy Color.

Bugs

While, I didn't encounter any major bugs in the Italian version of this game. In the English version there are a few bushes you can interact with that cause the game to freeze. I'm not entirely sure why this happens, but it looks as if there is another bush underneath the first which causes the game to glitch out.

Though, I did find a minor bug in the Italian version where the player can swing their sword during the cut-scenes and the sword will appear in the location where the player will be on the map once the cut scene is over. I'm not sure if this bug also exists in the English version since I didn't test it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it can be found there as well.

Conclusion

The Fable of Gretel is one of those games that I can't really recommend in any capacity. While the game has a strong visual presentation the overall quality of the gameplay itself is so lacking it makes for an experience that is only slightly enjoyable at best and will probably be downright frustrating to many.