DECKY'S PROFILE

SHOW ME YOUR WAR ARM I WANT TO SEE YOUR WAR ARM

puppers: a one-word high concept that just plain works!

such a fun theme!

Full disclosure: this game was made by a friend, but my opinions are as honest as possible.

A Delightfully Wholesome Fairy Tale

Frankly, there aren't many games of this caliber on Steam for such a shockingly low price. Yuusha is undeniably polished, crafted with love, and loaded with useful lessons for both kids and adults. My only nitpicks are its slightly undercooked level design, occasional heavy-handed moments, and lack of challenge on hard mode. Even if it's not up your alley, you should still gift it to your child or younger sibling: it may just become their gateway drug into the joyous escapism of JRPGs!

PRESENTATION: 8/10
Pitch-perfect in execution, Yuusha’s presentation is a charming concoction of Dragon Quest’s majesty, Kirby’s whimsy, and Earthbound’s surrealism. The developer's passion for these franchises just seeps through the screen without ever feeling derivative. Of particular note are the bright color choices, zany monster creations, and nostalgic character designs that serve the dreamy setting and are never jarring or bland. The music is equally lively, with the inclusion of a few somber pieces for the more serious moments.

STORY: 8/10
Yuusha is a simple fairy tale of two worlds with plenty of meta overtones: inhabiting worlds of realism and “dark playfulness”, most of the main characters are childish by design. Their naivety pays off because the story centers on forging one's own path and breaking free of debilitating habits and cliches. I found it quite touching to watch these individuals struggle and learn important life lessons. The subversion trope does become a little heavy-handed near the end, and the setting could have been developed further, but the spirited dialogue and lovable cast make up for these gripes.

GAMEPLAY: 8/10
The turn-based combat is equal parts easy and engaging, much like Final Fantasy. Characters have a ton of moves suited to their personality, including AoE skills, status ailments, poison/DoT abilities, physical attacks, buffs, debuffs, and much more. Some of these will devastate weak enemies, making fights a breeze for those who play optimally. Boss monsters have well-telegraphed and intuitive mechanics - such as evade-and-counter patterns and elemental shifts - that serve as simple attention and adaptability checks. These frequent twists never become chores, perhaps to a fault: the combat is almost TOO safe. I was disappointed by the lack of challenge, especially on hard mode. Those new to the genre will likely fumble with the trickier bosses and suffer occasional defeats, but they will figure things out eventually and feel accomplished for doing so. For these reasons, the combat feels perfectly balanced for casual players and never seems unfair.

The dungeons, towns, and puzzles are clever and well made - with lots of nooks and crannies along the way - but they are mostly straightforward and aren't as fleshed out as everything else. My favorite part was reconstituting a village full of missing locations and NPCs - a creative take on Dark Cloud that is mercifully streamlined to fit this game's tone and fast pace. After all, the creator’s goal is clearly not to anger or even challenge players, but to leave them feeling happy and engrossed: it’s here where the gameplay succeeds. Nothing becomes frustrating, and Yuusha is always enjoyable in at least the most basic sense. The relatively short playtime, clocking in at 5 hours (plus an hour or two of side content), is more succinct than brief. I never felt like I was being pushed along, and both the story and the dungeons resolved themselves in fulfilling ways.

THE PACKAGE: 9/10
Yuusha’s parts combine brilliantly into a unified theme of that “dark playfulness” I mentioned earlier. The combat, environments, and visuals serve the story above all else; nothing - not even the puzzles - feels out of place. Characters and monsters have mechanics that are relevant both to their identities and the story at large. The post-game is a truly compelling coda, with lots of creative fights and bonus lore to consume. Too many RPGs - especially on the indie scene - lack cohesion or thematic connections between each element. Yuusha, thankfully, is not one of them.

OVERALL: 8.5/10

there's something about those eyes that I like. perhaps it's the color.