Alvastia Chronicles - Limited Run #311 for RPG Fans

I got this game not knowing much about it, but I’d previously played ‘Seek Hearts’ (another Kemco RPG) so I figured I’d try another one from the same company. So, I randomly picked up this one. Graphics (score 5/10): It’s obvious that this game is heavily inspired by old-school RPGs visually (somewhere between 8 bit and 16 bit sprites), and I can appreciate that, but I’ve seen it done better. Particularly, the previous game I played from the same company, “Seek Hearts,” did a better job of interpreting sprites with a more modern sensibility. At the very least, I would have appreciated some character portraits during important dialogue scenes. All that said, graphics aren’t everything, and I still had loads of fun playing this game! Music (score 6/10): No voice acting here, but plenty of chip tune music. None of it stands out to me particularly, but none of it was bad either. Characters (score 7/10): I appreciate the fact that the main characters actually have distinctive personalities, even if a bit simplistic. Also, it’s amusing to have a silent protagonist who actually has an explanation for his silence! There are other characters known as “companions” who really don’t have much personality but that’s due to their sheer number...more on that in the battle system section.Story (score 7/10): Overall a pretty basic story when it comes to RPGs, but with a few twists put in. I was entertained and engaged enough to keep playing, so I'm pleased.Battle System (score 7/10): The battle system is pretty unique for an RPG. It’s turn-based as you’d expect, but you have a cast of 3 main characters (plus a main support character in the back) and 100 “companions” that can be chosen from to fill up a roster of 12 in-battle participants. You still only get three turns in battle, but each main characters’ team has their unique skills to choose from. It’s an interesting concept, but a smidge tedious in execution.Gameplay (score 7/10): This is a bit of a catch-all category for me. I had a lot of fun with this game, playing through the main questline and doing little subquests, etc. My only real complaint is that I wish there were more subquests to do, as the game feels a bit too sparse in that regard.Overall (score 7/10): NOTE this score is not an average; it’s my subjective overall score. Overall a fun game, especially if you like retro RPGs. I can imagine that if this had come out on the old SNES originally it’d be considered one of the classics. That said, it could’ve used a few modern touches (like some character portraits in dialogue scenes) since it’s a modern game. At the end of the day, though, I did enjoy playing it and would definitely play it again in the future, so it’s a win!