I played the Mare demo a few years ago, and have been eagerly awaiting the release of the full game ever since. Oh, man. Where do I start? (I will refrain from talking about specific details so as to not spoil, since the game is still new).
My most favorite aspects of Mare are the storytelling and the characters. The story has many dramatic emotionally charged scenes, but also subtle quiet scenes where things are implied/visually presented rather than stated. A note here, a picture there -- little details that tell big stories. I found these two ways of telling the story of the main and side characters really worked well. The story the game tells is a very serious one. I won’t go into details in fears of spoiling anything, but the game’s message is told in a nice subtle, yet impactful way.
The characters – oh, the characters! The two leads are very charming and interesting. I was emotionally invested in Naomi’s quest from the very first scenes. The rest of the cast are also brilliant. The characters are designed in a visually pleasing anime style, with vibrant personalities, and very interesting stories.
Immaculate care was put into the graphics of Mare. Character sprites change depending on the events in the game, as do character dialogue portraits. Even the character’s menu portraits change throughout the game! These additions provide so much life and personality to the game, and tell me so much about the characters without having to spell it out. Mare also has custom CG art that accompanies the game’s key cutscenes. The CG art is beautiful and enhances the impact of the scenes. The CG art is spread nicely throughout the game, that getting one feels like such a treat and adds importance and a sense of accomplishment. Locations are also uniquely designed and have strong signature visuals and motif. Even the battle transitions are custom and unique to each area!
Mare has an all original OST. The game’s music adds personality and life and to the game’s locations, battles, and cutscenes. A certain battle theme at the end of the game comes to mind as one of the most memorable and emotional ones, as do the themes for the second and third locations of the game.
Mare has turn-based battles. I found the difficulty of the battles just right. I didn’t need to do any grinding, but still needed to pay attention in battles and strategize to overcome some of the more difficult foes.
Mare is such a joy to play. One playthrough took me about 3.5 hours to complete. It is perfect to spend an evening on. There are also multiple endings. The characters and story will surely leave an impact long afterwards.
Tldr; Mare is an artistic, poignant, inspiring, and important game that All JRPG fans need to experience