Post by Salbei in Leafko comments

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[Review of Chapter 4]

This chapter marked a sort of return, both literally in form of re-visiting the citadel, but also in some of the pacing and gameplay.

I liked where the story was going with the characters, as well as the dungeon, which definitely took up most of the playtime this time around.

The ideas for each area of the ruined city were well implemented (I think the 'hunt' could get a bit out of hands with how the spawns worked sometimes). The riddles still proved difficult for me to see how they were meant to narrow down the solution (maybe I am just thinking too directly?), but they felt more lenient in how you could still solve them (I really liked the end of the rose route, by the way).

In terms of side attractions, I like the concept of using the flowers from Daphne for something else, although I never really felt the elements to be that important in battle. (I also found the double-weapon way more practical). I also enjoyed the actually more hidden side quest to find out… ‘something’.

On the feedback side, once again I would suggest a broader testing run before release. I found a bunch of little quirks and oversights, as well as a few confusing and player locking issues. Some of them appeared during normal gameplay, some when re-visiting locations during or after the chapter.

So, really solid chapter once again. It felt a bit weaker compared to the third one, but I could not even say why. I think there is no real reason. Everyone simply has their favourite part of a game and I always try to find a 'feeling' of how a chapter came across to me. As mentioned in the beginning, this one felt like a mixture of chapter 1, combined with something new and returning from the other chapters, as well. Which, given the point and story of it, fits this chapter really well and is definitely not something bad in a good game.

Great job as always.

Salbei1 year ago (2 edits)

[Review of Chapter 5]

From a game dev perspective, I am leaning towards this chapter being the most impressive.

Not only did the dungeon change to give yet another entertaining concept, but you also return to previous areas for short objectives and cutscenes, which made the whole Kingdom of Forestia feel alive and ongoing.

It also marked the tie of some loose ends in story bits of the previous chapters, as you finally meet the character foreshadowed all along.

They are certainly an interesting type, heavily influencing not only events but also how you play.

There have been improvements to the battle system and balancing, and while still not perfect in every encounter, it did come together quite engaging.

The way scenes are handled and the gameplay is expanded upon, you can clearly see the growth of the developer.

On the feedback side, as usual: A solid final round of testing - and trying to make sure not to break previous things.

I had more soft-locks then there should have been. I guess the good news is that by finishing the game, it should be clearable as of now.

So hey, check it out.

Overall: Really, really enjoyable. Probably even surpassed the third chapter for me objectively.

Great work.

Salbei192 days ago (2 edits)

[Review of Chapter 6]

This chapter returned to a more classic style of rpg gameplay in terms of puzzles and mechanics. It explored what riddles and obstacles you could put into a certain environment while crafting a connected story around it.

This concept - when executed well - makes for a very fullfilling experience - a proper feeling of adventure.

The area this time around - a misty and spiritual forest - is designed vast and exhaustive. From a normal design perspective, this would sound bad, as it leaves the player confused and tired. But it executes the theme of the setting so well that it makes sense to be like this - and within this context it is designed effectively well to create the intended feel in an enjoyable fashion.

The story is tied to this location very strongly in both main plot as well as portrayal of the characters. It gives the new side character a fundamental outlook of hope despite what is happening. Together with the role they are playing in regards to Leafko themself, it not only creates a perfect immersion into the setting and gameplay, but also makes for a really wonderful partnership for the story and growth of the main character.

At the end of the chapter, I was really invested in their quest and beliefs, which made the final scenes and how they were executed so much more touching. I am not exaggerating by saying that I was not attached to characters like this in a long time.

What adds to this is something that I really enjoyed this playthrough, as well: The additional polishing in small details and gameplay in general that comes with every new chapter. I really noticed this time around how people of the world not only changed dialogue quite more often that you would expect, but were even replaced with other people or put somewhere else as well. It made the world feel very alive and it was fun to go back to previous areas. What also helped in that is noticing how every settlement has a purpose in terms of shop items, which not only differ but get updated along the way.

That last segment comes to a bit of a halt when entering chapter 5 and especially chapter 6. But it makes sense. A lot of these little touches and details were added over time to improve previous content.

Which brings me to my only critique about this chapter: It does not feel as polished as the earlier ones. Which I could not care less about at this point because the developer already showed me more than once that they put more thought and passion into this project that I would ever had expected at first - and that I can safely assume the content that did not receive the same revisions as of now will receive them in the future.

I wrote in my review of the first chapter that this game may not be for everyone - which is okay. And taking feedback into account and shaping the game over time can be a good suggestion in general, as well. But I still feel that - whatever route the game will take in the future to become better or garner more attention - it is already great in what it does right now. Because these specific thoughts and details that went into making it are what should be appreciated.

In regards to technical performance: Very good this time. Except for two softlocks (which have been fixed by now), the game was really stable and tested.

Keep up the good work. I am sure it will turn out well - no matter what.

itch.io

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