JRPGs are some of the best games on the planet, and there are many around the world who cherish them as a part of their childhood growing up and/or play them on repeat to relive the glory days of the genre. Strashiner Studios is a small indie team made up of developers who are just as in love with the genre and are currently working on what they consider a passion project of theirs called A Story of the End – Revere. The team has just released a demo of the game, and you can try it on Steam here.
A Story of the End – Revere tells the story of Troy, a once-proud member of people known as the Lumerians, who embarks upon a quest for redemption after witnessing acts of violence committed against innocent villagers. After he abandons a mission from the Lumerians during a purge gone-wrong, Troy is wounded and knocked unconscious before being brought to a nearby village of kindly townsfolk.
The game's key hook (aside from its narrative) is what it is calling its "Hybrid Battle System," which blends elements of both Turn-Based and Real-Time mechanics. The basic setup of the battle system is derived from traditional JRPG menu mechanics, with Attack, Defend, Skills, and Item use making up your basic commands. However, the game capitalizes on the player's tendency repeat command issues (Ex: spamming Attack) by introducing something called "Overclocking".
Overclocking allows players to chain similar commands for added effectiveness; so if you just want to hit the standard Attack without burning any MP, you can do that and be rewarded for doing so with added attack power.
Darrel Wijaya, the founder of Strashiner Studios, had this to say about the game:
"SOTE – Revere was a way to express my love and passion for RPGs as a whole. I grew up loving the genre and had always devoted tons of time into each RPG game I’ve played. I hope players can delve deep into this immersive world and witness this story unfold!"
Here's a list of features in the game via an official press release:
- A Hybrid Battle System: Transition between regular turn-based to real-time battle. This feature is not only part of the battle system, but also crucial to the plot.
- Story-Driven Quests: Experience a myriad of quests in the game that tells stories of their own.
- Adjustable Encounter Rates: Increase or decrease enemy encounters at any point in the game.
- Crafting System: Make potions that buff your stats with materials and modify already existing items.
A Story of the End – Revere is still in development and is due to release in Fall 2017.
