Eremidia:Dungeon!, is an action packed RPG dungeon adventure game developed by user richter_h {on RPGmaker.net} using the RPG Maker VX engine. This game was a community driven Project by the RPGMakerID Community.
In Eremidia: Dungeon!, the story takes place in the once beautiful kingdom of Eremidia.
From the little background info that I read, Eremidia: Dungeon includes characters from other projects made by the RPGMakerID community.
First Impressions:
This is the first time that I've played an RPG game made with the RPG Maker VX engine. When I first loaded up the game the first thing I noticed was the cool animations of the title screen and the lovely graphics.The graphics of the sky really helps bring out the color of the game title. Also, if you look closely at the title you can see these little designs; the designs help make the title stand out and you can tell how much effort the community put into it.
When I received my first look at the world of Eremidia, I was thoroughly impressed. The world is crisp, neat and very well put together. My first look of the world was in Pioneer town, it is a very small town that is fortified by thick tree trunks and guarded by knights. Everything within the town seemed to fit together and the placement of the buildings draws your attention to the summoning circle which is in the center of the town.
In Eremidia: Dungeon!, you play as a scout called for by King Dnas XLLL of Eremidia and Queen Prima of Eremidia. You have been called to help get rid of the curse on king Dnas and to bring in the Dark Mage Magas so that he will face justice. In order for you to do this, you will have to journey to Grace Island along with king Dnas.
Here is a short part of a synopsis provided by developer richter_h:
In Grace Island, King Dnas and the Scout knew that to capture Magas and his companion that called Dark Scripters, an excessive amount of power needed. The Black One rumored to be resurrected by Dark Scripters and Magas himself. In that moment, the ancient arts of summoning Heroes of folklores invoked. A big power that carries big responsibility, indeed..
The controls for this game are ok, they are easy to get used to but some of them are unnecessary. What I mean is that controls such as the (Z) and the (X) buttons are not needed because you can use the Space Bar to do the same thing as the (Z) button and you can use the (Esc) button to do the same thing as the (X) button. I do see where these controls could be handy especially when you are in a dungeon or battling monsters.
The controls for the game can be found in the How To Play Text Document. Reading this document should be the first thing you should do since it really tells you a lot about the game and can help you find out what to do.
GamePlay:
Eremidia: Dungeon! is not like your everyday average RPG game, It has a unique Battle system that makes for power strategies (see below). As far as story goes, while I found it interesting it didn't draw me in; for some reason I felt as though something was missing. What really drew me in was the the beauty of Eremidia. The creativity of the team behind this game really shows in both the detail of the world and the uniqueness of the dungeons. When I first started playing I had no idea where to go or what to do; it took me about 30 minutes through trial and error before I realized that I had to go into the menu and select the wait option. I have no idea why this wasn't mentioned in the how to play text document.
Here are some things that I liked and didn't like about the gameplay:
What I liked:
- Instructions and in game tutorial- I found this very useful and it helped me get a better understanding of the game mechanics.
- Leveling System-Not only can your character gain levels, so can your companions!!
- The Battling system is intuitive and unique, there is a Time-hit system and a Second Chance system.
- Characters- the characters in this game are not your average NPC's, they have their own personality and style.
What I didn't Like:
- No save option in Menu- ou have to go to the Sanctuary to save your game.
- Enemy Weakness list/ tutorial etc- I had no clue what to use against a certain enemy.
- Dialogue- some of the NPC's dialogue was incredibly dull and not helpful; as a first time player I go to NPC's to learn more about the world, enemies and anything else that might be helpful.
~Battling System/ Mechanics~
:Eremidia: Dungeon!, uses an interesting battling system that is random and depends on agility. The higher a person's agility the faster they can take an action. Battles take place from side viewpoint and are turn based. There is an interesting system that takes place only in battles called the Timed-Hit System.
Timed-Hit System:
Whenever you are about to attack an enemy, there will be a notification above your player or one of your companions head. If your timing is right, it will allow your attack to do up to 25% more damage. As the name suggests, it's all about pressing the (Z) button at the right moment.
Other factors to consider are {
From How To Play Guide}:
Charge- Rather complicated Timed-Hit that the player should press the button and release when it's not showing the red filling at the edge of bar.
Spell Casting-Implemented mostly for spells, this doubled Charge system implies two bars at once which will serve different result; Half, Full and a half, and Two Full Bars.
Aim-A gauge moving left and right then stop when player press A button. If it stops at the middle, the skill is timed.
Stead- Same as the Aim system but with slower pace and both of the gauge is moving towards the center of bar. Player must press Z (or C on gamepad) button just before each of the gauge reach the middle.
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Another system to know is the Second Chance system:
The Second Chance system allows you to do take another action after your first one. For instance you can heal yourself or your allies and then attack your enemy. The interesting thing about this system is that it works only after you have done certain things.
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Pro's:
+ Excellent graphics
+Highly Impressive Battling system & Mechanics
+Wide variety of Heroes and other characters
+Great How to Play Guide
+Creative and detailed world & Dungeons
Con's:
- No save option in menu
- Some controls are unnecessary
- NPC dialogue can be dull