A Ghostly Rose

A Ghostly Rose is a short (roughly 8 hours), moody RPG with a major focus on combat and atmosphere. The story follows Edmund as he awakes in a prison in a mysterious plane of existence called the Web. More than anything, he just wants to see his daughter again, and he goes on a rampage, killing every creepy denizen of the Web who dares step in his path. I found the writing to be the strongest when it leaned into the mysteries of the Web: what is it and, more importantly, who are the people in it and what are their motivations? The opening in particular is really engaging: Edmund's prison escape is bolstered by the mysterious, oppressive atmosphere of the Web. By the end of the game, a lot is revealed, but there is still an air of mystery around some of the Web's inhabitants and history, which let the story live off the page to me. Edmund's relationship with his daughter felt real, which anchored the out-there world of the Web to something human. The game ends up saying something about the nature of family that is genuine. The gameplay tends to focus more towards the combat side of RPGs. There is still some rewarding exploration, particularly late-game, but most of the journey is fairly linear, and the upgrade system is serviceable and rewarding. However, the big highlight is the combat. Edmund's goal is to mentally break enemies. Each enemy has a specific way that they can be broken--for instance, some require a damage threshold to be met, some require a status effect, etc. Once they've been broken, their attacks become fairly negligible and you can finish them off easily. Additionally, you can target different parts of a monster's body, and, if you wear them down enough, you'll injure that body part, which will apply a permanent debuff to the monster, and you can continue to attack that body part for extra damage. All of this turns each encounter into a puzzle, which I found rewarding and varied. I'm an RPG developer myself. I've played more RPGs than I can count. A Ghostly Rose has such a strong identity, both from its gameplay and atmosphere, that it stands out. I can't think of another RPG I've played that's like it. In a world where we're constantly inundated with games--most of which offer serviceable but anodyne gameplay--games that offer unique experiences should be celebrated. A Ghostly Rose is well-designed, but, more than that, it's unique. Give it a shot.

This is a very quirky game that doesn't take itself too seriously, but at the same time has a very good storyline. The first person battle system has several very nice and custom animations and sequences and the sprite work has had plenty of polish. I can't really say much about the story without spoiling things, but I like this game and it gives off some subtle Count of Monte Christo vibes too. Thumbs up!

I got an early peek at this one, and I must say that this is probably one of my new favourite RPG Maker games of all time. I will state my bias saying that I have known the creator for a while now, but I was a fan of them before I even got to know them. Having created the fantastic "Cope Island" and "Three Ghostly Roses", they were already high on my list in terms of consistent developers. Then "A Ghostly Rose" came along, and is now my favourite game by this developer. I really really like this game. It manages to plow into mature depths of deep sorrow through use of... absurdity? You're punching weapons and gaining new powers of kung-fu, a lot of mechanics that may be recognisable to those who have played zDS's previous game "Three Ghostly Roses", from which this game has both been "expanded" and "reduced" in different areas, to provide what I think is a more intimate and strange story than that predecessor "Three Ghostly Roses". There is intense sorrow underlined by absurdity here, just a very captivating battle system that is much more fleshed out than "Three Ghostly Roses". zDS has always manage to plow emotional depths and bring out very resonant storylines, and I think is probably zDS's best work. If you're looking for a sort-of absurd dark comedy with a full personality and wild conflicts, do try this one out! You'll find a very unique story that will perhaps resonate with you and make you feel something. Truly gripping. I love this game.

just played my first mins on this game and i having a blast so far i enjoy this dev work on his games i have been fellowing on twitter for his updates about this game so i was really hype and i am happy to try it at last defently a great game with a very cool artwork and a great use of the rpg maker program defently try it if you are like me who enjoy hidden rpg gems =)

It's a shame that I got this as a gift copy since my review can't affect the game's visibility, because I thought it was pretty good. : (

Rpg-Maker games about someone fighting off their personal demons has to be one of my favorite genres. Naturally, I would highly recommend this game!

fun

I was gifted a copy of this game by a close friend, and after playing it, I wish I bought it myself. A Ghostly Rose is an homage to retro styled RPGs, but with a modern turn based combat system and an intricate narrative to follow. From start to finish, I was absorbed into the bleak world, continuing to fight absurd enemies for another breadcrumb of story to make any sense of what I was playing, which pays off very nicely thanks to zDS's combat mechanics and well written dialogue. If you enjoy an intense turn based game, and Souls like lore building, you will very much enjoy this game as much as I did.

A fun rpg maker style game with a cool battle system

The story is very touching. I'm very happy that I played this. I am not going to say any more, because I do not want to spoil the experience...and yes, it is an experience. Thank you for making this.