An Unusual Cadence

Full Disclosure: Most of my time spent playing this game predates its availability on Steam, when it was available elsewhere. I did receive the Steam version for free but that has no bearing on my review of the game. This review is spoiler-free. Summary An Unusual Cadence is a clever homage to the great JRPG classics, while mixing in the quality-of-life improvements that have been introduced over the years. Those familiar with the genre will have no problem stepping in, and for the newcomers the game takes care to provide in game guidance around getting started as well as tutorials for actions and abilities necessary to work through the game. Story An Unusual Cadence offers a fun storyline from a unique perspective. While the antagonist’s plot is nothing new from an RPG trope standpoint, adding the spin of a world where bards not only matter but are pivotal is a refreshing take. The concept of music is woven in throughout the game, influencing locations, items, and even the villains. The cast of characters is large, but the game takes the time to make almost all of them matter to the story, as well as give you a chance to experience their strengths and weaknesses in dungeons that allow you to make the most of them. The world is expansive, reminding me of many of the earlier Final Fantasy entries, striking a balance of gating progress with different vehicles while still leaving opportunities to explore. Even with its tribute to the classic games, the game is also willing to call out the quirks that reside in them, even dedicating an entire location to poking fun at them. Visuals/Sound This game is definitely powered by RPG Maker so you know what you will get from a graphics and engine standpoint. The HUD provides sufficient details with respect to status effects and the skills have useful supporting text so you know what you are using. Extra visual details were added in that make the environments more appealing. The music selections fit the mood of the game well, and the battle tracks help fuel the intensity of the situation. Gameplay The gameplay is overall well designed. The pacing of the game is smooth, and does not require grinding at any point in the story. Character skillsets are diverse, each one provides something unique to the party. Classes that may seem similar (with a different element focus) also play out differently due to the strengths and weaknesses in their stats. While there are areas where a particular character will flourish, at no point did I feel I had to keep a particular party member always active to survive. That said, there are some characters that clearly outclass the rest, and others that are bottom of the barrel, but with this large of a cast some of that is to be expected. If anything, you can make the game more of a challenge for yourself by taking a party of weaker units. Enemy variety is fairly good; however, formations may get repetitive if you are wandering around a dungeon for a long time. Boss battles feel unique and fun, yet strategies are not overly difficult to identify. There are also hidden bosses that provide extra challenge for those that want to seek them out. The creator also made creative use of the engine in some places, particularly a multi-party battle event almost halfway through the game. Replay This might be the one area where I score the game a little lower. While the game has a varied cast and takes the time to get you accustomed to most of them, the downside is that there are many points in the game where you do have some or all of your party fixed, which is a bit more limiting on repeated playthroughs. The end game does feature opportunity to mix and match multiple parties, so at least there is opportunity to try out different combos at that point. Overall, I recommend this game to anyone who enjoys or is interested in the world of JRPGs

There are two things I absolutely hate about turn-based JRPGs. One is when the developers include action sequences, like pressing buttons at the right time to deal more damage, and the other is when they decide the enemies need to scale with your level. It ruins the whole... I want to buy this nice but expensive weapon / I need more experience to beat the enemy. In this game, it's the enemies scaling up with your level. But there's something else too. The enemies flash a short burst of color to indicate what kind of attack they're going to use next. It's a nice idea in theory. But since it has an ATB (Automatic Battle Tap), it's practically useless because the inputs for your party members are made long before the enemy's. Many years ago, when I started playing computer games (and before that, console games) – and yes, my first RPG was Larn – I probably would have overlooked it. But now... I'm sorry, but I just can't continue playing this game, and I certainly can't recommend it.