[b]My Playtime:[/b] 5.6h (finished the game)
[h1]Intro[/h1]
[b]Banished Sir[/b] is a turn-based RPG Maker game with an ATB (Active Turn-Based) system. It offers a lot of small dungeons that you can explore in any order that you want, which will reward you with a unique gear upon completion.
[b]Pros:[/b]
- Choose the party member that you want to recruit
- Explore all dungeons in any order that you want
[b]Cons:[/b]
- Gears are costly
- Enemies have too much HP
- There is a chance you'll end up with 3 party members if you're not careful
[b]Specs[/b]
Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
[h1]Should you buy this game?[/h1]
[b]No.[/b]
[i]The quality is too low for a commercial game. There are better RPG Maker games with longer playtime and better quality than this.[/i]
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[h1]In-Depth Review[/h1]
[h3]Visuals[/h3]
There doesn't seem to be any effort put into the visuals. I don't mind that it uses [i]RPG Maker[/i]'s default assets, but everything looks too amateurish to me. Indoors have the same, big square layout with the lack of decorations, while dungeons tend to consist of a single screen with a wider area and chests placed on the back. There might be a bit of effort in the final dungeon's first floor with the rock-pushing puzzles, but the other floors end up using the same style as the other areas.
[h3]Story[/h3]
The story is only told at the beginning. The game will info-dump you with a lot of facts about how the main character came out to be and what his objective is. Although the information isn't confusing to read, I feel that it would be better if it is spread out, especially since there is some depth put into the main character. The story becomes boring this way, and the lack of continuation, even after you beat the final boss, gives me no reason to care much about it.
NPCs mostly talk about either random one-liners or something about the game, whether it's a side quest or a secret in the wild. They can feel cold and robotic at first, especially since all NPCs exist for a certain task. You'll get used to it, though. Their way of talking ends up being efficient in the long run since you just need to figure out what they need and what they can give if you manage to help them.
[h3]The Game[/h3]
[b]Gameplay[/b]
The game is focused on exploration. You'll be able to explore the overworld to find dungeons and fight bosses in it. Dungeons are mostly straightforward with a single screen and small size. There are a lot of them, though. You can explore them in any order that you want, although some dungeons might be harder than others. Most dungeons also have a boss in them, requiring you to defeat them to get a unique reward upon completion.
Although you start solo, there will be a chance to recruit more party members, where you'll be given a choice of which class you want to recruit. Different party members have different classes, and you need to figure out what you need based on your playstyle. However, sometimes the game won't tell you what class and skills the party member has, making save scum to be necessary if you don't want to regret your decision. Moreover, there is a chance that you'll end up with 3 party members instead of 4 if you are not careful.
[b]Combat[/b]
Enemies are too bulky. Although they don't hit hard, their high HP drags out the fight. This is made worse in the final dungeon since enemies are as tough as bosses. Moreover, some enemies also can inflict you with status ailments, poisoning you after a normal attack or stun locking you with a stun skill. Sadly, there isn't any way to recover it except using an item or a certain skill, which is only available if you have a party member with a certain class. Fights end up taking longer than usual, and you might have to rely on luck if you don't want to use items when fighting an enemy that has the stun skill.
The game doesn't cater to MP-based characters. There isn't any way to regenerate your MP, and the only way to recover it is to rest at an inn, which can be expensive if you do it in the latest town. Returning to the first town is the safest option if you want to preserve your money, although it can take a long time to do. Luckily, the accessory that reduces MP cost at the end of the game helps to some extent, although you still need to save your MP-based skills for boss fights.
[b]Length and Difficulty[/b]
I finished the game in 2.8h and spent an additional 2.8h to beat the post-game content. Note that the post-game content only consists of 7 bosses, so you can imagine how long it took me to finish them with their high HP. The game isn't difficult, although you need to use items to finish the post-game content. One of the bosses has an instant death skill and there is no revive skill to recover from that. Some post-game bosses might give trouble, but you can always grind until you get the ultimate weapon to beat them easily. It can take a long time to grind for it, though. I myself am too lazy to get it, especially with the high encounter rate and the lack of reward from the enemies.
[b]Others[/b]
Some bosses tend to change sprite when you talk to them.
[h1]Conclusion[/h1]
As a commercial game, [b]Banished Sir[/b] looks like a low-effort game. I know that it's not entirely true - bosses are balanced if you ignore the boss with instant death, for example. Moreover, explorations are also rewarded with unique weapons that can bypass the high gear cost sold in town. However, the good thing stops at that. Despite the numerous classes that you can choose, there is a lack of information on them, and there is a chance that you won't get a healer if you did the wrong choice. Furthermore, areas look lazily done with the amateurish design and lack of decorations. I couldn't recommend it with the quality being as it is, especially since it's a commercial game.
[quote]This game was reviewed with a key provided by the developer for free through Curator Connect[/quote]
[quote]Follow our curator page: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]IndieGems[/url] if you like and want to see more reviews like this one.[/quote]
