Burning Faith

This game looked like it would be a lot of fun. It is not. It's clearly made by someone that doesn't understand what RNG means so they made EVERYTHING based on RNG. There are times when you get poisoned, for instance, and you can do NOTHING about and it ravages your party. They don't give you opportunities to buy/stock healing potions or anything else outside of a single shop early on before you know they're about to starve you for any kind of resources. I'm 8 or 9 fight in and I've only found exactly 2 other healing potions the entire time and you have to fight through a bunch of extra mobs to get them. The game devs appear to think "Oh, RNG ravaged your party? Just keep replaying this single fight, without enough resources, over and over until you get better RNG." Zero control of movement through the story. Zero ability to shop or upgrade. All you do is RNG through a fight or lose. If Steam will refund me, I'm taking it. Atrocious game. Almost certainly, at 2.7 hours played to figure out the above, Steam won't refund this waste of money. Avoid.

Hate the battles. Can't make myself play past the first 5 minutes because they're so lame.

Really simple and well done RPG. A super neat thing I have not seen before is the reward for taking less turns per fight system. Which you can either beat the game while watching a show or when the boss isnt looking, or you can spend 5 hours replaying one fight over and over finding the best strategy. Overall the text book example of trimming the fat away and focusing what makes combat in turn based RPG fun. (Wait on chest to open took me 14 hours to figure that out.)

This is the closest representation to shining force ive seen so far. it's well laid out and made! if I had to nitpick battle maps are big and seem daunting... that's not really a bad thing it actually takes strategy. I'm not sure why this game isn't more represented. Shining force fans!

I dont like the battle is not like the normal rpg game i played

Alright, I beat the game. Plus: * Nice story, if cliched. * Nice animation. * Fire Emblem-like gameplay. * Some fun graphics. * A tutorial for newbies. Minus: * The spots don't show if an enemy would cast a spell. * Not well balanced. Characters can be killed easy. Initially you can hardly buy some stuff, then the group can be easily surrounded, then they can get trashed unless you know the multi-attacks, they can't navigate well through a long desert and by the final maps they suffer the opposite problem. They can eventually be prepared, but they're in a tight map filled with monsters and have between 12 and 20 turns until the villains win. Worst of all, it has 3 difficulty levels with only minor difference. Sometimes I question if the author wants people to suffer. * As above, some coordination problems. Verdict: Only play it if you're a good FE style game player.

Burning Faith is a tactical RPG that proudly embraces the classic design philosophies of older strategy role-playing games while delivering a lengthy fantasy adventure filled with large-scale battles, character progression, and dramatic storytelling. Developed by War Cry Studios and published by Aldorlea Games, the title feels like a love letter to genre classics such as Shining Force, Fire Emblem, and older grid-based tactical RPGs from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Instead of chasing modern cinematic trends or simplifying mechanics for broader accessibility, Burning Faith focuses heavily on strategic combat, party development, and old-school fantasy storytelling. The result is a game that may not reinvent the tactical RPG genre, but succeeds at providing a satisfying and content-rich experience for players who appreciate traditional strategy gameplay. The story follows Valerie, a young woman whose peaceful life is shattered after her fiancé Martin disappears while fighting against the oppressive forces of Chronus, a powerful vampire ruler threatening the kingdom. Refusing to accept his disappearance, Valerie leaves home alongside her friends Lena and Sabrina in search of answers, only to become involved in a much larger rebellion that could determine the fate of the world itself. While the overall narrative uses familiar fantasy themes involving war, destiny, and resistance against tyranny, the emotional motivation behind Valerie’s journey gives the campaign a more personal and engaging foundation. Her determination to rescue Martin helps ground the larger political conflict in something emotionally relatable, making the progression through the story feel more meaningful than a simple “save the world” adventure. One of the strongest aspects of Burning Faith is its combat system. Battles take place on large tactical grids where positioning, terrain awareness, and careful party management are essential for survival. The game rewards patience and strategic planning rather than reckless aggression, forcing players to think carefully about unit placement and enemy movement during every encounter. Different characters fulfill distinct battlefield roles, including melee fighters, ranged attackers, support units, healers, and magic users. This variety creates battles where synergy and positioning matter just as much as raw power. Certain fights become genuinely tense because poor tactical decisions can quickly spiral into disaster if units become isolated or surrounded. The progression system adds another satisfying layer of depth. Characters gradually unlock and improve skills through repeated use, allowing players to shape their party according to their preferred combat style. Rather than forcing completely rigid class progression, the game provides enough flexibility to encourage experimentation with different abilities and tactical combinations. This creates a rewarding sense of long-term growth because every battle contributes directly to strengthening the party for future encounters. Watching characters evolve from inexperienced fighters into powerful warriors capable of handling increasingly dangerous threats becomes one of the most enjoyable parts of the campaign. The game features thirteen playable characters, and the growing roster helps maintain variety throughout the lengthy adventure. Each character possesses unique strengths and specialties that influence how players approach combat situations. Some excel at direct offensive pressure while others provide essential healing, magical support, or ranged utility. Building an effective team becomes a constant balancing act because different maps and enemy formations encourage different tactical solutions. Recruiting new allies and gradually learning how their abilities interact with one another creates a satisfying sense of progression that keeps combat engaging across the campaign. Visually, Burning Faith embraces a colorful retro-inspired 2D style that strongly channels classic tactical RPGs from earlier gaming generations. Character portraits are expressive, battle sprites remain easy to read during larger engagements, and environments possess enough detail to make maps visually distinct without becoming cluttered. While the presentation lacks the technical sophistication of modern AAA strategy games, the nostalgic art direction works well because it complements the gameplay-focused design philosophy. Fans of older tactical RPGs will likely appreciate how the visuals prioritize readability and charm over excessive visual effects or cinematic presentation. The soundtrack also contributes positively to the experience. Battle themes provide enough energy to make tactical encounters feel exciting, while calmer musical tracks support quieter story moments and exploration sequences. The music consistently reinforces the fantasy atmosphere without becoming distracting. Combined with the dramatic storyline and large-scale battles, the soundtrack helps maintain immersion throughout the lengthy campaign. Another impressive aspect of Burning Faith is the sheer amount of content available. The campaign offers roughly twenty hours of gameplay filled with story sequences, tactical battles, character progression, and optional replay content. Later encounters gradually introduce more difficult enemy formations and increasingly complex tactical scenarios that demand a stronger understanding of the combat mechanics. The difficulty curve can become punishing at times, especially for players unfamiliar with older tactical RPG design, but it also creates a satisfying sense of accomplishment when difficult encounters are finally overcome. Replayability is strengthened further through the inclusion of New Game Plus and additional challenge content. Players can revisit the campaign with stronger characters and alternate strategic options, encouraging experimentation with different party compositions and skill progression paths. Extra downloadable content also introduces harder gameplay variations for players seeking even greater tactical difficulty, giving dedicated strategy fans additional reasons to return after completing the main campaign. At the same time, Burning Faith is not without flaws. The pacing occasionally suffers because of the game’s lengthy runtime and repetitive encounter structure. Some battles rely too heavily on large enemy numbers rather than unique tactical mechanics, causing certain sections to drag longer than necessary. Players unfamiliar with classic tactical RPGs may also find the difficulty spikes frustrating, particularly during later stages where poor positioning can lead to rapid defeat. The interface and presentation also reveal the game’s indie RPG Maker roots at times. Menus can feel somewhat clunky, animations are fairly limited, and some systems lack the refinement found in larger tactical RPG productions. While the retro-inspired visuals possess charm, players accustomed to more modern strategy games may find the presentation simplistic. Technical limitations occasionally prevent the game from fully realizing the scale of its tactical ambitions. For players who enjoy grid-based strategy games, lengthy fantasy campaigns, and old-school RPG progression systems, Burning Faith offers a satisfying adventure filled with tactical depth and genuine appreciation for the genre’s roots. It may have rough edges and occasional pacing issues, but the strength of its combat systems and the passion behind its design make it a worthwhile experience for strategy RPG enthusiasts. Rating: 7/10

This is actually a pretty good game. And this game is far easier than those ones. Story: A war ravages the world, and is getting worse the longer it goes on. The protagonist who lost their fiance believes they were kidnapped. And so, they set out to try and rescue them along with their two friends. Along the way, others join in and they unite underneath a common cause. System: It is designed more like a grid based strategy game, closer to what you'd find in like FE, Yggdra Union, etc. The game has limited uses of skills, which can be improved upon the more you use them. If you are having trouble, then retrying a stage to gain an extra level makes quite a difference for a while. Note: This game while far easier than Yggdra Union and others of its kind, it has very low resources like Yggdra Union. You are meant to proceed carefully, and not charge in. On the plus side, you heal up full after every battle. From its earliest points, you are presented with ailments and whatnot. However, you do have the resources to deal with it only a few times per stage. That is until you get Mist early on, which helps with poison. Overall: Pretty good game. This is a game, where you have to work with unfavorable situations, which is common in games like Yggdra Union. They are not meant to be easy, and pushes the player to proceed carefully. However, as stated, this game is far easier than those ones. As for the DLC, entirely optional. They are just there to make the game easier, or enrich the experience. Everything is earnable in game I believe. ------ Now that I finished the game. There are a few things to note. My review beforehand stands, it is a pretty good game. Though, here are the issues. 1. Too little skills. --> The characters do not learn much skills, and those skills aren't really helpful. 2. Near the end of the game, the turn counter is far too little. Realistically speaking, it is likely not possible to complete without killing everything in one hit. 3. Need more gold and shops.