Elohim Eternal: The Babel Code

[h1]Frozen Waters Go Brrrr[/h1] [h2]Story[/h2] The game initially seems to set up the twist that the Cainites are the misunderstood ones and that the Idinites are being misled by false gods, and I thought they played their hand too early. Fortunately, it turns out there were still quite a few more twists and that the conflict isn't quite as black-and-white as it seemed. I enjoyed learning about the religious lore of both sides, and the game gives tangible EXP rewards for finding these events too. [spoiler]And there's also the implication that the Kenomans are connected to the Kosmokraters somehow, though that mystery will be saved for future games in the series.[/spoiler] Unfortunately, I'm not the biggest fan of the protagonist, Joshwa Asa. He's intended to be the naive and brash protagonist who is supposed to get wiser over time, but I feel like his idiot phase gets dragged out too long or is used inconsistently, especially in the endgame. [spoiler]When he finds that his uncle, Lamech, enacted a coup in the name of the Kosmokraters, Joshwa hands the Babel Code to the latter, despite all the prior events of the game indicating that the Kosmokraters are untrustworthy and that Lamech is sus. Hell, the Kosmokraters literally sent evil space rocks to kill the party in the previous dungeon and we had to fight at least two of their zealots as bosses. The worst part is that he knew that doing so would put his friends at risk, the same people that he spent the game travelling with, so I had a really hard time sympathizing with him and I'm baffled that his friends forgave him so easily. While Joshwa's mistake is supposed to ensure the bad guys get the code, I feel like there should have been a better way to do it, like having Nike/Anat pretend to help the party oppose Lamech, only to backstab them.[/spoiler] That said, I do love to hate the Kosmokraters, [spoiler]for being such petty villains that they would blow up a good chunk of Idin just to collectively punish everyone. The craziest part is that they could have just destroyed the Transmigrator and only the Transmigrator in order to protect their position, but they went the extra mile out of pure spite and they refuse to even promise a ceasefire between the races if the protagonists obey them. You really get the feeling that they're gods that you have to attack and dethrone, and hopefully we'll get that opportunity in a future game.[/spoiler] As for the ending, [spoiler]Joshwa ends up having to choose between two bad options. If he obeys the Kosmokraters, they spare Idin, but the Idinites will continue being used as cannon fodder in pointless wars. If not, the Idinites have a chance at being freed from the Kosmokraters, but there will be mass death from the infernos. At least, that's my interpretation of how it went down. Though I wonder how free the Idinites will really be if the Kosmokraters can still use holograms to manipulate them. It would suck if Joshwa's difficult choice did nothing to change the status quo on Idin. Also, I wish the player could actually make the choice and possibly get a bad ending for obeying the Kosmokraters.[/spoiler] [h2]Gameplay[/h2] The game uses NP and DP, which are analogous to MP and TP in other RPG Maker games. NP skills are standard single-target elemental mageia while DP skills are divine mageia, which all have powerful effects, but heavy drawbacks. However, the Frozen Waters skill doesn't have enough of a drawback, since the 4 turn cooldown doesn't matter if everyone in the party equips this skills. I actually stunlocked the final boss just by having my characters use Frozen Waters on rotation. If you want a well-balanced challenge for the endgame, only equip one Frozen Waters. Strangely, the battle system gives your characters physical defense to use against enemy physical skills, but your characters can't use physical attacks at all. This is despite how everyone has their own weapon type and how Joshwa had to use a new weapon type in order to fight with only one arm. Worse yet, enemy Idinites are capable of using physical attacks, elemental mageia, and divine mageia, so why are only the player characters limited? IMO, it would have been more interesting if Joshwa had different physical skills depending on the state of his arm in the story, since it seems like losing an arm doesn't significantly affect his ability to spam mageia like everyone else. Technically, there is a dueling system where Joshwa has to use physical attacks, but this is only used once in the beginning of the game and there's never a real story reason to use it again. I have no idea if this is going to be used again in future games. The symbol encounters respawn only on demand, so you have complete control over how much you want to grind and you'll have a fairly easy time backtracking. [h2]Verdict[/h2] 7/10 The gameplay is balanced if you don't use the Frozen Waters cheese strat and you actually have to consider when it's safe to use your offensive Divine Mageia. The world-building is good and keeps the player hooked for sequels, but I feel like the story tries to dumb down Joshwa in awkward ways just to advance the plot, which makes it baffling that it also treats him as worthy of being a king. Maybe he'll prove me wrong in future games?

The first game in the Elohim Eternal series is off to a great start. The story keeps you intrigued throughout its 15 hour runtime. The brisk pacing keeps you interested the entire way, from one revelation to the next, you are always hooked and want to know what happens next. The writing and story is the standout stars of the game. The music is great and the monster art is very unique. If Xenogears is one of your favorite games then you are sure to enjoy this game as a lot of themes are similar. Its inspired by one of the greats. A very impressive first showing in the series and made me wishlist the sequel instantly. I can't wait for the next installment.

Fantastic story, great graphics, nice twists on battle system with plenty to do to gain an advantage. Quests were detailed so no confusion where to go and what to do to complete. Plenty of treasures to find and ability to respawn creatures in a dungeon is a nice touch. Many innovative features that enhanced game play. A must play as I highly recommend this very well done and addicting rpg. Looking very much forward to the sequel.

If you like Xenogears or the works of Tetsuya Takahashi, then a few dollars and ~15 hours of your time is more than worth it to see what this game has to offer. It really scratches the itch for overt gnostic/christian themes mixed with fantasy and sci-fi (and yes, Mecha). I actually got a lot of Xenosaga and Xenoblade vibes from this game. Fans of Xenogears often do not like its spiritual successors for various reasons and I think those game does a great job of packaging the themes and worldbuilding of Saga and Blade in a way closer in tone to Gears. RPG Maker is going to turn some people off. When I first saw this game I scoffed at it and put it in the back of my mind not ever thinking I would play it. But every few months I trudge the same old forums looking for things that will scratch that Xenogears itch. And without fail I will always find George, the games director sharing his game. He is always kind and positive and passionate and this time I decided to just give it a chance. I am really glad I did and I am so interested to see where this series goes. Just because it wears its influences on its sleeve and markets itself by invoking Xenogears, that does not mean that that is all this game is though. There is a compact, fast paced RPG with fun mechanics, great character development, and mystery. The gameplay does enough to keep you engaged in order to enjoy the stellar world building. If you don’t vibe with the combat then there is even an option to skip it entirely and just experience the story. I elected to play through with the battles and I don’t regret it but the option is there. Ultimately this game series is attempting something that Takahashi himself hasn’t totally accomplished and few developers would even attempt: telling a complete and cohesive story over the course of several games. The small scale and the passion and soul of a small indie developer are making it happen. If “episode 5” at the end of the Xenogears credits inspired your imagine like mine (and I imagine George Alexandros) then please give this game a shot.

I have only begun to scratch the surface of this game but I am already immersed in the excellently written lore and intrigued by it's characters. I love battle systems with an active component that allows you to stay active during combat (You have a chance to do more damage during combat by pressing the action button at the right time.) It also has stunning visuals. For more rpgmaker games please check out my steam curator https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45690190-RPGMaker-Kino

Highly recommended! The story is amazing, and I can't wait to play following chapters. I truly believe if this game had a bit better presentation (pixel art and UI, font looks blurry for example), it could be up there with the likes of Chained Echoes and Sea of Stars as top indie JRPGs. Again, I highly recommend it even if only for the story, it's the only game that's managed to scratch that Xenogears itch.

I was sent a copy of this game to Let's Play for YouTube and truthfully, it's got to be one of my favorite RPGMaker games I've played in a while. The story, the characters, the battle system, the music. It all comes together for something truly engaging and unforgettable.

Great game, just as the other reviews state. Most reviews only talk about the story, but the game is also quite fun and has a great pace. Particularly of note, enemies don't respawn (unless you choose), and the number of enemies in any given area is perfect, never feels like a slog. Read the free prologue, at least the first few chapters, to see if you're interested in the story and setting. It really helps the intro of the game to know some of the lore and terminology beforehand. Edit: finished the game, phenomenal ending. I could list a few small grievances, but overall a very solid rpg. Can't wait for the sequel!

Great RPG with heavy focus on story and lore. It can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning with all the terms being thrown around but if you can get past that hurdle you will be in for a treat.

The story is quite intricate with different factions which all have their own motivations. There are many mysteries in the game which are a nice set up for a sequel. Battles are kind of basic and the menus are sometimes a bit confusing to navigate. For example, you first have to buy a skill, then teach it to a character and then equip it to said character. These steps are all in different parts of the menu and sometimes it's not clear which part you're in.