Faye Falling

[h2]Story[/h2] The overall story and MC's thoughts resonate with me fairly well. It even made me shed a few tears on some moments ([spoiler]when the Numinas doesn't forsake Faye despite having rejected all 3 blessings and the true ending[/spoiler]). Your choices not only affect the ending, but also change some actions automatically done by MC's. At the same time, I have a few issues with the story presentation. [spoiler]The message/encouragement not to give up is rather explicit, whereas the foreshadowing feels moderately implicit. I also wish we could get to know more Faye's past. For example, why Faye's mother decided to leave her and her father[/spoiler]. Some side quests expect you to re-explore earlier areas, but many characters don't behave differently towards choices you've made, and it reduced my immersion with the story. [h2]Gameplay[/h2] I enjoyed both the combat mechanics and dodge mini-games, despite agreeing with the issues stated by other reviewers. There are fair variations of dodge mini-games, although class/specialization doesn't feel that different across my playthroughs. The game also lets you earn more XP/Gold through optional mini-game trials and grinds if you struggle to keep up. The challenge mode is a different beast though. I find it's too brutal during the early game, since I could die after receiving 2 attacks and few dodge mini-games require reaction time beyond my capability. I had to cheat HP/MP a few times during the early game. [h2]Visual/Audio[/h2] Both the visual and audio are quite great. Those emphasize the atmosphere of declining afterlife and MC's thoughts well enough. I also like the fact that it uses integer scaling and a border frame. It's worth the praise since some 2D pixel games I've played use either non-perfect or somewhat blurry scaling algorithm. [h2]Other[/h2] This game runs well on my Linux device. I also appreciate that the developer lend a hand by providing a guide and answering questions on Steam discussion. [hr][/hr] I didn't expect I would come to like this game so much that I saw all 5 endings and unlocked all achievements. Despite some issues I mentioned, the overall quality is quite better than I expected from a solo-developed game. If you're a fan of RPGMaker games, RPGMaker-esque games or Undertale and don't mind some rough edges, consider Faye Falling on your next purchase.