𝄞Gaia's Melody: ECHOED MELODIES

Warning I am speaking from a point of view of hat uses RPG Maker. while learning how to use the software I came across Echo's Youtube channel and she was very helpful. When I saw that Gaia's Melody was on Steam I just had to get it. At $10.99 I was sure it woul haven't got far but It is definitely story rich but not to much. There was some bugs at first but as far as I know they are fixed. Great Job Echo I look forward to play more of your game. And thank you for your help teaching how to use RPG Maker

Fish tier aesthetics

[h1]𝄞Gaia's Melody: Echoed Melodies[/h1] I have to admit, it's a bit of a miracle I got to play [i]Echoed Melodies[/i]. Not because I wasn't interested or anything, it was recommended to me by someone very special after all... but more so because [b]have you seen my wishlist!?[/b] That thing only grows, never stops!.. but in the end, I got to experience it: once with my partner playing and me keeping company, and later on with the roles switched... and I'm so, so happy I got to do so. I say it at the end of the review also, but this is one of my favorite games ever. So, without further delay, let's go into more details, shall we? And since the very first thing you'll stumble upon in a game is its presentation, let's talk about the artstyle first. [i]Echoed Melodies[/i]' artstyle looked very unique to me from the beginning. When it comes to the character designs, they all have many colorful outfits that seemed clashing at times... but that really, REALLY grew onto me: I can't imagine them any other way now and I love it! The game itself is presented with some really, really nice 32 bit pixel art, and it all looks AMAZING!! The backgrounds looks super greatly detailed, the cast looks excellent and expressive, and small effects like the underwater filters, and specially the breeze moving the character's hair and clothes, are things I never get tired of. The anime portraits are also quite cool!! Some look outstanding, while others look a bit off, or out of model... but not only did I end up liking them a lot by the end, it adds to this game's overall human touch: it's sincerity, it's humanity. Some made me laugh out loud, some wowed me completely, and some were just... well, perfectly imperfect! (The biggest example of what I mean is the bad guy's desing: The eyes are SO BIG!! But I don't know, I got used to it). The music selection in here is incredible. Apparently some tracks were made for the game, while some others were cherry picked for the game from different sites... and [b]holy cow!![/b] Every single song in here is a masterpiece, and I kid you not, some of them can get me emotional [b]just by listening to them.[/b] Themes like Arber Village, Kemoneko Village, or Flame, are real hitters in that regard... Though of course, the soundtrack evokes more feelings than just that: Majikk has a wonderful air of mysticism and I love it; Eeon's castle's majestic theme is, well, royally majestic; the battle theme gets me pumped up every time; the vocal song gives a true feeling of a finished satisfying journey;... You get the point, it's a masterful selection of tracks and I wish it was available for purchase as DLC or something... The combat in this game is also really fun! Now, I can't say for sure how good it is, I am not the most well-versed when it comes to RPGs (I can count the amount of JRPGs I've played so far with my hands); but regardless, it was really, really satisfying through and through! Leveling up is not particularly hard, and, as you can imagine, seeing numbers grow is always really great! There is a big cast of characters however, so you should probably keep them all at a reasonable level. Most characters also have really satisfying abilities: Single target heavy hitters, reliable multiple targets attacks, OP healing spells, status-inflicting abilities... nothing out of the ordinary, but they're good, full of personality, and they can really make or break a fight. I only actually struggled with a couple or three bosses, and once I got the hang of it, it was a wonderful challenge to overcome! So... yeah! Great stuff, full of character and very fun! Reading the descriptions of some abilities definitely got a laugh out of me here and there... (Speaking of, my gosh you bet this game is full of fun dialogue and descriptions!) However, no RPG world can be without a good story. It's the main focus of this genre after all, and Gaia's world... is no exception! I will admit, I suck at identifying good or bad stories, usually because I struggle to focus onto them. But here, I was fully invested from beginning to end, and I was truly amazed. Every time I was like "Hmm, this feels off" or "Seems like a plot hole", the game would correct me in a very satisfying and logical way. Exposition is also presented very nicely: the biggest exposition dump is near the end of the game, optional, and made interactive, showing what other characters think about it all. Awesome stuff!! Speaking of, this game is FULL of playable characters. At first, it threw me off ([i]that's way too much, this is overwhelming![/i]), but I slowly got to know them, got used to it, and they all grew on me! Except Ferrik, he's an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥... There were a couple more things that came across as odd or off-putting: The kemoneko cult-like master-servant mentality; or Doken, who despite being young still... doesn't shy away from flirting with teenagers... I know he's just being a bit overly friendly, but still threw me off a bit. (There were also some more worrying pervs on the way. With those, do as I did: RUN AWAY ASAP!!). Other than that, I have zero complaints! So (without spoiling a thing) it's world is very, very solid and intriguing... but the focal point is in the emotions. This game is INTENSE! But also... very human. There were many absurd, lighthearted, fun, and off-putting moments... while always remembering just how tragic this whole thing is. For most of it, it feels like your objective is always just out of reach... and yet, you push forward. You try, even when things look truly dire, and every step accomplished, even if small, feels like a huge achievement: every small step getting you closer to your destination. There are some [b]truly[/b] heartbreaking moments throughout, and they only get more and more intense as the story unveils... Existential crises, loss, the pressure of having the fate of the world on your shoulders, the feeling of hurting those around even when trying to do the complete opposite... Quite a few tough subjects handled so wonderfully!... [i]I will say though, they all tend to blame themselves a bit too much, so many times I was like "Nooo!! You did your best, there was nothing else you could do, don't be so hard on yourself..."[/i] Unfortunately, I can't say all of it was smooth sailing. Glitches were minor, and uncommon: maybe a character portrait wouldn't show up properly in a dialogue box of every 150 or something like that... However, I did stumble upon a truly bad glitch. In the first Mirrihk factory, battles would glitch out for most of it. I found another way to farm for experience, and it didn't happen again after... but I did juggle around with it all for probably 2 hours or so. I'd have to navigate invisible menus blindly, to escape fights that didn't even trigger and... Yeah it was annoying. Again, not game breaking, but it is a major glitch after all... https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3396628239 I feel like I somewhat covered it all now and... what can I say really. This game has really quickly earned a place into my heart. It made me laugh quite a bit, smile a lot, get frustrated, almost cry multiple times... and, every time I got to the ends, I cried... a lot. Not many games have got to do that. It has become, not only one of my favourite games ever, but probably my favourite RPG so far. And I have to thank all of this to my partner: [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/MeanCookieZZ]Moonie[/url]. Sweetie, thank you so, so deeply!! Not only did you introduce me to this universe. Not only did you make me excited for the third entry. Not only did you get me these amazing games for Christmas!... but also kept me company throughout. You shared with me one of your most special things in this world, and I can't thank you enough! Next stop: [i]𝄢Gaia's Melody II: Echoed Memories[/i]!! (And also probably [i]Eternal Senia[/i], as a way to share a special one of mine ❤️) I love you my heaven, so, so much!! 🐰💝💖💗💖💝🐱

This game screams fanfic but like in a nostalgic y2k way yk

Absolutely fantastic RPG! The story, characters, battle system, music, and graphics were wonderful! However, there were a few issues: -Too easy -Awkward load times, slowdowns, and a few crashes. Weird considering I was playing on a PC with new hardware. Overall, I had a fantastic time playing this game. If you are a fan of Japanese Role-Playing games, buy this!

Great narrative and combat is smooth and simple. Rarely lags (generally only in large areas) and occasionally crashes (always when entering combat) but otherwise a great game. (So far)

Feels a lot like Final Fantasy 6 in the Graphics style!

Without any doubt, I can say this one of the greatest and most transformative works of media the last century has given us; with a strangely charming mix of "quirkiness" and writing straight out of the narrative school of 'emotional daggers to the heart', Gaia's Melody: Echoed Melodies stands as the paragon of what a JRPG should be. (I will however note that I have not yet played this game's sequel -and knowing the developer we're dealing with- it could well be [b]even[/b] better than this) Through a simple blend of stylistic flourish, relatability and boundless creativity, this game delivers a breathtakingly memorable fantasy experience that achieves the near-impossible feat of getting the player -rather an average person, most likely- to relate to characters capable of slaying god-like beasts on a deep, emotional level. Above all else, I admire the craft of a developer who outshines her "AAA" counterparts by a colossal margin in every way - creating a work that combines an entertaining gameplay loop, a beyond powerful narrative and "LOL XD Random" humour into one of the most lovable little experiences I've ever known!

best game i've ever played. inspired an rp server i made and still run today

This is an incredible little game made with lots and lots and lots of love- and it shows. Great experience start to finish. Captures the feel of a classic JRPG and features an awesome ensemble of memorable characters.