MARDEK

One of the few games I replayed as an adult that lived up to the nostalgia.

Yes it's that game. If you're here, you know.

PseudoLoneWolf made this as a flash game some time ago. It was in four bits that have now been strung together to make this. It gained massive following and interest, and he then began to do goofy things like turn the monsters into dreams and Deugan into a buck-toothed Pacific Islander who talked about cogitating. It lost all of the following, and now PLW is trying to cajole people into supporting his goal of getting paid to make games nobody wants, instead of completing the only project he ever made that people really like. I guess he just doesn't want money? In any case, I only write that so you know that this is likely all there will be; the story doesn't complete, and almost certainly never will. So what about the game? It's an homage to classic RPGs of the past. You've got your chars and a storyline. It's not complex, but it's lovingly done, and it's a shame we won't find out what happens with the other Magi. Things follow and make sense, and there's a good balance of humor with seriousness. There are some deep aspects as well, and given that it was made as a free flash game, the music is comparatively astounding. You can pick any party and make it work, and there are differences to how things have to be done depending on whom you pick. There are secrets, but it's easy to find the answers given the guide that's easily available. Worth every penny, if only to encourage PLW to finish this project. It's pure nostalgia for games where writing was more important than Michael Bay-style pew-pew-BOOM graphics with little content (glances at all GTA games). 3.9 out of 5

Originally an online flash game called Mardek RPG, this game was, for all intents and purposes, a product of its time, BUT many of the jokes and underlying themes contained herewithin (as well as the OSTs for this game) have aged like a fine wine! That said, some people may find the more crude and tactless elements of the game not to be to their liking, and that's perfectly OK! This game likes to joke around, and doesn't take itself too seriously! The gameplay, itself, is fairly straightforward, and surprisingly versatile; however, the button layout takes some getting used to, and you should learn as many skills as you can, early on, and really interact with the available gameplay elements and the given environment to find all of the hidden items & teasers for the chapters ahead (that were originally planned, at the very least)! That said, although this is a discontinued series, I nevertheless highly recommend it to retro gamers of all experience levels, who enjoy a realistic, if lighthearted and self-aware, take on the fantasy adventure RPG genre that nevertheless manages to have itself a compelling storyline, equally compelling characters, and fairly challening gameplay, all without being too difficult for the newbies! This game also comes with its own walkthrough, for the completionists among us - and the Steam version also comes with modified drop chances, to ensure you get all of the extremely rare items on your first playthrough! At the time of this review, the cost of the game + extras & the OST, is $15 separately, and $12 as a bundle, with the game itself only valued at $10. Worth every penny.

This was one of my favorite games when I was a kid and it 100% holds up! Would highly recommend to anyone and I do!

Absolute gem straight from the Flash era. I remember checking the roadmap for Mardek 3 daily lol. Amazing story, solid mechanics, good sense of humour and above all an amazing nostalgic soundtrack. If you're looking for a cheap J-RPG with quite an in-depth story, then please check this out.

I played the ever loving crap out of this throughout highschool, easily my favorite rpg. Only disappointed it's likely we won't ever see a proper send-off the series

A good retro indie JRPG, with very minor changes from the 3 games as they were released in 2007-2010, with carry over between chapters, including skills learned. Parodies a number of tropes affectionately with lamp-shading, for example naming the "actually four blokes" trope. The element system combined with different resistances to physical and magical attacks, and the fact that most combats include a variety of enemies leads to some interesting trade-offs in attacks, especially as you will often be wanting to master new moves unlocked from otherwise subpar equipment, and reactions keep you engaged in most battles. The ability to easily respec learned skills and switch equipment means you largely do not have to worry about subpar statting decisions, which the ability to keep the skills makes previous effort feel meaningful. The story is great. The elemental rock paper scissors extends past just combat, informing the character's personality. Each character has their own chat options for first entering most areas and generic for as they level up. The main plot-line informs the majority of the content, incorporating the majority of the character's plot-lines. The soundtrack is amazing, environmental and combat, and I have a lot of love the main menu music (Also available to be bought with the OST&extras packaged in as a separate game) All in all, a project of love rather than profit. Aborted after 3 chapters of what was meant to be a longer work, but definitely worth it. Tops my recommendation list, with the possible exception of Factorio, which I have nearly 7000 hours in. The doubly rebooted version "Atonal Dreams" may come out some day (started 27 July 2020, in alpha since 06/2022 at time of writing), regardless I would not miss this version.