Melancholy Republic

The fact that as I write this, this game only has 16 reviews and is currently 'mixed' is heartbreaking to see. On one hand, I get it: you see RPGmaker art, you immediately assume grand JRPG-esque adventure with full combat system, customization, exp, etc. And yet, if you read the game's description, you'd know that that isn't what this is. This is ostensibly a kinetic visual novel, and an outstanding one at that. Excellent story and characters, emotional, well-written, and absolutely beautiful soundtrack. This game is the epitome of a hidden gem, and it pains me to see how poorly it reviewed and sold.

Update: 'Life is about beginings and not endings', and this particular peice of story work has me enamoured. It may seem totally inpromrehncible but some moments have litterally left me in awe, and for good reason. There are a good amount of plot holes and sequences that do not marry up, also some grammatical and spelling errors, though let's remember there were plenty in FF7. One of these such examples is to do with the armoured princess (I guess minor spoliers here) Claires father makes it clear early on that she is rarely seen and that she is kept away from the public, yet claire has substantial meetings with her and she seems to have full reign of the city without the town guard going absolutley mad that she has departed. The clever and sutble reference and nods to other RPG's are most welcome and they are not overdone either, such as this one in relation to FF7. While I have yet to firmninatley comment on it, the obvious plus point is the soundtrack! absolutely sublime and as used by RPG's of yonder years this has a massive impact in the storytelling, it's up there with some of the best ever. Video Review: https://youtu.be/f8LJ98kdtpo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Perhaps it's abit early to give a review on a game where I'm not even past the intro. But my very early opinion of this is very high. A beautifully put together game, it's obvious alot of time and effort has gone into making this as polished as it seems thus far. Naturally it's a very slow paced, narritive driven game and this should be at the fore of your mind when going into the game. The story aspects soo far are interesting and have me wanting to learn more about the world and the chararcters. So I'll leave this here for now and update when appropriate. If you want to see it running and how it looks in-game check out my video below. Youtube: https://youtu.be/NqjfVPVxBIU

If you want to feel sad and bitter after you play this game, then go ahead.

It's obvious a lot of love has gone into this game. Though on the short side, the story, character depth, music, sprites and map design all work together very well. The writing could definitely expand on quite a few areas and use some proofreading, but overall, doesn't detract from the experience and is worth looking past. Would recommend for someone looking to experience an indie story-based thriller.

As long as you're aware this is a visual novel going in, there should be no issues to be had. Controls are simple, but suffice for the VN environment. The soundtrack is beautiful and quite appropriate for the story. Perhaps during the ending credits when a particular piece is on repeat I wish there'd be more variety, but it's the only complaint about the soundtrack I can muster. The story itself for me was quite excellent and enjoyable, but depending on your tastes may not suit you. At times it feels like it could be flushed out a bit more, but doing so might make the game feel a bit long for some. I really have no regrets playing this game, and at full price I personally wouldn't feel like I overpaid, but any sale on it would lessen this possibility for others. I could see this becoming part of a VN Humble Bundle at some point.

Well, this game really is what it says on the tin. It’s a melancholy RPGmaker game. Well… It’s more a visual novel than a game. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, this is an experience I’d highly recommend, but don’t expect an RPG, because that is not what you’ll get here. There is hardly any agency. In fact, sometimes control is taken away from the player so much, that it can be a hassle to try to get to a menu to even save the game! There IS a lot to like here, though. Melancholy Republic’s maps and environments are stunning. All other RPGmaker games should really strive to match its quality in that department. The writing is a lot better than you’ll find in most RPGmaker games too, although it can be a bit on the nose at times, and a lot, though not all, of the characters are one dimensional. The music is good, and gets the job done. However, it could’ve been mixed better in areas and I didn’t find it particularly memorable overall. The real star of the show, in my eyes, was the world that the developers created here. I thought the backstory, the lore, the history and politics of the world were fantastic. This is definitely a world I’d love to learn more about and visit again.

First of all, I need to mention how amazing the soundtrack is. It really needs a digital release. About the game itself, the story is its sole focus, which might not appeal to some people. Those that enjoy gaming as a story-telling media, this sure is a great story to be told. There are lighthearted moments and some short laughs, which in turn are a good contrast to the overall tension of the political setting. The dialogue is a bit inconsistent in tone, as part of the story was heavily enhanced by the writing, while at times the dialogue seemed unfit for what it intended to deliver. It also felt like there were a few missed opportunities, like the actual work as a senator not having a bigger part on the gameplay, but that could possibly stray too far from the original concept. I would have loved to see a deeper look on the political schemes of the Senate, also gameplay built around politics, passing and voting laws, convincing people to sponsor your propositions, making political deals... Maybe we could see that in a sequel about the main character's father and the events that lead to his assassination?

The Ending left me bitter...

I loved the story to this game and the graphical style, the atmosphere was a good mix of fun scenes and sad scenes, with some rare actually good fourth wall/meta humour. its also nice to see some good British humour. however, it is rather janky, with semi functional controls and some spelling mistakes. also, it is basically a visual novel with a few adventure game elements, its fine as long as you understand that but don't expect an RPG.

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