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[b]Pegasus-5: Gone Astray[/b] really surprised me! I was expecting something fairly decent, by the looks of it. Something perhaps a little outside the box. It didn't have what appeared to be a traditional RPG element with fighting battles, or grinding resources... and that's one of the main reasons I wanted to review this game. It's way more than I could have asked for, especially given what many RPGMaker games have as their usual style, so to speak, that are quite different than what I got out of this game and its creativity.
The flow of the game started out a little bit what I'd expect. Some dialog, and some choices and a few mission-based objectives to go through. Anyway, getting to meet the crew as I was welcomed on board the ship was a good experience. I don't think it took me too long to feel a real sort of chemistry in a way with the game as a whole. It just feels solid, in a way I cannot describe. The story began to pick up later, as things went on... and it became like a really good book I didn't want to put down.
Story is its real strong point. I could complain about graphics, but some of that is limitations set by RPGMaker - and adding a lot of extra CG would have probably taken a decent amount of extra budgeting, and this is from what appears to be a very small group of people who created what I consider a truly underrated masterpiece that I'm glad I have had the chance to play.
There are many reason why. The music fits the game well - it has an oldschool feel to it. Then this carries into the game itself, as far as how your skills must meet requirements to pass particular obstacles (such as having athletics above 2 to move a box, which has something underneath it in the ship, for an example). It makes picking skills fairly crucial in the game. One problem with this is that it can be limiting if you want to follow everything to the letter, more or less, and go for specific ending styles.
I can go on and on about why I like this, but instead I'll try to condense it into some pros and cons for simplicity's sake, so here you go:
[h1]Pros[/h1]
The story is really riveting. I wanted to replay it several times just to figure out more about various things that could happen.
The achievements were something that also motivated me to push through a few more playthroughs - given you must meet requirements by the end of the game in some cases, and while I can't say I didn't use some light save scumming, just to get back to a baseline for another run, it's still one I played through at least three times (albeit faster at parts I had already done in the same manner) for the totality of everything.
Music in this is very subtle and it meshes well with the entire theme, being very sci-fi oriented. There's also that feeling of trepidation - or suspense, pushing the flow in a way... I liked it very much!
The replayability was great! No NG+ style, in that sort of way, but the outcomes were different based on various factors. It was also interesting to see what a higher point total in one of your four base level-up skills would do when used in particular scenarios.
Characters felt fairly genuine, as if they had personalities of people you'd really meet, or encounter in a movie or book. Well written throughout and it also shined with characters, their design, and their attitudes.
Choices really mattered, and could make outcomes totally different based on various toying around with them over playthroughs. The game isn't terribly long - maybe 3 - 5 hours total, so replayability isn't a huge deal there either.
Lots of variety in gameplay and mini-games and stuff like that. The missions were not the same thing over and over throughout the game, like some games I have played. It felt like a continuation, rather than a loop of endless repetitive questing.
Battles were fought based on a choice, rather than hitting an enemy for x number of points, lose x amount of health. You could be penalized in a stat if you had a problem, and others could die based on choices or your adaptability to a situation, but everything centers around your four main abilities, and choices you make throughout the game, making it quite a unique experience for me on an RPGMaker game.
There is a vending machine system where you can gain extra morale, but tokens are hard to come by. Another way is through completing actions with your crewmates. Morale can be crucial as you go through the game, and can also add bonus stats to your four main abilities if used in certain ways. It can also drive the story in various different directions, as can those four base skills, so the impact it has is huge throughout the game.
I loved the colorful space backdrop as the ship was shown flying through the air at a couple of spots. Really nice the way it's done.
[h1]Cons[/h1]
The background and foreground could be a bit hard on the eyes. It's very pixelized, and so not a strong area. The character faces shown in conversations and such are nicely done though. With what there was to work with, it's overall not bad, but I would still rate it as a weaker point. The choices and story are what make this game great!
Your side walking/running movements look very "jelly-like", or kind of wriggly - and almost looks like you're skipping in an odd fashion. Was hard for my eyes to get used to this.
You have to pick specific skills over others sometimes, if you want to accomplish certain endings in the game. While you can go with whatever you want and "finish" the game, prioritizing certain ones makes the outcome more favorable than others...
I ran into a small glitch or two here and there. One was where a particular character who wasn't in a room could be clicked on a desk where they stood at one point, but I would get the same conversation every time I went back to that desk throughout that game.
There was another glitch where I had enough total morale to drink something medical to add to my stats, but it said my morale was too low. I was exactly 1 point above (I think it needed 30 and I had 31).
Some may want a longer game, but going through all the routes, and reading everything can be time-consuming, so I think it balances out just fine. Worth noting, since some want 20+ hour games in the RPG genre.
[h1]Conclusion[/h1]
This game really shocked me. I wasn't prepared for how great it really is! I totally underestimated it - the story starts rather slowly, but it's put together in an excellent and fun thrilling way, as are the characters, their interactions and the whole setting and experience. The captured essence is a total package game that I'd say is one of the better games I've played on Steam - especially given the scope of what was used to work with, mainly RPGMaker based. The use of unique ways to play a game on in this format, along with everything else that glues it all together nicely is absolutely amazing!
Do yourself a favor and try this out. I think most fans of sci-fi thriller and story-driven experiences will like this one a lot. No game is for everyone, but this game should be, and probably would be for more people out there, given it got more exposure. I feel this game has some real soul - a trait often missing in today's world of games that are flooded with movie-rendered boringness, ad infinitum. So refreshing to see so much done with so little! Impressive work!
Overall for the amount this game is offered at (especially sales), it's well worth it! I was surprised at how good this is!
[b]A SOLID 9.25+/10[/b]
Special thanks to [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32110520-Simetria-League/]Simetria League[/url] for their support!
