Skyborn

I'm not sorry, I just find these JRPG games very boring.

Skyborn is an interesting game if not predictable, anyone one who grew up playing JRPG's will undoubtedly enjoy this one. Besides the fact that Dancing Dragons used a non professional engine, the game has beautiful graphics, an involving story, and nice characters. So, I totally recommend the game for those who are looking for something newly refreshing.

Real sweetheart of a game; I felt a lot of heart went into this. Not too difficult once you know what you're doing, with a hard playthrough taking me around 12 hours. There's no grinding, so it's good for completionists who want every enemy gone by the end. I've played it a few times now, and it was definitely worth the money.

[i]Find more of my reviews on my curator page: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45817624-Kasurot-Recommends/]Kasurot Recommends[/url][/i] [h1]Short Summary[/h1] A charming steampunk JRPG that proves you don't need a massive budget to be fun, just a big wrench and a good combat system. It transcends its generic engine, even if it looks like it came from a starter kit. [h3]Who Is This For?[/h3] Fans of 16-bit era storytelling who can overlook "RPG Maker" visuals for a tight, 12-hour adventure. [h3]Who Is This Not For?[/h3] Graphics snobs who break out in hives at the sight of chibi sprites or standard tile assets. [quote][h1]VERDICT: SALE DEPENDENT[/h1] [b]Our Advice:[/b] Are you craving a bite-sized, nostalgic JRPG that respects your time? Grab this during a sale; it's a perfect weekend snack. However, the $15 MSRP is a bit steep for a game from 2014 using stock assets, especially when modern masterpieces like [b]Chained Echoes[/b] exist in the same price bracket.[/quote] [table] [tr] [td][list] [*]Unique "Threat" combat system [*]No random encounters (Thank you) [*]Charming, snarky protagonist [/list][/td] [td][list] [*]Looks like default RPG Maker assets [*]Linear dungeon design [*]Short runtime for the price [/list][/td] [/tr] [tr] [th]Narrative: The Premise[/th] [th]Narrative: The Writing[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Mechanic fights sky aristocrats.[/td] [td]Witty, character-driven, and focused.[/td] [/tr] [tr] [th]Comparison[/th] [th]Monetization[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]Final Fantasy VI[/b] on a budget[/td] [td]Clean (Complete Package)[/td] [/tr] [tr] [th]Steam Deck[/th] [th]Pacing[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Great (Low Power Draw)[/td] [td]Tight (10-12 Hours)[/td] [/tr] [/table] [b]The Critique[/b] Skyborn is a relic from the early "Greenlight" era of Steam, back when the floodgates opened for games made with RPG Maker. Usually, that engine is a warning sign for generic fantasy tropes and lazy design, but Skyborn is the exception that proves the rule. It uses the default "RPG Maker VX Ace" visual style—which admittedly looks like a kaleidoscope of generic assets exploded—but underneath that humble hood lies a well-oiled machine. It’s like finding a pristine engine inside a beat-up sedan; it may not look like much at the stoplight, but it drives beautifully. The core appeal here is the protagonist, Claret. She isn't a brooding soldier with amnesia or a chosen one with a destiny; she's a mechanic with a wrench and an attitude problem. The writing is surprisingly sharp, leaning into a steampunk class-warfare aesthetic that feels like a cozy, low-stakes version of [b]Final Fantasy VI[/b]. Because the game is relatively short (around 10-12 hours), the narrative doesn't have time to bloat. There are no 20-hour fetch quest diversions here, just a focused romp through skyships and sewers that respects the fact that you probably have a job in the morning. Mechanically, the game punches above its weight class by introducing a "Threat" (Aggro) system to turn-based combat. In most JRPGs, enemies attack randomly, making "Tank" characters useless. Here, your heavy hitters generate threat to draw fire, allowing your squishy healers to work in peace. It adds a layer of tactical management that prevents the combat from becoming a "mash A to win" snooze-fest. Coupled with the total absence of random encounters—enemies are visible on the map, so you can dodge them if you’re busy—the gameplay loop is smooth and friction-free. The only real rust on the gears is the presentation and the price point. Visually, it struggles to distinguish itself from the thousands of other amateur projects using the same art assets. At the full $15 asking price, it’s competing with modern indie titans that offer far more content and bespoke art. However, this game is frequently bundled or discounted heavily. Pick it up for the price of a coffee, play it on the Steam Deck, and enjoy a well-crafted throwback that knows exactly what it wants to be.

While I'm always hesitant with RPG Maker Games, this one is pretty good. Good Story, different characters with their own personality, good use of Assets and balanced battles. At least on the Medium difficulty, which I used when played through the Game. A nice battle system where there is a threat meter, the character with the highest threat gets attacked, so you have to think a bit which and when you use your attacks and skills.

cool battle mechanics, like the art and the soundtrack. DON'T like jake. it did feel a little like i was dropped in a world without any explanation to what was going on, and the intro was very long to get to the gameplay, but overall i think from what i played it was pretty good.

Skyborn — уютная JRPG-история в стимпанк-декорациях, где ты не спаситель мира с пафосом, а механик, которому сначала подкинули “почини”, а потом — “ну раз уж пришёл, спаси всё”. Игра берёт атмосферой, милыми персонажами и классическим приключением без лишней суеты: исследуешь, дерёшься, прокачиваешься и постепенно втягиваешься в сюжет. Да, чувствуется школа RPG Maker, но сделано с любовью: всё работает, не душит гриндом и приятно проходится вечерами, когда хочется “старой доброй RPG”.

Esta bonito y no se hace muy largo si lo juegas en facil. Si lo juegas en normal o dificil preparate a sufrir por que hay una cantidad limitada de enemigos y recursos, sin poder farmear todo lo que quieras.

Quite enjoyable for a bog standard RPG Maker RPG. Very memorable characters. Definitely worth a playthrough if you don't mind those mechanics. First the bad: Bog standard? Well, the mechanics are about as plain as they get. Other than augmenting items, there isn't much beyond standard RPG maker exploration + battles. For someone that enjoys RPG Maker's style, no problem there. If you're not a fan though, it'll be hard to put 10 or 20 hours into this without some alternate/unique gameplay mechanics. (See Helen's Mysterious Castle for those: short, sweet, unique.) Since I don't mind the old 2D RPG style, it definitely gets a thumbs up from me, but someone else might give it a thumbs down for the same reason - no judgement. I must say though, the storyline is top notch. I believe that it aimed to be simple and kid friendly (not something grand and complex), and it managed it very well. Some games strive for something grandiose, then fail to deliver. This game knew what it wanted to convey, and completely delivered. You can really feel the world that the people are living in. The game did a superb job keeping things moving and having fun little interactions that really flesh out the characters and backstory. Chaska's endless positivity really grows on you, and all of these characters' traits fit nicely into the plot of the story. Characters that behave like you expect them to? *Gasp* What happened to writing random characters into a grand narrative as needed? Good news - none of that here. You can guess exactly what each of them will do. By the end it feels like you know them all. On the technical side, I must say that someone on the development team was thinking. The scaling works well. All of the status effects and buffs/debuffs have their places in battles. I was also able to spend an hour at the end carefully augmenting/crafting to get Claret up to 55k crits, and built out the team around supporting her - completely satisfied my power fantasy. There are only two moments where you can miss anything important - one was a badge that lets you equip +8 weight (you get a chance at it again far later), and the other is when Alda recounts her story. (Make a separate save point there and keep it, in case you need it later.) I went back for the achievement, but nothing missed was required to 100% the game on hard, and I did not need to reference a guide other than for that one achievement. Speaking of which - you know how most RPGs end up either handing you limitless piles of gold, and/or not nearly enough gold, so you're either equipment starved or can purchase anything that you want? This game perfectly paces economic gain, and if you don't [i]carefully[/i] spend your gold on equipment and upgrades, the next area is going to kick you in the rear on hard mode. There are times when crafting items is best, times when finding items is best, and times when buying items is best. I like that. There are some other examples of forethought too - like the class upgrade system. What if you need one specific ability for the final part of the game? Well, good news - the developers have your back. Just by completing all the things that they put in front of you, you'll unlock all that you need and miss nothing. That's refreshing. There are no bad choices that get held against you later. No repeat playthrough required. One and done is my jam. Skyborn delivered. Will remember Claret, Sullivan, Corwin, Chaska and Alda fondly. Thumbs up.