Sydney's World

[h1]Short version:[/h1] If you have the patience to put up with a gameplay made out of sheer trial and error, then Sydney’s World can offer you one of the cutest, most charming tales ever put on Steam. [h1]Long version:[/h1] On the surface, Sydney’s World seems like a clichéd fantasy story about a brave little girl trying to save her dad from an evil wizard. However, upon closer inspection, we see a tale full of imagination, a large cast of fun characters (although we rotate them out a bit too fast), exciting adventure, adorable voice acting, wonderful music, some morals about the world, and everything else you need for what this game really is: the perfect bedtime story. If Sydney’s World only had those ingredients, it could have been a perfect visual novel. Alas, it had the urge to include standard RPG Maker gameplay, only with terrible design choices: trial-and-error mazes and death traps, puzzles where the solutions are more like blind guesses, and one of the most unpredictable and random combat systems I ever met. It will take a special kind of patience to face these challenges, but those who persist through the game’s many levels can find an enchantingly cute journey that will leave them all warm and fuzzy inside.

Published by: Wise Dad Games Developed by: Wise Dad Games Genre: RPG, Fantasy Release Date: 2 Feb, 2016 Time to complete: 12 hours [h1]Introduction[/h1] Sydney’s World is a family-friendly RPG game where you follow the intersecting adventures of a cheeky young girl, Sydney, and a King. The story is full of moral lessons, educational content (for the younger players) and engaging characters. [h1]Story[/h1] In Sydney’s World, you play as two main characters who embark on two differing quests; Sydney, who is trying to find her father, and the King who is seeking redemption. The protagonists show real character progression as the game goes on, learning important life lessons as they venture further in their expeditions. As the characters continue their journeys, they come across different villains that they must fight in order to proceed. Sydney and the King have other characters following them throughout their journey that contribute in the battles and support the main characters, all of which have different abilities. The main characters (notably Sydney and Snowball) are not only humorous, but also have really sweet personalities that will definitely appeal to children. [h1]Difficulty & Challenge[/h1] Sydney’s World is a fantastic introduction to the RPG genre. The game starts off fairly easy, and increases in difficulty the further you get into the game. As the combat difficulty increases, you have to be more strategic about the fights, whereas at the start it is very simple. [u]For parents:[/u] Another point to mention in this category is the reading. Though the vast majority of the game contains language that is easy to understand, I would recommend accompanying your child during the game to help out with the more complicated words. It is however still easy enough to understand with the character’s facial cues accompanying the text. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] The game is very linear (there are no side quests) and starts off very simple. As the game progresses, you must use problem solving and a bit of trial-and-error to advance to the next stage of the game. There are philosophical quotes that can be found throughout the game, which are a nice touch for the older audience, especially those that are playing alongside their children. The controls are very simplistic; only a keyboard is needed. [h1]Audio[/h1] Not all characters in the game are voice-acted. This is, as I quote from the Developer, ‘’to enhance engagement’’, and ‘’to promote reading’’. I think this is a really nice addition. The voice acting is done really well, and fits in well with the character that is being portrayed. The music throughout the game is pleasant, and also varies depending on the chapter/scene, helping to encapsulate the mood and surroundings. [h1]Replay Value[/h1] The game is a story, and thus doesn’t have any real replay value. Despite this, it is quite long (it goes for roughly 12 hours), which is amazing value for the low price of the game. [h1]Educational Aspect[/h1] Sydney’s World has fantastic life lessons demonstrated throughout. There’s a strong emphasis on wise decision making (with multiple choice questions), morals, the importance of friendship and learning manners and respect. You can see the characters growing in these areas as the game goes on. It’s also a great opportunity to expand your child’s vocabulary by playing it through with them. I recommend checking out the Sydney’s World website for those interested in finding out more about the educational value of the game; I found it really interesting. [h1]Overall Verdict[/h1] I started playing Sydney’s World with the assumption I wouldn’t like it. I’m not a fan of the genre or the art style, and I thought it wouldn’t appeal to an older audience. But alas, I fell in love and it captivated me for many hours. Sydney’s World has perfectly combined education, a rich story, important values and entertainment, all the while making it safe for a younger audience. The game contains no profanity, and I’m very impressed with how they managed to incorporate fight scenes into the game without it being frightening or containing any gore. The game is beautifully made and it is clear that Sydney’s World is a product of the Developer’s hard work and passion. [h1]Overall Score: 9/10[/h1]

It is an ok idea for a game. But in the end not really worth much. If you wish to play a game, just to play a game, then this is great for you. But if you want a game for a story this is not worth the money. *Edit* P.S: I could care less what people think of my own Opinion of the game. Even with a short playtime, I can tell it is a story I do not find very well done. If the story does not hook me right from the start then it is not good. This is my own thought on the game. Don't like it, well kindly move along.

I found this RPG quite enjoyable. Sydney's World revolves around the adventures of a young girl who is transported to a different world where she finds she can do magic and her toy elf becomes a real elf. There's some voice acting and mainly from a real little girl, actually named Sydney, eight and a half years of age. She does an exceptional job. The main villain on the other hand..... ugh. I'll forgive that though because I love Sydney and the game is chock-full of great music and lovely art. A few things you should be aware of. There are no random battles and no way to power level. You DO level up and gain new abilities and higher stats but almost all battles are part of the story. Some dungeons or hazardous areas have creatures that you can see and choose to come in contact with for a few extra battles. This RPG is more about experiencing the story than fighting. Though there ARE some tough battles so you'll need to figure out what your skills do and come up with strategies. You can save whenever you please so just make sure to do that often and you'll be fine. There's probably a lot more I could say about the game but I think I'll keep this review on the shorter side. In closing, I REALLY liked Sydney's World and I give it two thumbs up.

I am soooooooooooooooo confused... Is this supposed to be a medieval game? An Anime game? So you got one cutesy character and then some scary looking old man with crazy powers... IDK what the little girl is supposed to do, but all she does is whine about food... Then we got the main character and his sister? Priest? IDK Oh and like 3 different worlds going on with not much of a backstory on what's going on...... So how's the game? Well I played it for a little under an hour so far and all I can say is, WTF IS HAPPENING?!? The story is jumping from one scenario to the next with little to none backstory on what's the storyline is about...

Sydney's World is an excellent turn-based, story-driven RPG that I highly recommend to everyone, young and old. This is not your typical RPG Maker game; you need to come into this world understanding that there is an amazing story to be told here, and that this game is much more than a turn-based RPG. That's not to say there is anything wrong with those kinds of RPGs, ( I personally love them), but before you buy this game you need to understand this is more about the story than fights. The story revolves around a young girl out to save her father from an evil wizard from another world. The flow of the game is very linear, but the locations you journey too and the people you meet are very unexpected and interesting. There are many twists and turns, and many different locations to explore, and this really held my interest. You will meet many great characters in your journeys and you will grow fond of them. A strong and interesting story is certainly a highlight here. The developer wants you to not worry about equipment such as weapons and items, so you don't really need too, but you certainly can. It can be dangerous though, and I suggest saving very often and using multiple saves as the game suggests. You never know what is around the corner. You will find your typical Elixers and Revive Potions, but there is no buying or selling, or upgrading equipment in this game. Most towns and castles can not be entered again either, which I found rather unusual. If you missed anything, that's too bad. Due to a lack of random battles, you can not grind for experience, though there are a few places where there are a lot of enemies. This game is not about that. I found this game to have excellent music and sound effects, and the graphics were bright, colorful, creative, and interesting. There is some very nice artwork here that introduce you to new areas or situations, and there are very well made enemies and bosses. Sydney and some other characters speak, and other characters don't. This may be the first RPG Maker game I've played that had spoken dialogue. However, as with most games where there is spoken dialogue, you may find yourself skipping the voices because you read the text long before the character says it. I found myself doing this eventually. I personally found the lack of battles and opportunities to power my team up for boss battles dissapointing. This IS an RPG maker game at heart, and heavily reducing the core part of the game felt strange to me. However, if your conservative with your items, and experienced in RPGs, you won't have too much trouble. As I said though, you need to come into this game with different expectations. I HIGHLY recommend this game, I had a great time and I'm sure you will too. Disclaimer: I was provided a key by the developer for review purposes.This did NOT influence my review in any way.

Sydney's World is a game that caught my attention when he entered in greenlight an interesting JRPG with a great story, many great characters. personally I love RPG games. however many of today's RPGs are boring ..... same type of story same gameplay all repeated but Sydney 's World was more than that .... had a great story, many great sound effects and very creative. I would say this was the best RPG I've played this year then I say if you are looking for a great RPG I recommend Sydney's World and the game still gets updates from players requests ^~^ thanks for this great game and continue creating great stories.

Sydney's World is an 16-bit JRPG where you're going to play as a young girl seeking her father and a king in search of redemption. The character is easy to control using keyboard. The graphics are comic style and full of colours and animations are normal for a game of these characteristics. At the first moment the game introduces you in all the aspects using some hints and tips explained by a little dog that you find in the scenario. The map is not complex but i miss the little map of the area in the corner of the screen. During the game I've only found some healing potions hidden in some places but nothing else. I don't improve my skills or raise my level and I haven't been able to find new equipment so it seems there is no inventory management or traits/abilities/skill point. The game is very linear and there's no side-quest, but it's well written and its story seems long enough to give you some hours of entertainment. Music ans sound are quite good. Sydney and villains are very well voice-acted. This fact surprise me in a positive way because i've never heard voices in a game of this kind. Also the other interesting feature of this game is its family friendly style. There is no blood or violence, there are combats and battles but they dont'show anything so it's a good to choice to introduce young players in RPGs. The game has no achievements but drops five trading cards. Good choice if you like Japanese style role games PS: Thanks to Shade00

I have only played this game for about 5 hours. I am enjoying it. On one level it is a typical JRPG. It is less grindy than the usual and is a good introduction to RPG for younger players. Very young players might find it frightening and have trouble with some of the vocabulary. This makes it a good game for an adult to play with a child. It is definitely more linear than typical RPg's which I actually enjoy because I don't have to think as hard or take copious notes. Lots of humor.