Celestian Tales: Realms Beyond: Video Review Games

In 2015, Studio Ekuator Games released Celestian Tales: Old North – It seems to be Japanese in the genre, but not quite Japanese according to the content of RPG. Instead of collecting cute wifu and the next heroic rescue of the world, we discussed the hands of boys and girls with big eyes and solved enough adult questions from the field of “gray morality”. True, these solutions are actually little on what they influenced, and the story itself seemed to be crumpled and short. In addition, as the game she was too simple – I am about battles and pumping. The continuation and work on errors was to become Celestian Tales: Realms Beyond, to the development of which also joined Agate Games. She became?

Life is pain!

Celestian Tales: Realms Beyond continues the history of the first game and proposes to control the party from six so-called companions in the service of one of the respected noble houses. The authors promised that decisions taken in Old North, Faced on stories in Sicvel. However, import “saves” from the original in Realms Beyond for some reason it is impossible. And this is the first bad bell.

No, in general, with history and characters, everything is in order – as in the first game, here it is the strongest part. Among companions, of course, there are cute girls, but, I repeat, no frivolous chests and fitting of sexy suites. All characters are dirty, with their beliefs, and some – with a cargo of heavy deeds and decisions taken in the past. They will see the execution of loved ones, will face betrayal and will be forced … However, finishing with spoilers.

In general, let it be not the most gloomy and dark fantasy in history – there are still children in the detachment – but in Realms Beyond All serious. In addition, the story has become longer and places adult compared to the original.If in the party several fighters with attacks in the area, the enemies have no chance at all.

Choose without consequences?

However, many dialogues still look tightened and superficial when, for example, characters are constantly discussing the same thing and repeat the uppercase truths – to reduce their authors, the game would not lose anything.

Yes, and with non-linearity, everything is ambiguous. There are different abnormalities for different characters, sometimes you need to choose who we will pass the following several scenes or quests, – accordingly, dialogues and events will vary. Moral choice – for example, you need to decide, to help the former (seemingly) a gangster stay in the village so that she can in return to us a service, or do without this deal with conscience.

However, there are few such situations, and they are usually affected, as a rule, only on very local things.

One left

On the other hand, it is good that the authors at least create the illusion of choice. Bad thing that they still did nothing to order Celestian Tales Interested in us not only as an interactive book with an excellent plot, but also as a game with thoughtful gameplay.It is not clear when and what such a choice will affect.
Role-playing and combat systems in Realms Beyond Very simple. Characters of different classes automatically increase the indicators upon receipt of new levels and sometimes learned new skills. From us only you need to choose which “skills” they will use in battles, where they are attacked by tradition, use skills and objects in turn. Yes, you still need to define three who will participate in a fight – the rest will be in reserve, but at any time you can replace the comrade.

There are kraft with cooking on recipes, which gives different bonuses for several closest battles, and improving weapons from a blacksmith. But in fact, I rarely used it – simply because even the difficulties of Nightmare for the most part passed all the same left. Literally: I could simply press one button with closed eyes and win most of the battles. Some problems arose only at the beginning of the passage and in battles with bosses, but for all time I lost only one of them, and the next attempt was successful. And this is on the “nightmare”. In jrpg. Without Grinda. In general, nonsense some!

Magnificent Sixer

The fact is that the enemies for some reason are rarely attacking, preferring to defend themselves and prepare (while our wards tear them on rags), and after each battle, the party automatically restores health. In addition, taking into account the system of the reserve in a fight actually participate not three, but all the six of our fighters. Everyone has and powerful protective, and attacking skills.

And because of the opponents, many valuable ingredients and trophies are falling out of opponents, which can be sold, we do not have a deficiency of crystals that can quickly raise the fallen ally from 75% of health.Yes, art – handmade.
Periodically, our six is forcibly divided. And if some of the remaining Trinity, wounded in past battles, have the status of a critical injury, then the following fights will become a little more difficult for you. But here there are no problems to return to the global map in the nearest city or fort and there in the church to remove all negative effects. Anyway on the map no dangerous meetings happen. And we will be allowed to get to the same city, from which on the plot of our heroes literally just kicked out.

Sophisticated story in a weak game

The authors Celestian Tales: Realms Beyond They said that all this, they say, is done only for the sake of the player in order to save time and save it from tedious grind. But in fact, such a system in many ways eliminates us and from interest in passing.

Yes, the plot itself and well-prescribed characters, as well as excellent music and beautiful, manually drawn backgrounds (Realms Beyond It was not created on RPG Maker), this interest is supported by this interest, but in a good game it should do all components, including gameplay.

And he is also devoid of many amenities. Somewhere disappeared the task log (in the first part it was), because of which it is sometimes not clear where to go and what to do;evaporates and the ability to compare the characteristics of things;Inventory and menu of characters are inconvenient;on the map is difficult to navigate;Celebrating NPCs can block our character;In certain situations scripts break, which makes the passage of the plot impossible.

The craft includes mini-games.
***
Celestian Tales: Realms Beyond – This is a fascinating and serious, adult interactive book, which somehow decided to make the game. With the plot and characters everything is fine here, but with everything else – very weak. I hope in the third part (and the trilogy was planned) the authors will finally fix. Or would it really grow up this story in format, for example, a text quest with beautiful arts and wonderful music. So, by the way, the level of nonlinearity will rise significantly.

Pros: fascinating adult story;well-prescribed characters;There is nonlinearity and moral choice;Beautiful manually drawn picture;Successfully selected music.

Minuses: The game is too simple;Many things make the gameplay also wildly uncomfortable;Critical bugs are found.