[GAME REVIEW] Legrand Legacy - PC Games #7
Good night steemian wherever you are, may be healthy always and remain in the protection of God Almighty. On this occasion, I @anwarunsam still want to review a game of concoction of developers from Indonesia, My Country. How to review?
In the last 1 year we have been spoiled with the games "serious" is very interesting of course thanks to the concoction of Indonesian developers are also built with the global market as a target market. Although it is understandable we will not get any visual or presentation content equivalent to AAA games built by giant developers and publishers who, of course, are funded with large capital, these Indonesian developers can still produce products that deserve to be thumbs up. There is a Fallen Legion + from Mintsphere which is finally released on PC via Steam with the support of Indonesian language in it. One game that is also not less be anticipated is a project from Semisoft which was delayed earlier - Legrand Legacy. Games that have been trying to popularize themselves from one event to another event, finally released to the market!
With confidence, this is the impression we got when we first tested the Legrand Legacy demo in the past. Although the demo taken from the beta period is not exactly perfect and full of technical problems, there is one thing you can catch from it. That this project is not just done by a team that wants to just "sell goods" on gamers only, but to vent his love for the classic JRPG sensation that is increasingly difficult to find at this time. Now, he finally released to the market. Completion from one version to another during the beta period has already happened. Legrand Legacy is finally ready to meet the curiosity. Is it a product to be proud of? Or is it a name that fails to achieve the quality we want from an RPG game? The good news is, as far as we are, the first sensation that comes up.
So, what is actually offered by Legrand Legacy this? Why do we call it a classic "JRPG" game with a local flavor? This review will discuss it more deeply for you. Let's start.
PLOT
Legrand Legacy is a fantasy-themed game that is quite heavy as a foundation. And as you can predict, this adventure story that Semisoft offers will get you into a world of races, species, monsters, and various fictional powers like a fairy tale that you enjoy in childhood or fantasy novels that you wake up as a teenager or adult. A story that will indeed contain many sides of cliches, but still interesting to follow. It is the same thing Legrand Legacy conceives.
Opened with a bloody battle scene in an arena, you play a young man named Finn. In addition to his skillful fighting ability because of the muscle memory that still works so well, he does not remember much about what happened in his past. Just, name only. Fortunately, he was rescued by an elderly man with extraordinary magical abilities who "hired him" to find a cure for the severely ill daughter. Halfway down through the dangerous desert, they were attacked by bandits. The weak Finn ends unconscious and finds that his savior, already dead. He actually meets a mysterious female karaker, named - Aria.
Pledging to help Finn to find the rescue princess and deliver the needed medicine, Aria asks for her help to find a figure named Lazarus who allegedly lives in the same desert. The fight against such exhausting monsters has finally brought them to the awaited spot, meeting directly with Lazarus who is believed to be one of the heroes of a long-standing war of the past. Aria believes that Lazarus holds the key to restoring peace within Legrand - the world in which they live. The female warrior with this arrow is called to resolve the increasingly heated northern conflict, involving two large Legrand countries that are now ready to take up arms until one side is crushed to its knees. Instead of just helping him, Lazarus comes with more shocking news.
The surprising thing is that Aria and Finn, who managed to meet him, now enter into the early stages of fulfillment of a prediction that has been echoed long enough. That their destiny is more than simply restoring peace to Legrand from the hands of belligerent countries. A greater threat will arrive, making these wars feel like nothing more than just a child's toy. A race that had invaded Legrand in the past and was subdued by the cooperation of so many nations - Fir Bolgs is believed to be back. Aria and Finn are now required to collect 4 weapons in the past from the four corners of Legrand to prepare themselves. These weapons are also believed to restore the glory of Legrand itself.
So as predictable, they set out. During the journey, from one conflict to another, they appear as unplanned heroes. Slowly but surely, they begin to gather companions of different races to achieve a common goal, albeit sharing different motivations. The prophecy calls the group Fatebounds - ironically bound men of destiny, fighting fate that they may perish in the hands of a dark, dreadful force.
Then, this Fatebounds produce save Legrand? Who is actually a Finn who forgot the memory? What threats should they fight against? All answers to the question, of course you can get by playing Legrand Legacy on this one.
Fascination Behind Visual Standards
How important is the visual quality for you, as a gamer? If it is one of the most important priorities, you may see Legrand Legacy with one eye. Because when compared with the release of new AAA games on the latest platforms, the visuals are not exactly comparable. The texture and character model he offers feels like a Playstation 2 game that is lifted into a high definition format using an emulator on a PC, a fact that is undeniable. But if you are willing to go deeper and dive, then you will understand that the attractiveness of his presentation is more than just the visual detail that he usung. Believe it or not, Legrand is an interesting world.
There are two things that deserve our thumbs up from the world offered by Legrand Legacy. First, of course lore. Although there are various issues from the side of the dialogue or characterization that we will discuss next, it is built on a world with an interesting story background. That he is a well thought-out fantasy story, although at some point, he does sound and quite cliche. SEMISOFT has succeeded in explaining it well and making sense of the background of the conflict, as well as providing a thorough perspective on the existence of the parties bound in it, from mere nations, races, to the gigantic monsters you meet along the way. Hearing the story of how an ancient race rode a dragon who was consciously perpetrating genocide over another nation for fear, became its own preoccupation.
Second? Of course the environment he was racik. As we know, in contrast to the standard three-dimensional model for the character that he stretches, Legrand Legacy offers the city and dungeons that you stop in the form of high definition hand drawings. Like the classic JRPG games, like the Final Fantasy era of the past, a two-dimensional world that feels something born of a creative brain and a brush is fantastic. Although it must be admitted some dungeon looks unattractive because of the combination of colors that exist, but most of the city that you singgahi will be enough to make your eyes termanjakan. The city is divided into various parts, but each of them comes with a cinematic enough camera angle. From a desert town with gigantic human lion statues in various corners, to a city filled with shouting after a festival is held. Each of them has their own unique identity. The good news? With a good little pointer and shading buttons, you will have no trouble distinguishing the inner world from a three-dimensional perspective, including a matter of altitude.
There is one thing we also love from the presentation side of Legrand Legacy. Although it is built for a global market with fantasy stories as a base, the developer still injects a kind of "easter egg" for local gamers in Indonesia. There are content, especially names, that will not feel special if you do not understand the language itself. It's hard not to smile when you see how the item you imagined turned out to be an agate whose name conjured up in such a way as to sound more fantasy. From "Aqeeq Stone" to a bandit organization called "Ram Poks", or a healing item called "Mengkhdu", there is a hidden reply to show identity as a local gam concoction. A standard that seems appropriate to follow more Indonesian developer concoction game targeting global market in the future. A "flicker" is enough to make the gamers homeland smile a little.
Though reinforced by the lack of exquisite visualization quality in existing character models, like the classic JRPG of the past, Legrand Legacy still offers something more than the animation side and of course, FMV to reinforce the story and the aesthetics of the game itself. You still remember the FMV - a short CGI-based video that often appears in the Playstation 1 RPG series when you get into certain important moments? It is also presented here. All the supporting characters you first encounter will be accompanied by a fraction of a second enough to give you a clearer picture of what they look like if you meet them in the real world. Regardless of the rigid motion in exploration, motion animation also looks more supple while fighting, especially when each of these characters launches their "special" attack called Arcana.
Thumbs up is also deservedly directed to anyone within the Legrand Legacy development team, assigned to cast the existing boss design. During the trip, some monsters do look weak and dull. But when your journey ends with a boss fight, it contains one of the best monster designs in the JRPG game we've ever encountered. There is something that feels epic in the battle against these big bodies that not only look threatening, but also blend with the legend and the story of Legrand itself. That this is a fantasy world that does not contain just fairies, but also giants, dragons, and wolves in the same world.
The boss design that he offers deserves a thumbs up.
Beyond all these cool things, of course, there is music that we think deserves a share of the story itself. In essence, Legrand Legacy on the surface does not look like an RPG game that makes the visual as the focus, especially from the detail of existing models. But once you dive deeper, for a game that of course does not have a budget of AAA games at this time, he still tried to take advantage of existing resources as optimal as possible. The result? Quite charming.
How is the simplest way to talk about Legrand Legacy? Calling it a hodgepodge of so many beloved classic JRPG gameplay systems is likely to be the right statement. Because there is a clear effort to offer the fullest possible RPG experience in the game that is ready to confiscate dozens of hours of your time on this one. It binds classic JRPG sensations, mini-games, and also a strategy-based battle format in it. For gamers who have grown up with this genre in the past, there will certainly be a familiar sensation for some of the mechanisms he offers.
From the most basic mechanical side you will often encounter, it is a classic turn-based RPG game. Attack taking turns with three party members out of six will dominate your playing experience. This turn system will have information about the sequence of action selection until you can arrange a plan to attack or defend.
But it's not that simple. Whenever attacking, like the Shadow Hearts or The Lost Odyssey system, there will be one timing button that you have to press in a limited environment. Successfully made this needle fit into the provided limits and calculated "Perfect", then there are certain advantages that you get. The damage becomes bigger for regular attacks and calling skills called Grimoire which takes time to process the channeling before it can be executed, would be less likely to be disturbed by enemy attacks. Beyond the boundary and hit the "Miss" condition, then get ready for your attack to end up failing. This attack and defensive process runs simultaneously between enemies and team parties, until the battle runs fast enough. One thing for sure, you can not turn your attention away from this "QTE" system just like that.
Other functions offered also include Defend and Change. Defend, which like the attack system will also bring up this timing-based circle bar is also special. Each character will have a different Defend effect. Finn for example, will automatically bring up the Reflect effect that will automatically reverse the damage that he gets attack. While Aria, has AP Charge effect, which makes this Defend process will be directly followed by AP charge process. The AP itself is the resource required to issue a special attack called "Arcana", which of course, promises great damage. While Change, like Final Fantasy X, will allow you to instantly change team members in bouts, without loss of turn. This last feature, indeed, is essential.
Why? Because as can be predicted, every enemy always has a weakness to be exploited, both from just the type of attack, to the element they are stretcher. There are enemies more vulnerable to Slash type attacks, while others are Pierce type. There are enemies who are afraid of the Fire element, while others fear the water. Understanding and understanding information about the strengths and weaknesses of each enemy that you can instantly access will help you to win the battle. Changing the effective team members is the wisest action. But keep in mind also, the composition of your team also needs a lot of consideration. Instead of choosing a standing position that will determine what they can / can not do. Like for example, melee fighters can not attack if you put them in the back. Until just a role, considering each member has a row of specific aka Grimoire skill. As an example? Eris equipped with healing ability more qualified, compared with other members for example.
One thing we do not predict is how challenging this one game, especially in the boss fight that exists. That the enemies of a large size or a unique shape that you are fighting is not just "fierce" from the design side. With enormous amounts of HP, massive damage attacks can sometimes also produce annoying status effects, to a variety of frustrating defense systems, this game is sometimes, more focused on the strategy side than relying on blind attacks without thinking at all . Knowing when to survive, when to take risks and allowing party members to die, when to exploit their weaknesses, when to use special attacks, to just when to use items even if it will help you through it. Just go in and hope to win by just attacking? You can say goodbye quickly. Fortunately, your "fate" is saved by a Save-Load system that can be done in most places, and is usually available before you fight against a particular boss. The level up system also gives you space to add status to the attributes you want, while still offering the guide to get a certain skill.
In addition to the basic mechanism when fighting this, Legrand Legacy also injects a gameplay that seems to be familiar to gamers who had loved Suikoden 2 in the past. True, the battle is in a strategy format. The fact that you are the leader and the brain behind a castle named Dumville makes you sometimes have to not just fight alone, but become a General on the battlefield. Simple and run like a strategy game in general, this is also so game "scissor-stone-paper" in different formats. Units have basic resources to move and attack, as well as resources to perform special attacks when full. As always, each unit will come with a different weapon and status, which will be an advantage or weakness for the other unit. The battlefield is usually also filled with an area called "Outpost" which, if mastered, will provide a regenerative effect for those standing on it.
Dumville also plays more than your main headquarters. There is a recruitment system that is also clearly inspired by Suikoden 2 to add a variety of functions within this castle itself, although not as massive as Konami's concoction game. Most of these missions are available on a side mission, which as usual, will prompt you to kill certain bosses, search for items, or simply deliver certain objects to other NPC characters in the city. When the recruitment was successful, Dumville would offer extra functionality, from store to teleportation. One unique? This one castle also provides a variety of casino-style mini-games in classic JRPG games. There are many types of games, from just throwing a knife at a target, surviving in the arena with an action-style RPG system, fishing, helping Eris shop, up to fencing. There are points to collect, and there are rewards that can be redeemed if you want just a side activity.
So with all the mechanical combinations he offers, you who have followed some of the classic JRPG games of the past seem to be familiar, even if they are not copied so clearly. That clearly Legrand Legacy is inspired by many of these systems, adopting them in their own style, and then melting them in the same room. Effective or not? So far, we really enjoyed it.
Two Biggest Disadvantages This Game
But of course, Legrand Legacy is not a perfect RPG game. But not because of technical problems and the like that amazingly, we did not meet throughout the review process. But rooted in two things that we think are too crucial to pass up. Two things are the system of weight management and dialogue.
As we know, the weight management system that limits the luggage of the main character / party in a certain amount is not a new mechanism in the world of RPG. Many gigantic RPG games like Skyrim or The Witcher 3 apply it and go natural. Legrand Legacy that makes crafting system the main way to get a stronger weapon with different scarcity at the same time to mix items when you do not have money, also presents this system. The point is of course to make you more sensitive to manage which important items are brought, let alone the middle of the type of material needed for the crafting process. But unfortunately, in this game, he just became one of the biggest problem that sucks. What happened?
The weight system in Skyrim and The Witcher 3 works for one thing - because basically you choose which items you want to pick up and which ones you want to leave behind. You have the freedom and power to do so. While at Legrand Legacy? It maintains a classical JRPG classic loot and material fall system, where all the material you get will automatically fit into your bag, adding heavy loads, with no chance of picking or refusing at all. The result? It is a mechanism that seems, not well thought out. Even worse news? Instead of making these crafting materials have insignificant weights that do not bother much, Legrand Legacy decided to make it at least weigh 1. Now imagine, if you only have a heavy limitation of 350 just at the beginning of the game, with 1 bout that can drop the material up to 8-10 weight. Exploring a single dungeon is enough to keep your bag full, even before you can store it in the provided Storage system.
So often you meet with annoying scenarios. When so many items of healers come in, from healing to revive that you can not just throw away, start seizing the heavy portions you can carry. When exploring the dungeon, with the habit of JRPG gamers who always want to fight with existing enemies for the grinding level process, you begin to discover that the material keeps automatically getting into your bag. Unwittingly, you find your bag full. The next step? Start sorting out which material or item you should throw away to make the main character run again, and not just walking. You will remove items that you consider unimportant, and open space for example, 20 new weight chambers. Slightly explore the same dungeon, fight with three enemy parties, and voila! your bag is full back. Happy wasting again!
Semisoft is actually trying to make this weight manage experience easier to tolerate by providing storage systems anywhere within the city, which are usually positioned near diverse merchants that demand material in them, such as Blacksmith for example. Solve the problem? No. Adding a new annoyance? Yes. Why? Because the storage system is not integrated with the existing crafting system. So, if you just get a new sword prescription for example, you should check your Storage chest whether or not you already have the material you store in the name of emptying the bag. How? By checking it one on one. Checking out dozens of materials with strange names and shapes, just to mix one weapon, is not something fun. For us, to date, the weight management system at Legrand Legacy has no positive contribution whatsoever.
The second serious problem? Is a dialogue. Quite understandable considering this is a game concoction of Indonesian developers, until there is a great possibility whatever the English smell becomes unnatural. Inevitably, it must be admitted that this also happened in Legrand Legacy. That the dialogue created between the various characters is filled with so much content that feels awkward and unnatural. How bad? Until a few points, the characters involved like a low-cost soap opera artist who was reading the script, though without voice acting at all.
Poor story writing is quite unfortunate considering this fantastic lore, not just stop there alone. There are many awkward moments that are not clear on purpose, and it is not clear what significance to pursue. As an example? Imagine, in the course of saving the world, in the midst of critical world conditions, in the midst of a hasty state of moving to the next place, one of the characters suddenly rambles on the issue of virginity. True, you did not misread, NURSING. There's a long enough dialogue about virginity, who's a virgin in the party, to a "cie-cie-cie" teen moments when the other characters have a night out and "have fun" with other NPC female characters. Appeared suddenly and completely random, moments like this seemed so awkward because of the timing and the momenya that did not support it. Or how, with no obvious emotional progress, a woman's character suddenly changes direction and looks to keep the feelings on another guy's character after he's been so hard since the start of the game. Tsundere? Even the characters with the tsundere trope in the anime too, have their own progress to be recognized. Coming from where this feeling, we do not know. Writing characters and dialogs for this game, it still needs to be addressed.
Conclusion
Beyond initial expectations, Legrand Legacy ends up being a JRPG game with classic elements that offer a solid playing experience. That there is a clear impression that the developer mix this game to revive a JRPG flavor approach that is faded with a great love. Melt many systems in the past titles, but retain their own unique identity to give birth to a fantastic blend. The combination of OSTs worthy of thumbs up, the level of difficulty that is quite challenging and demanding a certain strategic approach, to monster design and hand-drawn environments, it will meet the expectations of any classic JRPG fan. A turn-based JRPG game ready to keep you satisfied. We came with a sense of skepticism, and ended up writing this review with a big smile.
But of course, he is not perfect. Of all the things we tasted, the two greatest disadvantages lie in the annoying weight management system and also, the dialogue and story approach that feels so awkward and weird at some point. One other complaint is the loss of one of the RPG design standards that we think should be there - Equipment / Accessories to strengthen the character. Why? Because believe it or not, for now, there is no system that can be used to block the entry of status effect during the fight for example. If an enemy attack is a global attack affecting your three parties and generating so many status effects, such as Confused, Paralyze, or Poison for example, there is no preventive action you can take to prevent it from happening, which of course, nullifies the potential to deal with it in a more strategic move. And that, often the problem itself.
But outside of these shortcomings, Legrand Legacy becomes a RPG game of local developer concoctions that are worthy of your jajal. For a game valued at only 160 thousand Rupiah with tens of hours of content in it, its quality as a JRPG game also can not be underestimated. Believe it or not, this is a game that we would not mind to buy it in the price range of 250 thousand Rupiah though, for now. Believe it or not.
Advantages
- OSTs that spoil the ears
- Environment with hand drawing
- Boss design is fierce
- A game system that is easy to master
- There are elements of strategy to be aware of
- The level of difficulty is quite challenging
- Contains many familiar classical JRPG concepts
- Lore an interesting world
- Eris
Deficiency
- The dialogue feels stiff
- There is an awkward and strange moment of the story
- The system of weight management on items
- There is no chance to take a preventive step on the status effect
Written by: @anwarunsam
Langsa, Aceh, Indonesia, 27 January 2018
following the gaming account registered in indonesia, Langsa city
GAMESPRO
I meet u again, i vote u dont forget follback @gunswan.