Tenjou Ougiden (Free SRPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

This is an entry for the 14th WOLF RPG Editor Contest.
The winner of the Grand Prix at the previous "13th WOLF RPG Editor Contest"Silver Dragon Secret TechniquesThis is a sequel to "[Title of previous work]".
Like its predecessor, this SRPG features high-quality, cute graphics and evolved gameplay.

My completion time was approximately two and a half hours (on Normal difficulty).

Game Overview (Warning: Contains some spoilers from the previous game)

The main character is Meimei, a girl who won last year's martial arts tournament.
In the previous installment, he was reunited with his mother, from whom he had been separated, but he chose to live with his mentor, who was also his adoptive father.
From Hakurei, an old man who fell from the sky, he learns that his mother was actually a resident of the Heavenly Kingdom and was kidnapped by an enemy country because of her great power.
To save their mother, Meimei and her friends embark on a quest to reach the ruins that lead to the Heavenly Kingdom.

You can choose from three difficulty levels.
Since the enemies are stronger in HARD mode, it's best to start with NORMAL mode.
You can change the difficulty level multiple times even after starting the game (changing from HARD to NORMAL will affect your score).

After the opening event, you will allocate points to your initial parameters.
Physical strength affects HP/MP, luck affects critical hit rate and evasion rate, and mental strength affects the power of techniques.
Even after starting the game, you can freely allocate experience points to each stat.
It's a good idea to allocate the points while imagining your preferred fighting style.

In the town that serves as your base, you can shop at stores.
You strengthen your character by spending the money you earn in dungeons to acquire recovery items and equipment.

At the dojo, you can use the experience points you earned in the ruins to strengthen your characters.
The way you fight will change depending on which abilities you choose to develop.
I think it's fun to experiment at first, trying to figure out which ability scores are necessary on your own.

You can also learn new techniques by using EXP.
I'm torn between raising my stats or learning new skills.
Unlike normal attacks, special moves have varying ranges, effect areas, and attributes, expanding the range of combat strategies.
Since the power of a technique is affected by the mental stat, it is effective to increase that as well.

When venturing into ruins, you choose the items you will bring with you.
Even if you buy a lot of healing potions at the shop, be aware that you can't bring them all with you.
Items are very useful in battle, but you can also earn score bonuses by not using them.
Use it in a way that suits your play style.

Battles take place on a screen like the one shown above.
You fight by selecting moves and attacks in the order shown in the bottom right corner.
The format is similar to the checker battle in "Live A Live."
Since normal attacks can only be performed on adjacent opponents, the early game strategy involves getting close to the enemy and attacking them.

Each stage consists of three battles, the third of which is a boss battle.
The boss will unleash special attacks, so there are mechanics that require you to time your actions correctly to dodge them.
Even if your entire party is wiped out, it's not game over; you still gain money and experience points (however, a high defeat rate will affect your score after clearing the stage).
If you can't win, it's important to keep trying, including previous stages, to strengthen your character.

Review (no spoilers)

After clearing the game on Normal mode, I then cleared it on Hard mode, so I played through it a second time.
Just like the previous game, I was able to enjoy playing thanks to the high-quality graphics and fast-paced combat.

Despite its cute appearance, it's actually quite difficult.
However, since you can earn experience points and money by repeatedly engaging in battles, you shouldn't get stuck.
While strengthening your stats or increasing your defeat rate will lower your clear score, I think it's something that players who aren't hardcore gamers don't need to worry about too much.

With multiple playable characters, I feel the game has become more strategic and deeper than its predecessor.
It's also possible to employ tactics where one character focuses on attacking while the other distracts the enemy or provides healing.
The command inputs during combat and the boss's special moves require a certain degree of action-oriented gameplay.
Once you learn the patterns, it will become easier as you get used to it, but it might feel a little difficult at first.

Also, some enemies will keep their distance and won't engage in close-quarters combat for long.
If you've properly mastered long-range techniques, you can deal with it, but if not, having to chase after them is a bit annoying.

Although the artwork is heartwarming, there are also serious and intense scenes, as well as plenty of suggestive (?) scenes.

While it may appear to have a lighthearted atmosphere, the combat is anything but, so those who are not confident might want to play on easy mode to take it easy.

Strategy Notes - HARD Mode (Spoiler Warning)

I was able to clear the game on hard mode.
If you earn enough experience points and money, anyone can clear even the hard mode.
However, that would take too much time, so I'll introduce a method that I found easier.

*As of July 23, 2022, it has reached the provisional number one ranking, probably because very few people had cleared HARD mode!
When I tweeted about this, I was instantly knocked down by Salt, who came in second place.
It was a short reign.

Tips for winning

In conclusion, I felt that increasing defense and HP, and reducing the need for healing, was the quickest way to victory.
Specifically, by investing EXP into defense until you take almost no damage from the enemies in that stage, you can simply focus on attacking.
Since there's no reliable way to dodge enemy attacks, it seems like the most stable strategy is to minimize damage taken and keep attacking.

The "Life Gem," which becomes available for synthesis midway through the game, is an extremely useful accessory.
If you sufficiently increase your defense and HP, the amount you heal will exceed the damage you take from enemies, allowing you to fight almost safely.
Equipping both characters with it provides stability.

However, this style is a war of attrition tactics, so it will take many turns.
If you're truly aiming for a high score, I think you need to adjust the settings to increase your kill speed.