Hero's Shadow Remake (Free SRPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

This is a spin-off of "Hero's Road," a work I previously wrote an article about on this blog.
This is a remake, but I had never played the original version, so this was my first time playing it.
From what I've played, I feel that you can enjoy the game regardless of whether you play "Hero's Shadow" or "Hero's Road" first.

There are a total of 12 maps (including side story maps), and it took me just under 3 hours to complete them.
(Difficulty: Remake Hard)

It's not very long, but I think it's an interesting game that condenses the fun of an SRPG into a single, relatively small map.

Game Overview

The game itself is a standard simulation RPG created with SRPG Studio.
The game involves moving units like chess pieces to clear stages.

In this section, I will introduce some of the features of this game, "Hero's Shadow."
Since it shares many features with "Hero's Road," those who have played that game can think of it in a similar way.

First, let's talk about the difficulty level.

You can choose from two difficulty levels: "Remake" and "Remake Hard".
I played it on "Remake Hard," and it wasn't too difficult; it had just the right amount of challenge, and I really enjoyed it.
You can save at the start of each turn, and it's easy to restart if needed.
Furthermore, since the maps for each stage aren't very large, I felt that restarting from the beginning of the map wasn't too much of a hassle.

In the "Information Gathering" section of the sortie preparation screen, you can receive detailed strategy information.
You can get all sorts of information, including enemy reinforcement information, attack patterns, and suggestions for recommended strategies.
With this information available, the game is so well-designed that you could almost say there's no need for a walkthrough site.

Conversely, if you're looking for a challenge, you might find the game more engaging if you play without gathering this information.
Thanks to this walkthrough, you can skip the process of "trying to do things your own way, failing, and having to start over."
If you're someone who wants to enjoy the process, including the failures, then it might be better not to gather information.

And, just like in "Hero's Road," a variety of events are packed tightly into a compact map.
The situation changes constantly as turns pass and the squares your units advance across.
With a maximum of only four control units, the gameplay feels like an RPG using an SRPG system.

Many maps have multiple victory conditions, and there are subtle differences depending on the order in which you complete events.
You could try challenging yourself with difficult victory conditions, or you could simply follow the strategies you learn through "information gathering."
The difficulty level increases if you aim to defeat powerful enemies that you don't necessarily need to defeat, or if you aim to eliminate all enemies.

Review (no spoilers)

My impression was that it's a short SRPG that's easy to enjoy and doesn't cause much stress.
Just like in "Hero's Road," a lot of different things happen during the stages, so you really won't get bored while playing.
As the situation changes rapidly, the difficulty level usually increases.
However, in this work, the process is properly explained through "information gathering," so there is no sense of irrationality.

The map itself is relatively small, and you can control a maximum of four allied units.
Since there are only four characters, you don't need to think about who to train, and it doesn't take much time to manage the units.
Therefore, the number of turns required to complete the objective is relatively short.
The map events are quite intense, but you can still play through it smoothly.

If you enjoyed this game, I recommend trying "Hero's Road" as well.

Strategy Notes (Remake Hard Mode - Contains Spoilers)

As mentioned earlier, this game provides very detailed walkthroughs in the "Information Gathering" section.
Furthermore, a text file titled "Extras" included with the game files contains detailed event information and walkthroughs.

Reading that should cover almost everything you need to know about the strategy.
Therefore, please read this section as if it were a record of your gameplay.

・Chapter 1
This map is like a warm-up.
However, this map really made me appreciate the effectiveness of the rock-paper-scissors system.
I'll support Philia by having Malleus take down the axe-wielding enemies, and then deal with the reinforcements.

I thought it was a nice touch that the enemy's dialogue changes depending on Malleus's position at the moment reinforcements arrive.
The bandit knight tries to get Philia to deal with him, while Malleus handles the bandits.
There won't be any problems if you use potions without hesitation.

・Chapter 2
Without attempting anything particularly strange, after being released from prison, I collect the treasure chests and escape through the back door.
You'll meet up with Philia along the way, defeat the enemies near the exit point, and then you'll clear the mission.

・Chapter 3
Since we had so few allies, it was a pretty hectic map.
If we leave the fallen knight alone, he might attack the NPC girl, so we'll defeat him quickly with Philia.
If your HP is reduced to a certain level when the enemy's turn comes, they will use a healing potion, so be sure to time your attacks carefully.
If you defeat this knight early on, things will be a bit easier.

For the time being, we'll use the narrow cliffside forest terrain to block off any enemies coming from behind the knight.
Then, we quickly persuade Ares with Philia, and everyone works together to deal with the remaining enemies.
The cavalry reinforcements in the second half can be dealt with without any problems if you have Ares wait in the narrow wooded area.
Bosses wielding spears have high attack power, so be careful.

It is not necessary to visit the girl's home.

・Chapter 4
Proceed along the left wall and head towards the upper right.
By making the most of the rock-paper-scissors relationship and the forest terrain, and luring the enemy to wait on flat ground, you can fight to your advantage.

After opening the door, use the narrow, elevated terrain to your advantage and avoid being surrounded by a large group of enemies.
Emma doesn't have high defense, so choose an opponent she won't be able to retaliate against and have her participate in the attack.
If you visit the village in the upper right corner with Ares, an event will occur and you will receive a throwing axe.

・Chapter 5
The village near the entrance can be visited by Malleus to obtain Philia's shield, "Rune Guard" (according to the "bonus" section, there seem to be some conditions attached).
This item reduces your skill by 10, but if you possess it, it increases your magic defense.
Archers wielding Alvarest can move closer by using the ascending stairs.
I should have enough time to do things like shopping at the store and attending events in front of the candlesticks, so I'll make sure to fully utilize those opportunities.

If you defeat the female adjutant here, the captain and adjutant will appear in Chapter 9.
I haven't confirmed whether a replacement enemy appears or if the number simply decreases if you don't defeat it.

・Chapter 6
If you're facing physical enemies, it's safest to go with Malleus and Ares, and if you're facing magical enemies, go with Emma and Philia (equipped with Rune Guard gear).
Emma can withstand the dragon's attacks twice, but she'll be defeated on the third, so advance quickly to rescue her.
Emma's attack power is quite high, so let her attack a few times to wear down the enemy.

・Chapter 7
Malleus is heading towards Nash in a counter-clockwise direction.
However, even if Malleus reaches Nash and talks to him, it doesn't mean Nash becomes controllable.
Furthermore, since Other Recovery cannot cure the poison status, Nash has no choice but to break through the cavalry unit and then use his staff to heal himself.
In that case, it would be more reliable to quickly go and defeat Jude by going clockwise.

It will take too long to deal with three mounted soldiers, so let's ignore them.
Buy the key to the door at the item shop, open the door above Jude, and fight him there; that should solve the problem.
Since it's equipped with a sword, it's not such a tough opponent if you attack it with Ares or someone equipped with a Sword Buster.

・Chapter 8
Since the status effects from long-range attacks are troublesome, it's a good idea to have Other Recovery.
Yuma is sitting on the throne, and her HP will gradually recover, so you need to be careful.

・Chapter 9
After warping north, it's safer to have Lucifer use up her Nightmare before advancing.
The damage is significant, so use items like Refresh and MDF Drinks beforehand to withstand it.
It's best to use up your Nightmare, then open the door and fight calmly.
Lucifer is slowly recovering, but we must not rush things.

Final Chapter
The final boss is, as expected, incredibly strong.
Before tackling the map, any party members with less than 30 HP should buy items from the item shop to increase their maximum HP and use them to boost their stats.
Following the advice, it's best to have everyone acquire the healer skill so they can all heal others.

When the dragon Vaan is equipped with lightning breath, only someone like Philia, who has a weapon that negates attack reduction, can deal damage to him.
The other members should stay quiet and support Philia.

Vaan, equipped with ice breath, can deal damage to almost anyone.
However, units surrounding the unit that is attacked will also take damage.
Therefore, if everyone participates in the attack, there won't be enough healers, which will be dangerous, so try to have only about two people attack at a time.