If Twelve Wishes Could Come True (Free RPG) - Introduction and Review

I played "If Twelve Wishes Could Come True," an entry in the 12th WOLF RPG Editor Contest held in 2020.
With its adorable characters, fast-paced story, automatic battles, and meticulously crafted setting, this was a truly well-made game.
The difficulty level isn't high, and I think it's a game that gives you the feeling of traveling without feeling stressed or pressured.

My main story completion time was about 9 hours, playing at a fairly leisurely pace.
There's an extra dungeon available after clearing the main game (about an hour's worth of extra time).

Game Overview

"If Twelve Wishes Could Come True" is basically a linear RPG.
The story progresses as you follow the in-game instructions, clearing dungeons and moving to new towns.

You can also choose the graphic style at the start of the game.
Even this alone shows that a tremendous amount of effort went into this work, but this is just the beginning.

Synopsis

The protagonist, Lupi, decides to embark on a journey to find her father, who left on a trip two years ago.
However, on the day of their departure, the mother falls ill with an unknown disease, and they end up going to a nearby forest to look for materials.
There, you meet Tomatel, a man with a tomato for a head and amnesia, who helps you find ingredients.
Having finished making her mother's medicine, Lupi decides to set off on a journey with her father, searching for clues about who Tomatel really is.

The above is a summary of the very beginning of this work.
Each time you arrive in a new city, various events occur, and the story unfolds rapidly.
The fast-paced storyline keeps players engaged and prevents them from getting bored, drawing them into the game.

Simple transportation method

Movement within the city in this game is limited to one-dimensional, linear movement either to the right or left.
Some maps allow you to enter narrow paths or the back of buildings by pressing upwards, but generally, movement is limited to left and right.
The townspeople are either above or below the straight roads, so you can talk to them by facing them and speaking to them.
Its simple and straightforward design makes it easy to play.

The world map is designed so that you move around on the map.
As the story progresses, new destinations will be added each time.

In the dungeon, you will move around on a simple map marked on squares.
Blue indicates moving to the next level, yellow indicates an item, and red indicates a battle.
When you step onto that square, if there is a path to proceed, it will be added to the map.
Once you enter a dungeon, you generally cannot leave until you have completed it, so be sure to save your game before attempting to enter.

Character enhancement

- Allocating experience points

In this game, your level doesn't automatically increase when you defeat enemies.
You strengthen your character by allocating the experience points you gain to your ability scores.
The amount of stat increase per level varies depending on the character.
The player is left up to decide whether to raise the character in a way that highlights their strengths or one that compensates for their weaknesses.
You can also change the settings to automatic allocation.

Skill Set

During combat, used as a normal means of attack.N SkillAnd it is activated when certain conditions are met.T SkillSet it.
Some skills are inherent to the character, while others can be purchased from the skill shop.
Since combat in this game is basically automated (as explained later), choosing which skills to equip is extremely important.

Equipment

Equipment will be crafted by a blacksmith.
If you already possess the materials needed to create it, you can purchase it at a lower price.
Even if you don't have the materials, you can still make it by paying an extra fee, so if you find it troublesome, just earn some money for now and you'll be fine.
The equipment you can have crafted at the blacksmith will increase as you progress through the story and complete quests.

Battle System

Auto Battle
The battles in this game are basically automated.
The character will take action when their face graphic on the screen reaches the left edge.
The party will fight using the aforementioned N skills and T skills once their activation conditions are met.

Mana
Performing certain actions during battle will increase or decrease the "Mana" gauge, which is represented as a pie chart on the right side of the screen.
When your Mana gauge is full, you can activate "Fever Time" at any time you choose.
During Fever Time, you can fight with your party strengthened for a limited time.
Let's actively use this in crucial moments.

Aura
The Aura, which is below Mana, increases as you engage in normal combat within that dungeon.
As this increases, the party's combat ability improves, so the more regular battles you complete, the easier boss battles will become.
Please note that the values will be reset if you perform certain actions, such as leaving the dungeon.

·pocket
Battles proceed automatically, but you can use any recovery items you have previously set in your "Pocket" at any time.
If it's dangerous to wait for your turn to turn, or if any characters have become incapacitated, use the healing items in your inventory.

chat

In this game, you can enjoy optional conversations between party members as the story progresses.
It's just like the skits in the "Tales" series.
There are various types of conversations available, ranging from those related to the upcoming event to simple small talk.

Even if you miss something, you can watch it later by going to "Chat" on the menu screen, so just relax and enjoy it.

others

In addition to the elements mentioned above, this game showcases a great deal of meticulous craftsmanship.
There are many things worth noting, such as the detailed descriptions of items, the carefully crafted mini-icons, and the descriptions of enemy monsters.

The quests you receive from various people during your travels are all meticulously crafted, with each action you take eliciting a response, which is truly impressive.

The system includes many features to help you play comfortably, such as settings for skipping events and changing battle difficulty.

Review (no spoilers)

It was a game that made you feel like you were traveling, as you visited various cities with different cultures and dungeons with different atmospheres.
The story progresses smoothly, and the battles are automated, making it very convenient.
Even if you forget your destination, it will be displayed on the menu screen, and the system is designed to minimize stress down to the smallest detail.

While it can proceed smoothly,Those who want to enjoy challenging combat with hands-on control might find it a little lacking.
Certainly, there will be times when you struggle if you fight haphazardly.
However, with a little leveling up, you'll soon be able to fight with ease.
Since battles are automated, leveling up is easy, so you don't need to meticulously plan your strategy and can just get through the game.
Originally, this game wasn't particularly focused on battles, and I felt that it was designed to be enjoyable as a whole, so I enjoyed it.

Also, this is a minor point, but when you talk to people on the street, they won't respond if you're even half a step off, so I thought it would be nice if they would still speak to you even if you're slightly off.

This game has a calm and relaxing atmosphere, making it a great choice for those who want to play in a relaxed and soothing environment.

Review (contains spoilers)

I managed to clear the extra dungeon and even defeat the boss.
Because I thoroughly explored the dungeon and earned experience points and Auras, I was able to defeat it without much difficulty.
Thanks to the Aura system, the more you engage in regular battles in the dungeon, the more advantageous it becomes, which kept my motivation for combat high until the very end.
In reality, I don't think I ever ventured deep into a dungeon, only to be defeated and forced to start over.

While the overall tone is cheerful, the villains' thinking is quite bleak and cold, and I felt that this contrast was very striking.
Klat was quite the villain, but Shaska was even more selfish, which made fighting him a very emotionally engaging experience.
That's why I felt somewhat relieved when Rosia finally memorized the spell to break the curse and managed to put Shaska in his place.

In my playthrough, I manually leveled up the characters, focusing on SPD for Lupi, ATK for Tomatel, ATK and SPD for Rubelia, and HP for Rosia.
I rarely changed my skills midway through the game, and I fought using the following set of skills throughout.

When I bought a new one, I swapped out a few parts, but basically I fought with the same setup.
I think that skills with more conventional activation conditions are easier to use than skills with unconventional or unusual activation conditions.

Regarding equipment, it was helpful that even if I didn't have enough materials, I could purchase them from the blacksmith, including gathering the materials myself.
Personally, I find systems where you gather materials and have items crafted to be tedious and I dislike them, so I appreciated the system in this game.
If you're going to have players gather materials, it would be frustrating if they couldn't easily refer to information on where to obtain those materials.
In this game, you can also check the acquisition locations of items in the item encyclopedia, so I think it will be comfortable even for people who like to collect items.

I liked all four of the party members; they were all charming.
Lupie, in particular, may lack the impact of the other members, but she's a cute, well-behaved girl, and I like her.
On the title screen after defeating Shaska, you can see the main characters' faces in their original, non-stylized forms.
As expected, Lupie was adorable, and Romac had a gentle, slightly goofy face.
Ruberia is dignified and beautiful, so I think her sharp tongue is forgivable.
Rosia wasn't nearly as fat as I thought she would be, so I think she should eat more.

There were so many fascinating characters, and I think there were so many unique characters that any of them could have easily become the main character.