Grenadine Sacrifice (Non-Field RPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

This is an article introducing "Grena Sacrifice," an indie game released in 2015 by the game development circle "Magical Decoration Diagram."
I played this game because I enjoyed the free game "Roadlight Face" created by the same circle a long time ago.
It feels like a more refined version of "Rodlight Face," a non-field roguelike RPG that's highly addictive.
This game is designed for multiple playthroughs, but each playthrough takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Game Overview

"Grena Sacrifice" is a non-field RPG where you progress through eight stages in order to defeat the evil god Gerbetis.
The storyline is merely flavorful; the game prioritizes gameplay.

At the start of the game, you can choose from four difficulty levels.
I recommend starting with EASY mode to get used to the game, and then choosing a higher difficulty level once you've cleared it.

After choosing the difficulty level and deciding on your character's name, you will then select a class.
The strategies you need to employ and the overall gameplay experience will vary greatly depending on the class you choose.
I think it would be good to start with something simple like a swordsman, adventurer, or mage.
Classes that you have cleared at that difficulty level will have a ★ mark next to their name.

Select a class to start the game.
Basically, you can perform three actions: move forward, use items, and trigger events.
Since you can't go back once you've moved forward, resource management is crucial.

While it's possible to save your game mid-play, loading the save data will erase it, so you can't try again multiple times.
Therefore, you can enjoy a thrilling, one-of-a-kind adventure every time.

As you advance through the field, you may encounter enemies and engage in combat.
Combat is limited to using the items you currently possess.
Most items have a limited number of uses.
Therefore, if you run out of means of attack, the game will automatically end.
The items you possess will be crucial for progressing through the game.
Incidentally, when the number of uses drops from 1 to 0, a powerful attack called "The Final Blow" is unleashed, dealing significantly more damage than usual.

You earn 1 experience point for defeating regular enemies, and 5 experience points for defeating the boss at the deepest part of an area.
Every time you accumulate 5 experience points, your level increases, and only your HP increases.
In this game, HP is consumed when purchasing items, making it a very important stat.

At the temples located midway through each area, you can use "Faith" to increase your ability scores.
"Faith" can only be obtained when you use up an item completely.
The amount of Faith you can earn is proportional to the number of times you originally used the item.
Items that are used frequently can be difficult to use up completely, but the rewards are also greater.

In order to progress through the game, increasing your character's stats is extremely important.
Since Faith can only be obtained by using up items, the key is to use them up while staying safe.

Furthermore, all items can be used to restore HP by offering them to the gods while traveling.
The item you offer will disappear, but it will fully restore your HP, regardless of the number of uses remaining.
However, since you won't gain Faith this way, if it's an item you haven't used many times, it's better to use it up and gain Faith rather than offering it as a sacrifice.

As mentioned earlier, you can sometimes find shops while you're on the go.
The lineup is random, but if you're having bad luck with treasure chests on the map, you should definitely make use of this feature.
Since purchasing it consumes your maximum HP, using it indiscriminately will lead to difficulties in battle.

thoughts

The time and difficulty level per playthrough are just right—not too long, not too short.
Even if you get a game over, I think this is an addictive game that will keep you hooked and playing.
Once you get used to the system, you can try challenging higher difficulty levels or playing in a different class for a change of pace.

The highest difficulty level, Impossible, is quite challenging, but it is possible to complete it with all classes.
Although there are random elements, if you can find your own established strategy, you should be able to clear it fairly consistently.

When the situation becomes urgent, you may find yourself having to use items that you didn't previously find very useful.
In those situations, you might discover something unexpectedly useful or find surprising ways to use it, so you can make new discoveries even by playing repeatedly.
The Impossible difficulty level requires not only puzzle-solving skills but also the ability to handle randomness and apply that knowledge.
I think this game will be irresistible to players who enjoy challenging games.

Strategy Notes for The Impossible (Contains Spoilers)

Overall Strategy

On Impossible difficulty, the biggest challenge is the low HP.
In the early stages, it's best to minimize your use of shops and make effective use of items obtained from treasure chests.

Since increasing ability scores requires more Faith each time, it's important to raise them fairly evenly.
For Strength and Magic, simply increase the values that best suit the attack methods you'll be primarily using in that class.
Since you can easily exploit their weaknesses or compensate with items, having around 3 should be sufficient.
Since some weapons rely on both strength and magic, even magic-based classes will find it easier if they raise their strength a little if they have the resources.
Magic attacks are superior in many ways, but be aware that they do not have a critical hit rate.

Agility is a lower priority, but it's a good idea to raise it to around 1 or 2 as early as possible.
The increases in evasion rate and critical hit rate have a subtle but gradual effect.
Furthermore, the ability to effectively use agility-dependent weapons is also helpful in critical situations.
The "Angel Feather," which appears in the later stages of the game, is a weapon whose effectiveness depends on agility, but it also has the effect of restoring 70 HP as a final hit, making it useful as both an attack item and a healing item.

The number of items you can carry should be increased to six, which is the top priority.
As long as you have enough item slots, you can carry many items that increase your stats, which can compensate for the lack of growth in other abilities.
By prioritizing increasing item slots, I was able to consistently clear stages more easily.
A very effective strategy is to carry plenty of items that increase your defense points, maintain a strong defense, and slowly earn Faith by hitting enemies with weapons that grant a lot of Faith.

While higher HP is always better, if you try to raise it by two levels in the same temple, the increase will be halved.
The basic approach is to aim for one to two increases per area.
In the final area, you should use everything you have, and aim to have at least 100 by the time of the final boss battle.

Recovery items such as "potions" can be helpful in gaining Faith.
During combat, if you have weapons with low attack power and potions, you can use them up over time.
It's a good idea to keep in mind that "once you acquire a potion, you should use up your weaker weapons."

Furthermore, utilizing elemental weapons is extremely important.
I get the impression that shops tend to stock weapons that are effective in that particular area.
Make the most of the elemental weapons that are effective in each area, and use them all up.

Area 1: Flowbell Forest

Since this is the first dungeon, you can clear it without thinking too deeply about it.
Since the enemy attacks aren't very intense, when you get cloth or armor, increase your defense points and slowly beat down the enemies to quickly build up your Faith.
Having a potion is especially advantageous.
Don't push yourself too hard, but if you can earn some Faith here, it will make things much easier.

Area 2: Water Cave

It would be easier if you could get your item count down to 5 by this area or the next area.
Since the bat has high attack power, try to wear down the slime's weapon when fighting it.
The area boss, Badon, is weak against lightning and fire.
Since they have a lot of HP, make sure you have enough items to defeat them before you proceed.
It's difficult to defeat them by brute force, so the key is to have a weapon that can exploit their weakness or a weapon that has one hit left for the final blow.

Area 3: Raisewald Snowfield

If you have the Firebrand, you can exploit the weaknesses of many enemies, including bosses, and halve the damage you take from ice and fire.
It will be useful for reducing damage in the next map as well, so if you find one, you should keep it instead of using it all up.
Having fire magic like Vermilion makes the battle easier.

Area 4: Maidan Scorched Cave

Since there are many fire-type enemies, you'll want to have the Firebrand, just like in the previous map.
Conversely, Snow White and Ice Brand are also effective because they can exploit the weaknesses of many enemies.
You won't be using ice-element weapons much later on, so you can just use them all up on the boss fight.

Area 5: The Undead Kingdom

Since zombies that are weak to fire will appear, Firebrand is still effective.
However, there's no need to be overly fixated on exploiting weaknesses, so it's a map where you can have a certain degree of leeway.
The boss, the Vampire Lord, has relatively low HP at 60, so if you have the finishing blow item ready, you can defeat him in a quick battle.
It also uses HP-draining attacks, so be careful when calculating damage.

Area 6: Zoen Mountains

Along the way, you'll need to acquire magic armor, and to defeat the area boss Wyvern, you should purchase any lightning-elemental attacks you come across, such as the Blitz Saber.
If you can get your hands on a lightning-element weapon, you can get through this area relatively easily.

Area 7: Ruins of the Temple of Ephyrida

Keep in mind that the next area, Area 8, is the last, so proceed while considering your remaining Faith and item status.
The boss, the Dark Knight, has resistance to darkness and uses both physical and magical attacks.
While it has a reputation for being quite defensive, you can manage if you have a weapon with a high critical hit rate.

Area 8: Deep within the Temple of Ephyrida

Now that we've come this far, let's focus on preparing for the final boss battle.
Since this will be a long battle, make sure you have healing options and plenty of effective attack methods prepared.
Prepare some kind of healing item, such as an Elixir, Phoenix, or Angel Feather.
If you don't have enough healing items, you'll have to consider ways to avoid attacks, such as using Mangosh or Rune Blade.
Once you've completed the final upgrades at the temple, you won't need Faith anymore.

As a guideline for ability scores to defeat the final boss, you might want to aim for something like: "HP of 100 or more," "Main attack method (Strength/Magic) of 3-4 or more," "Agility of 1-2 or more," and "Item inventory of 6 or more."
Since luck is also involved, sometimes you can take on a challenge with thorough preparation, and other times that won't be the case.
Make full use of items that boost your stats after use during battle, and try to find a way to win.

Class usage experience

I've written about the difficulties I encountered and my strategy notes for clearing Impossible for each class.
I believe there are various approaches, so I hope this serves as a helpful example of how to achieve this.

Swordsman

Let's use our HP and strength to fight primarily with swords and axes.
If you aim to expand your item slots and increase your defense points with armor and other items, you should be able to earn Faith more easily.
If you acquire elemental weapons at the right time, you should be able to progress smoothly.
Unlike magic, it's difficult to choose the element of a weapon, so you'll want to focus on increasing your HP and strength, and also pay attention to your critical hit rate.

Adventurer

I think it's probably the easiest to play in the Impossible series.
If you allocate more item slots and then put the rest into HP and agility, you should be able to fight comfortably by taking advantage of your high evasion rate and critical hit rate.
Having a critical ring significantly increases the chances of critical hits and also boosts your attack power.

magician

If you can build up enough Faith while having healing abilities, this class can deal a lot of damage.
Many of the magic attacks in this game are easy to use, so I think your offensive options will be stable.
In the early stages, there are many items that increase your magic power just by possessing them, such as the Ice Sword, so expanding your item slots early on is key to success.
Towards the end of the game, you'll acquire many powerful spells, such as Absolute and Phoenix.

Magical Warrior

You'll be weak at the very beginning, but use that weakness to your advantage and earn Faith early on.
Basically, you should fight with magic, and use physical attacks as a supplement when necessary.
Ultimately, wouldn't it be best to fight using a similar strategy to that of a magician?
Since the support effect lasts for a long time, it would be fun to be able to utilize tactics that take advantage of that.

Berserker

Aside from having fewer initial item slots, the gameplay is almost identical to that of a swordsman.
The axe has the disadvantage of going second, but its high power makes it very effective.
I think the easiest way is to secure healing options and push forward by brute force.
Since it has high HP, expanding your item slots and carrying items that increase your stats will make things easier.
It would be a good idea to raise your item slots and agility by one point as soon as possible.

Alchemist

Based on its initial abilities and other factors, I personally find this class easier to use than the Mage.
Since you'll be using potions and other items frequently, you can use weapons sparingly from the beginning to quickly build up your Faith.
Since the number of elixirs you can use increases during the final boss battle, you can conserve your item slots and fight with confidence.
Other than that, I think you can fight using the same tactics as a magician.

ninja

This class had a peculiar characteristic: the fewer items you had, the higher your evasion and critical hit rates became. Luckily, I managed to clear it on my first try.
However, I think this is a class where success or failure often comes down to a hair's breadth.
My top priority is to increase the number of item slots.
As the number of empty item slots decreases, your abilities increase, so the final boss battle became a thrilling fight where the fewer items you had, the stronger you became.
Weapons that boost evasion rates, such as Mangosh and Runeblade, and those that boost critical hit rates, such as Fair Bianca, proved useful.

Dark Knight

The beginning was incredibly tough, and it might have been the most difficult class I've ever played.
The Deathbringer is powerful, but the recoil damage of 7 is quite harsh, so in the early stages, treat it as a stat-boosting item and fight with other weapons like the Longsword.
I'd like to prioritize my HP while increasing my item slots, and it would be great if I could get my hands on some potions.
Since they possess magical power and can use magical attacks, depending on the items you draw, you might consider raising them as a mage.
For me, the boss in Area 2 was the biggest hurdle, but luckily I managed to get the Firebrand and somehow got through it.
If you focus on magic, you'll have many weapons that can exploit enemy weaknesses, which might make the game easier.

Hero

I thought it would be the most difficult, but since it starts with a Faith of 3 and has relatively high initial HP, it wasn't that bad.
The Holy Sword has the effect of increasing various stats, so use it up as soon as you've raised your stats to a certain extent.
You can develop your character as either a physical or magical type, but personally, I think a magical type is better.

Useful items

Almost every item has a use, but I'll write about the items I found particularly useful.

The "Holy Symbol" is an item you'll want to have if you can get it early in the game.
In the early stages, acquiring Faith is a top priority, so being able to increase the amount you acquire is a welcome effect.
By combining it with easily consumable items such as potions, you can easily earn 2 Faith points.
Once you have some leeway, offer it to the gods and immerse yourself in HP recovery.

"Angel Feather" was useful because it could be used to attack and also as a healing item for the final blow.
The fact that it only lasts for six uses is actually helpful because it makes it easy to use up completely.
This weapon is particularly well-suited for adventurers and ninjas who focus on increasing their agility.

"Phoenix" can only be obtained towards the end of the game, but like Angel Feather, it can be used as a weapon that can restore HP.
If you have Ignis Heart, which doubles fire-element damage, it will be your main weapon.

"Blitzstrahl" is a lightning-element weapon that charges its attack power each turn by an amount equal to the user's magical ability score.
Since the charge carries over even after the battle ends, it's an extremely powerful trump card against bosses and tough enemies.
If you manage to use it effectively against the final boss, you can defeat it in an instant.
Due to its characteristics, it cannot be used repeatedly, so if you're a magic-user class, you'll want to acquire it early and charge it up carefully.

"Punch" is difficult to use up completely, but if you have HP recovery items such as potions, using it steadily, even if it's weak, will yield a large return on your Faith.
If you have enough healing items and defense points, using them all up even once during gameplay will make things considerably easier.

The "Zero Degree Armor" is an excellent item with the following stats: +1 Magic Power, +3 Defense Points, and double Ice attribute damage.
This armor is beneficial not only for ice-elemental magic but also for ice-elemental weapons, so it's a piece of armor you'll want to keep until the end of the game if you acquire it.
The synergy with the magical Absolute, which you acquire towards the end of the game, is fantastic.