Cross Changeling (Free SRPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes: Fight by swapping minds and bodies.

This article is about "Cross Changeling," an SRPG that deals with the theme of mind and body swapping.
I saw it available on "Freem!" and was intrigued, so I played it.
With four main characters who are adventurers, this game felt more like a typical RPG than a simulation RPG, making it enjoyable to play.

The game consists of 15 chapters, and the total completion time was approximately 7 hours (on normal difficulty).

Game Overview

"Cross Change Ring" is a story about four adventurers whose bodies are swapped due to the power of a certain jewel, and who become entangled in a conspiracy.
The story depicts various problems that arise when four people with different personalities and fighting styles unintentionally switch places.
The book is written in an easy-to-read style and describes the difficulties of fighting with a different body, and the moments when identity is shaken due to the separation of body and mind, which are inherently inseparable.

There are three difficulty levels available: Normal, Easy, and Invincible.
For most people, the Normal difficulty setting is recommended, but if you're not good at SRPGs or just want to enjoy the story, you should choose Easy or Invincible.
The difficulty level on normal difficulty is somewhere between slightly easy and average.

If any of the four main members are defeated, it's an instant game over, but if any other units are defeated, they are not lost.
However, a treatment fee of 1000G will be required after clearing the game.

As a game, it's a fairly standard SRPG.
Up until the middle of the game, the type of unit changes depending on whose spirit inhabits which body, requiring different fighting styles.
From Chapter 9 onwards, you can freely swap characters, but until then, the combinations are fixed according to the story.

There are many unique features, such as the absence of a rock-paper-scissors system and the fact that flying units have skills that halve damage from attacks other than bows and magic.
Pay attention to the differences between this SRPG and others as you play.

Review (no spoilers)

I thoroughly enjoyed playing the game until the very end.
Rather than using unit swapping to strategize, the fun lay in using units whose types changed due to the swapping to get through each stage.
If you only have the four main characters, your fighting style will become predictable, but the ability to rotate them gives you the feeling of using new units, making the gameplay less repetitive and keeping things fresh.

The overall difficulty level is not very high.
Anyone familiar with SRPGs should be able to complete it without any problems.
However, there are some maps that feel quite challenging, so while the difficulty level is manageable for casual play, it's not too easy.

From Chapter 9 onwards, you can change the combination of units that are swapped out at any time you like, but in my case, I mostly stuck with the same combinations.
This is because, depending on the combination of mind and body, the performance inevitably becomes mediocre.I found it easiest to stick with the combination I found most convenient and use it consistently during battles.

Since the weapons you can use change with each change in the party composition, you will need to switch weapons each time.
If you try to frequently switch characters during battles, the hassle of exchanging items becomes a major drawback, so it's understandable that players tend to stick to fixed combinations.
However, I felt that the effort involved was somewhat mitigated by the fact that each unit can hold a generous eight items, and that the four main units can always utilize their stock.

The swapping itself doesn't significantly affect the game's difficulty,I felt that the greatest appeal of this work lies in its story.
The text is easy to read and understand, and it depicts the feelings of confusion and anxiety that arise from switching bodies.
Even though they looked the same, I appreciated the effort put into being able to tell whose spirit was inside just from their tone of voice.
Furthermore, I felt that the overall length of the text was just right—neither too short nor too long—giving the work a good pace.
Although it was described as their first game, I felt that the overall text and game balance were very good.

Although the graphics use default assets, a wide variety of facial expressions are used, and even familiar asset faces are softened by the rich expressions.
I imagine it must be quite difficult to subtly change facial expressions for each scene, so I appreciated the attention to detail in that aspect.

One thing that bothered me a little was that the background music volume in the game seemed to be set very low.
If I turn up the overall volume on the computer itself, I can hear it without any problems, but if I try to do something else while it's still at that volume, it becomes extremely loud, which is a bit of a concern.
This might only be happening in my environment, but please keep that in mind.

While it's not a game where you rely heavily on character swapping to progress, I was completely captivated by the sheer brilliance of the storyline.

Strategy Notes (Spoiler Warning)

Overall Strategy Notes

I don't think there will be any major problems.
If you have weapons properly prepared and healing items stocked up, you can heal with potions even when there are no healers around.

Weapons with a range of 1-2, such as the Throw Dagger and Javelin, are useful, so it's a good idea to keep them on hand.
Additionally, Thunder-type magic with a range of 1-3 and Wind-type magic that increases agility are useful, so it's a good idea to have those ready as well.

Regarding the swap types, I personally found pattern B to be the easiest to use.
This pattern involves Kyle and Eleanor, and Terra and Mew switching places.
Details are provided below.

Kyle @ Eleanor (Highlander)
Although he can only use a sword, I feel he's an excellent vanguard with high mobility and automatic regeneration.

・Mew @Terra (Shooter)
The biggest appeal is being able to shoot at long range as a shooter.
Its mobility is low, but this can be compensated for by using launcher storage and acceleration wands.

・Terra@Mew (Sage)
Its high agility and ease of counterattacking with magic are its main attractions.
Being able to use both magic and a wand is a powerful advantage.
Furthermore, the fact that it could move around without losing mobility even in forests and mountains was extremely convenient.

・Eleanor @ Kyle
Eleanor's physical strength and defense are somewhat low, but Kyle's soul compensates for this, making her a reliable infantry unit.
The advantage is that you can use not only swords but also spears, making it easier to fight with weapons like javelins that can be used at both close and long range.

Chapter 7: The Maiden Knights

On the enemy's fourth turn, the maiden knights lined up at the bottom of the cliff take 20 damage from falling rocks.
To prevent them from being defeated, use Mew@Terra's shooter to take down the imps positioned on either side of the river.
Also, it will be easier if you have Terra@Mew, who can move quickly through the forest, go ahead with a healing staff.
The other members should work with Flare to stop the enemy from advancing north from the south.
Healing in the forest is a hassle, so let's use the potions we each have in stock.

Added in August 2022(Information provided anonymously) If you examine the rock fragment before the enemy's 4th turn, the rock's damage will either miss or become 10.

Chapter 8: Undercover Investigation

Status ailments such as magic sealing and poison can be easily cured with the Staff of Purification.
Additionally, you can steal treasures and awakening helmets from enemies in Villetta, so it's a good idea to steal as many as you can.
Be careful, as the enemies surrounding the boss, including the boss itself, will all start moving once you get close enough.

Chapter 10: Fallen Wings

The objective is to capture the fort without defeating Kühne.
Stay out of Kühne's attack range and eliminate all enemies except those near the fort first.
For a while, let's focus on defending the village near the starting point and intercepting any enemies in that area.
However, if you leave the eastern village alone, it will be destroyed, so it's best to have Kyle go there by himself and visit it to be safe.
Let's eliminate the enemy shooters with Mew@Terra's long-range shots.

Once we've eliminated most of the enemy, we'll prepare to capture the fort.
Let's use units on either side of the river to lure Kühne and his men out, and in the meantime, have Kyle capture the fort.
The heavily armored soldiers blocking the bridge can be eliminated by using Kyle's attack and repositioning ability, without entering Kühne's attack range.

You can obtain a Life Elixir by examining the house located in the upper right corner of the village you are defending.
You can get the Shooting Star (bow) by visiting the eastern village.
If you visit the house to the left, you will receive a healing staff.

Chapter 12: The Intersecting Hills

To clear the game, all you have to do is leave Kühne near death and then talk to him.
After you bring Kühne to the brink of death, he will stop moving, but be careful as he will summon monsters such as Chimeras nearby.

If possible, steal valuable items such as gems and secret scrolls from the Sirens in the south and the enemies in the southeast in Villetta.
The contents of the treasure chest are the Staff of Mercy (heals all enemies) and the Iron-Eating Sword (effective against heavily armored and golem-type enemies).

Regarding the ending branches

After clearing the final 15th chapter, choosing "Do not destroy the jewel" leads to a bad ending, while choosing "Destroy the jewel" branches the story into four different endings.
The ending branches into four different paths depending on the character swap status at the end of the game.
In other words, there are four types: Pattern A, Pattern B, Pattern C, and the original body.
Since each ending is quite different, it's a good idea to save before clearing the game and see them all.

Personally, I preferred the ending where the couple in pattern A swapped bodies.
I even feel like Kyle and Mew would look more natural if their genders were swapped.

Unit usage impressions (spoiler alert)

I'll write about my impressions of using each unit.
Regarding the four main units, each player will likely have their own preferred type, but I'm writing about my favorite, Pattern B.

Kyle @ Eleanor

Its combat-related parameters were consistently high, making it strong enough to be sent in alone with confidence.
Furthermore, the fact that HP recovers, albeit in small amounts, each turn is also reassuring.
While there are some concerns about magic defense, this can be largely mitigated by enhancing it with accessories and staves.

・Terra@Mew

Although its magic power is somewhat low, it has decent defense and HP, making it a reliable mage-type unit that can charge in fairly well without being easily defeated.
The fact that you can use a cane is also convenient.
The ability to move freely, ignoring movement restrictions in forests and mountains, is a significant advantage, allowing for comfortable movement and faster advancement on certain maps.

・Mew@Terra

The biggest advantage is the long-range firing capability with a range of 6 using the Shooter Arrow.
While its physical strength is on the lower side, the fact that Shooter Arrow attacks twice, its high attack speed, and the ability to ignore defense when Hawk Eye is activated more than compensate for this weakness.
Although its mobility is low, using the Staff of Acceleration allows it to maintain a decent marching speed even with the launchers deployed.

・Eleanor @ Kyle

Similar to Eleanor@Kyle, since it's a swap between two physical attackers, usability isn't much of an issue.
I believe he will perform admirably as a close-combat infantryman.

・Lewan

She performed reliably as a healer until the very end.
By equipping them with a staff that boosts stats, I was able to use it to strengthen my allies even when healing wasn't necessary.
When you have free time, you can make potions through alchemy and store them in your inventory to ensure you have a way to heal other units.

・Riora

While its abilities are average, its skills increase the power of its Thunder-type attacks more than they appear.
While it's not a unit that can be sent in aggressively, it proved useful as a finishing blow or for chipping away at enemy health, thanks in part to the helpful Thunder ability.

・Ouha

This unit increases the defensive capabilities of adjacent units.
Because of their low mobility, they weren't able to keep up with the front lines very well.
Since agility is low and it's difficult to attack again with either a sword or an axe, I think an axe, which deals heavy damage in a single blow, will ultimately be more effective.
Since his class is Lord, I suspect he's actually from some royal family.

Villetta

The stealing skill proved invaluable when I was taking valuable items from enemies.
I was also quietly helped out by collecting treasure chests.
Because of its high agility, equipping it with a weapon that deals high damage can make it a surprisingly reliable attacker.

Grams

Despite his appearance, he possesses high skill, allowing him to land attacks relatively consistently even with an axe.
While its defense and magic resistance are weak, its high HP ensures it has a decent level of resilience.
Thanks to the pursuit skill, if your speed is even slightly higher, you can attack again, making your offensive capabilities quite high.
His ultimate skill is also powerful, so as long as you pay attention to his defense, he can be quite effective.

・Kühne

This is our only flying unit.
While his abilities aren't particularly impressive, his aerial combat skills make him more resilient than his stats suggest.
However, it still wasn't top-tier in terms of strength, so I tried to avoid putting it too far forward.

・Yuifa

This unit is quite useful because it's a mounted unit that can use bows.
If you equip them with a weapon that has high attack power, they will relentlessly follow up with attacks using their skills.

Nazca

As the captain of the Maiden Knights, she's quite strong.
However, its defense is low, so be careful as it can be surprisingly vulnerable if it is attacked by multiple enemies other than monsters.

Uzume

It has plenty of skills that increase evasion, so even when you send it into a group of enemies that are about to kill you, it will surprisingly survive.
The "Cicada Shell" skill, which allows for complete evasion, is extremely useful when luring enemies into their attack range.
Let's make good use of it.

・Tieta

While her pure magical power makes her magic attacks powerful, her magic barrier skill is even more outstanding.
When combined with Ouha, it can make your allied units considerably more durable.
She can also heal with her staff without any problems, truly living up to her reputation as a genius unit.