This is an article introducing "Aural and the Light Dragon ~Gathering Light~," a game created with RPG Maker MZ by Mimui/Mimisuke.
This is a wholesome, full-length RPG for all ages, primarily featuring female monsters (monster girls).
Its distinguishing features are a heartwarming story woven by unique and charming companions, and a meticulous design that prioritizes both the fun and comfort of an RPG.
The completion time was approximately 30 hours.
(Does not include post-game content)
Game Overview
The protagonist is Aural, a plant monster Alraune who has come to the land of Astevine to witness the "Light Dragon Festival," a festival honoring the Light Dragon that saved the world long ago.
On his way to the festival, Aural encounters a princess and her knight guards who are being attacked by a horde of monsters.
Aural works together with the knights and manages to successfully repel the monsters.
The knights, having been saved by the monster Aural, are bewildered, but Princess Nina, feeling indebted to them, invites them to the castle.
That night, drawn by a mysterious light, Aural, accompanied by the guardian knight Glenn, ventured into a cave deep in the forest, where he encountered a strange creature (a yellow slug?), and the story began to unfold.
This game does not have a field map; instead, you can explore the areas inside by selecting symbols on the map.
As the story progresses, more and more places will become accessible.
As the story progresses, fast travel features (shortcuts) become available, allowing for more convenient movement.
I feel that great care has been taken to ensure that the game does not cause stress to the players.
On the map, there are markers indicating all locations where something is likely to happen.
Locations that can be investigated are marked with a CHECK icon, and locations where events occur are marked with an EVENT icon.
Areas where mandatory battles are about to begin will have a BATTLE mark, so it's a good idea to save your game or prepare for combat there.
This clearly shows what is going to happen next.
The menu screen has a traditional design, similar to that of a typical RPG.
In addition to the standard items, there are some special menu items, which I will introduce below.
In the "Goals and Synopsis" section, you can see your goals—what you need to do next—and a summary of the story so far.
If there's a long gap between play sessions, you might forget what you were supposed to do next or what the conversation was about.
Referring to this section makes it convenient to check both.
In the "Equipment" section, you can change the equipment your character has equipped.
In this game, in addition to weapons, shields, and armor, you can equip multiple accessories and magic stones.
Accessories can provide bonuses to stats, add skills, grant resistance to status ailments, and more.
Since you can equip up to four, it's easy to create highly specialized customizations, such as a combination that sacrifices defense for maximum attack power.
Magic stones, when equipped, allow you to use specific types of magic.
Making characters capable of using magic of attributes they couldn't originally use, or enabling them to use healing magic, are important points to consider when thinking about the roles of party members.
Since various tactics can be employed by different players, make good use of them and fight skillfully.
In "Blacksmithing and Synthesis," you create items and equipment from materials.
The items you can create this way are often more powerful than those sold in stores, so if you use them effectively, you can progress through your adventure much more easily.
In "Skill Acquisition," you can use SP (Skill Points) to acquire new skills.
SP is added each time your level increases.
Deciding which skills to aim for and acquire can be a challenging but enjoyable aspect of this game.
Furthermore, acquired skills can be reset at any time, and SP can be allocated any number of times without any risk.
It might be a good idea to reallocate your skill points when you're stuck against a tough enemy or when the skills you've acquired aren't performing as well as you'd hoped.
Ultimately, you will be able to acquire all the skills.
"Skit viewing" refers to short stories that are added as you progress through the game.
You can view interactions between friends and small events that were happening elsewhere.
While it's an event that you can skip without affecting the story, it's interesting as an element that delves deeper into the narrative and characters.
It's a good idea to check and view it regularly.
The battles are turn-based command battles.
It's a fairly standard game where each character inputs a command in each turn, and actions are taken in order of agility.
In addition to normal attacks, there are spells that consume MP, techniques (skills) that consume TP, and techniques that consume both.
The animation, in which each character moves in detail while performing their techniques, is impressive and very well-crafted.
Since it's crucial to accurately exploit the enemy's weaknesses, it's a good idea to refer to enemy information before engaging in battle.
By pressing the cancel button on the command screen for the lead character, you can change party members, escape, check enemy information, and more.
Characters who are incapacitated in battle still gain experience points as usual, and they revive with 1 HP after the battle ends.
The combat balance is such that units with low defense can easily be incapacitated if you're not careful, so it's important to manage your equipment and skills effectively.
Furthermore, I appreciated the thoughtful details, such as the inclusion of "Glenn's Attack" in the name of the normal attack, which makes it easy to understand whose command input order it is.
Review (no spoilers)
I'll be writing my impressions after completing the main story.
I've tried to eliminate spoilers as much as possible, so the writing style might be a bit abstract and difficult to understand.
While this game tends to grab attention with its unique premise of having almost all party members being monster girls, even setting that element aside, it was genuinely fun as an RPG.
The story, in which the protagonist, a mediocre monster, travels with a legendary being who saved the world and forges a bond with them, follows a classic formula, making it enjoyable and reassuring from beginning to end.
Not only was the story engaging and enjoyable, but I was also impressed that I hardly felt any stress from the text.
I get the feeling that the event was written with a focus on pacing and was very carefully crafted to avoid being redundant.
Furthermore, many of the characters were depicted with original graphics, and there were plenty of illustrations to enhance the events.
The story, driven by mystery, was captivating, but the unique characters were even more so.
Regarding combat, I felt that there were many different strategies possible, making it a game with great depth.
With its simple strategy of exploiting boss weaknesses, the option to aim for status effects that can trap them if successful, and the possibility of leveling up and taking on the boss with ease, this game should appeal to a wide range of players who can enjoy it in their own play style.
The battles can be controlled automatically, and the characters will use their skills to a reasonable extent, so leveling up isn't too much of a hassle.
The characters offer a high degree of customization, making it easy for players to implement the tactics they envision.
There are many treasure chests with randomly generated contents, from which you can obtain various accessories.
Since you can equip multiple accessories, it's easy to create builds that enhance your strengths or compensate for your weaknesses.
Skill acquisition is based on a skill tree system, making it easy for players to develop their characters in the direction they envision.
I eagerly awaited the skill points I would receive upon leveling up, which kept my motivation for combat high until the very end of the game.
In summary, this game had great characters, a great story, and a great battle system; I think it was a truly flawless, full-length RPG.
This was a fantastic game that I can recommend to all types of players, from those who prioritize characters to those who are into pure combat.
Gameplay log and screenshots included (Spoiler alert)
In the previous section, I avoided spoilers, so I could only write in a vague manner.
However, in this section, I will write my impressions along with screenshots without worrying about spoilers.
Please be aware if you haven't played yet.
Part 1
Chapter 1: The Encounter
While the princess may have intervened, it seems that normally, punishments worse than being thrown in jail were the norm.
This gives us a glimpse into the hardships Aural has faced up until now.
This game is a wholesome game for all ages, so there are no scenes that might make you think of something like that.
Aural was too strong from the start, so I thought there would be some event to weaken him, but it turned out to be the resurrection of Sele.
It makes sense, as it seems like it would require an enormous amount of magical power.
It was funny to hear Glenn talking badly about Cele in his mind, calling her things like a yellow slug and a lizard.
Sele is reliable with her high attack power, but her defenses are so weak that she quickly finds herself in trouble.
I prefer to enhance my strengths rather than compensate for my weaknesses in defense, so I used equipment that further sacrificed defense to sharpen my offense.
Chapter 1: The Wolf and the Gentle Medicine
In some works, these kinds of troublesome characters, driven by jealousy of the protagonist's party, escalate their tactics and eventually fall into darkness.
However, in this work, the people surrounding him are all sensible, so I have a feeling he'll just end up being a comforting character.
It looks so fluffy and soft.
Glenn has the sensitivity to not say things like "it's too heavy."
The way new allies suddenly appear during boss battles is really exciting.
When the party reaches four members, it really feels like the adventure has begun in earnest.
Chapter 2: The Heart of the Mushroom and the Monster of the Old Road
Sheni may look cute and have a carefree demeanor, but she seems to be a very thoughtful character.
Because I spent a lot of time alone, I probably had a lot of time to reflect on my inner self.
I haven't used Glen's Link Chain much until now.
In actual use, I feel it's an excellent skill because it simply increases the number of actions you can take.
I think it's great that he's thinking about things in his own way and interacting with the Aurals.
Just because he was once saved by a werewolf doesn't mean he unconditionally believes everything; it's good that he properly evaluates and judges actions.
Chapter 3: The Great Library and the Magic Crystal
I wondered if "sperm extraction" was an appropriate word to use in a wholesome game... and after researching it, I found that it's a commonly used term in the livestock industry, so I'll consider it acceptable.
Although the aural is hermaphroditic, about 20% of it seems to have the mind of an old man.
He's the kind of character that would suit sexual harassment.
I learned that it's supposed to be underneath the bikini.
We also have everyone's favorite, Lights Out.
This might be how Aural might appear when they go beyond mere helpfulness and risk their own lives to help others.
Aural said that he wouldn't be trusted unless he went this far because he's a monster, but there seems to be a more fundamental reason.
It really came across that he loves dark, damp places.
・Chapter 4 Encounter
This is a rare, damaged version of Aural's standing pose.
Sele is usually a carefree person, but even she is feeling serious now that her benefactor is in this situation.
Glenn always makes fun of him, but he's basically a good kid.
I think it's amazing that he can instantly weigh his own life against the lives of Glen and the others and decide which would bring the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people, and then act accordingly.
What I find amazing about Cheni is that she can make that decision not out of an emotional reason like "my friends are important," but based on the logic that "they are more valuable than I am."
It's similar to the relationship between Ramza (later Ickx) and Delita (Glenn) in Final Fantasy Tactics, but thankfully, things don't seem to be getting complicated here.
It should be fine as long as Iks doesn't start saying things like, "There are no gods for livestock (monsters)!"
Chapter 5: The Mysterious Jiggle
Axes are heavy, smelly, and generally difficult to use (sudden diss).
However, this trio was quite strong.
It may look like a naked woman, but it's just slime taking that shape, so it's perfectly normal and harmless.
Being specifically warned about something only makes you think about it more.
Chapter 6: The Knights of the Mountain Fortress
Judging from Prune's words and actions, she seems like an assassin sent by someone, but since she has lost her memory, she doesn't seem to pose a threat at the moment.
Lizards don't nurse, so they shouldn't need breasts... why...?
This reminds me once again of how terrifying Sheni is.
I find it very useful during battles because it inflicts powerful status ailments.
Since status effect-based abilities have a success/failure check, it's convenient and helpful that their effect range generally covers all enemies.
Although Meruza looks intimidating, she has many feminine qualities, such as being a symbol of an overly wealthy woman, being a good cook, and being a good singer, which makes her seem rather cute.
Fighting together with General Gadura and his men.
The scenes in RPGs where NPCs provide various forms of support during battle are one of my favorite features.
Incidentally, the finishing blow was delivered by General Gadura's Flare Piercer.
Chapter 7: The Tower of Wind and the Wind-Bringing Ritual
Iks said that Glen and the others are quick on their feet, but I think he's pretty quick on his feet too.
As the leader, he probably feels restricted and constrained by his limited freedom of action.
It looks like fun.
The enemy mob characters who have a mysteriously strong presence tend to stick in your memory.
Prune unlocks the door by inserting her body into the keyhole and transforming it into the shape of a key.
The "Final Key" in the Dragon Quest series is also described in the game's lore as a "Mimic Silver" that changes shape to match the key, so that reminded me of it.
It's kind of cute how their bodies are being thrown around by the strong wind.
This is a conversation between Tetepi and Meruza while they are climbing a mountain.
I thought it was beautiful how it all connected so perfectly to the final scene of the Tetepi arc.
The visuals were beautiful, and it was a memorable scene that conveyed the strong bond between all the characters.
(Axis Shock)
Chapter 8: Confronting the Darkness
Lights Out again. This was the easiest.
This boss was the most difficult I've faced so far.
I increased my agility so I could move faster than the enemy, and I equipped myself to recover quickly.
Furthermore, I ignored physical defense and equipped myself with gear that specialized in magic defense, focusing my attacks on Cele's light-element attacks.
The area-of-effect magic attack was troublesome, so I equipped my party with a magic stone that could heal the entire party, prepared plenty of healing options, and managed to defeat it.
This is a wholesome RPG (for the nth time).
Part 2
Chapter 9: Advance! The Mixed-Species Team!
Sele's yellow slug form has a design that makes you want to turn it into a plush toy and display it.
Ulve's father finally made an appearance, and I couldn't help but laugh at how doting he was on his daughter.
It reminded me of Room Guardian, the boss from Secret of Mana 2.
The beam attack was troublesome and made it a formidable opponent.
Is it soft and fluffy?
Since both of them are being held down tightly by the cloth, I imagine they would be quite hard to the touch.
Chapter 10: Memories Sleeping in the Vertical Shaft
This is a collection of wholesome scenes.
At this point, Glenn finally resigned himself to his fate.
It took 10 chapters to finally come to terms with the discrepancy between the imagined Light Dragon and Cele.
Prun is such a good girl; it's really heartwarming.
The Light Dragon is starting to sound more and more like a thug.
Who taught them?
She became affectionate.
Chapter 11: Traveling to the Northernmost Land
Luxus's stock price has been rising recently.
Cele and the others are gradually coming to accept him as someone they respect.
Chapter 12: The Truth About the Demons
Amazingly, you can now cover all elemental attack spells with just one magic stone.
Furthermore, it's now possible to create magic stones that allow you to use many more types of healing and support magic.
Thanks to this, I was able to assign various roles to each character, which was extremely helpful when considering tactics.
Aural makes a somewhat risky decision, thinking that if push comes to shove, he should be the one to sacrifice himself.
There's an unsettling atmosphere.
Chapter 13: The Battle of the Great Library
This reminds me of the floating castle's aerial corridor in Romancing SaGa 2. (The map where the ice dragon flies)
A scene where he risks his life to protect his comrades from the mastermind.
RPGs where the protagonist leaves the party are often masterpieces. (Like Chrono Trigger)
Part 2
Chapter 14: A World Shrouded in Darkness
In terms of game progression, the structure allows you to go further in and circle around, but I think the deliberate display of this message highlights the sense of loss caused by Aural's absence.
This is a rare scene where Sele unleashes an emotion other than anger.
It is here that we finally realize just how significant Aural was.
Aural is bewildered by Sele's overly affectionate behavior.
The scene where Aural is shaken is precious.
Chapter 15: The Entrusted Wish
I feel like they were being disrespectful to Cele from the very beginning, calling her things like a yellow slug and whatnot.
The image of the Light Dragon and Cele were so different that she probably naturally reacted to the actual appearance she saw.
??? "A blend of Latin, English, and Old Norse. Or rather, a terrible medley. It's not a name."
It seems Glen's ancestors had a rather unique sense of naming things.
Chapter 16: Gathering Light
Anubis is a lovable character, despite his slightly clumsy nature.
Glenn's retorts are brilliant.
A scene where Luxus's stock price skyrockets.
He says he couldn't just stand by and do nothing in this situation, so surely he already deserves to call himself a hero.
We look forward to the release of your R-18 simulation game.
Vargas is portrayed as a clear antagonist in this film.
This starkly reminds us that there are some enemies with whom reconciliation is impossible through dialogue.
This is one of the few scenes where Glenn is truly angry.
Kinokoru Sensei
I like Luxus because he has a very human quality, like Mazohho from the fake hero party in "Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai."
While Iks Luxus and Iks Luxus are quite different characters, they both share the common trait of being able to move forward thanks to Glen and his friends.
It's exciting to see these two fighting side-by-side.
Glenn doesn't seem to mind either; things are going well.
Unlike the typical insensitive male character, I like that he genuinely understands the other person's feelings and responds sincerely.
Final Chapter: The Hour of Dawn
I intend to take screenshots of the heroic figure of Luxus and pass them down to future generations.
Aural felt incomplete as an Alraune and had low self-esteem, but it's comforting to hear that it was precisely because of this that she was able to accomplish what she did.
What was so moving was the realization that the path she had walked was not in vain, and that everything had meaning.
The twoIshiba Love-Love Heaven-Shaking FistWith the power of our bonds, we will defeat the demon lord shrouded in miasma.
The event battles have a really satisfying presentation.
Plush toys of each character are being given away as prizes at the festival.
As expected, she's quite popular, as there are a lot of Cele plush toys on display.
Personally, the character I'd most want as a plushie is Sele.
* "EX Test of Strength!" after clearing the game will remain in an incomplete state.
I was allowed to view the development room.
Character impressions (spoiler alert)
I will write about my experience using it during actual gameplay.
I think the user experience will depend on each player's play style, so this is just my personal experience.
・Aural
From the beginning to the end, he played a crucial role as a reliable physical attacker, both offensively and defensively.
The tentacle whip ignores defense, and the armor-piercing attack lowers defense, making it useful for dealing consistent damage.
It's also helpful that photosynthesis allows you to quickly recharge your TP.
In terms of defense, I felt secure knowing I could protect my teammates with Vinewall and Tentacle Parry.
In the middle of the story, I felt the offensive capabilities were somewhat lacking, but this was resolved in the later stages when I acquired a powerful weapon.
Ultimately, I focused on equipping gear optimized for critical hits and used the ultimate skill, Light Boost, to aim for consecutive critical hits, which was how I chipped away at the boss's health.
If a boss has a weakness, applying the corresponding magic mark and inscription before unleashing your ultimate technique results in tremendous damage, which feels incredibly satisfying.
Glenn
They excelled as both a debuffer and an attacker.
In the early stages, "Cover" helped reduce damage to the party, while "Royal Heal" was useful for maintaining the battle line.
The game features a wide variety of elemental attacks that exploit enemy weaknesses, and the Link Chain, which activates in conjunction with allies' elemental attacks, was also very effective.
Sword techniques that lowered the enemy's attack power or removed their buffs were also useful.
However, overall, its attack power felt somewhat lacking, and it didn't seem like it could be a major source of damage.
With high HP and defense, and few weaknesses, it had high survivability, and was able to take on various roles flexibly during battles.
・Sele
He excelled as an attacker.
Because it has low defense but high attack power, I equipped it with gear that takes advantage of that strength, and it proved useful in both regular battles and boss fights.
He's quite vulnerable at the beginning, but as the story progresses, his stats can be boosted, so he eventually becomes a strong character with high stats across the board.
While primarily an attacker, it's great that it also possesses useful support skills like Shine Wall and Prism Wall.
Also, the fact that many of the bosses in the story are weak against light was a contributing factor.
・ Ulve
I didn't use it much. Sorry...!
I feel like it would be powerful if used in an Aural style that takes advantage of the number of attacks and critical hits, but I never had the opportunity to put that into practice.
Equipped with a magic vessel and a healing magic stone, it proved invaluable as a field healer during dungeon exploration.
・ Sheni
She mainly served as a status effect supporter in boss battles.
When the boss was susceptible to darkness, silence, or poison, I made sure to include those characters in my combat party.
If darkness and silence work on any boss, you can significantly reduce the damage you take, so I think it's very powerful if used effectively.
I wanted to use Mix Powder and Tempura Powder more, but they consume a lot of Secret Technique Points (TP), so I didn't have many opportunities to use them.
Prun
As a physical and magical attacker, I mainly excelled in regular battles.
It's fairly tough, and can handle both physical and magical attacks, so it can consistently deal damage to any enemy, and I used it a lot when leveling up.
I learned the ultimate techniques, Absolute Zero and Big Plump, relatively early on, and it felt great to be able to unleash such immense power.
・Meruza
He excelled as both a physical tank and an attacker.
Against bosses that primarily use physical attacks, using defensive formations, war cries, and defensive commands helped to draw enemy attacks and stabilize the entire party.
I'm not particularly good at fire magic, but I have many powerful fire-attribute physical skills, which were useful for exploiting weaknesses.
Penetrate consistently deals damage to any opponent, so I think it ended up being a pretty good source of damage.
・Tetepi
They were incredibly useful as a healer and supporter during boss battles.
Initially, after the battle started, I used the Song of Healing, then the Song of Vitality, then the Song of Extension, followed by various defensive spells, and if necessary, I acted as a healer with spells like Al-Heal.
It felt great to be able to buff my allies to the max with the effects of my songs, but they weren't very tough, so they were often defeated.
It was frustrating when all the buffs I'd built up were reset after being incapacitated in battle.
However, the song's effect, which automatically recovers TP and speeds up TP charging, was extremely useful because it allowed for a faster cycle of using ultimate abilities and skills.
I think I included them in almost every boss battle.
Marine
As a magic attacker, she mainly excelled in regular battles, similar to Prune.
Since I could easily use skills and magic that could attack all enemies, I boosted my magic power with equipment and wiped out the weaker enemies.
Since the main means of attack is magic, a slight drawback is that there are fewer effective attack options against opponents with high magic defense.
The damage from Magic Burst after amplifying magical power was high, making it quite useful.
The ultimate technique, Mana Explode, seems as powerful as Madante, but I've never used it because I'm afraid of being reduced to 1 HP afterward.
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