Daydream River (Free RPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

When I'm looking for an interesting game, I check out review sites in addition to download sites.
Recently, "Daydream River" was featured on "Mogura Games," a review site that introduces many games.
This was a wonderful article that really captured the appeal and charm of this work.

After reading this review, I thought it sounded interesting and started playing.
And after actually completing the game, I realized it was indeed a captivating work, so I decided to write an article about it myself.

It took me about 13 hours to complete the game.

The appeal of this work

story

The game genre is RPG.
The game involves exploring a map, progressing through the story, and becoming stronger by defeating enemies and bosses.
However, if you ask me what the greatest appeal of this work is, I would say it's the story development.

At first, it seems like a horror-themed story set in a school, but then various themes begin to intertwine one after another.
At first, I was completely bewildered by the unexpected turn of events, but gradually I started to enjoy this rollercoaster-like, whirlwind of events.
Yet, the plot points are neatly resolved and the story maintains consistency; I think the scriptwriting is very skillful.

It gives the impression of being a hodgepodge of various elements such as horror, science fiction, fantasy, religion, and life and death, all cooked together with a unique sense of style.
Because it can be quite challenging, I wouldn't recommend it to all players.
However, for players craving excitement, this is a potent RPG that I would recommend.

Battle System

The combat system is orthodox, but it incorporates various elements.
Each character has unique combat commands and special abilities, and their stats are also differentiated.

There are several instances where you need to split your party into two, and you must be mindful of each character's role when dividing them.

Additionally, you can use passive points earned through combat to acquire various skills and customize your character.
It has a wealth of passive skills, including status adjustments, elemental resistances, and acquisition bonuses.
Since you can't attach many, choosing which ones to use can be a real headache.

Since you can freely swap in reserve characters during battle, the difficulty of combat isn't very high.
I think you can also progress by leveling up and brute-forcing your way through with physical attacks.
However, if you haven't grasped the combat mechanics, you might get stuck during key boss battles.

Graphics and music

The graphics make lavish use of original character illustrations and event artwork.
The attention to detail is evident in how the graphics accurately reflect different character outfits in event scenes.
Furthermore, the characters' faces change subtly depending on their remaining HP and status ailments during battle, which shows how meticulously the game is crafted.

The music also greatly enhances the story.
It might be the default RPG Maker music, but there are quite a variety of battle themes alone, so I didn't get bored of it.
While many albums have music that doesn't stick in your mind, I think this one is quite memorable.

thoughts

It was an RPG where I was completely drawn into the story.
Once I figured out an easy strategy for combat, I was able to progress quickly and without much stress.
I was really eager to move the story forward, so this was perfect for me.

I think the school setting alone had enough volume and quality to stand on its own as a short horror game.
The feeling of liberation upon finally stepping out of that oppressive, claustrophobic space was so wonderful that it wouldn't have been surprising if it had ended right there.
From this point on, the story becomes more suspenseful, and the plot, which had been driven by the goal of "escaping from school," suddenly starts moving forward, which was exciting.
I truly felt like I didn't get bored at all, and I was able to play straight through to the end.

The RPG genre has a large number of free games, with many being released every day.
Because of the high level of competition, this is a genre where even slightly interesting works are likely to get lost in the crowd.
However, this film, "Daydream River," was a compelling work that certainly deserved the attention it garnered.
If you're interested, I encourage you to give it a try.

Strategy Notes (Contains Spoilers)

Below, I'll write about the parts of the game where I got stuck and some combat tips.

General combat

First, acquire and equip skills such as "Double Earned Funds," "Double Earned Experience Points," and "Double Passive Skills" as early as possible.
It will become much easier to proceed.
There aren't many uses for the money, so once you've earned a certain amount, you can just switch to a different passive skill.
The passive skill "2x" can be replaced with something else once you acquire "Medal of Protection," which prevents all status ailments.
Other passive skills that I found effective are as follows:

・HP playback
It was mainly helpful when I was facing trials.

TP Charger
It was very effective in boss battles.
Since all the trump cards are powerful, you can even rely on them during boss battles.
Since you can apply them in layers, using two will help them fill up faster.

Critical Eye
This was effective in normal combat when equipped with a weapon that could attack multiple times.
Subjectively, it feels like the frequency of critical hits has increased considerably.

Boss strategy patterns
Basically, attackers like Isaka, Saga, and Kamakura will attack while Sakuraba focuses on healing.
When Sakuraba has free time, he places safety bits on each member.
Once the attacker's TP is full, use their trump card as soon as possible.
By that time, I was usually able to defeat the boss.

Weapons that I thought were powerful
Isaka's dual-wielding setup of "Brass Knuckles" and "Luna Clips" was incredibly powerful, and he kept it equipped until the very end.
Luna Eclipse's "Shurakra," which occasionally activates, was also very powerful in the later stages of the game, as it dealt 9999 damage repeatedly.

Early game

・School - Sewerage

This is an exploration of the old school building after the playable character has changed to Saga.
One half of the key is in the classroom where the face was chasing me,The other one is on the desk in class 1-1.
Since it wasn't glowing on the map, I searched in quite a lot of different places.

Further down the sewer, there's a gimmick where you push a chair from inside the room out, causing it to fall over a fence and trigger a switch.
I didn't realize for a while that objects that can be pushed can also be moved outside the room.

Air Raid Shelter Mountain ~ Twin Mountains
You can purchase a list of passive skills from the old woman at the stubborn old man's house.
Collect passive points regularly and exchange them for new skill lists.
Attaching abilities like double experience points and double passive skills early on will make battles in the mid-to-late game much easier.
Towards the end of the game, aim to acquire the "Medal of Protection," which prevents all status ailments.

Festival, Betsugu Shrine

The "yakitori" (grilled chicken skewers) that can only be purchased at festival stalls can restore 1000 HP, making it useful even in the later stages of the game.

・ Yukio's World
Shiobaijima Island

- Burned-down mansion
Since this is a side event, I think you can do it at other times as well.
This is a dungeon you should definitely visit if you want to immerse yourself in the story.

Mid-game

MUA Control Center
・Power supply tower

·museum

This rat was the only one in a normal battle who was prepared for total annihilation.
Be careful of powerful area-of-effect attacks.

Moore Department of Agriculture
One of the puzzles involves making the room symmetrical.
I understood up to the point of moving the chairs and putting six apples in each, butBurning extra chairs in the fireplaceI couldn't come up with that for quite a while.

Iwazumi Marshland
The encounter system suddenly switches to a symbol encounter system.

- Moore, Department of Defense
After defeating Lazarus L5,There's an instant-death event where you have to dodge a rolling iron ball, so be sure to save beforehand.

- The trials of the Todo Dojo
You can also try it at "The Burned Mansion," but I cleared it at this point.
(Around level 30-40)
Since each character's unique skills will grow, you'll want to clear the game with all of them.
It's tough not being able to use items, but make good use of passive skills and equipment.

The boss battles along the way are troublesome due to their confusion and physical attacks, so use passive skills or headgear like aluminum foil to counter them.
I think you can win if you fight well, using HP regeneration and counter-attack strategies.
The final trial has fewer attacks that deal direct damage, so just like before, endure by using HP regeneration and aim for your trump card.

Final stages

- Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo - Chiyoda Nuclear Power Plant
・Yasaka Mitakeyama

- Tower of Babel
Be careful, because once you arrive at the Tower of Babel in Moore, you will no longer be able to complete the side events in Korin Town.

- From Betsugu Shrine to the convenience store in Korin-cho to the ending