Sword Flash Goddess Chūbatsuden (Free RPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

I enjoyed the same author's previous work, "Choir::Nobody," so I decided to try this game, "Kensen Shinki Chuubatsuden."

This work is a blend of Japanese-style fantasy RPG and novel.
The novel portion also has a large amount of text, so it carries a significant weight within the game.

The combat system and feel are quite different from typical RPGs, so you might find it difficult if you don't adapt well to those differences.
However, since the battle system offers various ways to complete the game, I think it's a game that I can recommend to a wide range of people if they like the atmosphere.

The game's page stated that it would take about 6 hours to complete, but it took me about 11 hours.
I was working at a leisurely pace and sometimes away from my desk, so I think the actual time would be even shorter.

Game Overview

For an overview of the game, please see the detailed description on the download page.
Therefore, I will only give a brief explanation here.

Game progress

The general flow of the game is as follows:"Novel Part" ⇒ "Preparation in the City ⇔ Field ⇒ Boss Defeat" ⇒ "Novel Part"That's the general flow.

Once the novel part ends, you'll move on to the next map and continue your exploration.

Since it takes the form of a so-called non-field RPG,The basic gameplay involves a simple map where you only need to choose whether to move forward or backward.

All enemies are positioned in fixed locations.
Therefore, once you reach a certain location, you will fight enemies with a fixed formation.
If the party becomes exhausted, it will be necessary to turn back and return to the capital to regroup.

If you leave the map, the enemies will be repositioned.
Therefore, you need to reach the boss at the very back while minimizing your losses as much as possible.

However, recovery items are readily available, so you don't need to be overly strict about saving them.

Exceptionally, enemies guarding treasure disappear once defeated.
Furthermore, you can optionally engage in battles to earn money by pressing the leftward movement button on the field.

About combat

The battles are command-based, with turn order determined by agility.
A maximum of three people can participate in combat, and substitutions are not allowed during combat.

The general flow of the battle is as follows:You accumulate "spirit" by performing "attacks" and "defenses," and then use up that spirit to perform "techniques."That's it.

Techniques can be used consecutively without consuming a turn, as long as your spirit allows.

When you hit the enemy with consecutive attacks"Number of shots"The count will be added.
The countdown will be interrupted if an enemy attack occurs midway through,The more hits you land, the greater the damage bonus you receive.
Therefore, the basic strategy is to accumulate as much spirit as possible and unleash a series of techniques at once to earn damage bonuses based on the number of hits.

There is also something called "Divine Words," which can be used by consuming mental energy (similar to MP).
This item becomes usable by equipping a "Divine Orb," and anyone can use it as long as they equip it.
Even if you use divine words, your spirit won't accumulate naturally, so don't rely on them too much.

About "Destiny"

The playable character, "Reia," can use powerful techniques by consuming a parameter called "Destiny."

This technique instantly kills all enemies, regardless of whether they are bosses or not.
It's an extremely powerful technique, but there's no way to recover the life force consumed, and the story branches depending on how much life force you have left.

Additionally, if your party is wiped out, you can choose the "Slay Death" option to heal everyone and continue the battle.

While it's possible to complete the game without using these techniques, they also serve as a kind of safety net to prevent getting stuck when you encounter an enemy you simply can't defeat.

Review (no spoilers)

The easy-to-read text (though the kanji are difficult) and the engaging combat made me quite engrossed in the game.
I'll start by writing my spoiler-free impressions without going into the content.

While the visuals and world setting have a Japanese feel, it's ultimately a fantasy, so it's not strictly traditional Japanese.
The idea of having many gods resonates with traditional Japanese beliefs and I felt it suited the Japanese atmosphere.

The conversation was easy to understand, using modern language, and was casual and easy to follow.
Because we were using the same language as them, I think the differences in the worlds we lived in and our values became all the more apparent.

Perhaps the part that gave me the strongest sense of "Japanese" aesthetics was the combat system.
The key is to observe your opponent's moves, endure their attacks, and then unleash a powerful technique at the end to defeat them.
It's as if a samurai seizes a momentary opening and defeats his opponent with a furious attack.

The regular combat system might be confusing for those accustomed to typical RPGs.
The enemy's attacks are intense, and our normal attacks aren't dealing much damage.
I think the important thing is whether you can discard your previous assumptions and adapt flexibly to the combat in this game.

Even in normal battles, it's difficult to defeat them without putting in a certain amount of time and effort.
However, the amount of experience points and money you can gain in a single battle is quite generous, so earning money isn't difficult.
Those familiar with RPGs might even be able to play through the game without ever returning to town.

Conversely, even those who are not used to it can earn money, and there's also Reia's one-hit kill ability.
I felt that the most important thing to enjoy this game is to switch to a play style that suits you if you find it difficult.

Reia's techniques reminded me of "Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter," a PlayStation 2 game I played a long time ago.
In that game, too, you could unleash techniques that allowed you to easily defeat any boss, albeit at the cost of irrecoverable parameters.
Just like with "Kenshin Shinki Chuubatsuden," if you don't understand the overall length of the game, you might end up overusing certain techniques.It was an interesting feeling to have to take courage to use it.

Finally, I'd like to mention a few things that caught my attention regarding the battle screen.
The small face icons indicate the order of actions, but because Reia and Aisa have similar color schemes, there were times when I found it difficult to distinguish between them.
However, in my experience, I haven't had many instances where I had both of them participate in combat at the same time (except perhaps during the fight with Aina), so I only felt it briefly during that time.

Also, regarding the icons that indicate enemy status ailments.
When enemy graphics were vertically elongated, the status effect icons sometimes overlapped with the party information section at the top of the screen, making them difficult to see.
However, this can be checked using the "Enemy Ability Insight" command, so there is no actual harm done.
These two points were the only things that bothered me about the gameplay.

Review (contains spoilers)

I'm not very good at writing detailed reviews of the story's plot, so I'll focus on writing about the characters.

Kagetoki was an intelligent protagonist, as he was able to cooperate with demi-humans without prejudice, as long as they shared the common goal of defeating the Rasetsu.
However, I found it somewhat strange that such a rational person with a good sense of balance would be driven by an emotional reason like revenge.
And, as expected, that sense of unease will be pointed out by the enemy as well.

In the scene before the battle with Alingwei, where the comrades express their resolve, the reasons for each of them fighting become clear, providing clues to understanding each character's way of thinking.

Amidst all this, what Kagetoki and Reia say is somewhat unusual.

As each of them spoke about the future, Kagetoki's story revolved around the past and revenge.

As Alingwei has also pointed out,It seemed to me that Kagetoki's revenge was something he had thought up in his head, like a duty or responsibility, rather than something he genuinely wanted to do.
Therefore, even in the scene where this statement is made, it sounds as if he is trying to convince himself.

Then Reia also explains his reason for fighting, which is to "protect people and slay their enemies," and states that this is an absolute principle.
It's not surprising that Reia would answer this way, since she was created from the Heavenly Sword to fulfill that role.

However, unlike Reia, Kagetoki is able to think for himself freely, yet he fights for the reason of revenge.
For Alingwei, this person was practically an extension of himself, so it must have been all the more irritating.
The fact that he would even risk his life for such reasons might, in a sense, reveal Kagetoki's insane and abnormal nature.
It is the talent to impose duties and responsibilities upon oneself, blindly believe in them, and continue to strive towards them.

Now, let's consider the reasons why the other members are fighting.
Akane's reason for fighting, "For the sake of peace, to change the world in a gentler way," sounds a bit vague compared to the other members' reasons.
However, as we go through Kureno's rebellion that follows, the reasons will likely solidify into something stronger and clearer.
Even in the ending, she hasn't completely given up on her feelings for Kagetoki, but she prioritizes creating the country she envisions.

In this story, which is full of various entanglements, Aisata is a relatively comforting presence.
He has a clear goal of becoming the strongest, and his personality is easy to understand, for better or for worse.
He doesn't aim to be the strongest like a seeker of truth, but rather to be the strongest in order to protect the weak, so he seems to be a good match for Rekka.

Initially, Rekka behaved as if she were a calculating person who acted according to reason.
However, it was almost clear from the beginning that his behavior was an attempt to hide his own cowardice.
After that incident in Saikuni, he probably acknowledged and confronted his own cowardice, and made up his mind to take action.

Kojiro has consistently acted for Rekka's sake from beginning to end.
Rather than blindly worshipping her, she takes on a role of watching over the growth of Rekka, who is both her master and her half-sister.
I felt like I'd seen this kind of relationship somewhere before, and then I realized it was exactly like the relationship between Farnese and Serpico in "Berserk" (by Kentaro Miura).
No wonder, despite appearing precarious, their relationship had a familiar and reassuring quality to it.

From the author's other works, "Choir::Nobody" and "Acassia∞Reload," I sensed a common underlying motif: "repetition (loops) and a protagonist who destroys them."
In this work, "Kenshin Shinki Chūbatsuden," I think there were commonalities, such as "Reia being bound by the role of protecting people" and "Kagetoki trying to liberate her from that."
Even though the way the story is presented differs in each work, I felt that perhaps what the authors want to convey is the same.

At the very least, there's a palpable attention to detail regarding the breast size of the female characters, so I'm certain this is one of the things he wants to draw.

Strategy Notes (Contains Spoilers)

Battle strategy

Due to the game's mechanics where the effect of a technique increases with the number of hits,"Gather as much spirit as possible, and defeat them by unleashing a series of powerful techniques."That will be our basic policy.

Therefore,The guiding principle in the early stages of battle is to focus on defense and healing while accumulating a sufficient amount of spirit.
By defending, you can reduce the damage you take from enemies while building up your spirit.
Attacking to build up your spirit gauge is not very efficient because it increases the amount of damage you take and makes it more likely that you'll need to heal midway through.

However, the enemy will continue to attack while you are accumulating energy, so if the enemy attacks are intense or numerous, you may not be able to withstand the attacks until you have accumulated enough energy.
In such cases, first gather enough spirit to defeat one enemy, and then steadily reduce their numbers.

If you have one character who focuses on using special attacks and the other two on healing, you can fight much more stably.
If recovery through training techniques is insufficient, it's a good idea to use a healing incantation that consumes mental energy.
I think this strategy will be the basis for most battles.

The enemy is too strong, I can't progress.

In this game, there are many ways to deal with situations where the enemies are too strong and you can't progress.

First and foremost, let's get our equipment ready.
I'll buy the best equipment available in the shop and make sure to equip the Divine Orbs as well.
Having recovery items on hand will eliminate the need to use your spirit to heal, making things a bit easier.

Secondly, fight enemies to level up.
In this game, you can get a lot of experience points from a single battle.
Furthermore, the stat increases from leveling up are decent, so this is probably the quickest method.

Thirdly, let's use Reia's ultimate technique.
It's probably best to avoid using it against regular enemies, but if you're fighting a boss and can't see a way to beat them, it's perfectly fine to use it.
As long as you have at least 1 point of Destiny remaining, it doesn't matter whether you have a lot or a little.
If you're not planning on doing a hardcore playthrough, I think it's more enjoyable to use special moves and progress through the story without being stubborn about it.

Boss Strategy Notes

I feel that this game allows you to defeat enemies using a variety of strategies.
So, what follows is not so much a boss strategy guide, but rather a record of how I defeated the boss.

・Kosado
：Primal demon "Poison Spider"
This is the enemy guarding the sacred orb, located at the 15th step.
Defeating it will reward you with "Ever-Present Divine Word: Ki Training" (Ki +1 at the start of battle).
Trying to defeat them on your first visit will be extremely difficult, so I recommend clearing this map first and then fighting them with the three of you, including Akane.

：Swordsman of Death
First and foremost, our primary focus was on reducing the number of enemies.
First, at the start of the battle, have Kagetoki use his ultimate technique, "Hasso, Tenmei Shūmetsu no Ho," and then have him defend for a while afterward.
I equipped Reia with "Attack Incantation: Water" and had her use Water Wave Spell (area attack + 20% HP absorption) until her mental energy ran out.

After that, Kagetoki and Reia focused their attacks on the accompanying enemy, leaving only one Death-Clad Swordsman.
After that, I used Reia to heal while waiting for Kagetoki's spirit to build up, and then defeated him again with his ultimate technique.

- The elegant capital
：Yel Aina
Sensing a powerful aura, I put everything into Reia's "Sword Flash Goddess, Principle of Cutting All Things," accumulating 8 spirit points and defeating her.

・Kisando
：Primordial demon "Sky Serpent"
This boss is guarding the Divine Orb, and defeating it will reward you with the "Raging Divine Word".
"Raging Divine Words" is a divine word that inflicts weapon attack damage on enemies by consuming both HP and mental energy.

The three of us—Reia, Kagetoki, and Rekka—fought together.
Kagetoki focused on charging his spirit, while the other two took turns defending and healing, attacking with divine words whenever they had an opportunity.
Immediately after Kagetoki unleashed his "Eight Phenomena of Exorcism, Method of Destiny Annihilation," I focused on reducing the number of enemies and was able to defeat them successfully.

: A pterosaur that defies the heavens
I defeated it with Reia's "Sword Flash Goddess, Principle of Cutting All Things".

・Oni-i Country
：Yel Aina
This is the second battle.
They don't launch particularly vicious attacks, so we'll rely on Kagetoki's skills for offense, while the other two focus on healing.
Aisa focuses solely on healing and protecting with her strict demeanor, while Reia also concentrates on healing.
Kagetoki focuses on accumulating ki and attacks with ultimate techniques and falling stars.

・Sai Province
：The Weaver of Demonic Flames
This was perhaps the most challenging part of working on this project.
Lie Hua's "Method of Embracing the Jupiter and the Spiritual Immortal" is the key to victory.
As long as Rekka is alive, using this ultimate technique will heal everyone and grant them additional health, eliminating the need for further healing for a while.

At the start of the battle, everyone will defend for a while to build up their spirit.
When Liehua's spirit reaches its maximum of 10, or when it seems like the enemy will be wiped out before the next turn, use "The Art of the Star of the Spiritual Immortal's Embrace" to fully heal the party.
Thanks to the extra stamina, we don't need to worry about healing for a while, so let's all focus on defense and build up our spirit while we can.

With Rekka, you can rest assured once you've accumulated 8 spirit points.
If you have time while charging, you can use the fiery incantation "Fan Fire Spell" to set the accompanying enemy on fire, which will allow you to inflict continuous damage and make things easier.
(Surprisingly, burning is effective against everyone except those who weave demonic flames.)

Poison can be effective, but it will deplete Rekka's spirit, so it's best to avoid it.
Once Kagetoki and Kojirou's spirit gauges are full, use their ultimate techniques to defeat the minions.

We've come this far, so we can relax now.
When the party is in danger, Rekka uses her ultimate technique, and the other two use their ultimate techniques when their companions are revived.

If you can't use Rekka's ultimate technique in time, try to buy some time by increasing Rekka's agility with equipment or equipping Kojirou with a healing orb.

・Kannagi Wilderness
：Magatsu Akki "Corpse Mass", "Bone Worm" x 4
This is the boss guarding the item at the 15th step ruin.
The "Hero's Bracelet" you obtain after defeating it is extremely powerful, granting +20 to four parameters other than agility and destiny, and providing four divine gem slots.

Now, since there are many enemies, we need to use a tactic opposite to our basic strategy and first reduce their numbers.
Focus on using area-of-effect incantations that don't require accumulating spirit to reduce the number of "Bone Worms."
Since it's weak to fire, use Akane's Fire Heaven or the Fan Fire Spell with "Attack Mantra: Fire" to defeat it quickly.
Once there's only one enemy left, the rest is a piece of cake.
I had a lot of trouble with the previous boss, "The Weaver of Demonic Flames," so I leveled up quite a bit, which made the battles from here on out much easier.

：Yel Aina
Since the attacks are mainly physical, you should be fine as long as you have healing items and fight calmly.
After its HP reaches 0, its attack pattern changes, and it revives with 8000 HP, so be careful.
Before defeating it, it's a good idea to build up your spirit so that you can defeat it again quickly even if it revives.

・Nora Mothra
：Aryoi
He uses techniques similar to those of Kagetoki.
Since there are many area-of-effect physical attacks, be sure to have healing methods prepared.
A skill that can heal the entire party is essential.

- The elegant capital
：Kureno Kōgetsuin
I defeated him with Reia's ultimate technique.
However, this boss is the type that revives even after being defeated once, so you'll need to defeat it again.

Yomi Island
：Magatsuyuihime-no-Kami
You'll be fighting consecutive battles, and you'll also need to split up your party members.
This first match is easier, so let's field a team mainly composed of reserves.

Yui, the Fallen Angel
Since it has a companion protecting the main body, you'll want to defeat the companion as quickly as possible and then attack the main body.
Even if you're being protected, flames and poison can still have an effect, so make good use of the time you're gathering your strength.
If you defeat the minions, they will revive after a short while.
The special status ailment "Magatsu Curse" is troublesome because it inflicts continuous damage until the character is incapacitated.

Ideally, I'd like to defeat him using Reia's ultimate technique.
Even if you defeat it, it will recover a little HP and revive once, so be careful.

If you're having trouble winning, make good use of the many powerful armors and divine gems that are available for purchase.
Equipping items that boost HP and both large and small divine orbs that increase agility will make battles considerably easier.
Since it's a back-to-back battle, it's tough to have to start over if I can't defeat the opponent in the second battle.