I played "Lillian Coo," a mid-length RPG by the circle Eftalabo, run by T-FTA.
This game is a fully remade, paid title based on a game that was originally released as a free game in 2016.
The graphics and background music have been enhanced, and it's said to be easier to play than before.
"World Peace & Peace"、"Time Logic"など、ゲーム性が高い作品を送り出してきたT-FTA氏の作品だけあって、可愛らしいほのぼのとした雰囲気とは裏腹に、しっかりと歯応えのある作品となっています。
The completion time was approximately 8 hours.
(As of June 2022, the price is ¥1,430 including tax.)
Game Overview
The young girl Lillian lived and ran a "magical orchard" with the fairy Ku.
One day, Valerie, an acquaintance of Koo's, asks him to collect and cultivate "magic seeds" in order to seal away the Demon King.
Having received the request, Lillian and Koo embark on an adventure together to collect magical seeds.
This game incorporates various unique systems, including combat.
I will introduce the main ones in order.
Grow magic seeds to level up
In this game, you gain experience points by defeating enemies, but the only thing that increases with accumulated experience points is your "equipment level."
By collecting and growing magic seeds, you can finally increase your stats, such as HP.
Magic seeds can be obtained by completing various events in different locations.
Once you obtain the magic seed, plant it in the magic orchard and wait for it to grow.
While you're doing other things, the seeds will grow.
In addition to increasing your stats when a seed completes its growth, you can also obtain equipment and event items.
Collecting magic seeds will be essential for progressing through the game.
Equipment
In this game, Lillian can equip gems, and Koo can equip accessories.
By completing battles and increasing your equipment level, new equipment slots of a higher level will be unlocked.
Since you can equip one item at each level, once your equipment level reaches 5, you can equip up to five items simultaneously.
Equipment comes in various forms, some prioritizing offense and others defense, so it's necessary to change your equipment depending on the situation.
Basic combat system
The battle is a turn-based battle between the Lillian & Ku duo and one enemy.
Lillian and Ku cannot act independently; they can only act together once.
When using magic, Ku will do it; all other actions will be handled by Lillian.
If Ku is defeated or silenced, you cannot use magic.
The reverse is also true.
Unlike the enemy, we have two people, so their attacks will be spread out, which gives us an advantage.
"DEF" plays a crucial role in the combat in this game.
DEF is like a shield that protects your HP.
For example, if your DEF is 15 and you take 10 damage from an enemy, your DEF will become 5 and your HP will not decrease.
However, if you take 20 damage while your DEF is 15, your DEF will drop to 0 and your HP will decrease by 5.
The enemy is treated similarly, so when fighting, you must first think about reducing the opponent's DEF to 0.
DEF can be restored by using your inventory (explained later) during combat, and it will also be restored to its maximum level once combat ends.
However, there are also attack methods that ignore DEF and deal direct damage to HP.
If the enemy has high DEF, you may need to consider dealing direct damage to their HP.
Inventory
The inventory consists of consumable items used for attack and defense during combat.
You can temporarily boost your ATK to increase your attack power or increase your DEF to strengthen your defenses.
Inventory points are required to use the inventory.
The more powerful the item, the more inventory points it consumes, making it difficult to use repeatedly.
It charges up by a certain amount each time a battle turn passes, so it's best to use it all at once when the time is right.
Inventory items can be purchased from shops, crafted by providing materials, or earned by winning battles.
It will cost money, but it will be a great help when facing tough opponents.
If you lose track of your next destination
In this game, there is no set order for completing the objectives, allowing for relatively free movement.
You can even challenge the final dungeon without collecting any magic seeds.
As you get more familiar with the game, you might sometimes find yourself unsure of what to do next.
In that case, you can talk to Seika at Lillian & Ku's house, which is the starting point, to get advice on what to do next.
Games with a high degree of freedom often leave players unsure of what to do next, but you won't have that problem with this game.
For those who aren't good at thinking things through, it's perfectly fine to just keep asking Seika questions and play according to her instructions.
I think this game is enjoyable just for that reason alone.
Review (no spoilers)
I was able to successfully complete the game and reach the ending.
I think the appeal of this game lies in the feeling of gradually becoming stronger and being able to do more and more things as you play.
At first, I struggled even to defeat weak enemies, but by collecting seeds and raising them, I could feel myself gradually becoming stronger.
Furthermore, the game is designed to give players a sense of expanding their playable areas, such as being able to dive underwater or destroy obstacles.
I think this game embodies what makes RPGs truly enjoyable.
As the cute illustrations suggest, the story unfolds as a heartwarming adventure.
The interactions between Lillian and the other characters gave me a comforting and nostalgic feeling.
Even Koo's outrageous behavior is endearing.
Perhaps because I usually live in a harsh society, this film made me feel like I had returned to being a child, and it felt like it gave me a healing experience.
Now, despite the laid-back atmosphere, the battles are quite challenging.
When fighting tough opponents, it's essential to understand the DEF system, which acts as a shield against HP, and engage in a war of attrition, holding out until you accumulate enough inventory points.
I got the feeling that the author wanted players to carefully consider their tactics and fight strategically, since simply defeating enemies and leveling up to strengthen your characters isn't an option.
However, you can change the difficulty of battles in the game settings, and there are ways to brute-force your way through later in the game if you have enough money.
The combat system is likely to satisfy even seasoned RPG players, while also demonstrating consideration for casual users.
This game might not be for those who prefer hardcore and bleak games, but I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the atmosphere of classic Super Nintendo RPGs.
Strategy Notes (Spoiler Warning)
I think it would be uncouth to write a walkthrough for this game, so I'll just note down some of the places where I got a little stuck.
Overall Strategy Notes
- The game won't progress.
By growing seeds, you may be able to obtain items that unlock more areas you can access.
If you get stuck, just focus on collecting seeds and growing them to completion.
If you're unsure where to go next, just ask Seika at the Magic Orchard.
- The weaker enemies are too strong.
If the weaker enemies wandering the field are strong, it might be too early to go there.
However, if you dodge skillfully, you can avoid combat, so collecting only the treasure chests is also an option.
- The boss is too strong
Bosses with high DEF can be surprisingly easy to defeat if you deal damage using spells that ignore defense.
Especially in the early stages, you can chip away at their HP every turn with the Poison spell, and Thunder is also powerful.
You'll often find yourself on the defensive against the boss's attacks, so it's important to use healing items and inventory items without hesitation.
Quick Strategy Notes
Heel All
If you look closely at the waterfall near the entrance to Wakuwaku Lake, you'll see a cave.
If you have the Impass Key, you can obtain Heal All.
Being able to heal all allies at once is a great way to save time and effort.
- Anastasia Strategy
Since their behavior patterns are fixed, let's respond to each of their actions accordingly.
When your opponent's attack isn't very strong, that's your chance, so attack with a powerful inventory.
Normal attacks → They pose little threat, so it's a chance to attack or heal.
The meteor explosion deals 100 damage, so be sure to defend to reduce the damage to 33.
Bloodscira → If you take damage to its HP it will recover a large amount, so be sure to use a shield in your inventory to prevent its DEF from being broken.
Explosion Boom → Everyone takes 40 damage that ignores defense, so use Heal All to restore HP.
Keep your mouth shut → If you equip Koo with equipment that provides silence resistance, there shouldn't be any problems, so this is your chance to act.
- Points to obtain counterfeit checks
Later in the game, in the bandit hideout accessible through the edamame underground tunnel, there's a point where you can collect points to obtain a forged check.
If you're finding it really difficult to complete the game, I think it's worth considering using this method.
Buying the Ultima spell at Frederica's shop will give you an advantage against various powerful enemies.
By the way, I haven't found one of the Level 4 gems yet, so I haven't been able to reach the hidden boss.
I have garnet and moonstone, but I haven't been able to find the last one.
If anyone knows the location, I would be grateful if you could post a comment. (I'm relying on others to help me.)
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