This article introduces the non-field RPG "Aiming for the Farthest Reaches".
Resource management is crucial in this game, and while the difficulty is on the higher side, you'll feel yourself getting stronger little by little with each playthrough, allowing you to progress further.
You get the feeling of traveling to various areas together with the girl.
My total playtime on Normal mode was about 5 hours, and I played through the game about 5 times.
I think one playthrough takes about an hour (if you reach the end).
Game Overview
Story introduction and initial flow
The player is a robot created by a girl named Tsuki.
To reach the "farthest reaches" she desires, we embark on a journey together.
You can choose from three routes in each area.
Each version offers different items, enemies, and events.
It's best to start by trial and error, trying different options to see which ones are easiest to complete.
There are certain equipment items (explained later) that can only be acquired in specific areas, so it's a good idea to explore various routes and collect useful items.
The Heart Gear you obtain can be carried over to the next playthrough.
Game screen description
The game primarily progresses through screens similar to the image above.
I will now explain the information displayed on the screen.
EP represents the player's (robot's) life points, and when it reaches 0, the robot becomes incapacitated.
Satiety and vitality are parameters for Tsuki, your companion.
When your satiety level reaches 0, your life force will rapidly decrease, and when your life force reaches 0, it's game over.
Clicking the box labeled "Progress" in the center of the screen will advance the game.
As you progress, your satiety level will inevitably decrease.
Depending on the characteristics of the area, your EP and vitality will also decrease (although there are areas where your EP recovers as you walk).
Choosing "Rest" will restore your EP and vitality, but your hunger level will decrease significantly.
Therefore, you need to gather food by "exploring".
During exploration, you can collect materials in addition to food, and by combining them, you can create items that will be useful on your journey.
The three hearts in the upper left represent "willpower," and it's an important parameter that's relevant in every scene of this game.
It can be useful in various situations, such as temporarily increasing the effectiveness of attacks and defenses during battles, or enabling you to execute choices that would normally be unavailable during events.
While it's a trump card, there are also ways to recover, so the key to success is to use them appropriately.
About combat
If you proceed further in, you will come to a point where you will encounter enemies.
Typically, events or battles occur at progress levels that are nice multiples of 10.
The enemies and locations that appear are fixed; there are no random elements.
The battles also have very few random elements, making them virtually unpredictable.
Since the player with the higher SPD acts first, taking the initiative is extremely important (if SPD is equal, the player acts first).
Actions are input simultaneously as attack actions and defensive actions (plus item use).
There are four types of attack actions.
① Normal attack, ② Multi-hit attack with low ATK and many hits, ③ Piercing attack that ignores the opponent's DEF, and ④ Charge attack to build up power.
There are also four types of defensive actions.
① Defense reduces damage from enemies, ② Evasion has a chance to avoid attacks, ③ Disruption can block attacks if you get the first move (only attacks that can be disrupted are affected), and ④ Counterattacks when you take damage.
It may seem complicated with so many options, but by looking at the enemy's stats, it will become clear what you should choose.
If the enemy has high DEF, use piercing attacks; if their DEF is low and their evasion rate is high, use multi-hit attacks. Unless you can figure out what is effective against each opponent, it will be difficult to achieve consistent victories.
Furthermore, the further you go into the area, the more formidable enemies you'll encounter, making it increasingly difficult to deal with them.
If your EP drops below 0 during combat, your unit will enter a damaged state.
If you leave this screen as is, it will darken and return to the title screen, but you can restore it by repeatedly left-clicking.
However, reviving requires consuming one of your maximum willpower points.
Since the reduced maximum value can never be recovered, I would prefer not to use it if possible.
I don't want to use it, but I think you'll end up relying on it a lot when you're still getting used to the game.
Introduction to the menu screen
In "Craft," you can create useful items using materials.
There are recovery items, attack items used in battle, and items that reduce the decrease of your fullness level and other stats just by possessing them.
If you attempt to explore cold areas, you'll need cold-weather gear, which will lead to disadvantages such as a rapid decrease in your character's vitality. Therefore, if you decide to try, you'll need to consciously gather materials.
On the Status screen, you can allocate the Cpt you receive when you level up.
Resetting a previously assigned stat requires consuming willpower.
Since you can allocate resources even during combat, allocating only the amount needed during battle will prevent waste.
As the name suggests, Skill allows you to increase the level of your skills.
Stealth reduces the penalty for escaping, while weightlifting and organizing primarily help increase the capacity of your inventory.
Other skills are often conditions for making special choices during events.
Unlike stats, skills cannot be reallocated, so be aware of that.
Furthermore, it's worth noting that the stats corresponding to each skill are increased.
"Mind" refers to the settings for the effects applied to combat commands, which are called "Mind Equipment" in the game.
For example, the default normal attack deals ATK x 15 damage, but with Type C, in addition to that effect, it can perform a follow-up attack dealing ATK x 5 damage.
As you can see, some settings are enhanced compared to the default, while others have completely different effects.
You can acquire new equipment by choosing specific options in area events.
Since the Heart Gear can be carried over to the next playthrough without disappearing, it's a good idea to actively collect them.
Review (no spoilers)
I was able to clear the game on Normal mode.
My impression of this game changed quite a bit before and after playing it.
I thought the battles with the enemy would be more haphazard,It was something that required precise calculation, like a chess endgame problem, and it was quite tense.
I should have been able to kill them in one turn, but sometimes I overlooked their DEF and failed to finish them off, resulting in countless counterattacks.
However, no matter how strong the enemy, there is always a solution to defeat them, so it's fun to seriously think about how to get through with the cards you have at your disposal.
Just because it's easy doesn't mean you should only progress through easy areas; you won't acquire any new equipment that way.
I was excited to challenge the tough areas, even knowing that I might get a game over midway through.
Even if you defeat an enemy, its stats will still be recorded in the encyclopedia.
In the sense that each playthrough contributes to the player's experience and is never wasted, it also has a roguelike appeal.
The system has some rather harsh aspects, but the story is interesting because you really get the feeling that you're traveling together with Tsuki.
The areas you explore also have diverse characteristics, such as grasslands, forests, deserts, caves, and ruins.
It's as if you're traveling around to different regions of the world.
Although the player robot doesn't speak any lines, the companion Tsuki talks a lot, so I completely understood why it's marketed as a "non-field RPG where you won't feel lonely."
Among the many non-field RPGs designed for multiple playthroughs, I think this one shines in many aspects, including its challenge, system, and overall atmosphere.
It might be a bit challenging, but I would recommend this game to many people.
Normal difficulty walkthrough notes (spoiler alert)
It might be uncouth to write about strategy tips and tricks, but I'll share what I found helpful during my playthrough.
Before reading this, I recommend you carefully reread the hint file included with the game files.
Early game strategy
By clearing areas, you can increase the types of "residues" you can set at the start of the game.
First, let's clear various areas and collect some Heart Gear.
Since you can obtain the necessary equipment in areas 1-3, try out options you haven't consciously chosen before.
You can force a selection of items that meet certain criteria by right-clicking and choosing from the options.
How to progress through the area
In areas where EP recovers with each step you take, actively explore and collect items.
The idea is that it's a waste to walk when your EP is full at 100.
Each time you explore the same area, the number of items you can obtain decreases, so you should continue exploring that area until you can only obtain one item.
In battle, the basic strategy is to get through without taking any damage from the enemy, so even if you have low EP remaining, it shouldn't be much of a concern.
If there isn't a guaranteed winning strategy for that area, it's fine to explore whenever your EP is full.
When crafting items, it's a good idea to prioritize items that increase the weight and capacity limits, or non-use items that prevent the decrease of satiety.
Setting the filter (Can) to "Createable" on the crafting screen makes it easier to see.
About combat
Don't allocate stats on the field; only allocate them as needed during battle.
Even then, you don't need to allocate all the points.
By allocating only what is needed, when it is needed, the desire to spend resources for reallocation is suppressed.
In battle, adopt actions that are appropriate for the enemy's parameters.
When formulating a strategyThe first thing to check is whether you have secured a speed that is greater than or equal to your opponent's speed.
Ideally, you want to always maintain a SPD value higher than your opponent's so that you can initiate attacks.
If you can take the first move, the next thing to consider is whether you can achieve a one-turn kill.
If the opponent has high DEF, consider allocating your stats in a way that allows you to defeat them in one hit with a piercing attack.
If the enemy has a high evasion rate, we will consider whether we can defeat it by the expected damage output of multi-hit attacks.
If you can't achieve a one-turn kill, you need to consider how to respond to your opponent's attacks.
If it's possible to disrupt the opponent, I'll prioritize disrupting them.
If the attack ignores defense, I'll consider dodging it.
If the attack is guaranteed to hit, then we should consider reducing the damage through defense.
If the attack ignores defense and always hits, you'll need to consider special countermeasures such as using attack items, special equipment, or consuming willpower.
If your EP is reduced to 0 in battle, your maximum Willpower will decrease by 1.
Rather than reducing the maximum value, let's actively use our willpower to overcome the challenge.
During battle, when the message "Confirm this action?" is displayed, clicking the heart icon next to the command will consume willpower to strengthen the action.
In many cases, the effect is doubled or enhanced (for example, if it's a disruption, it can be used to disrupt even when going second).
Some of the bosses in the later stages of the game are enemies that you can't defeat without using your willpower.
Furthermore, the dreams, prayers, and wishes of a girl, which can be created from "someone's feelings," can produce effects similar to those of using one's will.
If we can get through this situation this way, let's consider using this method first.
Attack items usable during battle (sling, bomb, shooting star) are incredibly useful when you lack speed or damage, as they activate instantly, always hit, and ignore defense.
Having a few of these on hand is reassuring, as they can be useful when you don't want to reallocate your stats.
In the later stages of battles, there are times when you can't win without a specific combination of stats and equipment, so this is also useful for preventing you from getting stuck.
Helpful mental clothing
I don't remember exactly where I got it, but it must have been somewhere between areas 1 and 3.
Personally, I felt that having these things would make things much easier.
・Penetrating attack type A (Red Moon)
Performs an attack that ignores defense, with ATK x 15.
Since a normal piercing attack deals ATK x 12 damage, this is simply an enhanced piercing attack that's easy to use.
- Multi-hit attack type C (skeleton guillotine)
It attacks 10 times with ATK x 2, plus an additional 10 damage for each hit.
A normal multi-hit attack deals 10 hits of ATK x 2, but if it hits, it deals an additional 10 damage regardless of defense.
If the enemy has a 0% evasion rate, you can simply increase the damage by 10 x 10.
Furthermore, it can handle special enemies with high evasion and DEF, and relatively low HP.
・Defense Type A (Abstinence)
Damage is reduced by DEF x 8.
The normal defense is DEF x 5, so it's a simple yet strong and easy-to-use defense.
In this game, there are many enemies that ignore defense, so be sure to check whether they ignore defense or not.
- Counterattack Type D (Responsibility of the Summit)
It counterattacks with guaranteed hit and ignores defense, while also recovering EP equal to (DEF x 5) the damage taken.
At first glance, you might wonder, "What kind of effect is this?", but the EP recovery part in the latter half is quite powerful.
Since damage of DEF x 5 or less is instantly healed, it can effectively be rendered as no damage at all.
Since our maximum EP is 100, if our DEF is 20, we can recover from any attack that doesn't kill us in one hit.
This means that even attacks that are guaranteed to hit and ignore defense can be withstood if their power is less than 100.
However, the process involves taking damage first and then recovering, so be aware that if your EP reaches 0, you will be defeated.
By combining it with Normal Attack Type A (damage reduction by DEF x 5), the range of damage you can withstand will be further expanded, provided the attack is not a defense-ignoring attack.
(For example, if DEF is 20, the opponent's attack will be reduced by 100, and any damage less than 100 will be instantly healed.)
The remnants when aiming for a clear
Once you have a decent amount of equipment and remnants, you should be able to reach Area 4 and beyond reliably.
When setting the remaining items, avoid those that increase LV, Cpt, or Spt.
In the early stages of the game, being able to strengthen your characters early on is advantageous, but since these stats have a limit, you'll end up losing out once you reach around level 20.
If the remaining stats improve ATK or SPD, they will be added to the base values, so there will be no loss as the upper limit will not be capped.
These are minor details, but please pay attention to them.
Screenshot from the first clear on Normal difficulty.
The reason my playtime is so unusually long is because I was doing other things while I was figuring out how to defeat the boss in space.
Incidentally, it was at this point that I first realized I could perform actions that consumed willpower during combat.
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