Creation's Trump Card (Free Non-Field RPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

I played "The Trump Card of Creation," a free game created with RPG Maker MV.
For my first playthrough, I chose the "Normal" difficulty setting, and it took me about two hours to complete the game.
I think that "difficult" probably takes about three hours, including the time spent on trial and error.

My immediate reason for playing the game was that I saw a tweet introducing the game on Twitter and became interested.
One of the reasons I decided to try this project was that I recently played "Mikage Cube," another work by the same creator, and found it very enjoyable.

This game is characterized by its story and its battle preparation system.
It's not that long, so I think it's a game you can easily start playing.

Game Overview

This game, "The Trump Card of Creation," is an RPG in which a young man sets out to fulfill his mission in a world that is collapsing due to the "White Nothingness" that is swallowing the world and the beasts that are destroying the world.

You can choose between "Normal" and "Hard" difficulty levels.
Choosing "difficult" right away can be overwhelming, so it's probably best to start with "normal" to get a feel for the system.
Incidentally, if you choose "difficult," you'll be taunted with the message, "You'll regret your choice."
For those accustomed to high-difficulty RPGs, the "Hard" difficulty level might be just right.

As it is a non-field RPG, there is no map; the game progresses by moving forward.
As you progress, various events will occur, such as encountering NPCs or engaging in battles.
While moving, you can initiate combat at will by pressing left, so use this feature if you want to earn money (this feature is only available on "Normal" difficulty).

One of the distinctive features of this game is the equipment.
Weapons and shields serve the same roles as equipment in typical RPGs, but "cards" play a very important role.
Some cards unlock new skills, while others provide effects simply by being equipped.
A "trump card" is a powerful special move that can be used when your TP (Technical Points) are full.

Since you can only equip a limited number of items, I think the real appeal of this game lies in figuring out how to formulate tactics against tough enemies.
While some cards and equipment can be purchased in stores, they are often obtained through events.

While there are some fixed cards that can be obtained by defeating specific bosses, many cards are obtained randomly.
The difficulty level can vary somewhat depending on the cards you draw, but there's also the fun of experiencing the ups and downs of the cards you acquire.

The battles are turn-based command battles.
Each turn, characters will act in order from those with the highest agility.
Using skills consumes "AP".
Since running out of AP (Ability Points) limits your available actions, you need to pay attention to your remaining AP.
However, in normal battles, it's rare for the battle to be a long one where you need to worry about your remaining AP, so this might be something you don't need to be too concerned about.
At the end of battle, all characters will be fully healed, and even characters who are incapacitated will still gain experience points.

At key points in the main story, there are sections where you read the text like a novel.
The mysteries of this world and the protagonist's background are gradually revealed, laying the groundwork for the story.
When players complete the game, they will understand the meaning behind various events along the way.

Review (no spoilers)

I had a lot of fun playing.
I got the impression that the game was very carefully designed to gradually familiarize players with the system.
In terms of difficulty, "Normal" is roughly equivalent to "Slightly Easy to Normal," and "Difficult" is roughly equivalent to "Slightly Difficult."

Since you can gain experience points on "Normal" difficulty, even if you get stuck, I think it's possible to level up and brute-force your way through to clear the stage.
In my case, I was lucky enough to progress smoothly without having to engage in any grinding battles.
However, I had a hard time with the final boss battle, so I restarted and tried again several times.
In "Normal" mode, enemies that you could defeat even with a somewhat rough fighting style become much harder to defeat in "Hard" mode.
I think this game offers two difficulty levels, allowing you to experience different gameplay sensations.

While many cards and equipment are obtained randomly, defeating fixed bosses will reward you with specific cards.
It's likely that the game is balanced in such a way that you can clear it even if you restrict yourself to only using these fixed cards.
I found it interesting, like in Mega Man, that you can quickly acquire and use skills that gave you trouble in boss battles.

At first, the protagonist's true identity and the setting of the game world remain a mystery, but as you progress, the mysteries gradually unfold, which I found very interesting.
Although it only takes two hours to complete, the game's content and story were so rich and engaging that it felt like I enjoyed it for much longer.

The graphics are very beautiful and I felt they matched the overall mystical atmosphere of the story.
The background music is also carefully chosen, and it really stirs your emotions during the exciting parts.
The game's overall visual appeal makes it likely to attract the interest of many players and make it easy to get into.

Review (contains spoilers)

At first, I didn't really understand what kind of world the story was set in, so I just went along with it.
However, it was interesting to see how various facts were revealed as the story in the novel part progressed.

Why specifically include this in the text of the novel part?"brown"I initially thought it was just some random thing, but then I realized it was linked to the enemy's name, and that's when I finally understood that this was a mental world created by Diaz.

The scene before the final boss, where Ken recounts his journey and tells his story, combined with the background music, brought tears to my eyes.
For a creator, it must have been incredibly rewarding to see their story, which wasn't appreciated in their village, receive praise from many people outside of it.

However, I think it also depicts the reality that the evaluation of a story can change depending on who tells it and when.
When Diaz spoke about it in the village where he lived, the reaction from those around him was cold and harsh.
However, when Ken shared his stories while traveling, he received positive responses from people.
Ken's personality and speaking style may have played a role, but perhaps the reason why the listeners were able to appreciate the story so much was because Ken himself, the narrator, genuinely believed it was wonderful.

Even if the creator dies, the story lives on as it is passed down through generations.
In this work, "stories" appear as a form of creation, but I think there are aspects that are common to various forms of creative work.

I think the same applies not only to stories, but also to free games.
I was struck by the feeling that the creators of free games are creators themselves, and that the players who introduce those games and share their impressions play a part in making the works what they are, as storytellers.
That's why, instead of just writing whatever I want, I always hope to write reviews that will encourage many people to try playing the game (sudden self-indulgent rambling).

The realization that the opinions of the people in Diaz's village do not necessarily represent the consensus of everyone is encouraging for us, who tend to fall into narrow-mindedness.

Strategy Notes (Difficulty: Hard)

These are my strategy notes from attempting the game on "Hard" difficulty.
Please note that some strategies may not be reproducible depending on the cards you have obtained.
In the later stages of the game, once you have a decent collection of cards, I feel that focusing on acquiring weapons and shields makes combat more stable.

Chapter 2: Hardships
Because the attacks were so fierce, I was chipping away at their health with the poison damage from "Poison that Invades the Earth," while also using defense and "Healing" to weather the storm.
After the attack intensified, in addition to the damage from "Poison that Invades the Earth," Ken's "Cowardly Blow" quickly whittled down their health.
When an attack came that I couldn't withstand, I used Lance's "Guard" ability to survive, and charged forward without healing.
I don't get the impression that they fought well at all; rather, I get the impression that they just somehow managed to charge ahead and escape.

Chapter 3: Dissatisfaction
Even if you inflict damage, they will recover a significant amount of it.
Equip someone with "Insomnia" and "Evil Sword" and have them continuously inflict the healing-blocking effect.
After the attack pattern changes, make sure the character responsible for that role keeps using the evil sword every turn without letting it run out.
If you can control that point, I think you can defeat them even if you fight fairly haphazardly afterwards.

・Chapter 4 Gloomy
If you are put to sleep by "Night's Veil" and then "Final Act" is used, you will be wiped out, so equip a character with "Insomnia" with "Mysterious Warmth" or something similar to remove the sleep effect.
Since it's difficult to withstand the random three-hit dark attack "Le Shade" unless multiple people are still alive, some form of sleep countermeasure is necessary.

Chapter 5: Despair
Due to the barrier, damage of 500 or less will be nullified.
Since sleep is effective, let's go for a one-hit kill using "Invitation to Sleep" followed by "The Finale" + "A Spell."
If there are any other status-boosting skills, I will use them after I have prepared myself.
After the attack pattern changes, status ailments will be temporarily nullified by "Sword's Blessing".
However, if you can put them to sleep after the effect wears off, you can use Finale again to defeat them.

Final Chapter
Finally, I went into the final boss battle with the following equipment.
The levels are Ken 11, Sakura 12, Lance 14, and Darkness 12.
Along the way, I equipped the "Hard Worker" card.

To mitigate the final boss's area-of-effect magic attack, I want to equip gear that maximizes mental defense.
I'll equip everyone except Lance with stealth, and Lance will take on all single-target attacks.
However, if you have the "Miasma" equipped on your lance, you should set it to "Toughness" to prevent the reduction in maximum HP caused by "Divine Word," so set it to Toughness if you have it.
Ken takes on the role of attacker with "Full Power Strike" and "Shield-Piercing Thrust".
Sakura's main role is healing, and she has "Generous Care" and "Great Blessing" ready to go.
Due to its high agility, it is a valuable healer that can act before the enemy.
Darkness's role is to participate in attacks with "Eclipse" and to be on standby to heal with "Great Charity."
Since she can act almost immediately after Sakura, it's easy to heal quickly, for example, by having Sakura use a Life Drop followed by Darkness using a Medicinal Herb.

Now, let's start with Elio and Mire.
If you don't use the swift Sakura and Darkness's "Poison that Infects the Earth" and "Flame that Scorches Skin" respectively, their area-of-effect attacks will almost completely wipe out your party.
If you can successfully inflict a status ailment, then as long as you make sure that the ailment doesn't wear off, you should be able to defeat it without any problems.
Lance will primarily defend, while Ken and Darkness attack.

Next up is the battle against the Divine Dragon.
The initial "Divine Power" is blocked by having Lance, equipped with "Sealing God," use "Guard."
Have Sakura continuously use "Miasma," and have the rest of the characters attack.
In the next turn, Lance will be defeated by "Sealing the Gods," but as long as Sakura continues to use the miasma, he won't use his divine power, so it's fine to continue fighting with the three of you.
Your party will be fully healed after defeating the Divine Dragon.

After defeating the Divine Dragon, you'll face Dias Kabra.
No tricks are needed; you can defeat them reliably if you fight carefully.
Ken should focus on attacking, Sakura should heal or defend depending on the situation, Lance should defend and heal, and Darkness should either attack or heal.
If someone is able to use "Great Charity," which can heal the entire party, I don't think we'll be in any danger.

If area-of-effect attacks like "Creation of Light" or "Creation of Heaven" continue, it can be tough, so in those cases, stop attacking and try to weather the storm with defenses or other means.
Once your HP is reduced to a certain point, items will become unusable.
Since we'll lose the means to revive incapacitated characters, let's fight more cautiously.