Introduction and Impressions of "The Kingdom of Four" (Free RPG Novel ADV)

The game I'm introducing today is "The Kingdom of Four," created using the WOLF RPG Editor.
It's categorized as a "medium-length role-playing novel."
It's basically an adventure game, but it could also be described as a visual novel with RPG elements.

This work skillfully utilizes production tools to transform a novel into a game-like format, ensuring that players won't get bored.
The game took me 7 hours to complete, up to the last save point.
Including collecting all the endings, I think it took a total of eight hours.

Game Overview

This game is an RPG-style adventure game.
While there are battles as a form of presentation and puzzle-like elements, they are not the main focus.
Basically, it's a game that follows a fairly linear path until the very end.

The synopsis of this work is as follows:

The story begins with this introduction.

One of the distinguishing features of this game is the extremely large number of choices available to the protagonist in response to questions.
Since the protagonist cannot speak, there are scenes where the reaction remains the same regardless of which option you choose.
However, in situations where choices involve actions or gestures, or where responses are written down on paper, those choices will be reflected in the gameplay.
Through the accumulation of these choices, the protagonist, who was initially colorless and transparent, gradually begins to feel like an extension of the player themselves.

The menu screen doesn't display RPG-like parameters; instead, it shows notes and information about the people you've encountered.
If you keep choosing the wrong options, the protagonist's notes will be filled with outrageous statements, but that can be fun in its own way.

There are no battles that occur through normal encounters, but battles do occur as part of events.
Even if your entire party is wiped out, it's not game over; you'll immediately retry.
While some battles require a bit of ingenuity, there aren't that many patterns, so you probably won't get stuck very often.

Speech bubbles may appear around party members while moving around the field.
At this point, you can start a conversation by pressing the Shift key.
When a speech bubble appears, take the initiative to engage in conversation.

Not only are there many options, but some of them are quite adventurous, which makes you want to try them all.
Since there are no irreversible choices until the very end, the real enjoyment lies in the player being able to choose and progress as they please.

Review (no spoilers)

I enjoyed watching all nine different endings.
Since all the ending branches are concentrated towards the end of the game, there's no need to restart from the beginning to collect all the endings.
However, please note that if your affection level for Rika is too low, your options towards the end of the game may be limited.

First, here are my thoughts on the story.
The atmosphere of this work changes dramatically in the second half of the story.
From the very beginning, it wasn't a bright and cheerful atmosphere; there was a subtle sense of unease.
The rival prince candidates are all eccentric, and the three people accompanying the protagonist also have their own various issues and problems.
The way the characters gradually warm up to each other through their adventures is a fairly standard and enjoyable plot development.

However, things often don't go as planned, which can be stressful.
Because the protagonist cannot speak, there will likely be many frustrating moments.
That's why I often find myself empathizing with the protagonist and becoming completely engrossed in the story.

Next, let's talk about the characters.
This work features many characters, but each one has their own background and way of thinking, so they cannot be simply categorized as good or evil.
In that respect, it gives you a lot to think about, and I think it's a story for adults.
Going into too much detail would lead to spoilers, so I'll leave the detailed review to the spoiler-filled review section.

The combat was enjoyable and had a moderate level of difficulty.
Midway through the story, when the protagonist learned the powerful swing technique, he became a valuable asset in battle, and I felt incredibly happy for him, as if it were my own achievement.
Since your teammates won't protect you unless you're in a pinch, it was important to either endure defensively or participate in attacks at first.
Since there's no level grinding in this game, even if I get wiped out and have to retry, I'm confident I can definitely clear it, which really motivated me.
However, there weren't any particularly difficult battles, so I think it was a great way to enhance the story.

The five-digit riddle at the post office in the second half was a bit difficult in some parts.
However, it highlighted relevant messages in color and provided plenty of hints, so I was able to solve it without any problems.
For those who find it difficult,Official websiteThe answer is there, so I recommend you take a look.

Review (contains spoilers)

While it initially seemed like a typical story, the twists and turns in the second half were quite unpredictable and left a lasting impression on me.
Rather than being a fun and entertaining work, I felt this film conveyed a powerful message about life.

I even felt that this game was a simulation of life itself.
I think the first half of collecting crests represents the first half of life.
In other words, it's a period like your student days, when you live positively (and in a sense, blindly) towards your dreams and ideals.
Although there are no major setbacks, we work together with our teammates to gradually achieve our goals.
Sometimes, even when you feel like you've worked hard, the results don't follow, and you end up feeling discouraged.

At times like that, it's certainly understandable to feel annoyed by the rights holders who resort to underhanded tactics.
However, from Right's perspective, he simply worked harder than anyone else and used every means at his disposal to win the King's Trial.
I'm not defending everything about Rights, but I think it's amazing how hard he worked behind the scenes to secure the prince's position.

As a result, Lights wins the King's Trial.
With the end of the king's trial, the protagonist, whose dreams have been shattered, is assigned a job by Lights.
In my case, this felt very much like reality—giving up on my dreams and taking a more practical job.

The depiction of the protagonist working at a job in this part of the game was difficult to watch.
Because he reminded me of myself when I first started my job.

In the game, the ending of the story branches out depending on the various choices you make from this point onward.
A path where you abandon your current life and pursue your ideals and dreams once again.
A route where you continue your current life and find new meaning in it, albeit in an ordinary way.
This route, which lies somewhere in between those two options, involves changing jobs and finding a new workplace.
And then there are options that are completely different from those, such as taking a solo trip.

This work doesn't discuss which path is right or wrong.
However, many different people have repeatedly spoken about the answer to the question, "What is the most important thing?"

Kufia"The things within me that I absolutely cannot compromise on are things I want to protect for the rest of my life."He said so.
In this scene, Kufia's "non-negotiable" beliefs were in conflict with the hopes of Cashew and Jean.
However, in the end, Kufia's convictions moved the hearts of the two, and the bond between the four of them grew stronger.
I think this is a good example of how people can help someone who has a clear sense of what they won't compromise on.

Sei,"All that matters is believing in yourself... and living while cherishing what's important to you. It's no good if you get discouraged and change your behavior because of something I say."He said so.
Many of the characters in this work drink alcohol, so I think they are over 20 years old, but they are still young people.
There are few people as young as Sei who can speak with such profound insight and conviction.
It's likely that he has a high emotional maturity level, given his experience of losing his lover.

While playing this game, I feel like many of the lines of dialogue are really hitting home.
It might be because you empathize with the protagonist, making you feel like you're being scolded.
Looking back, I used to just randomly choose from the vast number of options presented from the very beginning of the story, based on how I felt at the time.
However, as the story progressed, the weight of each choice increased, and I began to hesitate to joke around even in serious situations.

Players who have an unwavering belief in "choosing the silly option no matter the situation!" will likely continue to select unconventional choices without hesitation.
However, while I chose silly options in the first half, I got carried away by the serious atmosphere in the second half and ended up choosing serious options.
It felt like they were saying, "Don't you have any principles?" and it made me feel uncomfortable.

This has turned into a list of rather negative impressions, but that doesn't mean the film isn't interesting at all.
Whether it's in a positive or negative way, I believe that games that stir your emotions are very precious and wonderful works of art.

I believe this image represents the likely and correct ending to the game.
The ending, in which the protagonist sacrifices many things in pursuit of an ideal, also carries a sense of precariousness.
But even so, I still felt that the four of them were somehow dazzling and I envied them.
If you can find something you absolutely cannot compromise on and dedicate yourself to it, then perhaps life can be truly wonderful.

Below, I will talk about some of the scenes that left a lasting impression on me.

No matter which ending you get with Rika, she always seems happy somehow.
This probably reflects my own wishful thinking: that if I had a partner like Rika, life would be enjoyable no matter the circumstances.

Actually, I think Rika is the cutest among the female characters.
To be honest, Kufia has a troublesome personality, so I don't really want to get too close to her.
However, I think it's amazing how she remained true to her own aspirations until the very end, to become a princess who protects her prince.
However, I couldn't shake the feeling that the feelings were more directed towards "the protagonist as a prince" rather than towards the protagonist himself.
Therefore, I didn't really get the impression that Kufia had genuine romantic feelings for me.

This scene depicts a moment at work when the protagonist resigns, and a male colleague is surprised by how casually she leaves.
I think it's quite abnormal to be in a state where you're becoming mentally ill but can't even consider quitting.
The scene where the protagonist effortlessly makes a choice that the reader has been unable to make for years, and the reader is surprised by this, accurately depicts the narrow-mindedness of the reader, and felt very realistic.

The story ends with you joining Dan's party and traveling with him.
The problems with Kufia and the others remain unresolved, but I suppose this is one possible solution.
From a narrative perspective, I think the protagonist's choice was incredibly heartless.
However, in reality, I believe there are times when it's important to throw away all troublesome relationships and start over in a new environment.

These are Jean's disappointed words, which you'll see multiple times if you don't skip them while collecting the ending scenes.
Just as they decipher Kufia's letter and decide, "Let's go help her!","I can't go because I want to change jobs."If someone said that, anyone would think they'd gone crazy, right?
These are lines spoken with lingering regret at the moment when the four characters make a choice that definitively leads to their separation.

At first glance, Leafeon's lines sound like they're saying something good.
However, this ultimately comes across as pushy because it negates something that Kufia considers "non-negotiable."
Leafia herself ultimately rejects Kufia's ideas based on her own theory of "how things should be to be happy," making them sisters with difficult personalities and conflicting viewpoints.