It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Join 3 unlikely heroes on a quest to save their world in a retro-styled JRPG with polish and personality, that focuses less on references and more on telling a story. 8-Bit Adventures 1: The Forgotten Journey Remastered Edition is now available on GOG.COM with a 60% discount that will fade away on 16th August 2021, at 1 PM UTC.

Itching for even more virtual journeys into the unknown? We have good news – 8-Bit Adventures 2 is coming soon to GOG.COM!

Share our love for games? Subscribe to our newsletter for news, releases, and exclusive discounts. Visit the “Privacy & settings” section of your GOG account to join now!
avatar
Mr.Mumbles: Could be fun. The sequel definitely looks to have a lot more polish.
avatar
Sartan0: Surprisingly good, in my opinion. Stands out from similar style games with good writing and a simple but fun rock paper scissors style magic/weakness system. I had fun playing it. I am definetly looking forward to the next one.
Since you've played it, perhaps you could answer my questions from my previous post in this topic?
NES games never looked that bad.
avatar
ChrisSZ: NES games never looked that bad.
Have you looked at Action 52?
high rated
Hi everyone, developer of the game here! Just wanted to respond to some questions/comments about the game.
avatar
Crisco1492: And bought. Looks more faithful to the original Final Fantasy games than the pixel remasters Squeenix just released.
Thank you very much Crisco1492! I hope you'll find it faithful to the spirit of those classic JRPGs we all love =)
avatar
Dogmaus: Another fake "remaster" like the Eternal Castle. I almost fell for this one.
I don't know what Eternal Castle is, sorry, but the reason it has the "Remastered Edition" moniker is because 8-Bit Adventures 1 was originally released in January 2013. That initial version was extremely rough and poorly designed, though, so at the urging of someone else, I eventually rebuilt the game, rewrote the script, added a ton of cutscenes, re-balanced/re-designed combat, added new areas, overhauled progression, etc. etc. It was still rough in some areas due to lack of budget, but it was now (in my opinion) a project to be proud of. So when I released that version, so as to not be mistaken for the original 2013 release, I added the "Remastered Edition" moniker. Hope that clarifies!
avatar
dtgreene: Looks interesting, but some questions:
* How is the gameplay:story ratio? Do I actually get to play the game most of the time, or are there annoying cutscenes or other story bits?
* Is the game strictly turn-based? If not, what parts of the game are not? (In particular, consider things like finding/avoiding encounters and minigames.)
* Are there any interesting systems for character growth or ability learning?
* How linear is the game? How difficult is it?
* How does 8-Bit Adventures 2, which is apparently coming soon here, compare? In particular, how would you answer these questions for 8-Bit Adventures 2?
Thanks for asking the questions dtgreene! Based on your questions, I don't know if 8-Bit Adventures 1 will be for you, but hopefully this information will help you decide one way or another.

For 8-Bit Adventures 1...
*There's a reasonable amount of story, but I'd say most of the time you're in control.
*The game is strictly turn-based, aside from exploration in the oveworld (finding treasure, talking to people, etc.).
*8-Bit Adventures 1 is pretty straight-forward when it comes to character growth; I wanted to make something smooth and concise, but it's also very simple.
*The game is also quite linear, although there are plenty of secrets and side-quests to be discovered (particularly in the endgame).
*It's definitely got some challenge, but I tried to make sure it wasn't frustrating or a slog. It's not especially easy, but not uncomfortably hard either in my opinion.

As for 8-Bit Adventures 2...
*There's a lot more story, and many more cutscenes, in the sequel, including for small moments and NPC conversations - but it's also a longer game so there's plenty of gameplay. Hopefully there's a nice balance between the two, but it's definitely a story-driven game.
*The sequel is once again strictly turn-based, aside from exploration. But this time, you can avoid enemies on the overworld (they all walk around just like you do). It also has a turn-based Airship combat mini-game.
*A lot more interesting mechanics in this one! Lots of equipment with different effects, a new Augment system which allows you to boost character stats and grant them all kinds of special effects in battle, 7 playable characters which can be freely swapped in battle, Team Attacks, Omega Burst finishing moves, etc.
*Like its predecessor 8-Bit Adventures 2 is quite linear (perhaps more so), but it definitely opens up more as you progress - lots of secrets and optional content. The difficulty has been meticulously designed to provide a gentle progression - battles require strategy, but progression is very smooth and comfortable (lots of quality of life features too - like instantly retrying a battle if you lose).

Hopefully that answers your questions and helps you to determine whether or not these are the kinds of games for you. Obviously as the developer I'm biased, but I'd rather respond honestly and lose a sale than encourage someone to purchase a game that they wouldn't enjoy =)
avatar
MeowCanuck: Australian JRPG. Completionist is ~12 hours to beat.

Seeing reviews saying that it's a love letter to NES JRPGs and doesn't try to do anything more. By moral relativism, it'd be a top JRPG in the 1980s. Will take the plunge.
Thanks for posting the links MeowCanuck! Hope you enjoy it if you do take the plunge =) There are plenty of Steam reviews out there for anyone curious. As well as a recent video review I saw, if anyone prefers something more visual: https://youtu.be/qJtm9O1hnRE?t=45
avatar
Darvond: Sniff. Sniff.

Is that Game Maker or RPGmaker I smell?

Call me old fashioned, but I do like my JRPGs with a little more YM2413 or Konami's VRC7.
Good nose =D Yup, that was RPG Maker XP for 8-Bit Adventures 1. We've used RPG Maker MV for 8-Bit Adventures 2, which is infinitely more customisable (thankfully!). Fun to see you mention the sound chips - I believe our composer (Sebastian Cruz) has incorporated some use of the VRC7 in 8-Bit Adventures 2's soundtrack.
avatar
Swissy88: Incredibly generic name makes it nearly impossible to find information about this game.

Can't find the OST to listen to anywhere.

Can't find developer site either, another generic name, smfh.
I'm sorry you had trouble finding information! If I type in "8-Bit Adventures" (minus the quotation marks), it's the first thing that comes up (the Steam page), followed by the sequel's Steam page. The OST isn't available to listen to anywhere as far as I know, although you can check the 8-Bit Adventures 2 Sound Cloud if you'd like to hear some samples from the sequel: https://soundcloud.com/8bitadventures2
avatar
_Auster_: By the gameplay in the trailer, if it is made in either of these engines, it looks highly customized so it doesn't resemble what people usually expect from these engines.
Thanks _Auster_! That was definitely the goal - particularly with the second game, where everything is customised to suit the game design (I had a lot of constraints on the first game, so I wanted to break free of that afterwards).

avatar
Mr.Mumbles: Could be fun. The sequel definitely looks to have a lot more polish.
Thank you Mr.Mumbles! I'm really glad to hear that was your impression. 8-Bit Adventures 2 has had a proper budget (the first game did not), so it's quite a step up. It's been in development for over 5 years too, so that's had a big impact haha.

avatar
Breja: HEY LOOK! NOSTALGIA!!1!!1! IT'S LIKE THAT THING YOU REMEMBER!!1
Haha, don't worry, that stuff bothers me too XD The idea with 8-Bit Adventures was (to quote my own marketing) to make a game "that focuses less on references and more on telling a story." The aesthetic actually has meaning to the narrative and themes of these games.

avatar
Gudadantza: Visually the problem of this game are not the graphics themselves (although they are generic preassets and pretty ugly) but something that has to do with the art direction and/or use of those sprites. It looks lazy, boring, empty and amateurish.

Anyway, who knows. Maybe the rest of the design, as a game, is better enough
Just to be completely upfront, it *was* amateurish a lot of the time. Character overworld sprites were drawn by a wonderful artist named Jerram Fahey, but that was all I could afford at the time (Jerram has done *all* of the graphics for 8-Bit Adventures 2, and that clearly makes a huge difference). Consequently, most of 8-Bit Adventures 1's assets were drawn by me...which was a problem because I'm not even *remotely* an artist. I then supplemented that with some open-source assets, but putting all of that together proved challenging - simply put, it's very visually rough.

Thankfully, players responded to the game's other virtues (game design, pacing, story, characters, etc.) when it launched back in 2015, and that allowed me to massively boost the production values and art direction in 8-Bit Adventures 2 =)

avatar
Sartan0: Surprisingly good, in my opinion. Stands out from similar style games with good writing and a simple but fun rock paper scissors style magic/weakness system. I had fun playing it. I am definetly looking forward to the next one.
Thank you very much Sartan0! I sincerely appreciate the kind words and am really glad you're looking forward to the sequel =D We've come a long way since 8-Bit Adventures 1.


Thanks for the comments everyone (even the harsh ones)! We've come a long, long way since 8-Bit Adventures 1, and I'm really hoping to deliver something incredible with 8-Bit Adventures 2. But for anyone who might be interested in the sequel, GOG and I wanted to make sure that the original game was available on here DRM-free.

To anyone who takes the leap and purchases 8-Bit Adventures 1, thank you very much. Most of the money I've earned from the first game has gone directly into development of the sequel (which is entirely self-funded), so it's sincerely appreciated. I hope you all enjoy the game, despite its rough edges! =D

And if 8-Bit Adventures 1 is not for you, no worries at all - maybe I can win you over with the sequel ;)

Thanks all!
~Josh
Interesting, I popped it on the wishlist to grab sometime. Looks like it'd be a great nostalgia trip (even though I'm not really a fan of the FF series, personally).
avatar
CriticalGames: snip
Josh, thank you very much for the comprehensive reply.

2 hours in and I'm having a very good time. Simple story so far with some optional lore dialogue from NPCs. Gameplay is pretty intuitive with rock-paper-scissors element bonus advantage like Sartan0 said. Skills gained with levels streamlines some decisionmaking. Modern QOL features like save-anywhere, enterable doors, and stat comparisons during equipment shopping makes it super convenient compared to the jankiness of FF 1-3. I can confirm it being a faithful love letter to that era of games.

I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel!
Enjoying the game more than I expected.

The sequel look ALOT better, but the first game is pretty fun too. Now I'm hyped for the sequel.
high rated
avatar
JakobFel: Interesting, I popped it on the wishlist to grab sometime. Looks like it'd be a great nostalgia trip (even though I'm not really a fan of the FF series, personally).
Thanks JakobFel! I really appreciate the kind words. While FF is always a big influence on my work, I pull from a lot of different RPGs. For example, the original Wild Arms game and Earthbound Beginnings were two of my mine points of reference for 8-Bit Adventures 1 =)

avatar
MeowCanuck: Josh, thank you very much for the comprehensive reply.

2 hours in and I'm having a very good time. Simple story so far with some optional lore dialogue from NPCs. Gameplay is pretty intuitive with rock-paper-scissors element bonus advantage like Sartan0 said. Skills gained with levels streamlines some decisionmaking. Modern QOL features like save-anywhere, enterable doors, and stat comparisons during equipment shopping makes it super convenient compared to the jankiness of FF 1-3. I can confirm it being a faithful love letter to that era of games.

I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel!
It's my pleasure! Thank you so much for the very kind words MeowCanuck (and excellent analysis - I'm glad some of that stuff stood out to you), and for taking the time to play the game. The story develops a lot shortly after where you are (and especially in its second half), so hopefully it'll keep you engaged. I'm over the moon to hear that you're enjoying the game and I can't wait to get your impressions of the sequel! =)

avatar
RyaReisender: Enjoying the game more than I expected.

The sequel look ALOT better, but the first game is pretty fun too. Now I'm hyped for the sequel.
Thank you very much RyaReisender! That's absolutely wonderful to hear, and I sincerely appreciate you taking the plunge and trying the game despite being unsure. We've come a long way since 8-Bit Adventures 1, so if you like the first game, I hope you'll really enjoy the sequel! =D
Post edited August 10, 2021 by CriticalGames
avatar
CriticalGames: Hi everyone, developer of the game here! Just wanted to respond to some questions/comments about the game.
avatar
Crisco1492: And bought. Looks more faithful to the original Final Fantasy games than the pixel remasters Squeenix just released.
avatar
CriticalGames: Thank you very much Crisco1492! I hope you'll find it faithful to the spirit of those classic JRPGs we all love =)
avatar
Dogmaus: Another fake "remaster" like the Eternal Castle. I almost fell for this one.
avatar
CriticalGames: I don't know what Eternal Castle is, sorry, but the reason it has the "Remastered Edition" moniker is because 8-Bit Adventures 1 was originally released in January 2013. That initial version was extremely rough and poorly designed, though, so at the urging of someone else, I eventually rebuilt the game, rewrote the script, added a ton of cutscenes, re-balanced/re-designed combat, added new areas, overhauled progression, etc. etc. It was still rough in some areas due to lack of budget, but it was now (in my opinion) a project to be proud of. So when I released that version, so as to not be mistaken for the original 2013 release, I added the "Remastered Edition" moniker. Hope that clarifies!
I thought that the title was jokingly pretending of being a remaster of a NES title. Thanks for clarifying.
It's always nice to see a developer on this forum. I'll take the opportunity to ask a question: it seems that 8-Bit Adventures 1 doesn't have the achievements on Galaxy as it does on Steam, is it possible that they are added later? And in any case the sequel will have them? Thanks!
high rated
avatar
Dogmaus: I thought that the title was jokingly pretending of being a remaster of a NES title. Thanks for clarifying.
No worries at all! I was wondering if that was what you thought, so I'm glad I could clarify =)

avatar
Alexim: It's always nice to see a developer on this forum. I'll take the opportunity to ask a question: it seems that 8-Bit Adventures 1 doesn't have the achievements on Galaxy as it does on Steam, is it possible that they are added later? And in any case the sequel will have them? Thanks!
Thank you! And may I say, it's always great to see some love for KOTOR 2 =D But to answer your question...

I apologise for the lack of achievements. It's something I'm currently talking about with GOG staff, but to put it simply, the GOG SDK isn't natively compatible with the engine that 8-Bit Adventures 1 was made in. Technically it's not compatible with the 8-Bit Adventures 2 engine either, however I'm hopeful that Javascript's flexibility will mean we can find an easier solution. So to put it simply: 8-Bit Adventures 1 is a discussion in-progress; nothing to report yet, but we'll explore every avenue. 8-Bit Adventures 2 seems much more likely, and if so, it'll be from day one. But I can't confirm that yet, sorry - it'll require more discussion and exploration behind-the-scenes in the coming months.

I'm very sorry about that, but please know it's definitely something that I'm aware of. Please stay tuned =)
avatar
Alexim: It's always nice to see a developer on this forum. I'll take the opportunity to ask a question: it seems that 8-Bit Adventures 1 doesn't have the achievements on Galaxy as it does on Steam, is it possible that they are added later? And in any case the sequel will have them? Thanks!
avatar
CriticalGames: Thank you! And may I say, it's always great to see some love for KOTOR 2 =D But to answer your question...

I apologise for the lack of achievements. It's something I'm currently talking about with GOG staff, but to put it simply, the GOG SDK isn't natively compatible with the engine that 8-Bit Adventures 1 was made in. Technically it's not compatible with the 8-Bit Adventures 2 engine either, however I'm hopeful that Javascript's flexibility will mean we can find an easier solution. So to put it simply: 8-Bit Adventures 1 is a discussion in-progress; nothing to report yet, but we'll explore every avenue. 8-Bit Adventures 2 seems much more likely, and if so, it'll be from day one. But I can't confirm that yet, sorry - it'll require more discussion and exploration behind-the-scenes in the coming months.

I'm very sorry about that, but please know it's definitely something that I'm aware of. Please stay tuned =)
Thank you so much for the thorough explanation, I understand the situation and really appreciate the effort to look for a solution!

@ GOG staff: time to update the GOG SDK so you can help this talented developer!
It is very nice to see a developper taking the time to answer questions like you do. It is so rare.

I bought the bundle to have the soundtrack alongside the game, and even though I have not played the game yet, I really love the music. I cannot stop listening to it.
Since the albums are composed of very well encoded MP3s, their sound quality is quite good, but would it be possible to have them in a lossless format, like WAV or FLAC?
I'm not sure if this is really my sort of game but I just bought it anyway to show my appreciation for the Dev coming here to answer our questions.
I wish more Devs would interact with us.
avatar
JakobFel: Interesting, I popped it on the wishlist to grab sometime. Looks like it'd be a great nostalgia trip (even though I'm not really a fan of the FF series, personally).
avatar
CriticalGames: Thanks JakobFel! I really appreciate the kind words. While FF is always a big influence on my work, I pull from a lot of different RPGs. For example, the original Wild Arms game and Earthbound Beginnings were two of my mine points of reference for 8-Bit Adventures 1 =)
It's honestly very interesting to hear about what games influence a given game, so thank you for posting that bit of info.

I've been thinking of making an RPG myself, though the likely influences would be different, with the main ones likely being:
* Final Fantasy 2 and 5
* The SaGa series
* Possibly some Dragon Quest thrown in there

Ideally, I'd want both a job system (like in Final Fantasy 3/5) and SaGa-like stat growth in the RPG I make, but it's proving tricky to reconcile those two mechanics. Of course, I'd want to avoid what I see as the biggest flaws in these games, like how weapon techniques in SaGa games tend to almost all be damaging attacks that just blend together.

(I have not played either Wild Arms or Earthbound Beginnings. I have played Earthbound, though I don't think it's as good as early Dragon Quest; the enemy AI is stupid about its use of healing spells, for example.)