Rise of the Third Power

I bought this game because I loved Ara Fell and I was not dissapointed. Positive: - Graphics - Sound is fitting and, for me, never repetitive - I really like the new skill tree. Depending on what you favour it allows for a lot of variety in battle tactics - BUT this biggest plus is of course the story. It starts out with a lot of jokes and hilarity. As the story unfolds it becomes more serious. Through all that, the story itself and the dialogues never feel forced/artificial. Negative: - I'm personally a bit on the fence regarding the upgrade your equipment system. I always liked to hunt down rare/expensive items in RPGs. Here, you will probably have no problems to aquire all upgrades - The side/main quests are very straightforward. Personally, I would have wished for more a bit more need for exploring/searching.

A thoroughly entertaining narrative adventure that successfully juggles its different tonal elements (fun pirates! oppressive tyranny and murder!) with a fine mix of engaging, well-written characters with enough depth an nuance to carry the story nicely. And the story and setting are very sound indeed. Well developed without needing scads of exposition or a whole lot of reading, and a solid arc building to a proper payoff. It looks and sounds lovely as well, plays snappily, and while I'm not generally a JRPG player so I don't know how much the reputation for it is actually deserved, but there's no grinding to speak of (and only a couple of areas where hard-to-avoid enemies make for a churn of fighting). Enough meat to the upgrades system(s) to give them some heft, but not so much that they need a lot of thought (and so maybe if you want a game of different build strategies et al. that'd be a weakness), and they certainly never get in the way. The writing is where the game sings, but the package as a whole is thoroughly enjoyable and well worth your time and cash. Very good indeed.

The game is quite good. Basically, it's a classical JRPG with some casual twists. I love the JRPG part, the casual twists are on the other hand annoying/useless. It show strong influence of the best in the genre (FF 4-9, Chrono Trigger) but compared to them is basically worse in every aspect. Still it was enjoyable :) Great: - animations are very fluid giving combat a very dynamic feeling - the "no-return" points system Good: - graphics - plot — it's funny and enjoyable but lacks the "epicness" of the genre classics. Compared to Chrono Trigger/FFVI it's short and not surprising Average: — the character development/equipment system is "casual": * the mana regenerates automatically and to compensate, game provides a useless exhaustion system * the skill trees are very small * experience is shared by the team * there is almost no real equipment — one just "crafts" new "levels" of equipment * there are accessories that get exp (like espers in FF6, materia in FF7) but they are not really exciting. * there is almost no exploration, as there is nothing exciting to be found * there are team techniques (a'la Chrono Trigger) but again only few * the normal combats are repetetive due to the infinite mana — boss fights are a bit "meh" — there are only several sidequests and almost all of them are very short Bad: — immersion is often broken by the game mechanisms: one can go to inn and sleep there the night even when the plot demands quick action. — you discover all the characters skills the first second you get them. In fact the game doesn't "grow", it stays the same trough most of the playtime. Ugly: — I have noticed a single, but very stupid bug: I was able to skip quite a lot of the story just by going to a city, I shouldn't be yet (a desert city with riots, forgot the name)

Rise of the Third Power is a 16-bit RPG Maker title which shows off the versatility of that game engine. With custom art and sound, an unusual leveling system, deep characters, an intricate plot full of political machinations and a good dose of side-quests, this RPG will keep you intrigued. Pros: * Characters have detailed backstories which are gradually revealed, especially through side-quests * Vague premonitions of impending doom gradually build to a climactic final battle against evil * Pixel art is superb * Battle difficulty is well balanced and boss fights require strategy Cons: * Hard level cap prevents maximizing all your characters * Grinding * Certain expressions on character portraits look dull or unintentionally creepy Other thoughts: * At times the game feels like a parody of RPGs, with characters remarking that they're random do-gooders who will take on any quest and making light of their urgent mission. Some of this is quite humorous, but it clashes with the serious dialogue of the main plot. * Leveling system mixes traditional stat gains with a skill tree similar to The Witcher. * The "Third Power" isn't explained - you have to realize the story was inspired by the rise of the Third Reich in Germany following World War I. * I was deeply engaged by the story and excellent combat mechanics and would rate this one of the best indie games of recent years.

I am writing my review based on my playthrough on the Nintendo Switch. I bought this game not thinking too much about it. I had just finished playing Ara Fell and was in the mood for more games similar in nature. Rise Of the Third Power scratched that itch perfectly. From beginning to the very end, the characters felt engaging. The characters made you want to learn so much more about them, their past and It was a joy watching the characters interact with one another. The game had some serious tones to it mixed in with some silliness that kept the story going. The game kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time playing it. I went from hating a criminal to understanding what made him tick which slowly evolved into loving him. The world was beautifully done. I felt like I was playing an upgraded SNES title. I loved every minute of the game.