Post by shabbycat on Aug 18, 2013 8:25:46 GMT -5
Recettear is a Japanese Role Playing game made for PC. It takes the player through the life of Recette Lemongrass, the daughter of a famous adventurer, who has left Recette to pursue his dreams! However, while the father is off, gallivanting with Dragons and treasure, Recette is left to pay off the large dept that had accumulated with Terme Finance. In order to pay off this large sum, Recette must take it upon herself to start up an item shop... with the help of a Terme Finance employee, Tear.
And thus begins the chapter in Recette and Tear's life called Recettear!
Now before I talk about gameplay and such things, I'd like to note the art style! It's honestly a very mixed design, with part of the game looking like a romantic visual novel:
and other times looking like a hack 'n' slash action:
(Actually, at that point, it IS a hack 'n' slash action).
The game also features very unique 2D sprites that change orientation to blend in with the 3D world around them. It's honestly a breath of fresh air, since it just makes the game look that more cute! This may not be for everyone, though. (I like cute!)
Now, the gameplay. When it comes to the gameplay, there is quite an equal balance between action and strategy. I say strategy, because half of the game has you bartering and working deals around the different people that come into your shop! How high the price can go, how long you can barter for; All depends on how skilled you are at running an item shop (Your level, basically). As you become more and more experienced at bartering, you gain xp, which will reward you later on in the game. This part of the game is very well done, and deserves credit for the concept and functionality. Someone knew their stuff when they where making this :3
The other half of the game involves running through randomly generated dungeons and slicing/puncturing/burning/electrocuting/crushing the baddies in the randomly generated levels. While you may not think this part of the game is essential, and just seems like a thing they chucked in at the last second to spice the game up a bit, you are wrong. The dungeon crawling element is really well implemented, and you can tell the developers worked hard on putting a solid combat system into the game. The animations are nice, the loot collecting is satisfying, and I LIKE THE SOUND OF ENEMIES DYING... No, seriously. It's all very good, and while not being the cream of the crop when it comes to hack 'n' slash role playing games, thanks to the fluid feel of the combat system, it could definitely hold it's own against some of the best.
Overall, it feels very nice to play. The story is simple, but it's quite an original idea to have a game centered around something like running a shop. While it's been done once or twice before, they pulled the whole mechanics and features of running an item shop off quite smoothly. The actions is fast, and the combat system, while not the best, feels fluid and responsive. Buying and selling, turning loss into profit all feels very satisfying.
I'd give this...
8/10
"A well rounded experience - Shabby J. Cat"
You should definitely look at this game if you're a fan of killing monsters for loot, bargaining with the local townfolk or love CUTE THINGS/ANIME!
(P.S. I am still in high school so forgive some idiocy that may have made it's way into the review.)
And thus begins the chapter in Recette and Tear's life called Recettear!
Now before I talk about gameplay and such things, I'd like to note the art style! It's honestly a very mixed design, with part of the game looking like a romantic visual novel:
and other times looking like a hack 'n' slash action:
(Actually, at that point, it IS a hack 'n' slash action).
The game also features very unique 2D sprites that change orientation to blend in with the 3D world around them. It's honestly a breath of fresh air, since it just makes the game look that more cute! This may not be for everyone, though. (I like cute!)
Now, the gameplay. When it comes to the gameplay, there is quite an equal balance between action and strategy. I say strategy, because half of the game has you bartering and working deals around the different people that come into your shop! How high the price can go, how long you can barter for; All depends on how skilled you are at running an item shop (Your level, basically). As you become more and more experienced at bartering, you gain xp, which will reward you later on in the game. This part of the game is very well done, and deserves credit for the concept and functionality. Someone knew their stuff when they where making this :3
The other half of the game involves running through randomly generated dungeons and slicing/puncturing/burning/electrocuting/crushing the baddies in the randomly generated levels. While you may not think this part of the game is essential, and just seems like a thing they chucked in at the last second to spice the game up a bit, you are wrong. The dungeon crawling element is really well implemented, and you can tell the developers worked hard on putting a solid combat system into the game. The animations are nice, the loot collecting is satisfying, and I LIKE THE SOUND OF ENEMIES DYING... No, seriously. It's all very good, and while not being the cream of the crop when it comes to hack 'n' slash role playing games, thanks to the fluid feel of the combat system, it could definitely hold it's own against some of the best.
Overall, it feels very nice to play. The story is simple, but it's quite an original idea to have a game centered around something like running a shop. While it's been done once or twice before, they pulled the whole mechanics and features of running an item shop off quite smoothly. The actions is fast, and the combat system, while not the best, feels fluid and responsive. Buying and selling, turning loss into profit all feels very satisfying.
I'd give this...
8/10
"A well rounded experience - Shabby J. Cat"
You should definitely look at this game if you're a fan of killing monsters for loot, bargaining with the local townfolk or love CUTE THINGS/ANIME!
(P.S. I am still in high school so forgive some idiocy that may have made it's way into the review.)