Fin or Bin: Cthulhu Saves Christmas
Timely, I know.
Previous Zeboyd Games releases 'Cthulhu Saves The World' and related-in-spirit 'Breath Of Death VII' left a very positive impression on me way back in the dark ages before this blog existed. They are absolutely rife with 'oh, that's actually a really good idea' touches that elevate a very simple top-down turn-based RPG formula into something just a little bit more involved. They remain possibly the only RPGs I have ever played where I actually bothered to use status effects, which should tell you a lot if you're familiar with the genre. Without hyperbole, I strongly encourage anyone with dreams of one day making an RPG of their very own to play through both titles and really consider the little things they do to improve the player's quality of life.
Fresh from saving the world, our boy Cthulhu naturally expects to find himself on the Nice List, and is rightfully aggrieved when the present he receives from Santa robs him of all of his power. Turns out the BMOC himself has been christnapped by various festive ne'er-do-wells and only Cthulhu can bring an end to their schemes.
The humour is a little dated, of the 'haha video games' variety, but you surely weren't expecting much more from a game titled 'Cthulhu Saves Christmas'. It's entirely serviceable, and fun if you let it be. Battles are more impressive, with each character able to equip four abilities and receiving an additional three each battle, chosen at random from those not equipped. You can only use an ability one time each battle before spending a turn to refresh your palette, so even in the random trash encounters you need to engage the brain a little.
Fin or Bin:
Reviews promise a 5-hour RPG that doesn't outstay its welcome, perfect for (the month following) the holidays. There's a lot of Good Ideas on display here that I wish had more prominence in the industry at large; many a dry RPG would benefit. Zeboyd actually have a serious-business RPG available titled Cosmic Star Heroine, and I'll definitely be giving it a once-over when I'm Finished with Cthulhu.
(Steam)
