Rainbow Skies - Switch Review

Rainbow Skies by developer SideQuest Studios and publisher EastAsiaSoft—Nintendo Switch review written by Richard with a copy provided by the publisher.

 
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

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Do you have a hankering for an old-school RPG? Do you miss tactical turn-based grid movement combat that doesn't take all three of your 3 brain cells? Well then, maybe Rainbow Skies is the right game for you!

Rainbow Skies is a sequel to Rainbow Moon, a title that released in 2012 that I sadly never got around to playing, although I did want to. As someone who hasn't played Rainbow Moon, no worries! You don't need any preexisting knowledge in order to enjoy, although it may help you familiarize yourself with the mechanics. Rainbow Skies, at its core, is a fairly traditional turn-based RPG, so let's hop on in and take a look at it!

Rainbow Skies stars a band of unlikely heroes who come together through a series of, well, gameplay convenient coincidences. Due to some accidents, a fall from a great height, and some magical practice, Damion and Layne, two people living in Arca in the skies, fall to the world of Lunah below them, accidentally getting magically bound to Ashly, a Mage. They then proceed to go on an adventure to try and separate themselves, more often than not by deciding that pissing off everyone and their grandma is the best course of action. No, really, within the first ten or so hours of the game, 90% of the problems faced could be not an issue so long as someone, mostly Damion, wasn't either an ass or an idiot.

Incidentally, this brings me to my first major gripe with Rainbow Skies. The story isn't...bad per se, and least the actual story, but the minor interactions can be...really rough. As I said, in the first roughly ten hours of me playing, most of the fights were started by Damion being an asshole idiot. While the sort of humour that they're going for can be appreciated at times, just be aware you will have to suffer through some parts you may feel is a little bit ridiculous for anyone with a functional brain. That being said, when the interactions aren't focused on the more annoying character traits of your party members, it can be quite interesting.

So, what is the world of Rainbow Skies like? Well, it's a sort of 3D isometric world where you can explore and get in turn-based battles for items, exp, and upgrade stones. Let's start off with how exploration works. Basically, you get to wander around a map, sometimes in dungeons and caves, and pick up treasure from chests and bags, find hidden items, talk to inhabitants to receive side-quests, and get in fights with monsters you see on-screen. Lucky for you, there's a convenient map that will fill in as you explore, even giving you a completion percentage and the number of hidden items in the area. Needless to say your main goal is to get unbound to your companions, but exploring is generally well worth it, if not for the completionists spirit, for the loot.

Every so often you may find yourself in a town where you can buy gear, heal at the nurse, purchase items or inventory expansions, or other various things you normally do in towns in RPGs. Don't worry, all this is laid out in the game pretty well. Now, some of you may have zeroed in on that inventory expansion, and I have to say that yes, you have limited inventory space. On the flip side, you can expand that well beyond what you may first feel is reasonable. It's also a good idea to talk to the inhabitants to accept sidequests, as these are a good way of collecting money and methods to improve your characters.

There is a neat little night and day mechanic as well, where night time, or inside dark caves, reduces your field of visibility unless you use something to light up your surroundings, such as a torch. Also, hidden items can only be found if the area is lit up, either by it being daytime when outside or using a torch. Now, as you are walking around you can get into battles, something I anticipate you doing a lot, which I'll go more in-depth into in a bit, but there are actually two ways to start a fight while in the field. The first is to interact with a monster you can see on the field, either by running into it or hitting the interact button on it. These are, for the most part, more "mandatory" fights in the game. The other method of getting into a fight is to choose to. Basically, as you walk around a little notification will pop up giving you some enemies and their levels. You can "interact" with this prompt in order to start a fight against those enemies. A nice way to get rid of annoying random battles, I have to say.

So, now that we've discussed exploring a bit, let's get into the fight sequences! Combat is on an isometric grid where the units move depending on their speed stat. Higher speed means more turns more often. When your turn rolls around, you can perform actions based on your action count. Each character has a set number of action points they can use on their turn, which will increase as they level up. Actions can be a common attack, a skill usage, an item, or movement. You can also defend which ends your turn on the action you used it, but reduces incoming damage by a lot. Skills may require more than one action point, or specific conditions and open grid tiles to use, in addition to the MP cost, so you need to pay attention to that.

Now, here are two more complaints I have with Rainbow Skies. First up, the way the isometric grid is set-up infuriates me to no end. It feels like I can't remember which direction moves were when using the D-Pad no matter what. A lot of the time I have to wait for the movement range to flash the directional inputs so I know what direction to press. Pro tip, stick is better than manual here. Secondly, the skill animations are frustrating when you are forced to watch the same skills for an extended period of time. Thankfully you can skip skill animations, but the default setting is "sometimes when the game feels like it if you hold the right trigger". You can change this to be "always skippable while holding right trigger", but good god man, that should be either the default or at least mentioned within the first few fights.

So, combat is actually fairly interesting, as there is a sort of rock-paper-scissors game going on between weapon types. You have adjusting for different enemy action values, knowing when to guard, and the fact that using skills will get them to level. There's also an increasing effectiveness or range, and different effects and areas of effect for skills, meaning there can be some planning elements to battles. What you aren't going to enjoy is how grind heavy this game can be.

So, basically everything you need to increase your characters' fighting strength requires some grinding. Skills need to be used to level up, which also unlocks more skills in the same tree if available. Beating enemies nets you exp which you need to level up. You also need the money drops to buy things and heal. Monster materials to infuse in gear will give stat increases, perform certain actions with gear in battle in order to unlock more material infusion slots on the equipped gear, and upgrade gems which you can spend to increase characters' stats, more upgrades become available on leveling. So yeah, all-in-all, there's a lot of grinding required in Rainbow Skies. Even within the first few hours.

Now, as you do all that grinding you may discover enemies start to give you less of a challenge. Well, hopefully at least. There is actually a Battle Ranking system where you can increase the difficulty in order to earn more from enemies. The increase in enemy strength is actually pretty noticeable early game, so be aware of that. As you increase your ranking, you need to fight a set number of battles on the new ranking in order to unlock the next step up. Increasing your rank, upon meeting the conditions, can be done at a trainer. But what do you do if a boss appears and absolutely wallops you? Well, no fear, as you can reduce the Battle Ranking from your main menu. While you need to both return to a trainer as well as fight the required battles again to increase it, the option is always there to lower it if things get too tough.

On the plus side, I suppose, if you are doing a lot of the grinding mentioned above, and have met the in-game prerequisites, you can start taming monsters! Once you hit a certain point in the story progression, monsters can drop eggs after you've beaten a certain number of them. You can then bring these eggs to a monster tamer's place in order to hatch them. Once hatched, tada! You can use them in your party to help beat up on your enemies.

One really cool aspect about Rainbow Skies is that everything is recorded and noted down in the book tab of your main menu. This includes item catalogues, exploration percentage, story completion, side quest completion, bestiary, and miscellaneous gameplay awards. It's both a completions nightmare and godsend, as there's SO MUCH to fill in, but it handily keeps track of everything.

In terms of visuals and sound design, Rainbow Skies takes a bit of a unique approach, feeling more like it's trying to emulate old-school RPGs to an extent. If you're into that sort of thing, it's pretty cool, but don't go expecting any super fancy realistic game engine graphics. On the other hand, they do actually have full animated cutscenes during some parts, which is really cool to see!

Overall, Rainbow Skies is a very interesting title that I wanted to enjoy more than I did. The game isn't bad, but it does feel bogged down by overused gags that are more annoying than funny. There are also a lot of grind heavy aspects, and some setting changes that really should be defaults or at the very least given a very early game tutorial, or else frustration will build for the player. Despite the shortcomings, I do have to admit that I really enjoyed Rainbow Skies, both the aesthetic and battle functionality. While Rainbow Skies is probably going to be very hit or miss for most people, I really do suggest taking a closer look into it to see if it appeals to you.

Score: 7 / 10

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TOTAL WAR™: PHARAOH ANNOUNCED WITH OCTOBER 2023 RELEASE DATE

Pre-order now for exclusive cosmetic packs and entry to early access weekend

SEGA® Europe Limited and Creative Assembly™ Limited are proud to reveal Total War™: PHARAOH, the next instalment in the award-winning strategy franchise, will release in October 2023. Total War: PHARAOH will immerse players in the turbulent events of the Egyptian New Kingdom period where they’ll determine the fate of three great cultures as they fight for survival amid the cataclysmic Bronze-Age Collapse.

"There are few periods more iconic than Ancient Egypt; fraught with political intrigue, cataclysmic events and grand war campaigns, it's the perfect setting for a Total War title," said Game Director, Todor Nikolov. "As Pharaoh, you must save Egypt from the cusp of destruction and guide your people through the calamitous Bronze-Age collapse. It is up to you to either survive or fade into history."

SHAPE YOUR DYNASTY

The Pharaoh is dead, and the people of Egypt, Canaan, and the Hittite empire cry out for a new leader. Many desire the power of the throne, but the path to becoming Pharaoh is a perilous one. As the leader of these great nations, you must overcome societal collapse, face natural disasters and fight to protect your people against invaders from far off lands.

With a choice of eight Faction Leaders from three rich cultural hubs, step into their unique playstyles and take charge of deadly and diverse unit rosters. Whether you’re charming the courts as a peerless diplomat, charging into battle as an unwavering commander or causing chaos as a fearless warlord, become a leader that history will remember.

UNEARTH ANCIENT EGYPT

On your journey to becoming Pharaoh, uncover a beautifully lush and vibrant recreation of Ancient Egypt at the height of its power. From the fertile banks of the river Nile to the windswept, arid deserts of the Sinai Peninsula and the mountainous crags of ancient Anatolia, this magnificent visual reimagining brings the beauty and brutality of Egypt’s most tumultuous era to life.

EXPERIENCE EPIC DYNAMIC BATTLES

Enemy armies aren’t the only challenges to overcome on the battlefield. Lead your soldiers through sudden and dramatic shifts in weather, such as thunderstorms and sandstorms, and witness the tides of battle turn as it directly impacts the surrounding terrain. Beware the threat of fire too, as battles can become engulfed in flames, striking and spreading across the battlefield as it burns forests and damages the foundations of enemy settlements.

CUSTOMISE YOUR CAMPAIGN AND PLAY YOUR WAY

With a brand-new Campaign Customisation feature, no two campaigns will ever feel the same. Determine how you play with an extended range of campaign customisation options, such as random starting positions for all factions, detailed resource settings, the ability to toy with natural disasters and much more. With an abundance of options, stack the odds against yourself for an added challenge or become an unmatched power to breeze your way to victory.

PRE-ORDER NOW

By pre-ordering now, players can gain access to a Pharaoh’s trove of early-adopter bonuses including the ability to take part in an Early-Access Weekend, the Avatar of the Gods Cosmetic Pack, and the Heart of the Shardana Cosmetic pack. For more information regarding each, please visit the Total War: PHARAOH FAQ.

Pre-order now from the Total War: PHARAOH store.

WHAT IS TOTAL WAR?

Total War is a strategy game, where turn-based civilisation management and real-time strategy battles with thousands of troops and war machines collide in a unique gaming experience. On the campaign map, lead your chosen race and manage their empire in matters of diplomacy, economy, and military strength. Command great heroes and customise them with a wealth of options pertaining to skills and personal quests. Strike the balance between survival and conquest as you expand your empire.

For more information about Total War: PHARAOH and the other Total War games in development, visit https://pharaoh.totalwar.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Total War’s Youtube Channel for future news about gameplay videos.
 

Article by: Susan N.

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The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk - XB1 Review

The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos by developer Artefacts Studio and publisher Dear Villagers—Microsoft Xbox One review written by Nick with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

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The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos has a long and somewhat wacky name, but that is intentional as the game is based on the goofy band of heroes from the universe of the same name. This tactics game is a lot of fun, in large part because the story never takes itself too seriously but the tactical RPG gameplay is fundamentally very sound as well.

The oddball humor here struck the perfect balance for me. The voice acting does a nice job of making characters sound very natural despite the frequent hijinks, but the names of skills, items and enemies provided me with a lot of moments where I simply laughed aloud. The comedy might not be for everyone as a lot of people want dark and serious stories, but it’s well enough done here that The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos shouldn’t be dismissed just because it puts such a focus on humor.

Initially, the game can be a bit challenging. Boss encounters provide most of the difficulty throughout the game, and you’re ill-equipped to handle them and some of the tougher enemies right off of the bat. The difficulty spike is probably one of the things that seems the most off to me, as it was fair but challenging to start, but once I started earning some skills and getting better gear, I found almost all of the rest of the game (outside of a couple of specific boss battles) to be pretty breezy.

As for the game’s premise, it has less focus on the overall storyline (though there is one with plenty of side quests to occupy your time as well), and more to do with misfit cast of party members. They are all exactly the kind of trope-heavy, stereotypical characters one would expect – just ramped up to an eleven out of 10. The Ogre is every bit as stupid as you would think, while the Barbarian’s pummel-first and ask questions later attitude is equally dense. The grumpy dwarf shares his thoughts about almost everything and certainly has opinions about the elf, while the Magician is book smart but not necessarily street-smart and so on. You can potentially add another member to your team through the game’s various side adventures as well, which seldom seem important in and of themselves, but provide plenty of experience, loot and laughs along the way.

The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos humor might be the most defining characteristic, but the core gameplay mechanics are quite sound as well. They are seldom surprising, but they are well done and the combat – which is where you spend most of your time – is satisfying. I am a tremendous fan of SRPGs, and that’s what we have here. At its core, you move around the field of battle, making attacks, with heavy influences based on which direction your character is facing and pulling heavily from Dungeons & Dragons in terms of who combat works out. You are in control of several characters from the get-go, which definitely makes things a little more interesting and complex compared to many strategy games that let you sort of dip your toes in the water with a character or two, introducing new characters (and by extension new classes) along the way. That lends itself to the early challenges, but also the game’s more unique elements during combat. The characters all have their strengths and weaknesses, but they have some unique traits that make the strategy elements more compelling as a result.

The actual elements of progression are a bit more of a mixed bag. I enjoyed the overall pacing of the game – I didn’t often feel like there was a lot of unnecessary padding or backtracking, which is a common way for RPGs to lengthen their gameplay in a fluff-filled kind of way. I appreciated that not being the case here. However, character progression is a bit less stellar. It’s not bad – but the gameplay is so heavily focused on whether or not the RNGods favor you or not, that I found myself sinking most of my development points into agility just to make sure they hit more often than not.

After that I leveraged intelligence or strength (depending on the unit) to elevate base damage and… the rest of the stats just don’t prove to be all that interesting. Courage is helpful in trying to get your order of operation sorted out, but I felt like all of my builds were a bit same-y by the end of my adventure. You can get a few pieces of gear slapped onto your characters as well, and that helps to boost their stats, but it’s not a terribly deep equipment system. That said, I appreciated some of the smaller touches, like how changing equipment does change character appearances. The ogre’s Shrek-like use of pans and pots as armor is just one example where humor meets the visual touches rather nicely.

Summary

If The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos was content just to tell a goofy story with a bunch of charming humor, it would have been a pretty solid offering. However, this is also a very solid tactics / RPG hybrid that offers a really fresh take on a very familiar genre. The humor and the pacing of the combat probably won’t appeal to everyone, but consider me a huge fan as I hope from some continued hijinks in a future sequel.

Score: 8.5 / 10

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