I played Darkest Dungeon for the majority of July until I left that masochistic grind. However, I didn’t do it because the game feels unfair and its RNG is infuriating. No, I stopped playing because I am one of the fortunate few who has random crashes so severe that a computer reboot is necessary. I believe it’s a hardware related issue, since even on Linux (I’m using Pop!_OS) I have the same results, although less frequently. In the future, I’ll give it another go on the Playstation 4. Otherwise, it’s a great game that deserves its success.
As August drew closer, I looked for a title to write about that was both short and less well-known. Out of desperation and lack of time, I resorted to my comfort zone: RPG Maker games. While browsing my Steam library, I found a short game called Remnants of Isolation. Is it a hidden gem? Or at least, a good title to sdpend a few hours? Let’s find out.
Remnants of Isolation was released on Steam in 1 May 2015, developed by Team Isolation and published by KOMODO. The game tells the story of Celesta and Melchior, who are imprisoned in The “Castle of the Forsaken” for being mages. While Celesta can’t communicate verbally, only by her actions and expressions, Melchior is the awkward type that speaks for both of them. Together, they must endure the terrifying creatures that stalk the castle’s halls and escape this horrifying location.
You will learn bits of information left by prior inmates and from Melchior’s comments. You see traces of a culture that is fearful of mages and despises them for depleting mana supplies. Even the royal family can be imprisoned for being magic users. As to why prisoners are sent to this castle instead of being executed, who created it, what powers it, and similar questions will probably remain unanswered, as this is Team’s Isolation only game as of now.
The game plays like a typical turn-based JRPG, where enemies and player characters alternate attack turns. Fortunately, it has no random encounters, as the enemies freely roam the map trying to catch you.
Your characters start each battle with three Magic Points, and they keep regaining two more at every turn. These points can be spent on spells or on Innate abilities. The latter will resonate with spells, modifying their behavior. The game calls it Spell Fusion and will cause an increase in damage for a spell, make it hit all foes, break their elemental defenses, and so on. Knowing the different combinations and when to use them is essential to progress on the game. It’s a unique system and the game’s best feature. I would like to see on a bigger title, with more combinations and variations.
It’s also possible to use physical attacks and items, but spells and innates are a lot more useful.
The game has no notable songs and is graphically uninteresting. The characters’ artwork is good, but their sprites look dead inside with their fixed eyes that never blink. The artwork for enemies is also well done, even if some are a palette/type swap. Some of these creatures would be at home in a horror game, but look a bit out of place here.
There’s not much else to say because the game doesn’t have much content, so we can only wander if Remainants of Isolation is a recommended title. The answer is no, even at its modest price of $1.99, because the game lacks anything original or fresh. There are numerous free RPG Maker games with a more fascinating plot, better visuals, or a great soundtrack. The game’s Spell Fusion concept is ingenious, but it’s not enough to justify buying it. It’s also quite short, so I think you should look elsewhere for your RPG Maker fix.
Final opinion: Not recommended.