Cleril
12-20-2009, 12:51 AM
(V 0.3.9 was used in this review, currently the game is V 0.4.4)
What? Are you serious? Reviewing your own game...that's low Cleril real...ah, what are you doing with that chainsaw mounted banana? You know I'm allergic, ahh....*cough*, hm, yummy.
Sorry folks, my "cousin" took over there at the helm. Now then, where was I? Right, here, good. Haven is a freeware video game being developed and made solely by me, for the Windows users out there. It's a Non-Combat RPG with puzzle and horror elements allocated in it as well.
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/489/haventitlescreenwip.png
Plot
The game is somewhat personal to my own life, I'll explain soon. You play as a bard called Cleril. He was invited to Haven, an island, to help revive it's economy, due to bards having much power with words. The Mayor of Haven hopes Cleril can convince the remaining citizens to cooperate with his efforts to revive Haven to keep it floating above the water. What is Cleril's motivation? Ah, simple, that is up to you. One can assume he came there for coin or simply because he was bored with where he was.
You see, Cleril is not explained as a character all when the game starts. You know very little about him other than he exists. As you play the game you slowly uncover what kind of person he is, what he likes and hates, and how he's a skilled bard. When I say bard I do not mean the happy go lucky type. I mean the Existentialist type.
While the main quest starts slowly it builds up over time but most side quests provide deeper stories into both Cleril's and Haven's "personality." Of course, all of these quests are optional but they certainly help turn the pages. The game is personal to me because I write Poetry and my pen name or alias is Cleril, there's your connection.
Controls and Gameplay
The controls are the simplest part of Haven. Using the arrow keys to move and select dialogue choices, the enter key to examine and select choices, and the escape key to access your menu the game is simple to control.
Now you were probably thinking long ago "A Non-Combat RPG with puzzle and horror elements...zuh?" and, well, the gameplay is rather simple but addicting. There is no direct involvement with any combat in the game but as the player you choose most of what Cleril does and says. This means multiple endings for nearly all quests. Greg's Golden Grief for example has 9 different endings and guess what, it's a side quest.
The game has puzzles in the form of optional riddles, environmental puzzles, and one could even consider the dialogues to be a puzzle. The ending of Greg's Golden Grief quest for example is based purely on what you say to Greg. Are you the philosophical Poet or the indifferent talker? Are you grey or grey? The game is very morally grey in almost all aspects. The characters, including Cleril, is mostly comprised of morally grey figures.
Speaking of, there are no generic "NPCs" in the game. Everyone you meet has a personality, dialogue, and perhaps a quest for you. No two characters are alike and none of them ever feel stale or cliche. In fact, the game is very original in most aspects.
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2694/graveyardscreen.png
The only complaint one could make is the game's true lack of difficulty. You don't die, ever, because you can't. No matter what ending in a quest or event you get, the game continues. There is no losing, dying, or winning in the game. What is the point then you say? Well, games are meant to be an escape from your life and provide entertainment. Haven does both for all walks of gamer life, from hardcore to casual, you'll enjoy Haven's lack of a true difficulty.
On a final note it's rather interesting how the game keeps things from getting well, old. Most quests are universally different from the next. Each involving new characters, puzzles, and story arcs. Some even breaking the 4th wall in an attempt to show the player how Cleril is stable, yet unstable, and even they are, perhaps.
Graphics and Audio
Haven is a 2D game with detailed graphics and some really fitting "cutscenes." Technically not cutscenes because you're playing them. The game is animated and even has some nice effects during combat scenes or "insomnia" quests. None of the graphics are overused much, save for the Old Library which has the same copied/pasted book cases but that is just a minor detail of the game's graphics. There nothing great, nothing horrible. They make the world of the game and can sometimes be eye candy but otherwise, they are simply there.
The audio is rather amazing considering. It is on par with the writing of the games story which means it is superb. Almost every time you enter a new area the background music changes and fits the scene perfectly. The graveyard has a mellow guitar tune while the insomnia quests have creepy, sometimes distorted music to match the lack of sanity occurring.
A thing to mention though is that most of the music in the game are MIDIs (synthesized) of other video game music, such as Silent Hill, or Banjo-Kazooie. Other audio is from an actual composer named Mr. Bosa and from a player of the game known on here as "Heart of Darkness." The developer (me) has even made a remix or two of those MIDIs to further the non-linear music in the game. None of it sounds bad and all of it fits the scene in which it plays.
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/3699/clerilinthegreynatural.jpg
Okay, so do I get it?
Why not? After all it is a freeware game in development. Currently it is about halfway done but that doesn't mean it is short. The whole game itself through multiple playthroughs will last you likely 20+ hours. There is a lot of replayability with the game since most quests have multiple endings as do most simple dialogues.
Cleril hopes you've enjoyed this review of his game. If you'd like to try the game check out the link below. Although you can play the game and never chat with Cleril, he would prefer if you messaged him or post on the topic saying you're playing the game. He'll even keep you updated on the game and give you a few extra gifts, all for free. What's not to like about Cleril, hm? Oh right, the selfishness of him, the nerve he has!
Link to the game: Help Me Freeware User Made Indie Game Non-Combat RPG: Haven Version 0.4.1 - Page 2 - Gamers Forum (http://www.gamers-forum.com/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=12865)
What? Are you serious? Reviewing your own game...that's low Cleril real...ah, what are you doing with that chainsaw mounted banana? You know I'm allergic, ahh....*cough*, hm, yummy.
Sorry folks, my "cousin" took over there at the helm. Now then, where was I? Right, here, good. Haven is a freeware video game being developed and made solely by me, for the Windows users out there. It's a Non-Combat RPG with puzzle and horror elements allocated in it as well.
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/489/haventitlescreenwip.png
Plot
The game is somewhat personal to my own life, I'll explain soon. You play as a bard called Cleril. He was invited to Haven, an island, to help revive it's economy, due to bards having much power with words. The Mayor of Haven hopes Cleril can convince the remaining citizens to cooperate with his efforts to revive Haven to keep it floating above the water. What is Cleril's motivation? Ah, simple, that is up to you. One can assume he came there for coin or simply because he was bored with where he was.
You see, Cleril is not explained as a character all when the game starts. You know very little about him other than he exists. As you play the game you slowly uncover what kind of person he is, what he likes and hates, and how he's a skilled bard. When I say bard I do not mean the happy go lucky type. I mean the Existentialist type.
While the main quest starts slowly it builds up over time but most side quests provide deeper stories into both Cleril's and Haven's "personality." Of course, all of these quests are optional but they certainly help turn the pages. The game is personal to me because I write Poetry and my pen name or alias is Cleril, there's your connection.
Controls and Gameplay
The controls are the simplest part of Haven. Using the arrow keys to move and select dialogue choices, the enter key to examine and select choices, and the escape key to access your menu the game is simple to control.
Now you were probably thinking long ago "A Non-Combat RPG with puzzle and horror elements...zuh?" and, well, the gameplay is rather simple but addicting. There is no direct involvement with any combat in the game but as the player you choose most of what Cleril does and says. This means multiple endings for nearly all quests. Greg's Golden Grief for example has 9 different endings and guess what, it's a side quest.
The game has puzzles in the form of optional riddles, environmental puzzles, and one could even consider the dialogues to be a puzzle. The ending of Greg's Golden Grief quest for example is based purely on what you say to Greg. Are you the philosophical Poet or the indifferent talker? Are you grey or grey? The game is very morally grey in almost all aspects. The characters, including Cleril, is mostly comprised of morally grey figures.
Speaking of, there are no generic "NPCs" in the game. Everyone you meet has a personality, dialogue, and perhaps a quest for you. No two characters are alike and none of them ever feel stale or cliche. In fact, the game is very original in most aspects.
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2694/graveyardscreen.png
The only complaint one could make is the game's true lack of difficulty. You don't die, ever, because you can't. No matter what ending in a quest or event you get, the game continues. There is no losing, dying, or winning in the game. What is the point then you say? Well, games are meant to be an escape from your life and provide entertainment. Haven does both for all walks of gamer life, from hardcore to casual, you'll enjoy Haven's lack of a true difficulty.
On a final note it's rather interesting how the game keeps things from getting well, old. Most quests are universally different from the next. Each involving new characters, puzzles, and story arcs. Some even breaking the 4th wall in an attempt to show the player how Cleril is stable, yet unstable, and even they are, perhaps.
Graphics and Audio
Haven is a 2D game with detailed graphics and some really fitting "cutscenes." Technically not cutscenes because you're playing them. The game is animated and even has some nice effects during combat scenes or "insomnia" quests. None of the graphics are overused much, save for the Old Library which has the same copied/pasted book cases but that is just a minor detail of the game's graphics. There nothing great, nothing horrible. They make the world of the game and can sometimes be eye candy but otherwise, they are simply there.
The audio is rather amazing considering. It is on par with the writing of the games story which means it is superb. Almost every time you enter a new area the background music changes and fits the scene perfectly. The graveyard has a mellow guitar tune while the insomnia quests have creepy, sometimes distorted music to match the lack of sanity occurring.
A thing to mention though is that most of the music in the game are MIDIs (synthesized) of other video game music, such as Silent Hill, or Banjo-Kazooie. Other audio is from an actual composer named Mr. Bosa and from a player of the game known on here as "Heart of Darkness." The developer (me) has even made a remix or two of those MIDIs to further the non-linear music in the game. None of it sounds bad and all of it fits the scene in which it plays.
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/3699/clerilinthegreynatural.jpg
Okay, so do I get it?
Why not? After all it is a freeware game in development. Currently it is about halfway done but that doesn't mean it is short. The whole game itself through multiple playthroughs will last you likely 20+ hours. There is a lot of replayability with the game since most quests have multiple endings as do most simple dialogues.
Cleril hopes you've enjoyed this review of his game. If you'd like to try the game check out the link below. Although you can play the game and never chat with Cleril, he would prefer if you messaged him or post on the topic saying you're playing the game. He'll even keep you updated on the game and give you a few extra gifts, all for free. What's not to like about Cleril, hm? Oh right, the selfishness of him, the nerve he has!
Link to the game: Help Me Freeware User Made Indie Game Non-Combat RPG: Haven Version 0.4.1 - Page 2 - Gamers Forum (http://www.gamers-forum.com/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=12865)