Shining Plume

This game is super broken. There's a glitch where your character always moves right. You cannot stand still. You can cancel it out by moving left but the second you stop pressing down another directional button you're moving right. Considering the first direction you are supposed to move in the game is to the left, this becomes apparent right away. This is super annoying and makes the game nearly unplayable. I gave up after five minutes. I spent a lot more time than that online looking for a solution, but all I found was that a lot of other people had the same problem. Some had managed to fix it, but none of the fixes worked for me. It is a shame, because the aesthetic and story actually looked kind of neat. But until such time as they fix the basic movement controls, I cannot in good conscience recommend this game.

A decent samurai-inspired plot crippled by dreary dialogue, poorly-developed, sometimes borderline intolerable characters and sloppy controls. Enemies dart quickly and are hard to avoid, so you are constantly forced into repetitive battles. It's essentially your typical RPGMaker fare; a commendable albeit futile effort in recreating a solid jRPG, yet nothing distinguishing it from others. It's not particularly terrible; I just did not enjoy the experience.

The earth is 4.6 billion years old and we managed to exist at the same time as this masterpiece.

Alright, alright! As someone who really enjoyed watching anime (*cough* *cough* Gintama) that included samurais... I surely had an interest in this game. Mainly because it was an RPG game. Characters: beautifully designed. Levels are pretty. Music/SFX are good to go with the game. Combat is turn-based, but you have different effects and you can stare at character's faces. You can dash by holding down a key. There was one area where you actually zoom so fast with dash, that I had to slow down lol.

I listened... well... read the story very intently. They use some big words, which helped educate even me. The way the enemy talked the whole time was funny... even though he is a pretty disturbing guy. I just want to know why Hime (Princess) didn't really cry or even care as to what exactly happened to her (her situation) and her family? I thought she would need a moment, ya know? Unless she always smiles, regardless of what happens to her and even in the face of danger... but you still need some sort of release.

The story is... let's just say you need to turn off your "care-o-meter" way down or you will be upset by every single scene. It is a time of war, so if you are a passionate person, it will get ya. After all that, it's fun how much potions and supplies the enemies give me. I like the "stalking store guy" and sometimes I walked out of boundaries... by accident. Imagine being on top of the roof and bam! You are downstairs in the grass. Heh Heh.

Ah yes and the game ends abruptly. I had to restart twice to see if that was actually it. There is Part II though! Time to see what happens to the characters!!! So thank ya for this game!!! :D =) :>

AT A GLANCE:
2/5 Stars - The game started off pretty decent, but as time went on it just got harder, and harder to tolerate. I really wanted to enjoy this game, but unfortunately there is so much that is wrong with this game that I can't. Play at your own risk.

GAME GENRE:
Single Player, Top-Down, RPG,

GAME DESCRIPTION:
Release Date: Oct. 2016 - You are Jun, a samurai, who needs to complete tasks for multiple people. Learn more about your characters past as the game progresses. As you travel you meet new characters that will help you fight to complete your quests.

KID FRIENDLY:
(First know that I am very strict on kid approved material. A game with a standard rating of "PG" I might rate "PG-13". These are my ratings and have nothing to do with standard ratings)

I rate this "PG-13". Some of the language is a little harsh for younger kids.

ACHIEVEMENTS:
0 Achievements

TRADING CARDS:
5 Trading cards

PROS:
-RPG
-Samurai & Ninjas

CONS:
-Story just drags on
-Lacks fun factor
-Fight scenes become annoying after awhile

GAMEPLAY:
Gameplay is a little stiff, but nothing that would ruin the game like other things.

VISUAL EFFECTS:
Decent graphics, old retro style.

AUDIO:
Music is decent, and sound effects are good.

STORYLINE:
Storyline has its moments where it gets interesting, but unfortunately there is so much unecessary rable included that it makes it hard to enjoy.

REPLAY VALUE:
No replay value at all for me.

PROBLEMS/ISSUES:
None - No problems installing the game. No issues during start up. No game freezes, or unexpected quitting.

WORDS FOR DEVELOPERS:
The game could have been much better if some of the characters quit rambling. Also, being chased by the fight scenes became annoying when trying to avoid them.

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This game in terms of almost every aspect is stunningly good. Riveting storyline, vibrant characters, and even pop culture references! If I'm being nitpicky, there's only one thing I would change: the healing skills, learned namely by Akira, are somewhat useless, as their magnitude is very low. This makes Akira a really underwhelming character, even though she has a wide range of skills. Overall, a grand game, would definitely buy and play all over again. Awesome game!

Short version: This is a fun little RPG that is highly recommended to those who like turn-based combat and Working Designs-style scripts.

Details: The game does have some major weak points, one of them the lack of an instruction manual or tutorial. While I didn't find the controls too hard to figure out, I see that some of the negative reviews for the game were written by people who clearly did not know about the run button or thought the mouse is the only control option. In actuality, Shining Plume supports mouse, keyboard, or USB controller, with USB controller being the best option and mouse by far the worst.

Another major weak point is the balance. It's not just a matter of the game being way too easy; it's a matter of all the fearsomeness the story builds up in the bosses going down the drain because their strongest magic attacks do single-digit damage to characters with triple-digit HP. Even the final boss can barely scratch your party. You might think I over-leveled, but in fact I avoided a majority of non-boss enemies, completing the game with no one above level 14. Defensively the enemies are uninteresting as well; elemental weaknesses have little effect, so just use regular attacks on non-boss enemies, use your character's strongest special attacks on bosses, rinse and repeat.

Finally, the dungeons are lacking in mazes, puzzles, and traps to give them character. Mostly you run around enemies (encounters are touch-based), grab items from chests, and that's it.

But all that feels forgivable because of the excellent story content. Shining Plume is set in a fantasy version of feudal Japan, and ironically is steeped in more Japanese tradition and folklore than any Japanese-made RPG I've yet played. The setting is consistent and immersive.

The plot starts out conventionally enough, as you take control of a samurai tasked with protecting a beautiful and good-hearted princess. But the game plays with nearly every convention it introduces, while still treating all of them respectfully. I'll say no more to avoid spoilers.

Finally, the script evokes the Working Designs translations of the mid-1990s in its use of pop culture references, anachronisms, and breaking the fourth wall in the name of humor. However, unlike most Working Designs scripts (perhaps a better comparison would be to the TV series Moonlighting) it pulls the remarkable trick of doing these sorts of jokes without taking away from the story's dramatic potency. The humor is at times uproarious, but it doesn't stop you from feeling the somberness of the protagonist's fatalism, the menace of the assassin Naga, or the warmth of Akira's compassion. The cast all have distinctive, compelling characterizations which are never broken.

The game also benefits from some beautiful character art, atmospheric music, and fast pacing (my first playthrough took just 6 hours). Plus, in spite of the balance issues, the gameplay is just plain fun.

I advise against getting Shining Plume as a standalone purchase. Shining Plume 2 is in essence not a sequel, but the conclusion to this game. So unless you like the idea of being left with a cliffhanger, take advantage of the Shining Plume bundle.

Finished this title around 5 hours. While it is not too bad, there are some flaws to the game which could have been made better.

Positives:
1) Some nice theme and concepts in relation to the Japanese Samurai/code of conduct.
2) Generous items being given and obtained throughout the game (making it easier to enjoy the story more than worrying about combat side of things).
3) Monsters assets used in the game is adequate and acceptable.

Negatives:
1) Battle/Skills: Can be improved, as some skills with lesser SP is more stronger than skills which cost way more SP.
2) Battle/Command: Auto-Battle should be implemented into the game so to make clearing mobs easier.
3) Monster Encounter: Really needs to be looked at, because they are re-spawning too fast.
4) Story/Characters: A little bit too much characters being introduced, making it harder to follow who is who.
5) Characters/Dialogue: There can more dialogues put into the game and more interactions between the characters. Care and avoidance should be given to dialogues or references that basically breaks the 'fourth wall'. Some explanations are too wordy and can be shortened to provide better experience.
6) Story/Cut: Should also be looked at, because there should be a form of indication advising the player that the game has reached its ending (and will hence continue on its sequel).

Overall, I would recommend this game "Only" for someone who is up for "a short and small RPG Maker-styled game with some interesting ideas on Japanese Samurais". Those who would like to get the game should anticipate also, that the game will no doubt have its flaws.

I really liked the story surrounding the plot and especially the balanced battle system. However a few bugs needed to be reviewed, add quest system to guide the player what need to do, but in the end I really enjoyed the experience.

gosh ANOTHER RPG MAKER GAME..that figures heavenly squared

Shining Plume

For the samurai enthusiasts, a "JRPG"

Positives:
1) The story was interesting (political intrigue in the story was intriguing).
2) The characters were likable and their interactions were interesting.
3) Samuria code concepts was explained.
4) Inexpensive

On the fence:
1) Breaking the fourth wall (was this humorous or annoying?).
2) Lead by the nose (at least I know where I am going but no real exploration.)

Negatives:
1) Do I even need the abilities? There is little enthusiasm about leveling up. Her heal is pretty much pointless.
2) Shops are nearly pointless: items- health is pretty much all you need.
3) Weapons: I get them on the way (are they helpful?)
4) Weapons: Are the elite items helpful?
5) The encounters are annoying.
6) Plenty of fights are pointless.
7) The end area: what do I need and where do I put it?
8) "Cliff-hanger end".
9) The miniature screen, ("ugh").


Overall: I recommend this game for the samurai enthusiasts who want a fast easy JRPG to play. I suggest purchasing it when it is less than $1.00. (Beat it under 6 hours.)

I'll keep this short as possible, if you've played pokemon (not pokemon GO but the real pokemon back indays on GBA n' shit) then you'l llike this since its similiar to pokemon style in fight..

guud storyline game one of my all time favourites. this game brings pokemon to its whole new level and it feels like you are in the story. lovely characters and fuging multiblayer no choke

So I'm just going to list out the Pro's and Con's

Pros
- There is a lot of good dialogue, Hard to follow at first but It includes lots of references to Japanese culture and there was even some funny references that are easy to miss(There was a Ghous Busters Reference!)
- You don't have to constantly grind
- This game is generally cheap (I got it for 50cents), Well worth the 7-9 hours of gameplay you can get out of it, and if you don't like it there are trading cards that at the moment are worth 8-10 cents so you would essentially only be out 25 cents if you really didn't like the game

Cons
-The controls are a bit irritating, you can use the mouse but it's much easier to just play with your right hand on Shift, Z, and X and your left on the arrow keys because the WASD keys don't do anything.
- Game ends on a black screen and the save doesn't even carry over to the next game
- No progress tracking
- Some things are way overpowered, For examples Later in the game fighting Takumi's they have a sonic wave or blast that can confuse your entire party so they solely hit your people and it lasts at least three turns, effectively killing your party if the wave hits them all. There s also a Destruction scroll that you can buy for 2000 currency and it takes 90% of your enemies health(works on all bosses so it will make you win a hard boss in about two turns after using the scroll)

Only a little ways in. I wasnt expecting final fantasy caliber or anything. I defintely got what I payed for, enjoying how the story unfolds. For the price I would recomend it to anyone who likes old SNES style JRPGs.

I bought this game for two reasons: One, it seems to have a samurai-theme. Two, it was on sale (thus making the two-pack for it and it's sequel less than the full cost of the sequel). I have been pleasantly impressed with the game (considering the bad reviews that seem to be dominating the discussion). At least so far, it seems like it might end up in a thrilling journey to final victory over your previous Lord's killer and the eventual love match with the daughter he commanded you to protect.

Though, to be fair, age is even harder to figure out in these type games than in some visual novels...

I can barely get into it and I'm yawning. This game is horrendously bland. Just because you have RPG Maker doesn't mean you can make RPGs.

At first I ran into some problems with the mechanics.
I could not talk to shop owners but by using backspace instead
of the mouse that was fixed.
The game itself is nicely done and I enjoyed the characters and setting.
It made me feel quite nostalgic.
Also some 4th wall breaks - nicely done.
I hope there will be a part 2 (since the ending is a cliffhanger).

I do not recommend this game. It looked old school and kinda neat. But the mechanics are super flaky. There are some important characters you cannot talk to. Then they suddenly appear later in the story out of thin air for no reason. You're stuck playing catch up with the story line. There were a few times where I went to click on someone and the game froze. It would act like it would go into dialogue but nothing would happen.