First off, I have to say that I've absolutely loved playing all of the Annventure games. The amazing thing about them is that it feels like they've been around forever. They feel comfortable, they feel right, they feel like they just fit in the world of RPGs.
I went into this one with a sense of existential dread, since the title seems to hint at the conclusion of this particular series and I've grown so attached to the world and the characters (despite having them mercilessly ripped away from me in pretty much every game, I swear I've never felt as bad for NPCs as I have for the ones in this series).
From the very get-go it was clear that things were not all hunky dory for Ann and her friends... as usual! Taking charge of the red-shirted geek extraordinaire Rudy you must traverse the world as characters all around you are erased, trying to find out what's going on and figure out how to stop it.
Characters from some of Yoobii's other games play critical roles as Rudy's party in this game too, Annabelle and Jeanne, and the whole thing plays along nicely like a standard RPG, except that all battles can only seemingly be fought once, and there also doesn't seem to be a sprint/dash ability. These choices seem very deliberate, to lend more weight to the game and make the player feel a little out of their depth and forced to play the game at a pace dictated by some greater force. As such, every battle counts and every experience point is vital, as there is no level grinding to be exploited here (and that's what I usually spend hours doing!).
The plot is great, the characters are great, the concept is great and the payoff is also great. I've massively enjoyed all of Yoobii's games and this one just has so much wonderful introspection and raw honesty it just... really got to me. Amazing stuff as always, and if you're a Yoobii fan this is going to really make your day. If you haven't played any of Yoobii's other stuff yet, make sure you get on over to the first two Annventure games and all the others ones too... no point in starting at the end, after all!
0 comments