Admiral Styles' Love And War is an excellent example of why Tropes Are Not Bad, and of how good writing and world-building can still trump graphical or technical brilliance.
Made with RPG Maker 2000, the game uses 16-bit-style graphics and sprites, with an atmosphere strongly reminiscent of Chrono Trigger. While it clearly pays tribute to several other RPG Maker works - most notably The Way, Romancing Walker, and Three The Hard Way - Love And War (henceforth abbreviated LAW) is very much its own beast, and actually manages to outdo the aforementioned works on several counts.
After a mysterious prologue, Act I of LAW begins with the story of Ryan Eramond, a high school graduate who's not sure of what he wants to do with his life. His father offers him a summer job delivering packages, and he ropes in his friends - the studious, thoughtful Henrik and the brash, wise-cracking Armin - to join him on his jaunts. As the story unfolds, Ryan is slowly drawn into political unrest that threatens his home kingdom, Galvenia, and by the end of his adventures, nothing will be the same for him. Act II sees Ryan leaving Galvenia on another assignment from his father, and meeting a charming stowaway with whom his fate becomes inextricably entwined.
LAW has plenty of challenging gameplay, some fascinating sidequests, tough boss battles, and a lot of backstory that the player can choose to study in depth, or to ignore. But the true stars of LAW are the writing and the story, which is why I've tried hard to avoid spoilers above. Ryan himself is a believable adolescent rather than a stereotypical hero, and the women in his life - his ex-girlfriend Marianne, his childhood friend Lavie, and the stowaway who turns out to be Princess Carranya of Galvenia - are very well drawn. As the story stands, the player is left with a true cliffhanger ending, and one can only hope that the good Admiral will complete the saga some time soon!
Recently, Act I of LAW was re-released with improved artwork, more sidequests, an upgraded battle and leveling system, and voice acting. The latter is top-notch and adds a whole new dimension to the game. If you enjoy a good old-school RPG, or simply like a good story, Love And War is definitely worth your time. On a scale of 1 to 10, this is easily a 10+..
Come for the RPG, stay for the story...
Admiral Styles' Love And War is an excellent example of why Tropes Are Not Bad, and of how good writing and world-building can still trump graphical or technical brilliance.
Made with RPG Maker 2000, the game uses 16-bit-style graphics and sprites, with an atmosphere strongly reminiscent of Chrono Trigger. While it clearly pays tribute to several other RPG Maker works - most notably The Way, Romancing Walker, and Three The Hard Way - Love And War (henceforth abbreviated LAW) is very much its own beast, and actually manages to outdo the aforementioned works on several counts.
After a mysterious prologue, Act I of LAW begins with the story of Ryan Eramond, a high school graduate who's not sure of what he wants to do with his life. His father offers him a summer job delivering packages, and he ropes in his friends - the studious, thoughtful Henrik and the brash, wise-cracking Armin - to join him on his jaunts. As the story unfolds, Ryan is slowly drawn into political unrest that threatens his home kingdom, Galvenia, and by the end of his adventures, nothing will be the same for him. Act II sees Ryan leaving Galvenia on another assignment from his father, and meeting a charming stowaway with whom his fate becomes inextricably entwined.
LAW has plenty of challenging gameplay, some fascinating sidequests, tough boss battles, and a lot of backstory that the player can choose to study in depth, or to ignore. But the true stars of LAW are the writing and the story, which is why I've tried hard to avoid spoilers above. Ryan himself is a believable adolescent rather than a stereotypical hero, and the women in his life - his ex-girlfriend Marianne, his childhood friend Lavie, and the stowaway who turns out to be Princess Carranya of Galvenia - are very well drawn. As the story stands, the player is left with a true cliffhanger ending, and one can only hope that the good Admiral will complete the saga some time soon!
Recently, Act I of LAW was re-released with improved artwork, more sidequests, an upgraded battle and leveling system, and voice acting. The latter is top-notch and adds a whole new dimension to the game. If you enjoy a good old-school RPG, or simply like a good story, Love And War is definitely worth your time. On a scale of 1 to 10, this is easily a 10+..