The Cruel King & The Great Hero

With the charm of a children's storybook and moral lessons not unlike that of Grimm's fairytales NISA's, "The Cruel King & The Great Hero" takes the gamer on a heartfelt journey involving one of the most unlikely duos in RPG history. Starring a young and determined girl named Yuu, whose father passed on early in her life, we find her with a fatherly caretaker in the form of the great Dragon King. A king of monsters who now lives in harmony between two worlds that were once at odds with one another. The human world, and the world of monsters. 

Aspiring to be a great hero like her passed away papa, Yuu trains under the guidance and aid of her newfound father figure the Dragon King as she attempts to achieve her dream of heroism. Through acts of kindness, and the battle against the bad monsters Yuu along with the Dragon King, and other tag along partners befriended along the way help her in her quest to become the heroine she's always dreamt she was capable of being. Of course this telling of Yuu's and the Dragon King's tale comes with some twists and turns as there is deception and secrets amongst the ranks. A plan to turn ally against ally in the world of both monsters, and men. Trust is tested, and faith realized as Yuu sets out to face her destiny ...

As Yuu your number one goal in the story at hand is to become the hero of the tale. How does one so young achieve that though? Armed with a stick, a pot helmet, and peasant clothing Yuu is initially ill prepared for her journey to the heroic status she has her heart set on. What she lacks in equipment though she more than makes up for in determination. Under the tutelage of the Dragon King Yuu trains on short outings within the monster kingdom. A place outside the walled city of humans where those good monsters under the rule of the Dragon King preside. It is in these outings that Yuu grows in both skill, and strength as she fights off the bad monsters that lie in wait along the beaten pathway. 

To begin with, and periodically so Yuu's journey is told and narrated by an outside voice as the pages of the storybook she is very much a part of turns page by page revealing her many adventures, and fate. As she ventures outward into her world so too ventures the Dragon King, and others that join her. The king of monsters being the protective father figure he is helps Yuu in her many battles, but secretly so. Hoping to not discourage her. Letting her think she has skills when in fact it is he who spares the fire and wind needed for clearing the paths ahead. Whether in battle or at rest with Yuu thereafter the Dragon King fulfills his protective role, dutifully, but with a dark past secret haunting him. A demon he must eventually face with Yuu.

In the moments of interactivity after a good night's rest at the Dragon King's lair and during the outings within the outside monster world where Yuu is free to interact and forward her role as the game's playable protagonist we find an isometric mazelike map filled with points and characters of interest to visit. It is through the characters, specifically, that mainline quests and side quests become available. The latter being "Yuu's Acts of Kindness". A means to help the helpless, and further her influence as the selfless heroine she truly is.

The main narratively driven story quests Yuu fulfills ultimately forwards her, and the Dragon King's conjoined relationship roles through key interactions with other characters in tow. These main quests involve getting Yuu from point to point while fending off monsters, growing her skills, and obtaining rewards for her collective efforts back in the monster village. Between the main story quests, which include narrated storytelling sections, are NPC triggered side quests known as "Yuu's Acts of Kindness". Some of these Act of Kindness quests are ongoing fetch, enemy culling, or helping side quests that have multiple errands to run before they are fully complete. Other Acts of Kindness are single shot side quests, but reward Yuu just the same. Sometimes said rewards are shells or useful equipment items, and other times you earn star fragments which can be used to unlock gallery art within the game's OPTIONS menu system. 

Quests, in general, involve story and character building via textual conversations, and voiced storytelling done within the limits of Yuu's interactive world. This, and a simple turn based battle system which acts as the experience's main gameplay gimmick. Battles see Yuu, and up to one other party member going up against randomly spawning enemies that flash in via a turn of the storybook page in a fashion that is most certainly inspired by Final Fantasy VII's random battle encounters. You, and the accompanying party members each have a set of actions to use during their turn in these random encounters. This includes DEFEND, ATTACK, ITEM, SKILL, or ESCAPE. Most of which is self-explanatory. Skills, though, are obtained through the leveling up of Yuu, and her party members. Each skill, in turn, is weak or strong against certain enemies, elementally. Outside of the Observe skill which is freely available from the start, and will aid you in learning more about the monsters while simultaneously filling up the game's detailed Monsterpedia. A bestiary of sorts for the NISA completionist. 

When it comes to leveling up in-game through the lesser and greater battles it is achieved through EXP points gained after a successful victory. Skill usage, alone, depends wholly upon a characters' power level stock. The power level itself refills through turns taken after the points required for the selected skill have been spent. With the defend option selected though it offers a speedier power recovery for added strategy. Along with power there is the matter of character health to mind, or in this game's case, Stamina. If all party members lose all their stamina in battle they pass out, and you'll have to load the game back up from where it was last saved. Stamina, and power alike are leveled up as the characters themselves level up. Additional RPG stats are also increased in this manner. Even through the characters' attached equipment pieces. All characters in Yuu's party get a weapon slot, armor slot, and two accessory slots, respectively. Adding to damage output, defense, and perks or stat buffs for added benefit.

 Within the traversal portion of this tale there are shop vendors that will sell healing, and recovery items as well as equipment. All for a price. Shells, to be exact. You'll also find that in battles enemies sometimes drop treasure chests with similar single use items.  Beyond that some treasure chests lie along the pathways you must venture through on the way to each quest's destination. These tend to contain lump sums of shells or even special equipment for specific characters. Going out of the way sometimes is beneficial in being better prepared for what's ahead.

Speaking of paths, and destinations ... The TouchPad menu gives the player access to a multiple layer map of the kingdom with points of interest marked in accordance to their role in quests. Even quests, and Acts of Kindness opportunities are shown through icons placed on interconnected dungeon lanes. You can track your quests, and quests progress through the OPTIONS menu, and cross reference it with the map as you travel from point to point. This saves the needless battle encounters that you'd face in a less than streamlined setup. To also help with traversal the game will make it easier to pass through already visited areas when you level up to a certain point. Turning Yuu's normal walking pace into a quicker run. Later on in the game you'll encounter a fountain spirit which additionally offers up the use of Stamina/Power refill fountains if needed. If you fancy fast travel the monster village vendor does offer a seed item for your patronage that allows you to return to the village's tree that rests adjacent to his location.

The end goal of the game, which can be fast tracked without fulfilling all of Yuu's Acts of Kindness, will leave you with less of an experience, and possibly a worse ending if everything is not completed. If you wish to get the most out of this game doing all quests, and in no particular order, is a must as it affords you the star fragments to complete the game's gallery. While most of the gallery can be unlocked via star fragments you will find some of the art is locked behind certain in-game achievements. To complete it all you will have to thoroughly play through this game.

Visually, and audibly "The Cruel King & The Great Hero" is a return to formula. It's a lot like NISA's previous release of "The Liar Princess & The Blind Prince" from an artistic standpoint. Even the voiced and textually driven story is similar to that game's experience. Where it differs though is in the turn based battle system, and the inclusion of a detailed map. It also builds upon the creature design while keeping true to the game's predecessor. As with any game of this type there is a fitting soundtrack to accompany the adventures. It is what you'd come to expect from a NISA JRPG. Both complimentary, atmospheric, and haunting at times. A magical blend of music that adds to the game's overall vision.

The Verdict ...

I loved "The Liar Princess & The Blind Prince", and I think I loved "The Cruel King & The Great Hero" a little more. Both games are exceptional in their own right, but the latter really struck a chord with me. Offering minimalistic gameplay elements while weaving an increasingly interesting tale with a moral is something NISA does best, and for that alone the experience was made worthwhile. I would like to say that I fully grasped that moral this time around, but all I could think about was how it encompassed our tendency as humans to dream big like our idols, have those dreams realized or shattered, and in the midst of it all have our resolve tested. I feel it's a reflection of ambition, determination, trust, and how the roles of those that inspire us to be great hold sway on our destiny. Morals aside, I greatly enjoyed the basic turn based battles. It was simple fun that helped me feel engaged in Yuu's dream goal. I particularly like how Yuu's heroism was tied to being selfless, and bestowing acts of kindness for strangers in need. It was morally rewarding, and rewarding in the sense that it helped Yuu to be better equipped. The twist regarding the Dragon King's secret was also very impactful. From plot to presentation, beginning to end, "The Cruel King & The Great Hero" is a morally driven masterpiece that is perfectly executed, and well worth experiencing. Don't miss out!