Recent reviews by knavesmith

I've heard people describe this game as "indie Paper Mario", and I can honestly say it's exactly that plus a lot more. If you're a fan of the first two Paper Mario games and you're looking for something to scratch that itch, then you don't need to read any further. Buy the game!

Bug Fables plays much like Nintendo's Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. You explore the world as a party of bugs fighting monsters, completing quests, and searching for the Everlasting Sapling. Unlike traditional RPGs, most attacks and abilities make use of "Action Commands" that let you power up or make the most of your actions. Time the Action Commands right and your attacks will do extra damage or inflict status conditions. Additionally, most abilities use TP, or Team Points (this game's equivalent to MP, or Mana), that is shared between the party. Each party member can always attack without spending TP, but you might need to use TP-costing abilities to deal with monsters. These two spins on the traditional RPG formula add a lot of depth and strategy to battling.

Also like Paper Mario, there are "medals" you can collect and equip to provide your party with a variety of stats, effects, and abilities. Some medals may simply increase one of your stats while others grant you unique abilities that can give you an edge in battle. There are a variety of medals to play around with, so there's no end to the strategies you can make. Want to bump up your party's TP pool to make use of a bunch of cool abilities? There are medals for that! Want to constantly poison one of your party members so that they have increased attack and defense? There are medals for that too! It's very fun to experiment and come up with different strategies.

There are a lot more things that Bug Fables borrows from Paper Mario. City chefs can take items from you and cook them into a variety of helpful dishes. You can find Crystal Berries around the world and exchange them for unique medals. There is even a boatload of side-quests to complete and optional bosses to defeat. However, there are also a lot of things that Bug Fables offers that take the Paper Mario experience to the next level.

Bug Fables has a few battle mechanics that add even more depth and strategy to battling. You can choose in what order your party members act. With three party members, you effectively have three turns you can take in any way you'd like. Additionally, you can "relay" a party member's turn to someone else so that they can take an extra turn. Furthermore, your party's positioning matters. The front-most party member gets a boost to their attack but is also more likely to be targeted by enemies. The back-most party member can get a defense boost with the help of a medal. You can even swap positions mid-battle without taking a turn. It's a lot to keep track of, but you can win even the toughest of battles by carefully managing the game's mechanics.

As far as story and characters go, Bug Fables has me hooked. Vi, Kabbu, and Leif have very conflicting personalities yet they play off each other surprisingly well. They'll poke fun at each other and react differently to the townsfolk yet I always get a good chuckle whenever I listen to them talk. I've made it a habit to Tattle every new room I enter and every new NPC I encounter just to see what the three have to say. There's a lot of world-building and character development to experience as the story goes on (even more so compared to the Paper Mario games). I'm only halfway through Chapter 3 as of writing this review, so I don't have a full picture of the game's story yet. Nevertheless, I've fully enjoyed every minute of it.

If you're a fan of RPGs (or are just wondering what Paper Mario is all about), give Bug Fables a try. The battling, the exploration, and the storytelling are all worth the price.

Even after doing dozens of runs, this game never fails to amaze me.

This game was glitched in my library where I could play it despite not owning it and the free wekend having already passed.

That means I can write a review for a game I never bought! :D

Do you like polygons? Do you have quick reflexes? Do you enjoy rage games? Well this game is just for you! Even if you don't like rage games, polygons, or don't have quick reflexes, give this game a try. It has a great soundtrack and it is sure to have you playing hours on end trying to complete that darn level.

What? You haven't downloaded this game yet?! Shame on you! Go download it now!