Sword of Hope Game Sample - GB
0Original Air Date: January 4th, 2010
An extremely simple, old-school RPG that is almost more of an adventure game in the vein of Kemco-published classics like Déjà Vu and Shadowgate (which this game no doubt draws some of its influence from) than a more traditional RPG, but simplier than the aforementioned and largely bare-bones for those looking to crank numbers and play with math. It's still a relatively enjoyable game when you aren't fighting every two seconds and it is a bit on the challenging side, and it's another RPG attempt from Kemco since Ghost Lion. In the eyes of some, The Sword of Hope would be better than it's sequel which came out Waaaaay too late in the U.S. (1996 when it was originally 1992!).
If you couldn't tell by the title, the game is almost as conventional and clichéd as an RPG can get. You play as Prince Theo who is going to save the country of Riccar from the curse of a Dark Dragon and free the land of the wicked spell of Mammon, which has turned the people into trees. This requires him to find three wisemen and the "Sword of Hope" in order to defeat the darkness and set things right. This task would be easier if Theo's dad didn't get possessed years prior by the Dark Dragon's influence, causing him to lash out and nearly kill him in his youth. Had it not been for the brave knight Pascal, who took Theo and fled from the scene, raising him as his own son, the land would be doomed. Now that Theo is old enough to fulfill his destiny, he goes on a dangerous journey to save the land.
The general flow of the game is much like game's before it that Kemco published like Shadowgate and Déjà Vu (as mentioned before). It's very menu-driven and you click arrows to move around to different locations. You can investigate various objects and some things have interesting reactions when you hit them (hitting a chest can make you feel good and restore a small amount of hit points) and hitting people is always good for a laugh. Combat is interesting in the sense that enemies that roam can join the battle if you don't win fast enough and the game is slightly realistic in that regard. The game is pretty brutal when it comes to status ailments and even support abilities. For instance, Theo can cast a fireball that sometimes hits himself (the price you pay for a deadly 1MP spell...). It's another non-essential GB RPG that is okay to play, but doesn't do anything particularly special. Enjoy.
Note: The video flickers early on. This was due to my connection coming loose. I will be more mindful in the future.