So I Tried... 8-Bit Adventures 1

Each edition of So I Tried… I will try a game that I have never tried before. Will I find something new to love? Will I find something new to despise? I'll take a full half hour, no matter how bad it gets or how badly I do, to see if this is the game for me. This time I decided to play a game that is the predecessor of an awesome Steam demo that I got to check out in May of 2022.

What I thought it was

Having played the demo for 8-Bit Adventures 2, I assumed this game would also be an RPG. Though, like how The Legend of Zelda is totally different from the Adventures of Link, just because two games are in the same series it doesn’t mean they will be the same. I was curious to see if some of the locations in this title show up in the demo that I played, or if it seemed that it has its own standalone storyline. Whenever I play games of this type, I wonder if it feels like a never-ending grind or if the story and gameplay keep the game moving at a good pace. 

What it actually is

8-Bit Adventures 1 is a traditional turn-based JRPG like the titles you would play on the NES or SNES. It has beautiful pixel visuals, catchy music, great dialogue, and a compelling story. Like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, it is up to you to retrieve the magical crystals that control the whole world. Your team consists of three characters: a warrior, a mage, and a thief, each with their own colour — blue, red, and green. These colours signify what type of attack they are strong in. This is important because the colour of the enemies you fight determines what kind of moves will be most effective. So like a game of rock, paper, scissors, each colour is strong against one and weak against the other. This adds a lot of strategy with each battle; this is not the type of game where you can constantly just hit one button to get through the fights. 

The story in the game is exciting and has you travelling through the world with various transportation methods, including a snow machine, a boat, and an airship. I named my red mage Cid after the character from Final Fantasy, so it was pretty cool when he had access to an airship the characters could use in the game! 

I appreciated the lack of grinding required to progress in the game, plus you have the option to save at any point. Gaining levels is an easy matter, as long as you don’t run from every battle. As you get stronger, the bond between your team will grow as you experience joy and heartbreak together while events unfold in the story. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll say that the ultimate villain is great — it is so clever and unlike any boss that I have seen in a game before. 

Will I keep playing

Yes, I definitely will since I am already nine hours into it. I have to find out what happens to the characters and the world they are trying to save. Playing this title has made me even more excited to play 8-Bit Adventures 2, which is slated to release on the 31st of January, 2023. I better play more so I can finish this title before the second 8-Bit Adventure releases!