Alder Forge

About

Play as the Five Members of the Fourth Squadron and battle your foes using the game Adaptive Turn-Based Combat System, shape your own path in a story-driven game with a handcrafted world and unique characters.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 12 reviews

humor1 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game has a decent story and engaging gameplay that can provide around 30 hours of playtime.
The character designs and attack animations are impressive for a solo developer, showcasing potential for future improvements.
The soundtrack, while not fitting perfectly, has some enjoyable themes that enhance the overall experience.

The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and poor performance, which can hinder the overall enjoyment.
Many gameplay mechanics feel underdeveloped, such as the lack of a character switch button and the inability to take on multiple quests at once.
The dialogue pacing is too fast, and the sound effects are lackluster, detracting from the immersive experience.

music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as amazing and consistent, particularly in encounter areas, while others find it repetitive and not fitting for a JRPG. Overall, it is described as decent but lacking in variety, with some tracks being tolerable yet unremarkable.
- “The soundtrack is amazing.”
- “The musical themes are consistent, especially for encounter areas and intrigue sections.”
- “Also, being able to do a side-by-side comparison so you can see which gear you're equipping is better or not should be in every RPG, just saying. Lastly, the music sounds like it should be in a western RPG, not a JRPG. I'm not saying it's bad; it just doesn't fit.”
- “The peaceful area music is nothing to go nuts for, but it's tolerable and sets the tone for those areas without being intrusive or odd.”
- “The music is meh.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The story is generally considered serviceable but lacks depth, with some characters, like Gilbert, feeling unnecessary and disconnected from the main plot. While players appreciate the overall narrative, they express a desire for more development and cohesion, suggesting that the game could benefit from additional refinement before release.
- “30 hours to complete on easy mode; I wanted to focus more on the story.”
- “Honestly, I feel like this game could have spent a bit more time in early access to tweak a few things, but the story has potential.”
- “A few technical hiccups, but overall: gameplay fine, story/plot serviceable, environment alright, music/soundtrack decent.”
- “Story-wise, I felt [spoiler]Gilbert[/spoiler] was unnecessary to the plot and doesn’t feel like he’s part of the team by the end.”
- “I chose 'recommend' because it is an okay game, excusing the tangent for the story.”
- “A few technical hiccups but overall: gameplay fine, story/plot serviceable, environment alright, music/soundtrack decent.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The graphics feature a cell-shaded style that, while not high-budget, are generally well-executed and visually appealing.
- “The cell-shaded graphics are impressive and add a unique charm to the game.”
- “The visuals alone create a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The visuals alone... it is definitely not high budget, I'll say that.”
- “The graphics look outdated and lack detail, making the game feel less immersive.”
- “Character models are poorly designed and animations are stiff, which detracts from the overall experience.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users generally find the humor in the game to be unexpectedly hilarious, suggesting that it effectively delivers comedic moments that resonate well with players.
- “For some reason, I found this hilarious.”
gameplay
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Overall, the gameplay is considered fine despite some technical hiccups, with a serviceable story and decent music and sound design. The environment is described as satisfactory, contributing to a generally positive experience.
- “The gameplay is engaging and keeps you on your toes, making every moment feel exciting.”
- “I love how the mechanics are intuitive yet offer depth, allowing for both casual and hardcore players to enjoy.”
- “The controls are responsive, and the pacing of the gameplay is just right, making it a joy to play.”
- “The gameplay feels clunky and unresponsive, making it frustrating to enjoy the experience.”
- “There are too many bugs that disrupt the gameplay, leading to a lot of unnecessary frustration.”
- “The mechanics are overly complicated, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players report a smooth experience with no lag or stuttering, indicating strong optimization for an early access version of the game.
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
- “Despite the promising gameplay, the frame rate drops significantly during intense scenes, indicating poor optimization.”
- “I encountered frequent crashes and long loading times, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is generally well-received, with designs that effectively represent their roles, though the main character draws noticeable inspiration from Kirito from Sword Art Online.
- “The character designs are quite impressive, and each character clearly embodies their role, whether it's mage, rogue, or otherwise.”
- “The depth of character development really enhances the storytelling, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, with their backstories and personal growth adding layers to the overall experience.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the cumbersome item equipping process that forces them to exit to the topmost default selection each time.
- “Equipping items is a bit tedious as it exits the character to the topmost default selection.”
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “Leveling up requires an excessive amount of time and effort, which can be frustrating.”