Azure Saga: Pathfinder
- March 13, 2018
- MassHive Media
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Azure Saga: Pathfinder" is a science fiction RPG that follows the journey of young scientist Synth on a quest to save his dying world. The game features turn-based combat, puzzle-solving, and exploration of various planets. With its rich story and vibrant graphics, players will be immersed in this epic adventure to restore life to the deserted planet of Escos.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Charming visuals and strong art style that evoke nostalgia for classic JRPGs.
- Engaging story with interesting characters and a variety of tactical combat mechanics.
- Decent level design that encourages exploration and offers a good amount of side quests.
- Repetitive and uninspiring combat, with issues like slow animations and frequent random encounters.
- Poor localization and translation, leading to awkward dialogue and grammatical errors.
- Frustrating map design with excessive backtracking and lack of clear indicators for interactable objects.
- story51 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-integrated into the gameplay, while others criticize it for being weak, predictable, and poorly written. Characters are often described as lacking depth or being unlikable, and the dialogue can feel awkward or poorly translated. Overall, while some players appreciate the story's potential and artistic presentation, many feel it falls short of expectations, making it a less compelling aspect of the game.
“The story is actually pretty cool... it's a mix of sci-fi and medieval fantasy... like almost a Phantasy Star kind of setting?”
“Just finished the game, it's a great game with a great story, the skills are cool and the enemies are diverse and challenging.”
“Story keeps players attached to the game, yet does not bombard us with 'wall of texts'; it is also not confusing nor enigmatic.”
“The story is barely there and the characters range from 'meh' to actively unlikable.”
“However, the story falls flat and jumps between very reasonable English translations and periods wherein you're certain that all of your base are belong to them.”
“Weak, contrived plot (even by JRPG standards).”
- graphics26 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the charming and beautiful art style reminiscent of titles like "Bastion" and "Child of Light." While some players appreciate the originality and quality of the artwork, others criticize the simplistic map design and a mobile game-like aesthetic in combat graphics. Overall, the visuals are highlighted as a major draw, contributing significantly to the game's appeal despite some inconsistencies.
“The artwork is really well made.”
“Charming visuals.”
“Initially, I love this game because the graphics are stunningly beautiful and the story is interesting.”
“Simplistic map design, terrible reliance on unnecessary backtracking, and a low budget fanservice art style.”
“The combat graphics are odd and mobile gamey.”
“Graphics (cut-scenes & in-game) is superb.”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the straightforward turn-based mechanics and nostalgic RPG elements, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and inconsistent, particularly in combat and crafting systems. While some find the battle mechanics fun and engaging, others feel that the gameplay lacks depth and can be tedious, leading to frustration. Overall, the game appeals to casual gamers but may not satisfy those seeking more innovative or challenging gameplay experiences.
“The gameplay is pretty straightforward, the rules of combat easy to comprehend.”
“Great story, fun gameplay.”
“Excellent graphics and addictive gameplay.”
“One thing that I couldn't get behind gameplay-wise, however, was the crafting system.”
“Starts out with a unique setting but quickly becomes very vanilla combined with the tedious and boring gameplay, simply making the game not worth it.”
“Sadly, the mechanics are so horrible that I can't see the ending, as the last boss is a torture that requires real-life luck to finish; you will not see the ending.”
- music12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it generic and uninspiring, while others praise it as beautiful and complementary to the game's art. Overall, the soundtrack is described as either lackluster or a highlight, indicating a divide in player experience regarding its impact on the game.
“Amazing art with complimentary music and sound effects.”
“Great art concept with a beautiful soundtrack!”
“The soundtrack is seriously beautiful!”
“Repetitive, uninspiring combat and some of the most generic music I've heard in any game.”
“The music was definitely a thing that existed, but I wouldn't be able to describe it to you.”
“Music and sound are very lackluster.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game begins with a unique setting, it quickly falls into a repetitive and tedious grind that detracts from the overall experience. However, players note that the difficulty is well-balanced, providing a satisfying challenge for those willing to engage in some level of grinding, making it a decent option for budget-conscious JRPG fans.
“Starts out with a unique setting but quickly becomes very vanilla; combined with the tedious and boring gameplay, it simply makes the game not worth it.”
“The difficulty is near perfect; definitely not easy, but not too hard to frustrate as long as you don't mind a little grinding.”
“It's a good challenge JRPG game (if you're not level grinding) with a low price.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent glitches such as disappearing scenery and control malfunctions that often require force-closing the game. While some glitches are minor, the overall experience is marred by these persistent problems, leading to a lack of recommendation in its current state.
“There's also plenty of glitches - small stuff, mostly, like half the scenery blinking in and out of existence, but there are supposedly also far nastier issues around, according to what I've seen on the board.”
“However, I cannot recommend it in its current state due to the sheer number of times I've had to force close the game due to glitches (most commonly, the controls becoming disabled post-battle).”
“Buggy.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is reported to be poorly optimized, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall experience.
“The game feels rather poorly optimized.”
“Performance issues make it hard to enjoy the gameplay.”
“Frequent frame drops and long loading times hinder the overall experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highlighted by its impressive artwork and character design, which many players consider the primary motivation for engaging with the game.
“The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel personal and impactful.”
“The backstories and growth of each character are so well-crafted that it keeps me invested in their fates.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers indicate that the game lacks significant replayability due to the absence of new game plus modes and difficulty options, resulting in limited incentives to replay once completed.
“There is no New Game Plus and no difficulty options, so the replay value is quite limited.”
“Once you finish the game, there isn't much incentive to play through it again.”
“The lack of variety in gameplay makes it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
