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
- The game features engaging gameplay with a fun battle mechanic and a charming art style.
- The story is interesting and provides a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic JRPGs.
- The game offers a good challenge, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- There are numerous bugs and technical issues that hinder gameplay, including unresolved coding faults and localization problems.
- The map design is simplistic and often requires excessive backtracking, which can be frustrating.
- Combat can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with some mechanics being poorly implemented or underutilized.
- story78 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and reminiscent of classic JRPGs, while others criticize it for being predictable and poorly written. Characters are often described as lacking depth, with dialogue that can feel awkward or inconsistent. Overall, while the narrative may provide a decent backdrop for gameplay, it fails to deliver a compelling or original experience, leaving many players feeling underwhelmed.
“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.”
“The story, characters, and world will all feel like familiar takes on the tropes that have defined the genre over the years.”
“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).”
- gameplay40 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a mix of traditional turn-based mechanics typical of JRPGs, with some unique features like unity attacks and a fury system. While many players appreciate the straightforward combat and exploration elements, others criticize the inconsistency of combat mechanics, tedious crafting, and a lack of innovation, leading to a perception of the gameplay as generic and sometimes frustrating. Overall, it appeals to casual gamers who enjoy classic RPGs, but may not satisfy those seeking more depth or modern design.
“I loved the gameplay, I loved the challenge, I loved the story.”
“The gameplay follows the classic JRPG model, with a global map where all discovered locations are displayed, locations divided in sections containing items, chests, secrets, fishing spots, and quest-giving NPCs.”
“As a casual gamer, I find it to be very entertaining; the graphics resemble old school RPGs, with some beautiful sketches in the cutscenes, and the game mechanics feel familiar, with some new twists such as a secret combination to unleash new strong attacks.”
“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.”
“Regardless, the final takeaway is that the story writing is abominable, and the combat and gameplay, taken alone, is way too generic and cookie-cutter to be worth the price of admission.”
- graphics36 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive a generally positive reception, with many praising the beautiful artwork and charming visuals that evoke a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic RPGs. While some critiques mention a simplistic design and a mobile game aesthetic, the overall consensus highlights the stunning quality of the graphics, particularly in cut-scenes and character design, making it a standout feature of the game.
“Great music, great graphics, and I love the unite attack system.”
“Graphically, the game looks great and runs well.”
“Graphics are amazing for 2D graphics; so far I haven't experienced a single bug either.”
“Simplistic map design, terrible reliance on unnecessary backtracking, and a low-budget fanservice art style.”
“The combat graphics are odd and mobile gamey.”
“Oh, I suppose there's a bit of originality on display - literally, since the only thing that really makes you go 'huh, you don't see that very often...' is the graphics.”
- music18 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising it as beautiful and worthy of purchase, while others find it generic and uninspiring. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for its complementarity to the game's graphics, but many describe it as average or lacking in distinctiveness.
“Great music, great graphics, and I love the unite attack system.”
“The soundtrack and sound effects are really good too.”
“The music is actually pretty great and I'd probably buy the soundtrack if they offered it for purchase on Steam.”
“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.”
“Average soundtracks and effects, without particular praise.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed bag; while some appreciate the balanced difficulty and challenge it offers, others criticize the repetitive and tedious nature of the gameplay, particularly in later dungeons that require excessive backtracking and equipment management. Overall, the grinding can detract from the initial unique setting, making the experience feel more mundane.
“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.”
“I'm pretty sure later in the game, players will change a lot of equipment, and it can be tedious to reattach the jewels.”
“Later dungeons are poorly designed (too big, tedious backtracking, feels empty).”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is notably poor, with frequent glitches such as disappearing scenery and control issues that often require players to force close the game. While some glitches are minor, the overall experience is marred by significant bugs, 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.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted to be somewhat shallow, with limited player control; however, it is still considered interesting and is complemented by great artwork and character design, making it a recommended experience despite its shortcomings.
“Even so, I still recommend this game because it has interesting character development and also decent boss fights.”
“What little control we have over character development is quite shallow.”
“The character progression feels forced and lacks meaningful choices.”
“I expected a rich narrative, but the character arcs are predictable and uninspired.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game is reported to have poor optimization, leading to performance and stability issues that detract from the overall experience.
“The game feels rather poorly optimized.”
“Performance and stability issues are prevalent throughout the game.”
“The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and crashes.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers indicate that the game lacks significant replayability due to the absence of a New Game+ mode 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 varied gameplay mechanics makes replaying the game feel tedious.”
