Beloved Rapture
- October 7, 2024
- Rapturous Studio
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Beloved Rapture" is a mid-length retro-style JRPG that focuses on storytelling, exploring themes of trauma, friendship, existentialism, and LGBTQ+ experiences. The game features turn-based combat with six playable characters, dynamic battles, and no random encounters. With a focus on exploration, players can discover riches, loot, and mini-games as they journey through Johan's conflict in a world beyond his comprehension.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The pixel art and graphics are stunning, reminiscent of classic SNES RPGs, and the attention to detail in the environments is impressive.
- The combat system is engaging and offers a nostalgic turn-based experience, with a good balance of challenge and strategy.
- The story is intriguing and features well-developed characters, with a rich narrative that keeps players invested throughout the game.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, particularly in the later chapters, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences.
- The pacing of the story feels rushed towards the end, with many plot points left unresolved and heavy-handed reveals that detract from the overall experience.
- Quality of life features are lacking, such as unclear maps, inconsistent dialogue, and a general lack of polish that makes navigation and questing cumbersome.
- story152 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging and rich, while others criticize its heavy-handed reveals and plot holes. Some appreciate the concise pacing and immersive world-building, though a few note that the character development feels lacking or homogenized. Overall, the narrative is described as intriguing with mature themes, but it may not resonate with everyone, particularly those seeking deeper storytelling.
“Very great game so far! I'm enjoying the entire experience; the story has grabbed me right from the beginning and now I'm totally invested.”
“The story flow constantly moves at the perfect pace, giving the player endless character and story developments, blended perfectly with exploration, puzzles, secrets, and combat.”
“Beyond that, however, beloved rapture manages to tell a complex if dark story with interesting characters, unexpected twists, and great world-building.”
“To say there are glaring plot holes is the least of our worries though.”
“This story doesn't really have any redeeming qualities at its conclusion.”
“But it’s all in service of a very mediocre and underwhelming story, so ultimately, I cannot recommend this game.”
- music48 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely praised for its nostalgic SNES-inspired sound, with many reviewers highlighting its engaging and immersive quality. The soundtrack is described as a standout feature, with memorable battle themes and emotional scores that enhance the overall experience, making it a favorite among players. Overall, the music complements the beautiful pixel art and storytelling, contributing to a cohesive and captivating atmosphere.
“The battle themes will have you banging your head, the exploration songs will fill you with wonder and excitement to explore, the emotional scenes will grip at your heartstrings, and the villages and cities are filled with personality and atmosphere.”
“Many of the songs deserve to be heralded right next to the greatest classic soundtracks of all time.”
“The story arc together with the stunning pixel art and 16-bit soundscape (including a great and fitting soundtrack) form a cohesive, exciting, and unique experience.”
“Well... I certainly like the graphics and music.”
“Didn't encounter a single bug, etc. The soundtrack and art style are nice.”
“This has instantly shot up to one of my favorite soundtracks of all time.”
- graphics42 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beautiful retro pixel-art style, reminiscent of the SNES era, with well-designed characters and environments that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the stunning sprite animations and the dynamic feel of each map, showcasing the developers' passion and effort. While some users noted occasional bugs and performance issues, the overall visual presentation remains a highlight of the game.
“The design of the monsters and characters is very reminiscent of the Dragon Quest games, and the pixel graphics are very pleasing to look at.”
“The art style is reminiscent of the 16-bit SNES era, and the effort and love put into this is evident.”
“The graphics are absolutely beautiful, from the sprite animation and battles to the carefully crafted environments that feel so dynamic, giving each map its own unique feel and vibe.”
“The game was released pretty buggy with crashes, hard locks that required alt-F4, graphical errors and collision errors, player inventory bugs, combat bugs, lag, and frames struggle to render on the old engine. I make it sound terrible, but the devs are actively working to fix reported issues.”
“Some character lines were very unnatural sounding given the game's aesthetic, but even that is fine if you want to polish it with a more modern-sounding style; just it wasn't consistently implemented.”
“Didn't encounter a single bug, etc. The soundtrack and art style is nice.”
- gameplay32 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as elegant and enjoyable, featuring deep characters and a fun, purposeful experience, though it suffers from untested mechanics and some clunkiness typical of RPG Maker games. While the writing and pixel art are praised, the gameplay lacks the complexity and polish found in more advanced titles, leading to occasional bugs and a sense of simplicity in combat strategies. Overall, it offers a charming indie JRPG experience, albeit with notable limitations.
“Gameplay is elegant and provides for a charming, enjoyable time.”
“The characters are deep, the gameplay is fun without being overwhelmingly complex and everything feels like it has a purpose.”
“The writing is great and digestible, the pixel art is astounding, and the gameplay is really a masterclass in understanding that 'anything is possible'.”
“Mechanically, 80% of it feels untested.”
“A few rough things in the UI and gameplay based on GameMaker limitations.”
“The game is an indie retro JRPG made with RPGMaker — if you've played other games built with this engine, you'll pretty much know the basic mechanics and some of the clunkiness and occasional bugs stemming from it.”
- stability13 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 85 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for being buggy and prone to crashes, particularly towards the end, with issues like hardlocks, graphical errors, and combat bugs reported. However, some players have noted that it runs well on specific platforms like the Steam Deck, and the developers are actively working to address these issues. Overall, while the core gameplay is enjoyable, it is recommended to wait for patches before diving in fully.
“The game runs great on the Steam Deck (OLED) without any tinkering, and can be limited to 60 Hz, 5 W TDP, and 400 MHz GPU without any detriment.”
“The game was released pretty buggy with crashes, hard locks that required alt-F4, graphical errors and collision errors, player inventory bugs, combat bugs, lag, and frames struggle to render on the old engine. I make it sound terrible, but the devs are actively working to fix reported issues.”
“Buggy, sluggish, clunky, and easy to glitch out and get stuck.”
“Glitches/bugs: I have had one audio glitch which crashed my game, but otherwise been fine.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the lack of grinding in the game, noting that exploration is rewarding due to the abundance of chests filled with meaningful loot. This design choice allows for a more engaging experience without the need for repetitive tasks, making encounters feel worthwhile and the game accessible without resorting to casual modes.
“Chests, chests everywhere... and each contains meaningful loot, making exploration rewarding and not tedious.”
“So yeah, no grinding required whatsoever, and no need to play on the casual mode.”
“I have a natural tendency to take every encounter I come across, and by the end, without any grinding, the game was way too easy.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game masterfully blends lighthearted wonder and nostalgia with profound emotional depth, creating a unique experience that resonates deeply with players. The music enhances this emotional journey, with battle themes energizing players and exploration tracks evoking a sense of adventure, while poignant scenes tug at the heartstrings. Overall, the rich atmosphere of the game's settings further amplifies its emotional impact.
“It's hard to describe how masterfully the developers have melded the lighthearted feelings of wonder, nostalgia, and fun with the deepest cutting shock and emotional turmoil I have seen in a JRPG in over a decade.”
“The battle themes will have you banging your head, the exploration songs will fill you with wonder and excitement to explore, the emotional scenes will grip at your heartstrings, and the villages and cities are filled with personality and atmosphere.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of character dialogue is criticized for its overuse of ellipses, which detracts from the natural flow of conversation; more appropriate punctuation like exclamation marks or straightforward speech would enhance clarity and realism.
“Characters use ellipses when stuttering, repetition, exclamation, or even just speaking without pause would be more appropriate.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game largely stems from the absurdly inept behavior of the monsters, which lack basic AI features like line of sight or awareness, leading to comically ridiculous situations where players can stand directly in front of them without being noticed. This intentional design choice adds a layer of comedic charm, reminiscent of classic RPGs.
“The monsters are hilariously dumb; they didn't even program in line of sight or monster awareness into the game, which has been an easy thing to do since RPG Maker 2000. Even tons of free games have it, but here you can stand right in front of a monster, and unless they touch you, you are ignored.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its engaging battle themes that energize players, exploration music that inspires curiosity, and emotionally impactful scenes that resonate deeply. Additionally, the vibrant villages and cities contribute a rich sense of personality and immersion to the overall experience.
“The battle themes will have you banging your head, the exploration songs will fill you with wonder and excitement to explore, the emotional scenes will grip at your heartstrings, and the villages and cities are filled with personality and atmosphere.”
