Remnants Of Isolation

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"Remnants of Isolation" is the Grand Prize-winning game of the 2014 Indie Game Maker contest. In a world where magic is a curse, those born with it are imprisoned in a castle in an isolated dimension. When the magical barrier dissipates, a young girl escapes and teams up with a renegade mage boy to search for the truth behind the castle, her unique magic, and a way to escape. The game features a simple yet engaging storyline and retro-style graphics.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 158 reviews

story44 positive mentions

grinding18 negative mentions

The game features a unique spell fusion mechanic that encourages strategic planning and teamwork between the two characters.
The visuals and music create a beautiful and engaging atmosphere, enhancing the emotional depth of the story.
Despite its short length, the game offers a compelling narrative and character development that resonates with players.

The game can be overly punishing, with a high difficulty level that may frustrate players, especially with the lack of health restoration upon leveling up.
The story is thin and lacks depth, with limited dialogue and character development that leaves players wanting more.
The game suffers from technical issues such as lag and a lack of fullscreen support, which detracts from the overall experience.

story
138 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
65%
3%
The story centers on two characters, Celesta and Melchior, who navigate a magical castle while developing a bond amidst their quest for freedom. While the narrative is simple and occasionally lacks depth, it is complemented by strong character chemistry and engaging gameplay mechanics that enhance the overall experience. However, some players noted that the limited dialogue and reliance on environmental storytelling through notes can make the plot feel thin and confusing at times.
- “Despite the game’s short length (due to the contest’s conditions) it manages to tell a gripping story about a mysterious, mute girl who is accidentally freed from her magical prison by a mage and both have to find their way out from there.”
- “The relationship between the two leads is very sweet and is clearly the 'heart' of the story.”
- “The story is great, and the battle system requires you to chain your two characters' spells together to form amazingly useful combos.”
- “The story is messy and thin, and the combat feels hollow.”
- “The story is not particularly well told, with character motivations being kind of hard to discern and some storytelling that would have been more powerful if shown instead of told.”
- “Despite the stunning images and soothing music, the game's story pales in comparison.”
gameplay
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
68%
6%
The gameplay of "Remnants of Isolation" is highlighted by its unique battle mechanics, particularly the engaging spell fusion system that encourages strategic combinations and enhances character interactions. While the game features a short playtime of about 3-4 hours and avoids grinding, it suffers from some RPG Maker limitations, such as low-quality visuals and a lack of character variety. Overall, the integration of gameplay with narrative themes of love and teamwork adds depth, making it a solid RPG experience despite some minor flaws.
- “Remnants of Isolation is a solid RPG Maker game with an engaging narrative and unique combat mechanics.”
- “The combat mechanics using spell fusions and the character's innate abilities were very fun to play with.”
- “It's addicting to find all the combinations, and it's no arbitrary mechanic either; it's near impossible to succeed at this game without using it.”
- “Like most RPG Maker shovelware and asset flips, the game features extremely low quality copy-pasted 2D retro pixel art (or worse), looks awful, and has even worse gameplay.”
- “Gameplay is okay, but to grind monsters (which you'll never need to do since every enemy can be killed in at most 2 hits, final boss included), you have to leave the dungeon and return.”
- “- Some spell combinations are clearly inferior, or take too long to set up because of the mana mechanic.”
music
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
42%
6%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, particularly the haunting piano tracks. Some players found the soundtrack touching and integral to the game's emotional depth, while others noted that the repetitive nature of the music led to boredom over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's ambiance and emotional impact.
- “The soundtrack, piano music, is beautiful and even haunting.”
- “And the music is hauntingly beautiful, absolutely my favorite part of the game [and that's a rare thing for me].”
- “A fairly generic RPG Maker dungeon crawler using mostly base assets. I think the main characters, enemy graphics, and music are original, but for the latter, it's basically the same piano loop playing through the game.”
- “Another RPG Maker game, so I shouldn't expect much, but there are pretty good games on that engine. This one has low resolution, blurred, stretched graphics, almost no sounds other than the main music, clunky movement, and overall fails to spark interest to keep playing. Just another game on that engine.”
- “The atmosphere is fantastic and very mysterious - the music is largely responsible for that.”
graphics
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
The graphics in this RPG Maker game are a mix of original and generic assets, with colorful visuals and unique character designs that stand out despite the limitations of the engine. While some players appreciate the custom artwork and emotional atmosphere, others criticize the lack of HD support and poor fullscreen display. Overall, the visuals are described as vibrant and engaging, contributing positively to the game's narrative experience.
- “The game's strengths lie in its character-driven narrative, colorful visuals, and a combo-based battle system that requires strategic planning.”
- “It helps as well that there is some beautiful custom artwork.”
- “Remnants of Isolation is a beautiful game, not only in its stunning visuals, but in its emotional atmosphere and moving narrative.”
- “As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
- “A fairly generic RPG Maker dungeon crawler using mostly base assets. I think the main characters, enemy graphics, and music are original, but for the latter, it's basically the same piano loop playing through the game.”
- “Personal taste, but I find the art style... odd.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while the game is relatively short and does not require extensive grinding, some players found certain achievements, particularly the level 10 achievement, to be tedious and grindy. Combat can feel repetitive, but there are enjoyable mechanics like fusion spells that add depth, and players can develop strategies for efficient grinding. Overall, the game balances engaging gameplay with some grindy elements, particularly in battles and exploration.
- “I finished this game in ~7h after grinding the level 10 achievement which somehow didn't grant.”
- “Which in a game of this immersivity is just a tedious chore.”
- “Battles still feel grindy, but there's at least a little more substance than mashing your strongest abilities to win.”
character development
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
65%
21%
Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and integration with the storytelling, featuring lovely character designs and a beautiful narrative. However, some reviews note that limited dialogue and confusing plot elements hinder the overall experience, suggesting that there is still room for improvement in this area. Despite these critiques, the character designs, particularly of the female lead, are highlighted as memorable and above-average.
- “There's definitely character development in the game.”
- “Lovely character designs and art, beautiful story.”
- “While the storytelling and character development are commendable, the limited dialogue and potentially confusing plot elements leave room for improvement.”
- “But no more character development.”
- “Combat is only a minor focus compared to the story and character development.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty, emotional depth, and effective world-building, enhanced by stunning visuals and top-notch music. Reviewers highlight the mysterious and immersive qualities that draw players into the dreary yet captivating world, making the narrative more impactful for those who connect with the characters and setting. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature that significantly enriches the player experience.
- “Remnants of Isolation is a beautiful game, not only in its stunning visuals, but in its emotional atmosphere and moving narrative.”
- “This game has a really beautiful and unique atmosphere, and does a great job world-building for such a short game.”
- “The atmosphere is fantastic and very mysterious - the music is largely responsible for that.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching music and the deep, meaningful relationship between the protagonists, which feels surprisingly impactful given the limited time players spend with them. The game's stunning visuals complement its moving narrative, creating a beautiful emotional atmosphere that resonates with players.
- “The music is very touching, and the relationship between the protagonists is deep and meaningful.”
- “Remnants of Isolation is a beautiful game, not only in its stunning visuals, but in its emotional atmosphere and moving narrative.”
- “The relationship between the two main characters is heartwarming, which is pretty surprising considering the short amount of time you spend with them.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game offers limited replayability due to its linear structure, though the presence of three different endings and some hidden treasures provides a slight incentive for multiple playthroughs. While some players express concern that a second playthrough may feel repetitive, others remain eager to explore the game again. Overall, the potential for replayability is present but constrained.
- “The game's three various endings add some replayability to the game, but the game is also rather linear. I thought it worked well for this game, and there were a few treasure chests that were hidden on separate paths or guarded by monsters. For the most part, there wasn't much exploration in this game.”
- “I'm worried playing through again may be boring as this kind of game doesn't have the most replayability potential, but I'm still eager to give it another shot.”
- “The game's three various endings add some replayability to the game, but the game is also rather linear. Though I thought it worked well for this game, there were a few treasure chests that were hidden on separate paths or guarded by monsters. For the most part, there wasn't much exploration in this game.”

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4h Median play time

4h Average play time

3-4h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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