Sojourner
- July 17, 2017
- Madison Squirrel
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"Sojourner" is a single-player Role Playing Game filled with humor, offering a 20-hour playtime. It pays homage to classic NES RPGs like Mother, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Legend of Zelda, while adding modern gameplay elements and quirky style. Create and customize your party from 10 classes, and explore a vast fantasy universe full of secrets, sidequests, and epic adventures.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Sojourner offers a charming and humorous experience reminiscent of classic JRPGs, with a well-crafted story and engaging gameplay mechanics.
- The game features a variety of character classes and encourages multiple playthroughs, providing significant replay value and customization options.
- Despite its retro graphics, the game is praised for its quality art, decent music, and a heartfelt message, making it a delightful homage to old-school RPGs.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as class balance and difficulty spikes, can be frustrating, particularly with the lack of forgiving death mechanics and uneven class strengths.
- The game suffers from typical RPG Maker flaws, including poorly balanced damage calculations and random encounter mechanics that can detract from the overall experience.
- While the humor and self-awareness are appreciated, some players feel that the game could benefit from more polish and refinement in its design and graphics.
- story15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story is described as cute and fun, drawing inspiration from classic RPGs like Dragon Quest, with a positive and optimistic message that contrasts with darker modern narratives. Players appreciate the high-quality artwork and music, as well as the engaging world and character interactions, particularly during significant battles. However, some reviewers note that while the story is enjoyable, gameplay issues detract from the overall experience, highlighting a disconnect between narrative and mechanics.
“The storyline is cute and fun to experience, and the game was clearly a labor of love from its developer, Michael Squirrel.”
“But this game's world and story are simple, yet during each of the three big fights, there's a long talk between you and the 'villain' for the act, leading to a very interesting and thought-provoking narrative on the nature of just how things are.”
“But this game's world and story are simple, and during each of the three big fights (since there are 3 major sections of the game), there's a long talk between you and the 'villain' for the act, leading to a very interesting and thought-provoking narrative on the nature of just how things are.”
“The story is fairly light, but its message of positivity and optimism is a welcome change from the modern trend of overly complex meta stories.”
“The downside of that is the game boasts some old-school Dragon Quest difficulty spikes.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, with players noting that it elicits genuine laughter through self-aware writing and charming characters. The humor is described as both nostalgic and clever, effectively riffing on classic RPG tropes while maintaining a balance of accessibility for newcomers and veterans alike. Overall, the game's witty dialogue and earnest approach contribute to a delightful and entertaining experience.
“This game legitimately made me laugh out loud several times and scratched the Dragon Warrior 1/Final Fantasy 1/Ultima 1 itch I didn't even realize I had.”
“With plenty of humor and humility, the developer riffs on classic games by providing a unique party system and quality of life features.”
“The writing is funny and feels honest and truthful while playing on ideas of morality and responsibility in a fantasy world setting.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are intentionally retro, evoking nostalgia for classic NES titles, which some players find charming despite their low quality. While the artwork is generally high quality, there is a consensus that the graphics could benefit from additional polish to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a quirky aspect that adds to the game's wholesome and addictive nature.
“The artwork is high quality, the music is more than decent, and the storyline is cute.”
“Overall, this is a great game with intentionally bad graphics that I kind of adore.”
“I think the only thing the game needs is a special edition, with a bit more polish to some of the graphics.”
“The music and the graphics are done in the style of the old NES games that many of us millennials loved.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of experiences, with some players finding the class-changing system confusing due to a lack of clarity on skill acquisition. While some criticize certain core features as unenjoyable, others appreciate the depth, humor, and strategic elements of the combat, particularly praising the customizable playstyle and the helpful "auto" mode for those less interested in combat mechanics. Overall, the game offers a balanced difficulty that caters to both newcomers and veterans of the JRPG genre.
“Instead, I got a rather charming and earnest RPG with humorous writing, good gameplay depth, and a fair difficulty pace for newcomers and JRPG veterans alike.”
“The mechanics are interesting and the playstyle is customizable, so I had to do a fair amount of strategizing to defeat the final boss, which actually felt like a huge accomplishment.”
“If players want to turn off a core gameplay feature, that’s a sign it shouldn’t be there in the first place. You get the ability to change classes like in Dragon Quest III, but despite being advised to wait until you get all the skills for a class first (since they transfer), the game gives you no way of knowing when you’ve obtained the final skill for a class.”
“For every flavor-of-the-month tryhard meta product, and for every 50 puzzle-based exploration games, one RPG Maker game gets a good story, good pacing, consistent worldbuilding, and, most importantly, tight gameplay.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and nostalgic NES-inspired style, complementing the cute storyline and overall artistic presentation. Reviewers note that the soundtrack reflects a great deal of care and thoughtfulness, enhancing the gaming experience.
“The artwork is high quality, the music is more than decent, and the storyline is cute.”
“It's paired with okay graphics and a great soundtrack that clearly has a lot of love and forethought.”
“The music and the graphics are done in the style of the old NES games that many of us millennials loved.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game evokes a strong emotional response through its heartwarming narrative and genuine absurdity, despite its nostalgic graphics. Players find it both touching and fun, highlighting its ability to create a memorable and engaging experience.
“Though the tone is overall absurdist, there is a genuineness to everything I found really touching.”
“If you did, you'd be missing out on a heartwarming, fourth-wall shattering, and just straight-up fun 8-bit JRPG.”
“Wholesome and addicting, once you get past a set of graphics that only nostalgia could love.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to the option to choose from a variety of different classes at the start, encouraging players to experience diverse gameplay styles.
“There is a lot of replay value here because you can start as one of many different classes.”
“Each playthrough feels unique due to the diverse choices and paths available.”
“The game encourages multiple runs with its branching storylines and varied character builds.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replaying it feel tedious rather than exciting.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
“The limited variety in quests and environments makes replayability a chore.”
