The Initial

About

The Initial is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Restory Studio and was released on September 18, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

THE INITIAL is a hyper action game about pretty schoolgirls battling against evil. It's developed by a small team of five developers. We hope you will love this game as much as we do.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 195 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

story10 negative mentions

Fast-paced and fun hack and slash gameplay with solid combat mechanics.
Visually appealing graphics and character designs, especially for an indie title.
Great soundtrack that complements the action and enhances the overall experience.

Lack of controller support and awkward key bindings make gameplay frustrating.
Repetitive enemy types and environments lead to a lack of variety and engagement.
Camera issues and clunky mechanics detract from the overall combat experience.

story
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
74%
14%
The game's story is generally considered short, disjointed, and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that it feels more like an afterthought compared to the gameplay. While some appreciate the quirky and nonsensical elements of the plot, the overall consensus is that it fails to deliver a memorable narrative experience. Players looking for a rich story are advised to look elsewhere, as the focus is primarily on hack-and-slash gameplay rather than storytelling.
- “The story is short but focused; the combat can be repetitive but satisfying and mechanically fun.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the plot is interesting.”
- “But the wacky anime story kept me playing to see what would happen next, and the beautiful character models and fluid animations gave me something nice to look at while I did.”
- “There was a bare-bones plot that could have potentially developed more, but the game is extremely short.”
- “The story is short and not very interesting.”
- “Characters are utterly lifeless and the plot is flat.”
gameplay
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
61%
14%
The gameplay is characterized by fast-paced, satisfying combat mechanics that are easy to master, making it enjoyable for players looking for a hack-and-slash experience. However, it suffers from some clunky mechanics, unbalanced elements, and repetitive gameplay, which may detract from the overall experience. While the visuals and soundtrack are praised, the game lacks depth and content, leading to mixed feelings about its value.
- “I had a blast playing this hack'n'slash game; fast-paced gameplay, looks good, great soundtrack, and overall very fun!”
- “The gameplay is exactly what it needs to be: fast, fun, and exciting!”
- “The core gameplay focuses on fast-paced combat which delivers satisfying action.”
- “You know it's a horrid design when easy isn't easy, you can't play through it, and from stage 1 it's nothing but a worthless stacking of the gaming industry's worst mechanics ever.”
- “Gameplay stumbles in a couple of ways.”
- “I hate the boring gameplay.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
48%
7%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful anime art style and character design, as well as the appealing attack animations. However, some critics note that the environments lack detail and immersion, describing them as basic and primarily functional for combat. Overall, while the graphics are considered good for the game's budget, they do not reach the level of high-end titles, and issues like frame rate drops and bugs detract from the experience.
- “The graphics are beautiful and the plot interesting.”
- “The graphics are beyond amazing, and realistically you should buy the game just for them.”
- “To conclude, 'the initial' is a fun action-packed game, with beautiful graphics and fluid combat mechanics.”
- “Input lag aside, did you guys even test out the graphics options?”
- “Graphically, there's not a lot here, in terms of assets.”
- “The visuals mainly serve to set up the action, as pretty much all locations are basically just rooms for you to fight in.”
music
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
42%
10%
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and uplifting soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience, especially during gameplay. However, some players note that the limited variety of tracks can lead to repetitiveness, and the absence of sound effects or voiceovers during combat detracts from the overall audio experience. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the soundtrack is a standout feature, making it worth exploring further.
- “Great soundtrack and visual theme.”
- “The music is sweet - especially the menu theme is so uplifting and nostalgic at the same time.”
- “I had a blast playing this hack'n'slash game, fast-paced gameplay, looks good, great soundtrack and overall very fun!”
- “Muting the game does nothing; even after getting my eardrums blasted out when starting up the game and putting all the volume to 0, I still had music and sound effects.”
- “The music is probably meant to mask this but ends up somehow making it even more noticeable.”
- “I can't say I'd want to buy the soundtrack, though.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it infinitely replayable due to extra modes and challenging boss fights, others feel that the short story and limited replay options lead to repetitiveness after completion. The appeal of different difficulty levels offers some replay value, but not all players are inclined to engage with them.
- “It also has some extra modes (playing as the bosses!) for the extra replay value.”
- “Boss fights can be challenging, especially on higher difficulty, and challenge modes offer a decent amount of replayability.”
- “For the price, the story is kind of short, but the replayability more or less makes up for that.”
- “Limited replayability; once the game is completed, starting a new game becomes repetitive.”
- “I know that there is some replay value in playing the other difficulties, but not everyone is necessarily going to do that or want to do a replay.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, with a lack of engaging content leading to monotonous combat experiences. The necessity of grinding for leveling and gear is highlighted as a major drawback, making the overall gameplay feel repetitive and uninspired.
- “No grinding means no leveling, no gear, and no complex quests: just kill, destroy, and move to the next stage.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “While the combat isn't entirely terrible, it probably couldn't be more tedious.”
- “Ordinary combat is boring, and the boss battles are tedious, with attack patterns happening with no rhyme or reason.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally good, with smooth performance and improved camera tracking following an update. However, players feel that further optimization is needed to enhance the experience fully.
- “Good performance from start to finish.”
- “After the update, the camera is much smoother and keeps track of the player, but it's not fully optimized.”
- “I think it should be optimized further in the game.”
- “I think the game should be optimized better.”
- “You can buy skills through a point system based on your fighting performance.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development is highlighted through beautiful graphics and unique designs, though some players feel that the designs may be unconventional, particularly for those unfamiliar with anime aesthetics. While the character designs are appreciated, there is a desire for more interactive gameplay that allows players to embody these characters.
- “I really liked the character designs throughout, but it would have been nice to play as them too.”
- “Character design is a little weird, but that might just be because it seems anime-inspired and I don't watch a lot of anime.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The monetization model is praised for its transparency, as there are no DLCs or microtransactions, indicating a player-friendly approach that avoids exploitative practices.
- “There's no DLC, no microtransactions; they're not trying to screw you over.”
- “The game offers a fair monetization model that respects players' time and investment.”
- “I appreciate that the developers focus on delivering a complete experience without pushing for additional purchases.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more than they should to enjoy the game fully.”
- “I was disappointed to find that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending money.”
- “The constant prompts to purchase in-game currency really detract from the overall experience and make it feel like a cash grab.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's level design effectively transitions players through various rooms, each with distinct atmospheres, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
- “The level design involves walking and flying from one room to the next, but they did a great job of changing the atmosphere between locations.”
- “The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
- “Each area has its own unique vibe, contributing to a rich and varied atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the game's emotional engagement, noting a lack of meaningful reactions during interactions, which diminishes the overall experience. The difficulty spikes in gameplay also contribute to feelings of disappointment and emotional fatigue, leading some players to abandon the game altogether.
- “I'm talking about the faces; how could you not have an emotional reaction when you are talking to someone with an emotional voice?”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its intentionally poor translations, which feature amusing grammatical errors and Google Translate mishaps that players find entertaining.
- “By the way, the translations are hilariously bad.”
- “You can get a kick out of those if you find bad grammar and Google Translate mishaps funny.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report a smooth experience with no noticeable glitches, others encounter significant issues such as choppy frame rates, gamepad malfunctions, and occasional crashes, particularly upon exiting. The lack of ongoing support from developers may contribute to these stability problems.
- “Unfortunately, the devs abandoned this game to focus on an upcoming sequel, and it shows here. The visuals themselves do look good and the gameplay, centering on attractive high school girls using various weapons to beat up enemy school girls, robots, etc., is fun, but there are too many debilitating bugs at times. The graphics are excellent, but the frame rate is choppy at times. There have been instances where my gamepad suddenly stops working, and occasionally the game freezes briefly (my laptop more than meets requirements). When quitting the game, it even crashes while exiting.”