To Aerthen

About

"To Aerthen" is a light-hearted RPG inspired by classics like Lunar 2 and Final Fantasy 3. Join Zephyr and a cast of colorful characters on a quest to defeat the Voidlord and uncover secrets. With a focus on humorous storytelling and engaging battles, it's the perfect palate cleanser for those seeking a break from heavy, dramatic narratives.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 16 reviews

story5 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game modernizes classic JRPG elements while retaining the charm and challenge of older titles, offering a balanced experience with diverse character builds and equipment.
Combat is engaging with impactful buffs, debuffs, and a variety of unique mechanics, allowing for strategic gameplay and exploration of optional content.
The retro aesthetics and light-hearted tone, combined with the ability to run from encounters and save anywhere, create a nostalgic yet accessible experience for players.

The writing and character development are weak, with repetitive dialogue and a lack of meaningful growth or variety in character interactions.
Dungeons can be overly complex and winding, leading to frustration, especially when combined with limited direction and a lack of a world map.
While the humor is intended to be light-hearted, it often feels forced and can detract from the overall experience, making dialogue feel tedious over time.

story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The story in this game is characterized by a light-hearted, comedic tone reminiscent of classic JRPGs, featuring a mix of bickering party dynamics and a somewhat generic fantasy narrative. While it offers amusing dialogues and a wealth of optional content, the plot lacks depth and coherence, often feeling like a series of goals rather than a compelling tale. Overall, the narrative is entertaining but may not satisfy those seeking a more serious or intricate storyline.
- “The closest thing I can compare the story to is 'what if we take the comedy aspects of Slayers but apply it to JRPGs,' in that folks know what's going on (semi-genre savvy), but still play it straight.”
- “Chock full of story and optional dungeons (which always contain highly worthwhile treasure as well as a good mix of unique background art/tiles/layouts), good music, a solid difficulty curve that keeps you on your toes but isn't overwhelming nor encourages mindless grinding to deal with it due to plenty of ways of different ways to build your eight characters (each with their own strengths and weaknesses), and a solid narrative that never treats itself (and especially the characters within) too seriously to scratch that modern classic-inspired RPG fix quite nicely.”
- “- light-hearted story with a lot of funny dialogues.”
- “It seems like their next game has withdrawn away from telling a more direct story, which may be for the better.”
- “Not the most generic fantasy RPG story, but a lot of it is pretty close, and the creative bits don't actually make any sense.”
- “Overall an interesting game, kind of cute, nothing too crazy on story though (the comedic aspects of it are okay but get tiring sometimes and get in the way of any kind of epic tale or experience).”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of standard RPG mechanics and engaging combat, featuring impactful buffs and debuffs that reduce repetitive button mashing. While the game offers a fun exploration experience with loot and a decent balance of gear and enemy strength, it lacks depth in story and replay value, providing around 10 to 15 hours of playtime with limited post-game content. Overall, it appeals to fans of old-school comedy JRPGs with its charming aesthetics and modern mechanics.
- “Great writing, interesting characters, and fun gameplay.”
- “[b]Combat:[/b] impactful buffs, debuffs, and unique mechanics take a lot of button mashing out of the formula.”
- “Overall an interesting game, kind of cute, nothing too crazy on story though (the comedic aspects of it are ok but get tiring sometimes and get in the way of any kind of epic tale or experience) but has a decently balanced gameplay experience.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it lacks depth and variety, making it feel repetitive after a while.”
- “10 to 15 hours of gameplay, not much in the way of replay value or post-game content, just a few optional dungeons before the final boss.”
- “- RPG mechanics and balance are very standard fare; while the balance remains 'good enough' throughout the game, it doesn't offer anything particularly innovative.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The graphics of the game are praised for their nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic, reminiscent of classic NES titles, which appeals to fans of retro JRPGs. While the visuals utilize prepackaged assets, they are of high quality and effectively complement the game's old-school charm and modern mechanics. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's overall experience, especially for those who appreciate the genre's classic style.
- “The aesthetics nail the 8-bit-esque vibes to a T.”
- “It has reassuringly retro visuals - the combat screen will be very familiar to JRPG fans of a certain age.”
- “If you like epic old-school comedy JRPGs with lots of loot, 8-bit aesthetics, and modern mechanics (thanks to RPG Maker MV), I can fully recommend this game to you.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a light-hearted tone and numerous funny dialogues, making it an engaging experience. While some players appreciate the comedic elements and the portrayal of a god indifferent to mortal concerns, others feel that the humor can be overly forced at times, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Yeah, I do think it can be funny to be someone who essentially is a god running around and not caring about mortal affairs.”
- “Unlike your typical fantasy RPG fare, it has quite a lot of jokes and funny situations, character conflicts, etc., and makes it really interesting to play through.”
- “- Light-hearted story with a lot of funny dialogues.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in this game is presented as a strategic choice rather than a necessity, with players able to manage action and equipment to navigate challenges effectively. The game offers a rich narrative and diverse character builds, allowing for various approaches to combat without the need for excessive grinding. While late-game encounters can be tough, players have the option to flee or adjust their strategies, making grinding feel optional and rewarding rather than obligatory.
- “Grinding is a choice - with good composition, action management, or just learning the fights beforehand and reconfiguring your equipment, I don't see anywhere that's a true 'wall.'”
- “More or less general monster encounters can potentially be deadly in late game, but you can also run away from any encounter, and gear and party adjustment can change how you deal with monsters if you are grinding for drops/experience.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is generally well-received, contributing positively to the overall experience, though some users note it can feel imbalanced at times. It complements the engaging narrative and diverse character builds, enhancing the game's modern classic RPG feel.
- “Chock full of story and optional dungeons (which always contain highly worthwhile treasure as well as a good mix of unique background art/tiles/layouts), good music, a solid difficulty curve that keeps you on your toes but isn't overwhelming nor encourages mindless grinding to deal with it due to plenty of ways of different ways to build your eight characters (each with their own strengths and weaknesses), and a solid narrative that never treats itself (and especially the characters within) too seriously to scratch that modern classic-inspired RPG fix quite nicely.”
- “My one note is that the music does seem a tad imbalanced.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players note that while characters can be optimized for high damage output, the extent of this optimization can lead to some absurd results, suggesting a balance issue in character performance.
- “Even normal characters can be optimized for absurd damage.”
- “The optimization options available allow for a deep level of customization.”
- “I love how the game encourages players to experiment with different builds for maximum efficiency.”
- “The optimization system feels unbalanced, making it too easy to achieve absurd damage with even normal characters.”
- “I find the optimization mechanics frustrating; they seem to favor certain builds while neglecting others.”
- “The lack of meaningful optimization options leads to a repetitive gameplay experience.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers 10 to 15 hours of gameplay but lacks significant replay value, with limited post-game content primarily consisting of a few optional dungeons before the final boss.
- “10 to 15 hours of gameplay, but there isn't much in the way of replay value or post-game content, aside from a few optional dungeons before the final boss.”
- “Once you complete the game, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
- “The lack of diverse choices and outcomes makes replaying the game feel redundant.”