To Aerthen

About

To Aerthen is a single player tactical role playing game with fantasy, anime and science fiction themes. It was developed by Ephiam and was released on August 2, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

To Aerthen is a 8-bit turn based RPG inspired by the old NES Final Fantasy games

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 19 reviews

story5 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Engaging old-school JRPG gameplay with turn-based combat and a good balance that allows for diverse party builds and strategies.
Extensive equipment and loot system that supports varied playstyles and character optimization, appealing to players who enjoy min-maxing.
Retro-style graphics and music with modern conveniences like save anywhere and high escape rates from random battles, providing a blend of nostalgia and usability.

The writing and dialogue are widely criticized for being repetitive, overly silly, and lacking character development or serious moments, leading many to skim or skip it.
High encounter rates and long, maze-like dungeons can feel tedious, especially in late game, making exploration and progression sometimes frustrating.
Story and narrative elements are shallow and inconsistent, with some players finding it generic or distracting from the gameplay experience.

story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
The story is light-hearted and comedic, focusing more on character banter than a deep or coherent plot, with many players viewing it as secondary to exploration and gameplay. While it offers a nostalgic, old-school JRPG vibe, the narrative is often generic and sometimes nonsensical, filled with recurring character dynamics that can become repetitive. Overall, the story provides some humor but is not the main draw, serving more as a backdrop to the game's engaging mechanics and optional content.
- “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 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 rather scratch that modern classic inspired RPG itch quite nicely.”
- “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.”
- “Light-hearted story with a lot of funny dialogues.”
- “- Story - 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.”
- “In my opinion, anyone playing this sort of game for the story or characters is missing the point.”
- “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
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
The gameplay offers a solid, classic JRPG experience with well-balanced turn-based combat and varied enemies that keep it engaging. It features rewarding exploration and loot, alongside good progression and gear upgrades, though the narrative focus is minimal and comedic elements may not appeal to everyone. Overall, it provides about 10-15 hours of enjoyable, if fairly standard, gameplay with limited replay value.
- “The gameplay is good, while it's your standard JRPG fare with turn-based combat, enemies feel different enough that it never goes stale.”
- “RPG mechanics and balance are very standard but remain good enough throughout the game, thanks to good ramping up. Gear gets very strong with lots of different effects, and so do enemy attacks.”
- “Overall an interesting game, kind of cute, nothing too crazy on story though, but has a decently balanced gameplay experience.”
- “10 to 15 hours gameplay, not much in the way of replay value or post game content (a few optional dungeons before the final boss).”
- “RPG mechanics and balance are very standard, but the balance remains 'good enough' throughout the game due to steady difficulty ramping; however, gear becomes very strong with various effects, as do enemy attacks.”
- “Gameplay-wise, adventurous players can find some loot to help them if they explore certain areas earlier, but this relies heavily on exploration.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The humor in the game is polarizing, with some finding its light-hearted, joke-filled story and character conflicts entertaining, while others feel it tries too hard and ultimately falls flat.
- “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.”
- “But again, it's just not funny.”
graphics
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The graphics feature retro, 8-bit NES-style visuals that evoke nostalgia for classic JRPG fans, complemented by high-quality prepackaged assets. While not groundbreaking, the art style suits the game's old-school comedic tone and gameplay, making it an excellent choice for fans of traditional JRPG aesthetics.
- “It has reassuringly retro visuals - the combat screen will be very familiar to JRPG fans of a certain age.”
- “Graphics and sound are standard but excellent, using prepackaged assets — but very high quality ones.”
- “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.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in this game is optional and well-balanced, supported by strategic action management, equipment customization, and encounter tactics rather than mandatory repetition. The difficulty curve is fair and engaging, allowing players to avoid mindless grinding through thoughtful party builds and escape options. Overall, grinding serves as a flexible choice rather than a frustrating barrier.
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music is generally good but slightly imbalanced, complementing the game's rich story and unique dungeons well. It enhances the overall experience without overpowering other elements.
- “Good music enhances the gaming experience, complementing the story and immersive gameplay.”
- “The soundtrack is well composed, fitting the mood and atmosphere of different dungeons and story moments.”
- “While the music is generally good, it seems a tad imbalanced at times.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization aspect highlights that even standard characters can be enhanced to achieve exceptionally high damage output, indicating strong potential for performance improvements through strategic customization.
- “But even normal characters can be optimized for absurd damage.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Replayability is limited, offering only 10 to 15 hours of gameplay with minimal post-game content aside from a few optional dungeons before the final boss.
- “10 to 15 hours gameplay, not much in the way of replay value or post game content (just a few optional dungeons before the final boss).”