Wind Child
- March 18, 2016
- Valkyria Games
"Wind Child: Valkyria" is an action-packed RPG set in a fantasy world with Norse mythology elements. As a warrior chosen by the wind, players must navigate vast open fields, explore dungeons, and defeat powerful enemies. The game offers a variety of character customization options and strategic combat, providing a challenging and immersive experience.
Reviews
- The game features an engaging story with interesting characters and witty dialogue that can be quite humorous.
- Players appreciate the visible enemy encounters, allowing for strategic exploration and avoidance of battles.
- The game has a unique art style and soundtrack that sets it apart from typical RPG Maker games, providing a refreshing experience.
- The combat system is slow and unengaging, with many players finding it tedious and lacking challenge.
- The game suffers from numerous design flaws, including poor tile configuration that allows players to skip content and navigate through walls.
- The story ends on a cliffhanger without a satisfying conclusion, leaving many plot threads unresolved and frustrating players.
- story92 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and intriguing, particularly appreciating the character development and plot twists. However, many criticize the pacing, frequent interruptions for cutscenes, and an unfinished narrative that detracts from the overall experience. While some enjoy the depth and complexity of the story, others feel it suffers from poor design choices and a lack of coherence, leaving them unsatisfied.
“The premise of the story is that a young girl with mysterious parentage must rescue her kidnapped friend and runs into trouble against a powerful wizard, among other things, along the way.”
“You get a good story of finding an abducted childhood friend against the backdrop of a world-scale conflict and ancient genocide, along with a good party of friends to help you.”
“The story is satisfying, and dialogue between characters discusses the various plot twists encountered, as well as the characters' reactions.”
“Just when the game's plot seems like it's coming to a head, the pacing grinds to an absolute halt while telling you the story is to be continued.”
“When it came to the actual story, it failed to hold my attention after the constant stopping of gameplay for little cutscenes.”
“The story is really thin and teenager-like.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics in this RPG Maker game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the detailed character design and spell effects, while others criticize the low-quality engine that struggles with fullscreen and lacks HD support. The pixel art style is seen as unremarkable by some, and there are notable pathing issues and graphic errors that detract from the experience. Overall, while some elements are appreciated, the graphics may not meet the expectations of dedicated modern PC gamers.
“The spell graphics were new to me and were nicer than usual, if not a bit lengthy.”
“Graphic is really nice; maps and models are detailed and look really well.”
“This game has nice graphics and well thought out character design where you can control a team of 5 characters, each with unique elemental skills.”
“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.”
“The game uses a pixel art style and at worst, the graphics are as interesting as a blank wall.”
“Graphics and music are also somewhat average.”
- music24 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as a mixed bag, with some tracks being genuinely enjoyable and serene, while others feel generic and uninteresting. Many players noted the lack of music during exploration, which detracted from the overall experience, although the soundtrack during key moments, like boss fights, was praised. Overall, while the music may not stand out in every aspect, it complements the game's strong narrative and character development.
“Great plot/characters, lots of funny scenes, music at boss fight was awesome!”
“I always liked soundtracks in RPG Maker games and I really enjoyed this one, too.”
“But at the same time, hard to explain, good story (dialog you can actually read, not rush to skip), music that is not RPG Maker re-hash music, and art that is not in other RPG Maker games.”
“The music is equal in quality, ranging from generic and uninteresting to genuinely comfortable and serene.”
“The majority of the game has no music while walking, not even generic RPG Maker music.”
“Graphics and music are also somewhat average.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as solid but linear, with turn-based mechanics and an engaging plot that some players found well-paced. However, frequent interruptions for cutscenes detracted from the overall experience, and the low-quality pixel art was criticized. Overall, it received a mixed reception, with some aspects needing improvement.
“If you like heavy dialogue, turn-based gaming mechanics, an intriguing story, and characters that are in no way false.”
“The gameplay is linear, and the plot is engaging and well-paced.”
“Like most RPG Maker shovelware and asset flips, the game features extremely low quality copy-pasted 2D retro pixel art, looks awful, and has even worse gameplay.”
“When it came to the actual story, it failed to hold my attention after the constant stopping of gameplay for little cutscenes.”
“While from a gameplay standpoint the game itself is solid, there are still some things that could be improved upon.”
- humor14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate the witty dialogue and funny scenes that contribute to character growth and social commentary, others find much of the humor forced and painful to endure. Despite the mixed reception, there are moments that successfully elicit laughter, particularly during boss fights and character interactions. Overall, the comedic elements vary significantly in effectiveness, leading to a divided opinion among players.
“This had plenty of adventure, humor, and character growth.”
“A lot of it made me laugh.”
“And the dialogue is quite witty and really funny at times.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of "Wind Child" is heavily criticized as a cash grab, with a price point of around $7 deemed unjustifiable given the game's numerous defects and reliance on low-quality, stock assets. Reviewers express frustration over the lack of genuine development, labeling it as shovelware that detracts from the reputation of amateur developers. Overall, the game is seen as unworthy of its cost, especially when compared to the abundance of free, higher-quality alternatives available on Steam.
“Wind Child has the greedy, cash grab price of around $7 USD. It's not worth it given the defects and shortcomings with the product, especially considering the sheer number of completely free, much higher quality games on Steam.”
“This kind of cash grab construction kit shovelware from bad actors like Andorlea gives amateur developers a bad name.”
“It's horribly basic, riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, full of stock copy-pasted RPG Maker assets. No real game development has taken place here; this is just a cash grab, it's shovelware polluting Steam for profit.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find that grinding in the game is not tedious, with only occasional instances of excessive dialogue being noted as a minor distraction. Overall, the grinding experience is considered manageable and engaging.
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features impressive graphics and thoughtfully designed characters, allowing players to control a team of five, each possessing unique elemental skills that enhance gameplay and strategy.
“This game has nice graphics and well-thought-out character design, where you can control a team of 5 characters, each with unique elemental skills.”