Type

Adventure game close to "Whack Your Boss" principle, completely made with RTP, without any external addition.

Software

RPG Maker VX Ace, trial version
Run as full stand alone.
You won't need to install any RTP or fonts.

Lifespan

One hour to one second(!)

Characters

The Hero
Your avatar inside the game. His raison d'être is to save the world. As a badly designed RPG hero, he is mute, devoid of any personnality, but always wins by the end.
This is how it is meant to be.

The Elder
Village's only NPC. He must guide the Hero to the success of his mission. He cannot fulfill any other role. But what will he do, when the Hero is proven unable to complete the quest?

Dark God
The game's Big Boss, waiting for the Hero in his dungeon. The Ultimate Being. A God among mortals. The Incarnation of Destruction. Despite all of this, he is designed to be beaten, no matter what he does, thinks or wishes. His death will bring salvation to the world.
This cannot be otherwise...

Installation

After downloading the game file, double-click on it to launch the installation process.
The game files are copied into your hard drive, in the specified directory, and nowhere else. Your terminal won't be plagued with any hidden file or any change to its core components.

To uninstall the game, use the uninstaller in the Start Programs.
You can also delete directly the game directory.

Windows only.
Testing with lUbuntu/PlayOnlLinux failed.

Game Controls

Keyboard arrow keys to move around.
Space/Enter to action/validate
Esc/X to cancel/open game menu

Playable on keyboard or low-end USB joypad.

Gameplay

The game principle is closer to the point'n click game: "Whack your Boss". The player must explore the game universe to activate all hidden cutscenes, in order to unlock the hidden ending.

In Savior, the player, through the Hero's actions, must find a way to save the world, just like in any RPG cliché. When all the possibilities have been discovered, the true ending will be offered to him. He might even discover it all by himself, if he is clever enough.

Meaning

Savior isn't a RPG, not even an adventure game in the classic meaning of it. It's more an attempt to force the player to reflect upon video games in general, and RPG in particular.

What are we looking for as a player?

Are we real heroes, after the game is completed and the credits rolling?

What would we be ready to sacrifice to save a world "for real"?

What incentive could we have to do it anyway?

Creation process

Roughtly twenty hours over a week.

Trivia

This project is a lightning-fast one, made on a sudden whim. Because, so they say, an ambitious but never finished project is more rewarding (in game design experience) than a low-brow but completed and widely released project.

Since I'm not really sharing this opinion, I decided to release that kind of low-brow project, full of clichés, RTP only, badly mapped, weakly designed and rushed like hell (this website too), but still containing a kind of cunning message. A full fledged game, completed from the first letter of the scenario to the final public delivery, covering all the stages of a common game development process. The kind of experience you can only get with a finished product.

It's up to you to decide if I've succeeded. And in what.

Good game to you.

Author

mtarzaim
http://www.thefrogstudio.net
2012-08-15

Copyrights

Creative Commons BY: NC:
This author must be credited for any use or distribution.
Any commercial use of this program is forbidden.

RPG Maker VX Ace is a trademark and the exclusive property of Enterbrain. In that regard, all elements contained in Savior are for redistribution only. You cannot use them for any personnal project without a RPG Maker VX Ace valid licence. Only redistribution of this program is authorized.

Please purchase a RPG Maker Vx Ace licence, if you wish to use for your own or a third party benefit any element of this program.

Micro-news of the 2013-08-09 :

A world-savioring thanks to MaryGoRound for her Let's Play !!!