Ikenfell—which I have an uncontrollable urge to call “Ikenfall” because it feels so much more natural—is a tactical RPG that arguably has more in common with old-school jRPGs. There are a lot of things that I genuinely like about it, such as the way the music combines chiptunes with modern instrumentation (and even vocals during one especially memorable boss fight). The art style, meanwhile, kind of looks like the lovechild of Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Earthbound, which tugs at those nostalgia strings just enough to work. It’s a respectable game that marries the minor puzzle/wandering around elements present in old Japanese RPGs to the simplified, time-based tactical goodness of Of Gods and Men: The Daybreak Empire.
Calling Ikenfell a tactical RPG feels wrong, truthfully, because the combat system has been stripped down to the point that this part of the game plays like Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, only with a grid-based movement system tacked on. Even then, the grid is small enough to be an afterthought in most normal battles, though there are some boss fights that allow you to do extra damage by defeating reinforcement enemies while they’re adjacent to the boss. It’s not bad or anything, but the underlying systems have been streamlined enough that I have trouble seeing how they’ll remain interesting throughout the game without the aid of gimmicks (like oodles of status effects, which I have reason to believe might be the route Ikenfell takes) or an unexpected change to the size of the combat arena.
You play as… someone. Honestly, I could check my screenshots for names, but doesn’t it kind of speak to the memorability of the writing that I’ve played Ikenfell for several hours today and can’t remember hardly any names? The main heroine (whose name I’m pretty sure begins with an I, M, or P) goes looking for her sister when she doesn’t return from a Hogwarts-esque magic school named Ikenfell, only for her own magical powers to awaken shortly after being attacked by some ghosts acting as sentries. She then joins up with some of her sister’s friends—one of whom is named Rook, which I’m pointing out because it’s the only name normal enough to remember—to find her sister and get to the bottom of whatever’s going on.
Just like Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, each of your party members learns unique attacks as they level up, and all of these spells find their way to enemies in a unique way. Party member attacks can have their damage boosted by pressing the key or button right as an attack lands. Enemy attacks can similarly have their damage minimized with careful timing. I chose to bring up Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars earlier because it and Ikenfell have very similar attack timings, with the ideal attack window always being a split-second after you’re tempted to press. Once you know to adjust for that and are comfortable with when attacks land, it’s not hard to work out the perfect timing. Even if you’re a little off, though, there’s a three-tiered system that ensures that being a little off still gives you an extra effect.
It’s a little concerning that there’s not more to say about Ikenfell after several hours. The standout moment thus far has revolved around an unexpected vocal track during a boss fight. Other than that, it’s just beating enemies, leveling up, and wandering around while story stuff slowly happens. The characters are likable enough, if unremarkable thus far. The combat is fine but is going to need something extra to avoid becoming overly repetitive. The art style is decent. Oh, and I haven’t done any grinding. I’ve been beating every enemy on every screen (they only respawn when you exit and reenter a larger area) and the balance feels perfect thus far. Ikenfell is pretty nice. Still, I’m hoping for something that makes it truly great.
Ikenfell impressions – Small-scale tactics first appeared on Killa Penguin
