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Last updated: 2025-08-17
- Masterpiece indie classic, faithful improved remaster
- Excellent new soundtrack, but original is missed
- Enhanced combat and quality of life features
- Challenging new optional boss fights
- Short completion time, impactful experience
- New content is somewhat underwhelming
Emotions
Players felt satisfied by the remake's overall quality, including improved gameplay, updated combat, and challenging new bosses. The addition of new content, a polished UI, and a faithful remaster that honored the original while introducing fresh elements also contributed significantly to this positive emotion.
Disappointment primarily stemmed from changes to the original soundtrack, with many players feeling the new music did not live up to the original's quality or atmosphere. Other causes included missing original features, a perceived lack of meaningful rewards for new content, and issues with difficulty or repetitive gameplay.
Excitement was driven by the release of the remaster, especially for long-time fans eager to revisit the game. New content, significant improvements to the combat system, and the overall quality of the remake generated enthusiasm and anticipation for the updated experience.
Nostalgia was a strong emotion, triggered by replaying a beloved classic and re-experiencing childhood memories associated with the original game. While often positive, some nostalgia also came with a sense of loss for missing original music or the 'roughness' and 'charm' of the unpolished version.
Joy was experienced through replaying the game, enjoying the remaster's quality, and discovering new content or lore. Visual improvements, the availability of multiple soundtracks, and the game's release on platforms like Steam also contributed to a sense of happiness and enjoyment.
Verdict
Mostly positive
Summary
Positive 88% · Negative 12%. Score: 12 / 100
Positives:
- The game is widely celebrated as a masterpiece and a significant indie RPG, with players commending its unique story, world-building, and overall charm. Many express deep personal connection and appreciation for its impact on the genre.
- Players overwhelmingly praise the new soundtrack, noting its quality, atmospheric contribution, and ability to honor or even surpass the original. Specific new tracks and battle themes are highlighted as particularly strong.
- The remaster is highly regarded for its faithful recreation of the original while introducing meaningful improvements. Players appreciate the polished experience, new content, and enhanced gameplay that make it the definitive version.
- The updated combat system and quality-of-life features are a major highlight. Players find the combat more engaging, strategic, and visually polished, with specific praise for the new crit system and improved UI.
- The new and optional bosses are a welcome addition, providing fresh challenges and interesting mechanics. Players enjoy the increased difficulty and the way new content integrates seamlessly with the game's lore.
Negatives:
- Players overwhelmingly miss the original soundtrack, finding the new music to be a significant downgrade that negatively impacts the game's atmosphere and iconic feel. Specific tracks like 'Pepper Steak' are frequently cited as sorely missed, and the new compositions are often described as generic, unfitting, or less memorable.
- The new content, including bosses and areas, is generally perceived as underwhelming and not well-integrated. Players feel these additions detract from the original game's style and story, offering little in terms of new lore or meaningful gameplay, and some new bosses are criticized for being too easy or tedious.
- Beyond the music, players feel that the overall sound design and specific sound effects in the remaster are lackluster compared to the original. Key sound effects, like battle transitions and specific character screams, are missed, contributing to a less impactful audio experience.
- The combat system is criticized for being too basic, generic, and tedious, often requiring simple button mashing. Players find the game, including original bosses and random encounters, to be too easy, even on higher difficulty settings.
- The removal of the escape function and auto-combat feature is a significant point of frustration, especially in purified zones where players are forced into unavoidable and time-consuming random battles. This change makes progression and 100% completion more tedious.
Gameplay:
- The game features several new optional boss fights, including hidden ones, which are challenging and may require players to grind for resources. The 'Cob's Ionosphere' fight is specifically noted as difficult.
- The game is relatively short, with players able to achieve 100% completion and all endings in a single playthrough, typically within 5-10 hours. This makes it suitable for multiple replays.
- The game's core premise involves the player character, Batter, using a baseball bat to 'cleanse' a haunted world of specters, often in baseball-themed environments like a haunted field.
- Critical hits are a significant combat mechanic, affecting most actions and accelerating subsequent turns. Players can strategically use crits to unleash powerful abilities or defend against enemy attacks.
- The combat system is standard for an RPG Maker game, resembling 'Pokemon battles,' with the remaster offering mild improvements like faster combat and better animations, though it might be harder than the original.
Performance:
- The audio quality is perceived as slightly better than the graphics, suggesting a relative strength in sound design compared to visual presentation. This indicates that while graphics might be a weaker point, the sound experience is more favorable.
Recommendations:
- The game is highly recommended for both new players and returning fans, often described as a classic and a worthwhile purchase. Many reviewers express strong positive sentiment, urging players to experience it.
- Many players suggest new players try the original free version first, especially to experience its unique atmosphere and original soundtrack. Some recommend playing both versions to get the full experience.
- A significant number of players recommend purchasing the game primarily to support the creator, Mortis Ghost. For returning fans, this support is often cited as a key reason to buy the new version.
- The game is highly recommended for fans of specific indie RPGs and JRPGs, such as Undertale, Omori, Earthbound, and Lisa, indicating a similar appeal or genre fit.
Miscellaneous:
- Players note that the game is relatively short, with completion times often under 16 hours, even for 100% achievement runs. Despite its brevity, many found it to be a deeply impactful and memorable experience that resonated with them long after playing.
- A large portion of the player base consists of long-time fans who have played the original game multiple times, some for over a decade. Many were introduced to the game through playthroughs by content creators like Markiplier years ago.
- Many players purchased the game specifically to financially support the creator, Mortis Ghost, expressing satisfaction that their money directly contributes to the developer who deserves it, especially given the game's prior free availability.
- The game is praised for its unique and surreal atmosphere, exploring morally ambiguous themes and leaving a lasting impression on players. Its narrative depth and mysteries, particularly concerning Zodiac bosses, are highlighted.
- Players frequently mention that the original version of the game was, and still is, available for free. This context is important for understanding why many are now purchasing the remastered version.
