Pretty much all games nowadays are about graphics and repetitive stuff some may or may not like. But there are some, that, luckily, manage to break that rule. Well, as you can expect, Fairune is one of those games. A mix of nostalgia, and fun.
What is Fairune about, you might ask ? Well, it’s about a story where an evil being breaks out, and then, a chosen one (you, in our case) have to stop it and seal it again.
Graphically, it’s pretty nice. I mean, there sure are a lot of games that tries to take you back into those old days where the SNES, the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive elsewhere), the NES and the Master System were dominating the video game world, but, they generally don’t manage to make you get really well that feeling, while Fairune just manages to do it easily. It kinda looks like a colorful RPG or a Zelda-like that could have been made on the SNES/Genesis/Mega Drive, without necessarily get annoying after a moment.
Gameplay-wise, Fairune isn’t that hard to understand, but, if you don’t take the time to read the Ancient Codex (a special item) often, you might die a lot of times. Indeed, the game has a RPG-feel to it, but stays dynamic in the sense where you don’t get to those turn-based fights. Instead, the game checks your level, and if it’s high enough, it simply eliminates the enemy and gives you experience as a reward… unless if you fight really weak monsters.
And this is where it gets important, you need to level up and get back to some place where you can heal yourself, because if your level is too low, you’ll be pushed back, and you’ll take damage! So, that way, the game clearly wants you to bash those enemies, without the annoying feeling of doing the same thing all and over again.
Also, another key point on which Fairune focuses on are enigmas. Though most of them can get really simple, some will really get you in trouble. I’ve almost spent an hour trying to find a solution to a certain enigma, and yet I haven’t cleared it. Nice way to extend a game’s duration.
So, we have a good game with good graphics reminiscent of the old 8/16-bit era. But now, we attack the game’s weakness, the audio.
It is good, I won’t criticize it, but, what’s sad is that it’s a relatively short loop. Same goes for caverns, it’s another short loop. It’s not annoying, but, after a while, it might get repetitive. At least, you can decide to toggle the music off in the pause menu if you either don’t like it, or if you are getting bored of hearing it.
Finally, there’s another feature speedrunners or people seeking a challenge might like: You can toggle a chronometer in the Pause Menu. It tells you how much time elapsed since the game has begun. So, if you’re getting bored or anything, maybe you can try beating Fairune under an hour, or two ?
Conclusion: Fairune is a really well made reference to those old days. It has a RPG-feel bound to it that is good, and yet it doesn’t rely on battles (there are no battles), or repetitive monster bashing. While the audio might get repetitive, the game won’t be, and if you’re seeking a good challenge, the chronometer is up to tell you how much time has passed since you started, so, you can make your experience a race-against-time, or simply enjoy the enigmas and the game regularly. So, it’s a really good value for its price, and I suggest you to pick it up if you can, and if you just want to feel that nostalgia of those old days.
