Ihatovo Monogatari for SFC

Image: MobyGames

Ihatovo Monogatari

A relaxing journey through a poet's collected works

Genre: adventure - overhead

Publisher: Hect

Year: 1993

System: SFC

Gameplay Score: 3

Gameplay Notes:

This is a pure adventure game with no RPG elements. Its practically a visual novel. There are no battles, no upgrades, no health or magic or weapons. In fact there's no way to see a game over screen. Items can be collected but these only serve to complete a fetch quest which opens the next area - nothing can be skipped. The gameplay is as simple as walking around a Zelda-like world, talking to NPCs, exploring your surroundings, finding important items, and then interacting with an NPC to trigger a story event. Despite it's simplicity, the controls are more than adequate. You can't do much, but traversing the space feels peaceful and enjoyable. Little details abound, including automatically worming around a rounded corner without having to manually move your character in all directions. Think of how your horse automatically follows a path in Breath of the Wild.

Level Design Score: 4

Level Design Notes:

There's an overworld which operates as a hub and spoke with the center being the city Ihatovo. Your goal is to collect 7 journals from the ooet whose creations inhabit each of the areas you visit. You'll never feel lost but you also have a high degree of freedom to explore.

Theme Score: 4

Theme Notes:

The game has an alluring, magical feel. The poet whose works you are exploring isn't on screen but the NPCs all have a certain reverence for him. It's intriguing. You and everyone in the city have a realistic, grounded feel, yet the areas you visit have talking animals and other fantastical elements. It's unlike anything else I've played from the 16-bit era.

Art Style Score: 4

Art Style Notes:

The artwork is beautiful, yet boring. Again it has a realistic quality, but is brimming with minute details. It's like an expertly drawn sill life - incredibly boring but undeniably beautiful.

Audio Score: 5

Audio Notes:

Wow I'm blown away by the beautiful, peaceful music in this game. The theme song is the best of the bunch but every tune is as well-made as the next. It's ever bit as orchestral as Secret of Mana but as chill as a lazy summer afternoon. I don't think I've felt as comfortable playing a game as I did with this one and it's most due to the soundtrack.

Overall Score: 72

Review ID: 1685