Here comes the Yohane Saga!
Ever missed playing on pixel-graphics video games, which is the classic foundation of every video games? Or had you played some cool, yet difficult 2D side-scrolling beat-em-up video games with stubborn boss battles? Also, do you like cute-looking Anime girls? When you sum them up — cute girls, 2D pixel-graphics, action-adventure, dungeon crawler — then this one should be your video game of interest.
In this game review of mine, let’s take a look at this cute game, which is mostly based from a popular Anime series. Let’s dive in to Yohane the Parhelion -BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE-!
Contents
Overview
© PROJECT YOHANE © INTI CREATES CO., LTD. © HAPPINET
Yohane stumbled into a mysterious dungeon which is between the vast oceans, and her friends went missing. Together with the talking big wolf, Lailaps, they venture inside that dungeon to find out the mysteries behind it, as well as to rescue her friends who were trapped inside.
Yohane challenges various monsters and foes, and by getting more items and allies, she can create awesome weapons and items, in which they can aid her in the quest.
Aside from her current quests, what else awaits her on the other side of the brilliant light?
Details and Review
I am so excited when I had played this game on a Demo Mode. That time, in a last couple of months, I had purchased my own Nintendo Switch because I wanted to play some console games for one more time. But when they had announced the release, it makes me feel more excited, and I am very curious about the gameplay.
BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE gave me a vibe of a Mega Man X/Zero and Castlevania gameplay. Judging from its 2D pixel-graphics, I already identified the treatment that this game has. Also, the frame rate is really smooth — just like in the games that I had mentioned!
The challenge? Difficulty? It’s just right. If you really know on how to dodge some attacks and other projectiles or some sort, then you should have no problem. Also, trying to memorize your foe’s movement and attack patterns when you fail is really needed, but not required, in order to succeed. But then, it is really required when you try to master this game — like doing a speedrun!
Yohane can use variety of weapons and equipment for her to survive in the dungeon, and as well as other stubborn boss fights. With the casting system, you can create or craft these items with the items that you had collected from the dungeon, whether from monsters, or at any treasure chests that you had opened. At the same time, craft some powerful weapons and armor that can aid you in some intricate situations!
The battle system is the usual HP/MP (it’s DP) thing, where it can be increased and influenced by the items (equipment) and the friends that you have. But then, they don’t have the character level system here. So then, you can only strengthen Yohane with the equipment and items that you had crafted/found in the dungeon.
I had been confused a bit with the controls. But then, before I begin playing this game, I set my button config on where it should be. For me, I would prefer setting and swapping my button controls for the attack and ally attacks (In my case, on my Nintendo Switch, my weapon attack is set on Y, and the ally attack is set on ZR). Of course, the playing style shall be up to you.
For the friends of Yohane, or I call them as “allies”, they were either awesome, or at the same time “funny”. From the strong and tough Kanan and her mechanical frog, Tonosama, up to the strange and funny Hanamaru (with her exploding laptop lol), this game makes it lively to play, especially when things get serious in some points.
Yohane the Parhelion -BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE- features a “limit break” system for Yohane to use when her HP reaches zero. When you get the item called the “Musical Score”, it shall be activated when her health runs empty. Yep, it can boost her attack greatly, as well as ignoring DP usage. The Musical Score item is really limited and rare, and it only drops randomly on some enemies that you had defeated in dungeon. So, use it wisely on a right time, especially on stubborn boss fights! The song that is playing in the background is titled as “Deep Blue”, and it is sung by Aqours (one version is Yohane’s solo).
As teased in the description of the game, the areas in the dungeon changes as you visit them. I will call these as “Labyrinths” (Or randomized areas). These areas are challenging and tricky, since you can encounter some floating enemies along with the intricate areas. Therefore, a careful execution of attacks and jumps are a must in order to navigate those areas easily. So far, one of the features that I like in this game.
There are over nine dungeon bosses that you can fight and challenge, varying from strength and difficulty. As you fight these bosses, you just need to use some corresponding items and/or characters that you had found/rescued that are effective against them. Boss fights, you say? Basically, you can use healing items whenever you are low on health or DP. But then, beware on some status aliments, too, in which it can turn the tables in instant if you are not careful enough.
The characters there are cute — I have no other comments about them, though.
One thing about Yohane the Parhelion -BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE- is the lacking of other features. Such as that it doesn’t have a monster database, wherein it shows the info about the monster, as well as some items that it drops when defeated. This really makes players like me to guess on which monster or boss drops this kind of item in order to craft that powerful item or weapon. I don’t know where, but it makes me wonder or ask, “Did I miss out going to that unexplored area?” Or makes characters like Chika to ask on where to find that particular item.
Also, one more thing. Lifespan. Yeah, this game is really short, and imagine it as watching an ordinary movie in theaters. You can really finish this game in around 8-10 hours. Or even less than 7 hours without Yohane being knocked out! Although short, but fun and enjoyable, it makes you repeat playing this game again! How about doing a self-challenge, like beating a boss without using potions or Musical Score item? Of course, the story of this game is really linear, irregardless on the order of characters whom you had rescued from the dungeon.
Yohane the Parhelion -BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE- is dark, yet vibrant and fun. But then, this over 29 USD video game isn’t worth it to pick because the game length is too short. Somehow, it could be better when they added more features, like that monster database, “unlockable story CGs”, or even others, like the “quest system”. Overall, the total gameplay is really average, yet cute.
Ratings
For Yohane the Parhelion -BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE-, the ratings are as follows:
Graphics ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Sound ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Gameplay ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Lifespan ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆
RATING: 6/10
Final Remarks
Yohane the Parhelion -BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE- is a 2D video game that has cute and adorable characters. But then, the length of this game is just too short (Think of it as playing some Mega Man X games). When you think that the game is too short, how about challenging yourself in this game, such as memorizing the movements of the dungeon bosses, as well as defeating them without using potions and such? Of course, this game could even get better when they added more features that would even challenge the players, whether newbie or pro. Overall, this game is for you if you like something like cute Anime girls and waifu.
