Making your very own game is a dream that most kids have had at one point or another, I know I have. And with tons of programs that are UI based being more commonly used almost anyone can make a game, or at the very least a demo. You have your Unreal Engine, Torque Game Engine, Unity and the subject of today’s review, RPG MAKER MV. But first a brief overview.
RPG Maker is, as the title states, a program that allows users to make RPGs. The franchise was first released for Japanese PCs in 1992 and it wasn’t until 2005 that the West has received an official release in the form of RPG MAKER XP in 2005 in the US on Steam. The console version of the game also saw a released in the West under the name RPG Maker for the PlayStation in 2000. Since then there has been various indie developers who have used the “game” to make games of their own and received critical acclaim. Games such as Yumme Nikki, To The Moon, Rakuen, Corpse Party and many more. The series has even ventured off into other genres such as visual novels and comics. However the last time there was an RPGMAKER “game” for consoles was RPG MAKER Fes for the Nintendo 3DS in 2017. Which brings us back to RPG MAKER MV, the latest incarnation of the series that has made its way to the Nintendo Switch.
Gameplay
This review is going to be a bit different from the rest because while technically RPGMAKER MV is classified as a “game”, the bulk of the “gameplay” is designing an RPG. Yes there is the ability to play user made creations from the Makers Forum, but again the purpose of the “game” is to design and create an RPG using the in game tool sets. So we’ll take a look at both aspects then: the tool sets used in the “game” and the end results aka the actual gameplay used in the created games.
At start up you are presented with a tutorial that honestly I think feels a bit rushed as it just gives you the very basics of what to do and then throws you into the main UI. It is here where most of the creation process takes place, and as a semi-newbie to the series it can be a bit daunting. The canvas, for a lack of a better term, is separated into four different layers: the overworld map, outdoors, and two indoors. Users can then “paint” on various different tile sets on to these layers to create basically whatever place they want. They can then chain these layers together to make larger areas, making their world larger. Once that is done, the use can then start to populate the world with NPCs and layout their movement patterns, place down enemy encounters and customize their AI and levels, choose musical tracks, and so much more. Like I said it can be very daunting when given tools to create whatever world you want with a high learning curve. But with a bit of trial and error and lots of playtesting you can create something really awesome. My one complaint is that that using a controller feels very slow and clunky. It would have been great to be able to use a mouse, since RPG MAKER MV is a port from the PC, but there is no mouse support.
Now once a game is done or a user wants others to test out their game, they can upload it to the Maker Forum, where games from other creators can be downloaded and played. Here in the Maker Forum you can all kinds of user created games ranging from traditional RPGs, horror, and tech demos to sci-fi, mystery and visual novel. If you just want to play user created games and not want to create one, there is free app that let’s you play these user created games for free.
As for the system a game uses, its a turn based battle system based off of classic rpgs like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest. Speaking of which, users have the ability to pick the perspective the battles take place: they can be like Final Fantasy and have all sprites, both monsters and characters, on the same screen or they can be like Dragon Quest and be in a first person view.
Music
RPG MAKER MV supplies game makers with at least 100+ tracks of music. These range from the basic tracks that most RPGs have, such as the overwolrd theme, town theme, battle theme to more rock and EDM styled tracks. For being basically “stock” music to use for the game, they sound really cool. The music too can be altered and customized when being placed into different settings in the world, though users can’t create their own custom tracks (at least not on the console versions). Still there is enough track variety so that the same track wont be over used
Graphics
The graphics used in RPG MAKER MV are 16-bit sprites, reminiscent of the SNES era of JRPGs. They are a bit more higher quality than the SNES generation, and are more comparable to the PSP release of Final Fantasy. This means that they are very detailed. The users, after all, are making a RPG in the style of the 16-bit era. There is a wide range of sprites to choose from and can be altered for a more customized look. Honestly there isn’t much more to say about them than they get the job done.
Final Verdict
As I mentioned this review is going to be a bit difference because for all intensive purposes RPG MAKER MV isn’t a game. There’s no plot, not story, no end goal. If this was judged as a game, it would score pretty low. However I see RPG MAKER MV not as a game, but as a useful program that gives budding video game makers a simple, yet complex set of tool to make their own game. They have everything they need to make and share their creations. Who knows, maybe the next Undertale or Corpse Party will be made using this program. Since this is the Switch version of RPG MAKER MV, there are some limitations, such as limited customization to assists and no mouse and keyboard support. There’s also a big learning curve but with time and dedication you will be able to create something. If you dreamed of making video games and have time and patience, go forth and create something amazing with RPG MAKER MV. Or if you just want to see other users creations, try downloading the RPG MAKER MV Player.
