Every once in a while a game on steam will release, and it will claim that it is unique. I’d say this one is just unusual. Fearless Fantasy is a light parody of the JRPG genre that feels like a mobile phone port, yet is not. There is an interesting concept that lies within however.

The game is set up with the main character Leon, the most badass bounty hunter around getting a message from a girl promising payment for her own kidnapping. Of course we find out it’s because she doesn’t want to be forced to marry some awful guy. The game then becomes an adventure to ensure that she never has to worry about that mess again. Cut-scenes are sprinkled through each of the game’s levels, some of which are animated. Although the animations themselves are decent, the low budget nature of the game has it being somewhat crude, and leaves a feeling of being unfinished. This is because the scenes lack any sort of color, and they resemble a storyboard.

The voice acting is serviceable, although Leon himself sounds like someone doing their best to sound like Steven Blum as much as they possibly can. Even Leon’s name and appearance seem like a reference to Final Fantasy VIII’s Squall Leonhart, Leon in Kingdom Hearts. He even wields a gunblade. Over the course of the game, you will also get one more player character to fill out your party. So you have Leon, the main attacker, Alice, the support, and Vonn, the tank. Battle plays out like a traditional JRPG on the surface. But you know how games like Legend of Dragoon and Final Fantasy VIII and X had Quick-Time Events that required button inputs? Well since this is a PC game, you use your mouse and run it through arrows that display on the screen. The game gives only seconds to do the motions quickly and accurately. If the attempt ends up with an Epic rating, the character will land even more damage, passive weapon effects, or additional skill effects. Epic defense rating seriously reduce dame or negate it altogether. This is a double edged sword though, as failure means not doing damage at all, or taking the full brunt of an attack. This is also a bit of a problem since some of these actions are very hard to get set up for, and the window for time is extremely small. This isn’t helped by the often suspect hit detection. On the bright side, this style of QTE based attacking will keep players engaged in way that feels more satisfying than button presses or waiting for squares to line up in a box.

There are also few other problems though. The game’s balance still seems off despite being able to select between three difficulties for each level. Enemies tend to do a bit too much damage, and there’s not much you can do to fix this, as the more defensive weapons with higher defense bonuses don’t increase all that much. Also raising HP or any stat for that matter takes painstakingly long, as you are only given one skill point per level for stats and skills respectively. It’s almost as if you are meant to play the game on casual the first time through, then work your way up when you get stronger. But Casual mode is just way too easy for most of the game. The item store also only lets you buy items, weapons, and accessories. The only problem is that inventory space for items is very limited, and there is no way to hold on to older weapons or accessories to swap them out if needed. The art style is interesting to say the least, however. The designs of the enemies look like they came out of a Tim Burton nightmare, or least some avant-garde art museum. The voice acting is decent at least, although the game’s story isn’t all that deep. The game does attempt humor, but it mostly falls a bit flat. It also is lacking in content, as the game is very short, and can be beaten in 5 hours if you are good, less if a great gamer. But for some players, the game could be seen as a JRPG that cuts out most of the fat of the genre. Although the game is set to get an update that might address these things. It’s also designed to feel like a mobile game, which is no surprise as it’s getting mobile ports soon. But if you want to get it out, at least it won’t hurt your wallet too much. It’s the price of a meal, so check it out.

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