Video Game Fables | PC Review

I was lucky enough to recently pick up my very own Steam Deck. As a Mac owner, my gaming experience had been quite limited up to this point. Valve’s latest handheld hardware was perfect for someone like me who is used to playing games with a controller. Plus, the added bonus of not needing to mess with components was a big plus. So where did I start my journey into the world of PC gaming? Did I grab Insomniac’s Spider-Man, Remedy’s Control, or maybe Final Fantasy VII Remake?

No. Instead, I decided to jump into an indie title called Video Game Fables. The developer, Momiji Studios (Matt Sharp), coincidentally sent me an unsolicited code for his game the same week my new pride and joy came in the mail. So I was happy to fire up a game of which I knew very little about. And what a surprise this turned out to be. If you love JRPGs, but have maybe wished they were just a tad shorter or maybe less complex, you’ll definitely want to check out this charming title.

Voxels ‘R Us

The first thing that stands out with Video Game Fables is its unique art style. At first glance, one might think they are playing something akin to a Minecraft JRPG. The characters are pixelated with large voxels, but I would instead compare the graphics to 3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3). Where that game is an unashamed Legend of Zelda clone, this game uses that art style in a turn-based RPG with a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek story. It’s less serious than even a Paper Mario game, which is interesting since the characters move like the ones in that series.

You play as three characters. Aru is a princess who is determined to never need rescuing. Nate is an ever-optimistic knight who is extremely excited about the prospect of rescuing a princess. And Tater is a gator (I’m not making this up), who is the son of one of the game’s antagonists that attempted to kidnap Aru at the beginning of the game. When I say “game”, however, I mean that in a literal sense. See, the world our heroes live in is actually a video game itself. Something causes the game to malfunction, and the trio sets off to right the wrongs of the world.

If you can’t tell already, there’s an incredibly charming sense of humor present here. You get very little traditional dialogue like you do in other games of this genre. Characters break the fourth wall, tell modern-era jokes, and have personal characteristics that feel novel for a JRPG. This is such a welcome departure to the doom-and-gloom approach to most fantasy stories. Sure, there may be some humor peppered in here and there in games like Final Fantasy. But Video Game Fables revolves around it, never taking itself too seriously, and it’s better for it.

Beauty in Simplicity

What makes Video Game Fables stand out the most, however, is just how relaxing it is to play. Everything from battles, trekking the overworld, and even leveling up is incredibly easy to wrap your head around. It’s one of the more approachable games of its type I’ve ever played. Its laid-back nature allows players to enjoy this style of game without all the stress that comes with most games in this genre.

That’s not to say that it falls into the “baby’s first JRPG” category, however. There are some very clever mechanics involved that set it apart from other titles. For one there is no mana to track whatsoever. Sounds crazy, right? The game handles special moves in a different way. Every time you attack, you have a 40% chance of landing a critical hit. But instead of providing extra damage on that turn, it opens up special abilities on your next turn. This is a brilliant approach to turn-based battles that relies on chance that feels more heavily in your favor than I’m used to.

The leveling system is also quite smart. When you gain XP, you have the choice to either spend it on leveling up your characters stats or unlocking new moves for battle. What interesting is that you can actually refund any of the experience you like at any time. You actually have the choice to lower your character’s level to spend it elsewhere with no penalty outside of whatever stats you drop by lowering your level. It provides the player with a high amount of versatility that I wish other JRPGs would adhere to.

Video Game Fables Final Verdict

Choosing whether or not to recommend this title becomes tricky for me, because it depends on quite a few “ifs”. “If” you like JRPGs. “If” you enjoy quirky humor. “If” you’ve always wanted to try a game in this genre, but were scared off by overly complex mechanics. Those who answered “yes” to any/most of those statements should definitely play Video Game Fables. However, fans of hard-core fantasy role-playing games might find themselves wishing for more complexity or realism in the graphics.

Even still, you might consider giving this one a shot. The game will only take you 10-12 hours to complete. A short length like that automatically gets bonus points from a critic like me. When you’re able to pull off that time frame in a JRPG, even more so. It’s a refreshing change of pace to traditional games of this kind, and I hope that more people will give it a chance. It might not be Game of the Year material, but it oozes with charm and lighthearted humor that should put a smile on the faces of most.

To hear me talk more about Video Game Fables, be sure to listen to Episode 410 of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:05:35 time stamp.

This review is based on a PC copy of Video Game Fables provided by Momiji Studios for coverage purposes. As of the time of this writing, it is exclusive to this platform.