Everlasting Journey [ENG]

Circa 2003, the dream of many RPG Maker users was to make a game that would somehow reference the absolute classic of jRPGs – Chrono Trigger. In fact, there are several RM works set in the world of Crono and the company. However, original games, referencing CT only at the mechanical / conworld level, appeared more often than continuations or prequels. Such an impression accompanied me while playing one of the best RPG Maker games I have ever seen – PepsiOtaku’s Everlasting Journey.

The production tells the story of Sparrow, a simple boy working for a cleaning company. He is not doing too well and therefore he treats the encounter with a mysterious stranger as an opportunity to change his life. He quickly gets involved in a lot of amazing events (including saving the world and the revolution that overthrows the monarchy) and meets a large number of interesting companions. Most of the time, the plot is kept in a light, sometimes mocking style, which makes reading the dialogues a real pleasure. And there are absolutely no longueurs here – the action rushes full steam ahead, grinding is not needed and 10 hours may not be enough to get through this demo.

Everlasting Journey references Chrono Trigger not only in the smooth creation of an atmosphere from rural idyll to the threat of the world. Each character possesses their own element with spells adapted to it (fire, water, etc.) and a unique type of weapon. Along with the perfectly balanced combat (despite the use of random battles) it makes fighting monsters free of tedium and require more than just hitting the attack key. The game is full of mechanical gimmicks – from modified basic systems (menu, save), through Mode 7 on the world map, to the intoxication system or even a miniature icon symbolizing the player when his character disappears under a layer of leaves or passes through a hidden passage.

The maps are based primarily on REFMAP tilesets, the charsets are taken from RTP, its edits and a lot of characters from Mac & Blue or characters drawn in this style. Everlasting Journey has achieved what all the creators in RPG Maker should strive for – a consistent style. The faces of the characters, the opponents and the backgrounds in battles, panoramas and menus – everything here harmonizes with each other. The sound design also deserves praise – the songs have been carefully picked to preserve the peculiar atmosphere of the production while the numerous sounds of the environment give the game an authentic life.

Thanks to its size, plethora of content and great multi-plot story, Everlasting Journey instantly became one of my favorite RPG Maker games. Throughout 14 years of the demo’s development, the author has achieved quite a lot. The overwhelming amount of random battles is basically the only flaw of this title. If you are wondering what’s new on the foreign RM scene, this is the best answer!

Michał „Michu” Wysocki

Author: PepsiOtaku
RPG Maker: 2003
Genre: RPG
Status: Demo
Year: 2021
Download: RMN

The original review was translated by Michu and edited by Axer.