HOW DID THIS GET MADE IN THREE MONTHS? It's simply a fantastic RPG, with endearing characters, expansive lore, a plot with twists and turns, and colorful settings to explore.
I really loved the HUGE variety of settings in this. Every city and dungeon has its own unique vibe that makes it feel like you're traversing a truly vast world. I particularly liked the beginning, where you go from your peaceful hometown to this dark, dingy swamp area. It's very ominous and a bit hard to navigate, mimicking the characters' own struggles in that area (and I appreciate the interesting verticality). My favorite area was definitely the Liar's Province at night. The music track combined with the melancholic color tone gave it a very unique, somber feel that matched Lawrence and Charles' situation at that point.
The world feels extremely "alive." Part of it may be the genre (since I am used to playing VNs), but there is just a LOT of detail put into the world, particularly in the early sections. There's so much detail put into the orphanage, for example, and each character has a distinct name and voice. (On a somewhat related note, I really appreciated all of the different references to other games in the indie VN dev community! They were really fun easter eggs that helped flesh out the world too. Thank you for the Karamu references~)
The beginning characterizes Lawrence well, establishing his conflicted attitude towards practicing magic vs. music, as well as his close relationship with the other kids in his orphanage/Charles. On the whole, all of the characters feel very well-rounded and nuanced, with different positive traits and flaws alike, with well established relationships between all of the different characters.
There are SO many fun jokes, references, and details in this game. I loved the ROOMMATES in J'Ouvert, the two brothers crying when they received packed lunches from their neighbor, and the myriad of other references (the FMA reference, the Annelise reference, the TDIRR reference, etc etc.)
The plot twists caught me completely off guard, but they made a lot of sense for the story being told. The writing is really excellent and very different from both TNT and CNC, with a more poetic approach to the dialogue that still retains the wholesome bonding from those other two games.
===SIGNIFICANT SPOILERS BELOW===
Typically, RPGs have pretty "lofty" messages and themes about heroism and good vs. evil and that sort of thing. So I really enjoyed how, at its heart, Lord of Lies is about love, family, and friendship (and it ties in really well with the themes in M2B's other works as well). Lawrence isn't a guy with grand ambitions; he just wants a home and a family to love. From the start, you're thrust into Lawrence's disordered home life at the orphanage - while he gets along well with his siblings and has some good parental figures, he's also pressured and manipulated by others at his orphanage, and he's ultimately betrayed by a person he should have viewed as his mother. As we're introduced to the rest of the cast, they all have disordered relationships in some way - Gala/Prince have a tenuous relationship with her family, and Gala has an unhealthy "master/servant" relationship with King. The Duchess struggles with her entanglement with King, even though she wants a healthy relationship with Zahir. Duke's heart is in turmoil, unable to know whether Prince betrayed him.
When the story reveals that King is the traitor, it makes perfect sense. He's the figure standing at the head of the "Witch Hunter family" -- its toxic patriarch, who's responsible for fueling much of the drama in the group. It's visible in the way he treats his "own family," too--mostly abandoning them and visiting every once in a while. King caused this mess, while blaming Solana for his misdeeds.
As the story progresses, it's clear that the "strength" in Lawrence is not his physical or magical prowess (since he needs a bigger stick); instead, his strength is his steadfast relationship with Gala and Charles, those relationships built on trust and mutual respect. He also slowly builds bonds with his other Witch Hunter compatriots as well, until they become a "family" of sorts. Then, in the end, when King threatens to take Gala away - the partner threatening to pull her into his web of toxicity - Lawrence bonds together with the rest of his family to fight him, to fight against the toxic "love" he represents in favor of a healthier love. Ultimately, I appreciated this theme - this triumph of "true love" (not just romantic love, but also platonic love) over the toxic relationships that the characters had been embroiled in before. (Of the characters, while Gala also represents this theme quite strongly, I think that the Duchess' arc represents the theme even more strongly - as she breaks free of the toxic relationship with King himself and comes to terms with the negativity that she spread through her actions - the toxicity that she spread to Zahir.)
Overall the ending for all of the characters is incredibly fitting. Charles, not needing a relationship except his animal companion, departs with the Hound. The Duke and Prince live peacefully together in the animal kingdom. Zahir and the Duchess don't end up together, but they stay as friends - working on themselves and contributing to the world around them in their own respective ways. And Lawrence adopts orphans from the orphanage where he grew up = finally making that family that he longed for, and giving a happy home to orphans like himself.
I loved the twist on Cinderella - how it tied into the witch lore, as well as the themes of abuse and neglect. (I also really like the concept that a "godmother" is the same as a djinn or a genie!)
I really enjoyed the lies mechanic, as it is a really visual and visceral way of telling if someone is trustworthy. I particularly loved how it was used in the beginning of the game as a way of sussing out Mother Superior, as well as how it was used during Gala's confession - a heartwarming twist on the deception that Lawrence was used to experiencing.
(Also I should've known that King would be a baddie when he got hit with the post-party member nerf.)
Overall this was a really great game, a fantastic usage of the RPG format to tell a touching story about love and the bonds we share. Great work by a great dev!
Still playing through it but absolutely loving it so far ahhhHHHHHH. I'm in the middle of Act 2 I think (just got Duke??? and I already love him). This game feels like a cup of warm soup somehow to someone who used to subside solely on these types of RPGs in their youth, and I'm just having a ball!!
Love all the characters so far. Charles is still my favorite after having guessed he would be before playing, but after only a single scene with Duke he also started to steal my heart. But I love all of them and their dynamics and how they play off of each other. And the sweet scene between Lawrence and Gala in the snowy area got me all weepy-eyed sob sob.
The red lettering for Lawrence's ability is so COOL?? I love how you didn't even really need to explain it, it was just kinda introduced and then we figured it out. The way you used it in the prologue when they were kids added this really unique layer of depth and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it affects the narrative in future story beats. Art is adorable and I love all of their sprites and how expressive they are kdjalksd Having those is really pulling me even more into the story and connecting to the characters.
The combat was challenging at first!! I feel like I made it through the prologue by the skin of my teeth, probably because I didn't try to level up any at first as I was afraid I would die because Lawrence didn't have a weapon LOL Then I found what was potentially a little cheat(???) in the Paradise Prison where one of the enemies gives you like 110 EXP?? So I did some grinding in there and got all my chars up a few levels and felt much more confident going into battles lmao. I'm loving the combination of skills and such all the chars have, the challenging aspects have been quite fun and I've had to try a couple different strategies and combos. The whole thing has really sunk me back into RPG mode of trying to explore absolutely everything and level up my characters a ton the way I always tend to do in RPGs and I'm loving it hahaha 🤣💦
Will post more as I make it further into the game! I think I already have like 3 hours sunk into it and I'm only in the middle of act 2 and I'm unsure if that is more or less than most other players take but I'm really trying to do a lot in it lakdjfa
OMG CARROT THIS WAS A WONDERFUL READ AGHHHH! I am so overwhelmingly flattered! (Also the Duke love! (He’s my fav 😭 😭 💖)) I look forward to reading more of your thoughts I am glad you’re enjoying it so! 🙈🫣🥺
Okay ahhhhhhh I just hit act 2, I'll comment more once I'm complete but I am having SO much fun!!! it's delightful running around rummaging through people's things hahaha and ohhh it's SO nostalgic and awesome I'm just so excited to play more and I love the start and this is so freaking COOL I'm obsessed!!! his feature of being able to tell people's lies is SO cool and so smart for something like this as a mechanic because of the visual change it's like OH something is off here! also LMAO the "we're just roommates" showing up in redddd hahahahaha anyway it's delightful and expect more comments as I continue! Also people SAVE OFTEN in case ur dumb like me and get your ass kicked. and don't save items just use them!! no hoarding!! (like I usually always do hahaha)
omgomgomgomgg GREY I am living for this as you go commentary!!!! And that was fast lmfao I am glad it’s fun (and yes use your items!!!) also yes I left a bunch of things on to make the experience a bit more easy for players like constant saving, shops in your campsite, etc…. Tysm for this Grey it truly means the world! 😭
love the snowy level and the ice cave, and I love love love Duke already. Also everytime someone hurts the puppy (named her Prune) I scream. leave her alone!!!! she's my good girl. also lawrence and gala are soooo cute their little blushing faces!!! AH giggling kicking my feet. delightful. I'm still working on Act 2!! EVERYONE STOCK UP ON KISS OF LIFE'S
AGHHH THE UPDATE! Grey thank you! This was so cute to read! I’m glad you’re having fun with it and you’re liking everyone ❤️ (also PRUNE IS A GOOD GURL CERTIFIED THROUGH AND THROUGH) and I hope you have a magical (not to difficult) time! Lmfaooo
WE'RE SO BACK. okay I just reached act 3 and ahhhhh okay I mean I have so many thoughts I don't want to put too many spoilers but like...ash's former wish to have her father be home more...was in tears at that part
the BALCONY scene oh my godddd and the cutscenes are so beautiful between lawrence and gala they're so SO cute but yeah that confession will stick WITH me for a while
The two newest members of the party oh my GOD I love them so much, the first one is not what I expected but he's a sweetheart and ahhh he's a good boy and I love him, and the second--WOW WHAT A BABE like she's chatting but I am just staring with little heart eyes because she is SO fine
I'm super excited for act 3!! shit is going DOWN!! (REDACTED) is going to catch these hands!!!! I was getting a weird feeling just by some of the things were said I was getting the ick but I didn't think it was going like THAT. consider me gagged(positive)!!
OKAY I FINISHED THE GAME AND IT WAS AMAZING I WAS ACTUALLY TEARING UP AT THE END LIKE!! what an amazing ending to an amazing game, this is really really special I can't believe you made this in three months, it's really something special and is going to stay with me for a long time. Thank you so much for making this.
← Return to game
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
HOW DID THIS GET MADE IN THREE MONTHS? It's simply a fantastic RPG, with endearing characters, expansive lore, a plot with twists and turns, and colorful settings to explore.
I really loved the HUGE variety of settings in this. Every city and dungeon has its own unique vibe that makes it feel like you're traversing a truly vast world. I particularly liked the beginning, where you go from your peaceful hometown to this dark, dingy swamp area. It's very ominous and a bit hard to navigate, mimicking the characters' own struggles in that area (and I appreciate the interesting verticality). My favorite area was definitely the Liar's Province at night. The music track combined with the melancholic color tone gave it a very unique, somber feel that matched Lawrence and Charles' situation at that point.
The world feels extremely "alive." Part of it may be the genre (since I am used to playing VNs), but there is just a LOT of detail put into the world, particularly in the early sections. There's so much detail put into the orphanage, for example, and each character has a distinct name and voice. (On a somewhat related note, I really appreciated all of the different references to other games in the indie VN dev community! They were really fun easter eggs that helped flesh out the world too. Thank you for the Karamu references~)
The beginning characterizes Lawrence well, establishing his conflicted attitude towards practicing magic vs. music, as well as his close relationship with the other kids in his orphanage/Charles. On the whole, all of the characters feel very well-rounded and nuanced, with different positive traits and flaws alike, with well established relationships between all of the different characters.
There are SO many fun jokes, references, and details in this game. I loved the ROOMMATES in J'Ouvert, the two brothers crying when they received packed lunches from their neighbor, and the myriad of other references (the FMA reference, the Annelise reference, the TDIRR reference, etc etc.)
The plot twists caught me completely off guard, but they made a lot of sense for the story being told. The writing is really excellent and very different from both TNT and CNC, with a more poetic approach to the dialogue that still retains the wholesome bonding from those other two games.
===SIGNIFICANT SPOILERS BELOW===
Typically, RPGs have pretty "lofty" messages and themes about heroism and good vs. evil and that sort of thing. So I really enjoyed how, at its heart, Lord of Lies is about love, family, and friendship (and it ties in really well with the themes in M2B's other works as well). Lawrence isn't a guy with grand ambitions; he just wants a home and a family to love. From the start, you're thrust into Lawrence's disordered home life at the orphanage - while he gets along well with his siblings and has some good parental figures, he's also pressured and manipulated by others at his orphanage, and he's ultimately betrayed by a person he should have viewed as his mother. As we're introduced to the rest of the cast, they all have disordered relationships in some way - Gala/Prince have a tenuous relationship with her family, and Gala has an unhealthy "master/servant" relationship with King. The Duchess struggles with her entanglement with King, even though she wants a healthy relationship with Zahir. Duke's heart is in turmoil, unable to know whether Prince betrayed him.
When the story reveals that King is the traitor, it makes perfect sense. He's the figure standing at the head of the "Witch Hunter family" -- its toxic patriarch, who's responsible for fueling much of the drama in the group. It's visible in the way he treats his "own family," too--mostly abandoning them and visiting every once in a while. King caused this mess, while blaming Solana for his misdeeds.
As the story progresses, it's clear that the "strength" in Lawrence is not his physical or magical prowess (since he needs a bigger stick); instead, his strength is his steadfast relationship with Gala and Charles, those relationships built on trust and mutual respect. He also slowly builds bonds with his other Witch Hunter compatriots as well, until they become a "family" of sorts. Then, in the end, when King threatens to take Gala away - the partner threatening to pull her into his web of toxicity - Lawrence bonds together with the rest of his family to fight him, to fight against the toxic "love" he represents in favor of a healthier love. Ultimately, I appreciated this theme - this triumph of "true love" (not just romantic love, but also platonic love) over the toxic relationships that the characters had been embroiled in before. (Of the characters, while Gala also represents this theme quite strongly, I think that the Duchess' arc represents the theme even more strongly - as she breaks free of the toxic relationship with King himself and comes to terms with the negativity that she spread through her actions - the toxicity that she spread to Zahir.)
Overall the ending for all of the characters is incredibly fitting. Charles, not needing a relationship except his animal companion, departs with the Hound. The Duke and Prince live peacefully together in the animal kingdom. Zahir and the Duchess don't end up together, but they stay as friends - working on themselves and contributing to the world around them in their own respective ways. And Lawrence adopts orphans from the orphanage where he grew up = finally making that family that he longed for, and giving a happy home to orphans like himself.
I loved the twist on Cinderella - how it tied into the witch lore, as well as the themes of abuse and neglect. (I also really like the concept that a "godmother" is the same as a djinn or a genie!)
I really enjoyed the lies mechanic, as it is a really visual and visceral way of telling if someone is trustworthy. I particularly loved how it was used in the beginning of the game as a way of sussing out Mother Superior, as well as how it was used during Gala's confession - a heartwarming twist on the deception that Lawrence was used to experiencing.
(Also I should've known that King would be a baddie when he got hit with the post-party member nerf.)
Overall this was a really great game, a fantastic usage of the RPG format to tell a touching story about love and the bonds we share. Great work by a great dev!
Still playing through it but absolutely loving it so far ahhhHHHHHH. I'm in the middle of Act 2 I think (just got Duke??? and I already love him). This game feels like a cup of warm soup somehow to someone who used to subside solely on these types of RPGs in their youth, and I'm just having a ball!!
Love all the characters so far. Charles is still my favorite after having guessed he would be before playing, but after only a single scene with Duke he also started to steal my heart. But I love all of them and their dynamics and how they play off of each other. And the sweet scene between Lawrence and Gala in the snowy area got me all weepy-eyed sob sob.
The red lettering for Lawrence's ability is so COOL?? I love how you didn't even really need to explain it, it was just kinda introduced and then we figured it out. The way you used it in the prologue when they were kids added this really unique layer of depth and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it affects the narrative in future story beats. Art is adorable and I love all of their sprites and how expressive they are kdjalksd Having those is really pulling me even more into the story and connecting to the characters.
The combat was challenging at first!! I feel like I made it through the prologue by the skin of my teeth, probably because I didn't try to level up any at first as I was afraid I would die because Lawrence didn't have a weapon LOL Then I found what was potentially a little cheat(???) in the Paradise Prison where one of the enemies gives you like 110 EXP?? So I did some grinding in there and got all my chars up a few levels and felt much more confident going into battles lmao. I'm loving the combination of skills and such all the chars have, the challenging aspects have been quite fun and I've had to try a couple different strategies and combos. The whole thing has really sunk me back into RPG mode of trying to explore absolutely everything and level up my characters a ton the way I always tend to do in RPGs and I'm loving it hahaha 🤣💦
Will post more as I make it further into the game! I think I already have like 3 hours sunk into it and I'm only in the middle of act 2 and I'm unsure if that is more or less than most other players take but I'm really trying to do a lot in it lakdjfa
OMG CARROT THIS WAS A WONDERFUL READ AGHHHH! I am so overwhelmingly flattered! (Also the Duke love! (He’s my fav 😭 😭 💖)) I look forward to reading more of your thoughts I am glad you’re enjoying it so! 🙈🫣🥺
Okay ahhhhhhh I just hit act 2, I'll comment more once I'm complete but I am having SO much fun!!! it's delightful running around rummaging through people's things hahaha and ohhh it's SO nostalgic and awesome I'm just so excited to play more and I love the start and this is so freaking COOL I'm obsessed!!! his feature of being able to tell people's lies is SO cool and so smart for something like this as a mechanic because of the visual change it's like OH something is off here! also LMAO the "we're just roommates" showing up in redddd hahahahaha anyway it's delightful and expect more comments as I continue! Also people SAVE OFTEN in case ur dumb like me and get your ass kicked. and don't save items just use them!! no hoarding!! (like I usually always do hahaha)
omgomgomgomgg GREY I am living for this as you go commentary!!!! And that was fast lmfao I am glad it’s fun (and yes use your items!!!) also yes I left a bunch of things on to make the experience a bit more easy for players like constant saving, shops in your campsite, etc…. Tysm for this Grey it truly means the world! 😭
love the snowy level and the ice cave, and I love love love Duke already. Also everytime someone hurts the puppy (named her Prune) I scream. leave her alone!!!! she's my good girl. also lawrence and gala are soooo cute their little blushing faces!!! AH giggling kicking my feet. delightful. I'm still working on Act 2!! EVERYONE STOCK UP ON KISS OF LIFE'S
AGHHH THE UPDATE! Grey thank you! This was so cute to read! I’m glad you’re having fun with it and you’re liking everyone ❤️ (also PRUNE IS A GOOD GURL CERTIFIED THROUGH AND THROUGH) and I hope you have a magical (not to difficult) time! Lmfaooo
WE'RE SO BACK. okay I just reached act 3 and ahhhhh okay I mean I have so many thoughts I don't want to put too many spoilers but like...ash's former wish to have her father be home more...was in tears at that part
the BALCONY scene oh my godddd and the cutscenes are so beautiful between lawrence and gala they're so SO cute but yeah that confession will stick WITH me for a while
The two newest members of the party oh my GOD I love them so much, the first one is not what I expected but he's a sweetheart and ahhh he's a good boy and I love him, and the second--WOW WHAT A BABE like she's chatting but I am just staring with little heart eyes because she is SO fine
I'm super excited for act 3!! shit is going DOWN!! (REDACTED) is going to catch these hands!!!! I was getting a weird feeling just by some of the things were said I was getting the ick but I didn't think it was going like THAT. consider me gagged(positive)!!
OKAY I FINISHED THE GAME AND IT WAS AMAZING I WAS ACTUALLY TEARING UP AT THE END LIKE!! what an amazing ending to an amazing game, this is really really special I can't believe you made this in three months, it's really something special and is going to stay with me for a long time. Thank you so much for making this.