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Ikenfell

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Ikenfell
File:Ikenfell cover art.png
Cover art for Ikenfell
Developer(s)Happy Ray Games
Publisher(s)Humble Games
Artist(s)Chevy Ray Johnston
Writer(s)
  • Chevy Ray Johnston
  • Joanna Blackhart
  • Jeriko Green
  • Aivi Tran
Composer(s)Aivi & Surasshu
Platform(s)
Release
  • WW: October 8, 2020
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Ikenfell is an independently-produced role-playing video game developed by Happy Ray Games and published by Humble Games. It was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, and Xbox One on October 9, 2020. In the game, the player controls Maritte Hildegaard, a non-magical teenage girl who journeys to the titular magical school Ikenfell, in an attempt to investigate the disappearance of her witch sister Safina.

Gameplay

Playable characters on the right side of the screen (top to bottom) Maritte, Petronella, and Rook in a battle against a thieving hat-witch.

Ikenfell is a turn-based tactical role-playing video game akin to games like Super Mario RPG.[1][2] Like classic Paper Mario games, the outcome of both player and enemy moves depends on timed button presses. The playing field is composed of a grid, upon which both the player and enemies can move, with their position affecting what moves can be performed and how efficient they are. As the game advances, the attack patterns and timing become more complex, providing greater difficulty.

Characters are managed with a party system; although the player initially only controls Maritte, they later gain control of other characters, each with their own unique skillset.[3] Three characters in the player's battle can engage in battle at any time; these can be changed at save points.

Like most traditional Japanese-style RPGs, gameplay also consists of portions outside battle which characters can navigate.[1] Much of Ikenfell's gameplay is outside monster battles; this includes exploration, adventure, and puzzle-solving portions. There are no random encounters and as such fightable enemies are visible in the game world at any given time.[3] Therefore, battle ensues only if the player controlled character comes in contact with one, allowing the player to evade battles if so desired.

Plot

Players initially control Maritte Hildegaard, a non-magical teenager who travels to the magical school of Ikenfell to find her sister Safina, who has gone missing since summer break. While she attempts to gain access to the school, she mysteriously develops pyromancy, then encounters non-binary alchemist Petronella, a close friend of Safina, who has had an emotional breakdown due to the latter's disappearance. Meanwhile, bizarre and unprecedented magical events begin to occur across the school grounds, forcing it into lockdown.

Development

The game was funded via Kickstarter in June 2016.[2] Much of the game's development took place in a public library, inspiring the game's architecture.It was featured at the 2019 Electronic Entertainment Expo as part of its inclusion in the Xbox Game Pass[4], before being released on October 8, 2020.[5]

According to lead developer Chevy Ray Johnston, the game's buildings were "white-boxed", with their layout being designed first, akin to actual construction.[2] While he was at the library, Johnston used vintage books there to provide inspiration for the game's architecture.

The timing-based elements of the game's combat were inspired by Super Mario RPG and the Mario and Luigi games, among others. Johnston designed each party member's moves so they could be used in many different ways, while still being fundamental to the character, comparing it to Mario's basic skillset. As he disliked magic points, he decided to make magical spells free to use during combat.

Ikenfell uses a custom C Sharp (programming language) engine written on top of SDL2 and OpenGL.[citation needed] This involved a custom map editor, which was used to make development easier.[2]

Reception

According to gaming review aggregator Metacritic, Ikenfell's reception was mixed. Both GameSpot and Siliconera described it as having potential, but being let down by flaws in the story and combat.[8][7] Other sites were more positive, like Hardcore Gamer, which said it was "a trip well worth taking".

Although reviewers generally liked the game's combat system, they felt it could be frustrating at times.[8][7] Hardcore Gamer reviewer Kyle LeClair described it as "challenging and fun". However, both LeClair and GameSpot reviewer Hope Corrigan criticised the excessive variability of the timing-based attack system.[1], though Corrigan praised the game's use of options to enable easier combat.

The story also received both praise and criticism, with reviewers praising it for its in-depth examination of characters, but also claiming it was too derivative of Harry Potter and unrealistic at times.[8][7] LeClair described it as an "engrossing piece of work",[1] but somewhat unoriginal. Conversely, Corrigan described it as unusual, criticising implausible and on-the-nose elements in the plot, and the incongruous manner in which LGBT issues were included.

Reviewers largely praised the game's music, noting the quality of tracks contributed by Aivi & Surasshu, who also composed tracks for Steven Universe.[8][1] However, reactions to the vocal segments were more disparate, with LeClair stating that they "enhance the mood even further", but Corrigan calling them poor quality, remarking that she was tempted to turn down the volume.[7]

Ikenfell was nominated for the 32nd GLAAD Media Awards' Outstanding Video Game category in 2021.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f LeClair, Kyle (October 8, 2020). "Review: Ikenfell - Hardcore Gamer". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Suther, Austin (September 21, 2020). "Ikenfell Takes Us to Magic School, Super Mario RPG Style". TechRaptor. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Happy Ray Games (2020-10-20). Ikenfell. Humble Games.
  4. ^ Mills, Andy (June 10, 2019). "Microsoft Highlights Over 20 ID@Xbox Titles During E3 Conference". TrueAchievements. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Ikenfell for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  6. ^ "Ikenfell for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d e Corrigan, Hope (October 16, 2020). "Ikenfell Review - GameSpot". GameSpot. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e Lada, Jenni (October 8, 2020). "Review: Ikenfell Could Cast a Spell on Players - Siliconera". Siliconera. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  9. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (January 28, 2021). "GLAAD Unveils Nominees For 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards; Deadline's New Hollywood Podcast Honored With Special Recognition Award". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved January 29, 2021.

Category:2020 video games Category:Role-playing video games Category:LGBT-related video games Category:Nintendo Switch games Category:Video games developed in Canada Category:Windows games Category:Single-player video games Category:PlayStation 4 games Category:Xbox One games Category:macOS games

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