LogFAQs > #899733165

35. Last Scenario
Original Release: 2007
Year Played: 2009
Developer: SCF
Platform: PC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ghfdAXUSuQ" data-time="&start=211

Last Scenario is one of two games on this list that is made in RPG Maker and is also free. You can download it right now if you want to and play it right away. It's probably for that same reason that you've most likely never heard of it. The reason I even bothered to put it on here is because it's a complete 40 hour JRPG and it's competent and it's fucking good.

Oh yes, this is SCF's first RPG and he would go on to make Exit Fate (also on this list), and he uses default RPG Maker XP graphics, music, etc. Technically, he could've Steam'd this release and made money off of this game but Steam didn't exist back in 2007 and I like to think he isn't much of a sell out. His two games are awesome and the fact that he made them just for fun is even more awesome (he wouldn't be able to sell Exit Fate since it uses GFX/music from commercial games). The kicker is, all this default stuff is used well and is just an accessory to the excellent story.

The story starts off rather tame, with the main character Hubert who looks like a complete doofus tasked with finding a little girl's lost cat in a dark cave next to his village. Once you get there you realize the boss of the cave ate the cat already. The story loves to take common tropes and deconstruct them, not in a parody-like way but in a realistic manner as the plot is still serious. Just when you think you know what's going to happen, something else occurs entirely. The characters, ugly as they are (bad artwork/portraits), have a shit ton of backstory that is gradually revealed and all of it is quite interesting. In some ways these characters are all connected but not in a contrived way like FFVIII. Everything about the story just clicks together really well, right up to the final showdown.

And that's precisely why this game is ranked as high as it is. I couldn't get ripped away from finding out what happens next. It manages to tug on your heartstrings; you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll sometimes even root for the bad guys. It's just told really well. This game is a perfect counterpart for a late 90's/early 2000's SNES or PSOne RPG. It would fit well in that era. There's even an optional card game you can play, and it's fun! If you're a fan of JRPG from that generation, I urge you to try LS.

Gameplay wise, Last Scenario is just as you'd expect. The battle system is default turn based but some boss battles at least have gimmicks to them. Sometimes it's a grind, and a bunch of optional content opens up near the end when you get the airship. In fact, if I were to gripe about something it would be the time you actually get access to the ship. By then it's too late, and you basically only have the final dungeon left but you also have a fuckton of optional sidequests that open up at the same time, instead of opening up as you go. It kills the pacing a bit, especially since there are dozens of them.

Moral of the story is, don't judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, don't judge a game based on its opening segments. It gets good, and oh boy does it pay off. The video above does not do the game justice as a preview, but I couldn't find a trailer or any sort of review.