This is my game, “Bartha: A Cleric’s Tale”. It’s a turn-based JRPG built with influence from Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals, The Legend of Zelda, the Tales of franchise, and more.
In the story, you play as Isabelle, a young priestess who is on a journey to complete her Pilgrimage, a rite of passage that all those wishing to become Clerics in the Church of Cierde must complete. The pilgrimage takes Isabelle all around the Kingdom of Bartha, visiting places called Shrines where it is said that the Goddess Cierde shot holy arrows of light that blessed the land of Bartha.
On her journey, she’s joined by several allies, including:
- Celeste - An amnesiac prisoner who fights in the Kingdom of Bartha’s Colosseum. She’s never lost a match and is known as the Keystone of Victory. She joins Isabelle to act as her bodyguard.
- Beremond - A former mercenary of middling renown who is traveling with our next character to find a sage who can supposedly answer any question.
- Fen - A young girl with the ears and tail of a fox. She claims to be a member of the Spiritfolk, a group of people who have strange powers. She and Beremond are looking for clues to find her parents.
- And more…
But all isn’t well in Bartha. The Church of Cierde is in conflict with the Royal Family, who currently acts in defiance of Cierde’s divine edict by placing a Queen on the throne instead of a King as Cierde commanded at the founding of the Kingdom. This conflict between the Church and the Crown grows as Isabelle and her friends adventure across the Kingdom, and they’re faced with dangerous enemies including:
- Prince Nichol, Bartha’s pompous, self important prince who is hungry to take the throne
- The Basil Battalion, Prince Nichol’s… unique personal guard, lead by the Archmage General Basil, himself.
- Tonya, a Mercenary known for her cold demeanor
- And many more
But Bartha has more than enemies for Isabelle and her friends! They also have great allies in high places, such as:
* Naofa, Grand Matron and leader of the Church of Cierde and Isabelle’s mentor
- Claim, the Colosseum’s Master of Arms and Celeste’s trainer
- The Great Wise One, a Spiritfolk Sage said to know all things…
- And many more!
Isabelle and her friends will need all the help they get as they enter the Shrines and Dungeons found across Bartha! These places contain Monsters that you can see walking around the map. Touching them will draw Isabelle’s party into a turn-based battle.
In Battle, you can attack, defend, use an item, or run away. But you can also use two types of special skills: Artes and Equipment Skills!
Artes are learned as Isabelle and her friends gain more experience in battle and level up. These skills form the core strategy and strengths of each character:
* Isabelle can damage her foes with Light Magic or use spells to heal her allies
- Celeste can rely on her fighting skills to lower enemy stats while doing damage to them, weakening their offenses or defenses.
- Beremond can give all allies a healing effect over time, increase the party’s stats, and protect his allies by taking the hits for them.
- Fen can steal items in battle, blind her foes, or even just guarantee an escape
- And many more!
Artes take Arte Points or AP to use, so make sure not to run out!
Equipment Skills, or E. Skills are special techniques that draw from the very weapons, armor, and accessories used by our heroes. Unleash a powerful attack from a weapon, or heal a status from a hat! E.Skills can do almost anything! You can even use certain skills used by Monsters by acquiring a jewel that contains their power and equipping it. If you’ve wanted to breath fire like a dragon, a Jewel is the way to go!
But you can’t count all fighting to solve all your problems! The dungeons are also filled with puzzles that will test your thinking! Match tones created by crystals with the tones made by their pedestals, program a floating platform to move through the air, and follow invisible pathways to find your way through the shrines!
You may also find your path blocked by an obstacle, and that means it’s time for a Tool! In a dungeon, pressing the L Button (NSW/NSW2) / L1 Button (PS4/PS5) brings up a menu to select a Tool, which you can use with the Y Button (NSW/NSW2) / Square Button (PS4/PS5). Use exciting tools like:
* the Scythe to cut things out of your way
- the Bow to hit distant switches
- Bombs to destroy cracked walls
- the Hook to fly over impassable gaps
Isabelle’s pilgrimage will take her across the kingdom of Bartha, from dense forests and dry deserts to windy valleys and snow-covered towers! As she visits the shrines, she’s pulled into a conflict that shakes the kingdom’s founding ideas on this journey about identity, loss, and choosing your own future. Will Isabelle and her friends live in a future they choose? That’s up to you to find out!
“Bartha: A Clerics Tale” is out NOW, and is Free to Play through the RPG MAKER WITH Player and Trial Version on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. This 20+ hour adventure was built entirely in RPG MAKER WITH on console and can be played by downloading the Player and Trial Version and downloading the game through the in app Maker Plaza feature.
