I became interested in Divine Dynamo Flamefrit when I saw that Japanese independent studio Inti Creates was behind it. I was on board the second I saw the pixel-perfect '90s anime aesthetic and heard the era-appropriate title screen music. And I fell in love the moment the battle against the giant mechanical boss began. I'm not sure how I feel now that I know the game is, at least in part, a marketing bonus for a much bigger, better looking deck-building JRPG, but I'm still totally on board with Flamefrit.
At its most basic level, Divine Dynamo Flamefrit is an action RPG infused with SNES vibes. The Steam Next Fest demo puts you in control of a little guy with a sword, and superficially resembles games like Zelda: A Link to the Past and Secret of Mana. But I dare say there's a bit of Dark Souls here. Your attack is big, heavy, and can't be canceled, so the game is mostly about learning the rhythm of enemy attacks and positioning yourself to take advantage of them.
My favorite trick in combat is that you can set grass on fire with a mana-powered sword charge, instantly killing any enemies caught in the flames. Deciding exactly when to use your mana is a small resource management consideration, and timing your flames at the right time so that they take out as many enemies as possible is very satisfying.
Divine Dynamo Flamefrit – Debut Trailer – YouTube
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Then there's the mech boss battle, which gives you a first-person view of the enemy from the cockpit. It plays out like a large-scale Punch-Out round, where you react to enemy attacks by blocking in various directions and counterattacking when the time is right. It's simple, but it's a fun show and a great way to break up the action.
While I enjoyed the demo of Divine Dynamo Flamefrit, I have to admit that the game feels a bit light, and there seems to be a reason for that. Developer Inti Creates is also promoting a roguelike deck builder called Card-en-Ciel, launching on October 24, and the idea of that game is that you're fighting with and against a roster of video game characters who have invaded a particular corner of cyberspace.
The game characters referenced in Card-en-Ciel consist of figures from Inti Creates' own cult hits and a list of people from completely fictional games. Card-en-Ciel was initially revealed on March 20 earlier this year, and Divine Dynamo Flamefrit was announced shortly after on April Fool's Day. It seemed likely that Flamefrit was going to just be a silly trailer for a fake game that would be included in the card game, but Inti Creates apparently took everything seriously, turning the action RPG into a completely standalone game. Flamefrit is now being offered as a pre-order bonus for Card-en-Ciel, and while it will eventually be released separately as well, that should probably give you an idea of the scope of the project.
Card-en-Ciel – Game Reveal – YouTube
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Card-in-Ciel also has a demo available, and now that I had fallen so deep down the rabbit hole I had to check it out. It's pretty good! The cyberspace arenas you fight in have distinct Mega Man Battle Network vibes (appropriate given the debt Inti Creates' Gunvolt series owes to Mega Man), but it has a fun turn-based battle system where you can choose to spend cards on either of your written skills. or a little movement to avoid the pieces that are going to be hit by enemy attacks.
However, your enjoyment of Card-en-Ciel will depend on how deeply you crave waifus. Your character is a nerdy guy known as the “Gaming Chair Detective,” and in a move that deeply indulges otaku fantasies, most of your supporting characters are cute girls who generally play into saccharine anime tropes. I enjoy poor quality anime from time to time and even found it a little excessive.
Still, the knowledge that Divine Dynamo Flamefrit is tied to a game that probably isn't for me hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for it, and honestly, the fact that it may be smaller in scope than a completely standalone game might be a point. . in your favor. Init Creates' Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, itself a promotional bonus for a much larger game that took on a life of its own, is one of the best 8-bit tributes out there today, and I hope Divine Dynamo Flamefrit can be an equally excellent look at the 16-bit era.
A short time with Divine Dynamo Flamefrit makes me long for some of the best snes games.