For A Vast Future Review
I have played my Gameboy in 2022 (finally beat Alleyway!). It gets semi-regular use and I finally get to finish off games that I probably played a few times but lost interest in over the years. What I did not expect in 2022 was to play a Gameboy-styled game in For A Vast Future.
Unrelated but can you jailbreak Gameboy to play Steam games? (Asking for a friend…)
Developed by Retreaux Games (Pillars of Dust), For A Vast Future is a Gameboy-inspired RPG in which you play as Chel, a teenager in a post-war dystopia who stumbles upon a vast (see what I did there?) government conspiracy. In classic RPG style, you will participate in active time battles, experiment with a plentiful crafting system, and recruit companions on your journey.
Aesthetically speaking, this is a Gameboy game. Sure, you have a range of color palettes to choose from (I went with GB Green) but it just reminded me of playing with the contrast on the original Gameboy as you adjusted to see whatever was on the screen. On the sound front, of course we have 8-bit chiptunes and they sound fantastic (my wife walked by and was like, “are you playing Oregon Trail?). Also, of note, the gameplay controls mirror that of the Gameboy in that there are no action buttons and only four directions to move.
When you first get into combat, it comes across as barebones and very simple. The more you play, the more you see the nuances and strategies that become necessary. All characters have a fight option which shoots their gun. It is up to you, the player, to figure out which ammo should be shot to deal the most damage. Ammunition can cause explosions, burn targets, stun them, and even blind enemies.
Additionally, all of your party has access to Wargear which is the traditional RPG equivalent of Items. Wargear is either found or crafted (once you find the corresponding schema) and ranges from explosives to first aid to status effect items. For example, you could have one of your party throw an Oil Barrel at an enemy which makes them weak to fire/explode. Your other party members can switch to burn ammunition or just throw a molotov cocktail. With a whole range of available options, most fights can be tackled in a variety of manners.
Like traditional RPGs, experience is earned after each victory. When the party members level up, their HP pool increases. SP is also earned and that is used to increase the base stats of your characters at an increasing cost per level. All characters have access to the same stats but can choose a different focus for point distribution. The stats are as follows: Dexterity (effectiveness at using wargear); Marksmanship (effectiveness and accuracy with gun attacks); Armor (defense); Luck (increased odds of ‘freebie’ ammunition/item usage, as well as drop rate); and Evasion (increased % evasion from physical attacks).
All stats can be reset at any time outside of combat. This allows for different strategies going into fights. You can have a character that is a jack of all trades, a character that is stronger at using wargear, or a character that hits hardest with the basic Fight option. The ability to reset everything and swap whenever is somewhat refreshing as you do not have to worry about assigning a permanent role to any one party member.
For A Vast Future is a Gameboy-inspired RPG in more ways than one. Outside of the obvious aesthetics, the game is also a smaller, more succinct RPG than fans may be accustomed to seeing in the genre. A playthrough will take approximately 8 hours with those focused on achievements doing a sub-6 hour speedrun. The length makes this no less of an RPG than the big boys that dominate the headlines. This is a full-package RPG. Everything feels thought out and complete and not just cobbled together to fit in a smaller package. The art style/music may be a turn-off for some but this is an extremely enjoyable RPG that should not be overlooked. Since we cannot enjoy the game on an actual Gameboy, I guess the 2023 Switch release will have to do down the road.
