I'll rate it a wonderful overall rating. It is chalk full of flaws, but it was an adventure to enjoy. The game I believe was rushed, many things cut; and the game was released in episodes, with each one somewhat different than the other.
Art -
Backgrounds - 5/5
They did an excellent job with the various backgrounds and places you travel to. There are a lot of backgrounds that seem familiar (FFVI?), but only a few times throughout the entire game did I have any problem with it.
The brand new backgrounds were especially nice. There were even a few moments I stopped just to look at the scene...
Portraits - 3-4/5
Some of the portraits were excellent. But, the style seems mismatched; some better than others; some simplier than others... So I have to give it lower points for the various conflicting styles...
Pixel Sprites and Characters - 4/5
Some look like basic edits of existing characters... (I keep thinking of Locke from FFVI, when I see Rhue...); But, they did a good job with the edits, and I really have no problem with them.
The sprites for custom items and other various things were all great. It seems like a game that should have been released around FFVI's time in this regard.
Monster pictures - 5/5
No problems with the monsters. If they aren't minor edits of existing sprites, there are some excellent graphics created for this game...
Normal Battle Attacks - 3-4/5
For the most part they are just basic, but not bad. Nothing too special. Not going to find a GONER here.
Plunge Battle Attacks - 4/5
I liked the various graphics used in the plunge battles... It seemed to fit in well, even if it seemed basic sometimes.
Overall Art - 4/5
Well done, could have used some extras to push it higher though. Like posters found in the game could actually have pictures that show up...
Sound and Music -
Music - 4/5
I believe most of the music was taken from various sources, although there were several brand new tracks I think... It is MIDI, so the quality depends on your soundfont.
Most of the songs I recognize from various games I've played, so there is a strong nostalgic factor. Still, they did a nice job... there are MANY songs used in the game. Most fit well. They did many effects with the songs, so that kept it from ever getting stale.
SFX - 4/5
There were many great sound effects. Screams, muffled voices, birds, oceans, altered standard RTP sounds... It almost gets a 5/5. They did a great job with the sound aspect.
Overall Sound - 4/5
Good all around sound. If it had more custom music, it would be a 5/5.
Gameplay -
Normal RPG mode - 7/10
It is your basic RPG mode, walk around... interact, find items, and advance the plot. You can't run, but the character moves fast enough where it isn't an issue.
There are quite a few impossible secrets in the game; where you have to search the exact right spot for some reason... But, these are usually optional, so that's not much of a problem... Still it bothers me, having to find secrets that are placed in hidden sides of buildings, or on a random wall. You end up spending a lot of time pressing along the entire wall, if you want to make sure you don't miss anything...
Most of the game is Linear, except for parts of Chapter 2 and most of 6. The game is usually fast paced in the linear spots, never giving you too much time in one place. Although, the non-linear places can take forever...
Normal battle - 6/10
It is a new spin on the classic RPG battle system. The game needs battle memory, or something to make it less painful later in the game, when you might battle many times in a row. Auto-battle can't be trusted in the more serious battles; and later in the game you'll find the battles to be pretty difficult, especially for any optional win battles... The system is easy to learn, and there are many combinations to try... and the battles are rewarding... But, in the end I'm left wanting more, and feeling tedious when there are many battles in a row.
The battles could use just a few more features or something and they would really shine.
Plunge battle - 8/10
It's a pretty fun concept. In the beginning they can be pretty frustrating, and completely based on chance; especially as you learn the system. But, as you progress; the plunge system becomes slightly more complicated, and I had many battles that I found very rewarding.
There were many simply epic battles, I wish I had recorded lol
Mini games - 8/10
Wow... There are many differnet mini-games throughout the Way. They are all very well done. There are more in the beginning than the end however... Which is too bad. Learning each random mini-game kept things fresh, and helped reveal the story in fun ways.
[Some of them were really TOUGH, if you wanted a good score. Instant death being one of the most annoying..., but winning them well gave a good sense of satisfaction...]
Still, the mini-games were a wonderful addition to the game.
Overall interactive elements - 7/10
It's very good. But, with a game THIS LONG, you need to really pull out all the bells and whistles to make the excellent rating. I don't fault it much, but there could always be that little bit more...
Plot and Cutscenes -
Story - 8/10
The story was epic. There is an amazing amount of detail, and are plenty of twists to the story throughout the adventure... In fact, there are almost TOO many twists!
There are plenty of too convenient scenes though, and unbelieveable happenings... Turns that just aren't how you think it should go...
And, although there are many choices throughout the game, it doesn't greatly affect the outcome except in several spots. Still, the great amount of choices add a great deal to the game.
It's a really wonderful universe and setting... There is TONS of potential, and only some of it is tapped. At the end, I'm left wanting more... But, I'm somewhat satisfied...
Cutscenes - 9/10
For most of the game, I have to say the cutscenes and scripted events are the BIG THUMBS UP in advancing the story. And the story is the BIG point of this game, even with its flaws...
The cutscenes ranged from mind-blowing, tear-jerking to non-existent. But, when they were there, they captured your attention. Excellent job with the cutscenes... [you could actually factor in some of the mini-games, and even the plunges into some of the cutscenes... Seemless.]
Overall Plot and Storytelling - 8/10
It was genius, it was mad. There were so many stories to be had. I travelled for days, and never became bored. There were just that many stories to be ... yours?
Anyways, the Way was ALL about the story. In my opinion it's a Cave Story level RPGmaker game. So much to figure out, and so many new things to experience.
It easily reaches 10/10 at some points throughout the game, but since the game varies so wildly at points... It lacks a balanced continuity.
Chapter 6 needs to be updated to 2.0, with the original extra features intact; and then a final pass needs to be made to merge the 6 games into one seemless adventure, and perhaps adding some of ideas that didn't make it. And for perfection, add a final Chapter 7; and you'll have a beast of an epic story.
Conclusion - 8/10
The game sets new standards for RPGmaker games...; ...no for all RPGs.
It doesn't have to be NEW and SHINY to be amazing. This game might fall short of being a masterpiece due to its haphazard storytelling (at times), but it attempted something beautiful.
I'll leave you with words (summarized from what I remember) from the in-game creator : (Think Hermit Gunsmith)
A certain character speaks about a masterpiece of a painting. You look at it, and say "You sure know how to pick them..."
"You don't like it?"
"It's ruined! The middle of the painting is completely torn off!"
"I tore it out myself, but I think I like it this way..."
"..."
