Volume one of a three-game trilogy, Carlsev Saga - Deckiller's first game - is a tale of politics and war, centered on the nation of Carlsev. The story covers revolution, manipulation, and conflicting ideologies; "good" and "evil" are discarded in favor of shades of gray.

This is the "Special Edition" (and currently the only playable) version of Carlsev Saga I. There are four new dungeons, dozens of new rooms and cutscenes, and a never before seen preview of Carlsev Saga II. Needless to say, this is THE definitive version of Carlsev Saga I.

STORY

The Kingdom of Carlsev is in turmoil. The eastern regions of Carlsev, united under the level-headed General Saito, have seceded from the monarchy. Generals Deckiller and Roland, hailing from the Central and Western divisions respectively, must now face off against their former comrade. King Carlsev, increasingly paranoid and fearful, orders a series of unethical edicts in an attempt to prevent the rebellion from spreading. These questionable orders, which range from holding mass public executions to torturing suspected rebel agents, are actually causing the revolution to spread.

This is the setup for the first arc -- after this rather standard beginning, the story takes off like a bullet. Indeed, twists are commonplace: no character or faction is safe. Carlsev is about to be turned upside down by a series of unfathomable events!

GAMEPLAY

I'll be upfront: the battle system is NOT custom, nor do I have any interest in creating an entirely custom battle system. The DBS is very versatile, and I attempted to add a few twists while designing the game. For instance, gaining levels yields little reward: instead, players must use "tonics" to boost stats. Tonics, in turn, are created from ingredients dropped by monsters. For the most part, enemies don't simply drop money; players must sell loot and hunt for treasure chests to make a tidy profit. Battles are not simply a matter of spamming "attack"; almost every enemy has an elemental weakness. Thus, players must make optimal use of their skills and items -- especially in boss fights.

Other features include: a draw/stock system in the second half of the game, warp crystals, enemy encounter crystals for streamlined leveling, and reasonably intricate dungeons. For my first game, I can safely say that the gameplay is satisfactory.

MUSIC

There is -no- RTP music in this game. Music is taken from sources such as: Fire Emblem, Ogre Battle, Beyond the Beyond, Arc the Lad, and Apollo 13. There are two .wav files: one from Panzer Dragoon Saga (Azel Dragon Battle), and one from Suikoden III (Blade).

MAPPING/GRAPHICS

No RTP maps are used in this game; however, I did have to use some RTP sprites. Most chipsets are Mac and Blue or gamerips. I was a decent mapper during this project, but players will see considerable improvement in Carlsev Saga II.