Dark Blood Chronicles

I'm not much for writing reviews regardless of how much I enjoy a game; however, it's a travesty that this game has no reviews at all. Besides the three playable characters, you get a monster tome that allows you multiple choices for your 4th character (creature in this case). I spent a lot of time grinding so that I could get and use all the choices, but I would say that I still got a good 20 hours with one playthrough.
There are a lot of secrets, multiple endings, custom animations, and a interesting and dark story. Games like these have become rather niche, but if you do enjoy these games this one is definitely a good choice.

Full disclosure: I purchased the original version of the game in 2014 prior to its recent port to Steam and received a key for the Steam port as an early buyer. I was not compensated for this review but love the game so much that I hope others can experience this too.
It can be difficult to say good-bye.
Darkblood Chronicles is a unique game that does not have a lot of similar titles to compare it to, but the premise is one that immediately caught my attention with screenshots that brought back fond memories of Shadow Hearts, a series on the PS2 that likewise tried a lot of things that no other game had (or for that matter has) tried to achieve. In particular, this game is very close in atmosphere and feel to the original Shadow Hearts, as there is a touch of humor in the dialogue but largely there are some rather macabre themes dealing with death and how the main character Samantha comes to grips with this (which you, as the player, have some control over as you make your way toward one of the five "endings" and several variations embedded within those over the course of the approximately 20 hour journey). While the game was made in an RPG Maker VX Ace engine, there's significant customization of the gameplay elements to the point that the game rarely feels like it was done using this engine (mostly in the inventory management or lack thereof by the end of the game since sorting is rudimentary in RPG Maker).
Gameplay features:
One of the unique features here is the soul system that allows the main character Samantha to equip a (for stat boosts and spells) or enchant (for spells of maxed souls after fighting in battle for ability points) up to 3 souls. This soul system is similar to how Shadow Hearts handled its protagonist customizations across the series and similarly gives a lot of customization to how you want Samantha's role. Do you want her to be a healer? You can do that. Do you want her to be a physical fighter? You can do that. Want her to be a mage or debuffer? Sure, you can make her virtually whatever you want.
The Steam port adds a particularly amazing new feature in familiars, a fourth party member conjured from the Monster Tome that gives you even more choices on how you want to augment the party. Much like the Suikoden series, the roughly 40 familiars found throughout Darkblood Chronicles (some are in secret rooms, some are unlocked by leveling other familiars, and some are unlocked by maxing souls and interacting with soul corpses) are varying levels of balance with some clearly more useful than others, but the good news is you could forego using familiars altogether (after all, the original game did not have them and tends to be challenging whether you use them or not), so there's no particular reason to stress out about which particular familiar you would like to use as they can all be helpful. For the most part, familiars do not get to equip any new gear or learn additional abilities from leveling like the three set characters, so the biggest incentive to use any particular familiar is if they unlock another familiar or item - or simply because you like using them.
Although this is not limited to Darkblood Chronicles, one nice feature that's been implemented here is there are no random encounters and no respawns. Clearing out all enemies in an area opens a room that gives an assortment of helpful equipment and/or items. If you want to farm any particular rare drops like sketched souls (similar to summons as they can be used once before they must be drawn again using consumable items and have incredibly powerful effects), there is a mirror room roughly half of the way through the game that gives infinite encounters for nearly every monster in the game. This also helps to see which familiars you might want to keep using (familiars not in the active party do not gain experience, so mirror room grinding is the only way to level a number of them other than through the Experience Egg item). Grinding is not necessary to beat the game but certainly helps decrease difficulty.
Characterization:
Although there are a few minor typographical errors here and there, most of the writing is pretty good throughout the game (most notably in the endings) as the party makes its way onward. Many of the characters - playable and otherwise - do not fit the typical RPG mold and evolve pretty well over the game as they experience the events of Darkblood Chronicles. Samantha and Ethan are high school students left wondering why all the students from their school have vanished. Aeon is a great support character with a mysterious past who just happens to want to help Samantha. All these characters are handled well and could easily be compared to some of the better characters from the Persona series despite the much shorter amount of time spent here than recent entries of the Persona series.
Plot:
Without getting into spoiler territories (the RPGFan review of the original version of the game does a good synopsis if you want more detail), there are some great ideas at work here that I haven't seen too much elsewhere. One key aspect I would push is there are many endings and they do add a lot to the overall narrative as they all have bits and pieces that ultimately wrap up what Omaj is presenting here.
Graphics:
In an RPG this isn't something I find a particularly important aspect but one thing you can definitely tell is just how much work was put into the various character animations. I'm honestly not sure how these were handled so well within the RPG Maker engine since there's next to no slowdown from beginning to end. Character portraits for the three main characters are some of the best I've seen in any RPG (and they really do add to the intended mood). Areas tend to be dark thematically too (appropriate in a game called Darkblood Chronicles) with areas like catacombs and an abandoned battlefield.
Music:
Much like the rest of the game, the musical selection really helps to set the tone for Darkblood Chronicles. My favorite song is the world map music that (unfortunately) you don't get to hear a lot of since there are no encounters there and are mostly secret-filled paths to the next destination. The song has this edgy electric guitar section that really is unlike any overworld music I've heard before.
Replay value:
There aren't any optional areas and the game is completely linear so other than playing differently with the soul/familiar system or because you enjoyed the game enough to take it for a second spin, this may be a "one and done" playthrough for you (but the experience's well worth it even once).
Conclusion:
If you're the kind of person who automatically gets put off by the thought of RPG Maker games, this is the sort of game I'm more than happy to say defies the odds and shows that a great game can be produced so long as the creator(s) have a good enough vision and willingness to put in the many hours needed to put together a compelling package. And if you missed Shadow Hearts as much as I have, this game scratches that itch better than any other game than from that series. I look forward to seeing what else Omaj may do in the future as this is pretty much the best initial offering I can think of for any developer's first outing as far as the overall experience, and that's saying a lot for someone who's been playing video games for more than 30 years.

If you are looking for an old school style rpg look no further. Between the atmosphere and great soundtrack the game will make you want to not put it down. I hope this game gets some more recognition. Probably one of the better games i have played in a long time. Well worth the time! The sprite work is down right amazing. Not only does the game give options on a 4th playable character the battles are not easy. I highly advise you to buy this game right now and play it!

Full disclosure: I purchased the original version of the game late 2013 and received a key for the Steam port as an early buyer.
You are Samantha (aka Sam), a lonely girl who recently lost her mother and lives with her father. They’re both trying to recover from this tragic event, but it has taken a toll on their relationship.
One not so ordinary day, Sam wakes up from a terrible nightmare and gets ready to go to school. She gets on the bus and arrives at the school building. But, something is off.
There is nobody inside. It looks like everybody disappeared. You meet Ethan, another student and suddenly, you’re attacked by a monster.
Where did it come from? Where did everybody go? And why you feel like somebody is watching your every move?
This is the beginning of the Darkblood Chronicles, an RPG game made with the RPG maker engine. But, it would be wrong to compare this game with most of the games made with this engine. The game visuals are one of the best I’ve ever encountered in an RPG game.
The characters are extremely well made, large animated sprites and very detailed. The environments are also excellent. You visit very different places through out the game. Among them are the school building, a monastery, a desert like place called War Zone, an apartment complex and an ancient temple dedicated to Ares, the God of War.
The music is very atmospheric and it’s suitable with every scene of the game. When you are in Nova’s castle, you hear a soft, ambient music and when you are in the War Zone, you hear no sound at all. It expresses the desolation you see around you. The effects of the game are exceptional. The sound of the crackling fire, the opening of a heavy door, the sound when a blacksmith is forging a sword.
The gameplay is not very typical for this kind of game. The usual is that you fight enemies, equip weapons, armor, accessories and come across chests, puzzles to be solved and hidden secrets in most of the game areas. Enemy encounters are visible and once killed, they do not respawn.
But, you don’t have your every RPG game save game menu. Since you are a book worm and an avid pictomancer, early in the game, you find a book, and if you want to save your game, you open the book and you either save your game or you visit Ophelia’s domain. The depiction of Ophelia’s haven is amazing!
Sam has the ability to draw a picture and come to life! That will help you in fights, boost your stats in battle and as you evolve your drawing skills, “make” powerful objects, weapons and armor you and your companions use.
You can equip warrior souls you find that will help her boost her stats and give her temporary powers and skills you can use. Later in the game, you can enchant three of these souls, so you can have a permanent effect of their powers. You can also use monsters as familiars and become the fourth member of your party, so they will help you on your fights.
The game will take up to 20 hours of gameplay and it’s quite enjoyable. But, what makes Darkblood Chronicles a game worth playing? I would say the good story telling, the evolving characters, the high replayability (the game has 5 different endings), the difficulty level (it’s not an easy game, but it’s rewarding to play and to plan strategies to win some enemies). So, get ready to immerse to this wonderful dark adventure.

Disclaimer: I originally supported this game before it was on Steam so I was given a free key once it released on here. There's been some updates to the game since then and now the game is looking better than ever!
The two things that really stand out about Darkblood are the graphics and the story. There's a ton of custom animations and artwork that really make this game shine among other RPG Maker games. The pacing of the story is a little slow at first, but once you get a few hours in it really starts to pick up speed and then you're hooked.
I recommend this game for anyone who is looking for a true challenge. This game is heavily inspired by JPRGs like Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, and Shadowhearts - and if you played any of those, you know you're in for some heavy grinding and battles that can be won or lost in the first few turns. This isn't a game where you can just spam the attack button to win. You have to plan out every move.
The first half of the game is definitely the hardest, (and I mean old-school J-RPG hard) because there are only a few healing spots, no shops to buy items, and you're left with only a few items from the set number of encounters (monsters never respawn) so you really have to pay attention to your stats and choose carefully when to use items. I'm more of a casual RPG fan myself (mainly interested in the story) so this was especially difficult for me. Once you make it past this point and reach the first town, you're golden. Then you can grind all you like, and it's much easier for more casual players like me.
If you're a person who enjoys exploration, you're definitely rewarded for your efforts in here. There's tons of secrets hidden in every area for those who look closely enough and don't rush through. You also don't have to worry about missing any bonus items as you're always able to reach previous areas (later it gets much easier to). You also don't have to get these either, so you can easily skip them if collecting isn't your thing.
About the only thing I didn't like was the constant back and forth in the early dungeons, especially when I was dying constantly. You really have to save constantly (after every battle) so you don't lose a ton of progress when you lose a battle early on. Thankfully, there is an in-game map, so you can eventually find your way around if you keep at it. Without that, I'd be lost for sure. There are a few maze like areas, but each screen is named, which makes it a little easier to remember where you've been. If you do have trouble remembering details like I do, I recommend keeping a notepad nearby to jot down things. This will help for the puzzles in the game too.
TL;DR - This is the Dark Souls of RPG Maker games. You're in for a challenge, but it's worth the effort.

I was a tester for the early version of the game and it was amazingly fun. While developed in RPG Maker, it doesn't feel like one. The story is unique and fun to play. This game deserves more people to play it.
Everything in the game is 100% unique, you will not see a single asset from the normal RPG Maker RTP.
Highly recommend you play it!

Darkblood Chronicles is a awesome blend of stunning retro graphics and clever storytelling. This game is not only beautiful it offers amazing gameplay with a cool battle system. This is truly is a great game!