Accessing an RPG Maker game can be quite a challenge! It often feels like you won’t truly grasp it until you’ve invested hours in creating several games. The more time you devote, the stronger your feelings—whether positive or negative—become. It wasn’t until I was halfway through crafting a Neoromance-like original game that I realized my fondness for RPG Maker FES. After spending roughly five hours on my project using my Switch, I still have the impression that I’m merely scratching the surface of what RPG Maker WITH has to offer. While the potential for unique creations is undoubtedly there, it seems to fall short of my expectations for a new installment.
In titles like RPG Maker WITH, users have at their disposal the necessary tools for map construction, asset design, and editing to create RPGs, or indeed various game types. This results in an extensive process that involves developing the maps for the world, towns, dungeons, and villages, populating them with characters and monsters using the provided assets, outlining a narrative, managing game balance, and preparing everything effectively. As with other entries in the series, you begin with an array of pre-made elements. You choose what fits your vision and arrange it in a way that suits your game. The interface is designed to facilitate swift navigation between different regions.
As I explored RPG Maker WITH on the Switch, I noticed that it caters primarily to two distinct audiences. The first group seems to be newcomers to the RPG Maker environment, thanks to its heavy reliance on sample data and the capability for asset sharing. A significant selling point of this edition lies in its cooperative gameplay, allowing multiple users to collaborate on the same project. However, considering this title is currently exclusive to the Switch, I remain uncertain about how widely this feature will be embraced, which may result in a lack of collaborators.
Unfortunately, RPG Maker WITH doesn’t provide tutorials or helpful insights, making it less than ideal for newcomers. The official site also falls short; it directs users to external sources for guides rather than offering official instructions from Gotcha Gotcha Games or NIS America. Despite my familiarity with the series and hours spent on RPG Maker FES, I discovered each editor has its specificities and operates differently. Thus, even spending an hour or two experimenting just to get started was necessary.
This leads me to believe RPG Maker WITH is truly aimed at the other target demographic: those who are already adept with the software. While experienced users can swiftly dive into character development, map design, and enemy encounter organization, certain features can still feel overwhelming. A guide for the Event Editor would have been very beneficial. Although it appears to be a straightforward feature and seasoned players from previous versions might adapt quickly, facing the necessity of learning a new scripting feature can be somewhat daunting.
Consequently, RPG Maker WITH doesn’t seem as friendly or accessible as it could be on the Switch, despite being an adept tool. Considering the intention to foster an inclusive environment that encourages collaborative efforts and sharing, one might expect at least the inclusion of a tutorial for the event editor for newcomers. As for seasoned developers, I anticipate seeing exciting projects emerging in the coming months or years. However, with its current limitations tied to the console, I find myself wondering if many will opt for PC versions like RPG Maker MV or MZ instead.
RPG Maker WITH is available on the Nintendo Switch and is set to launch on PS4 and PS5 in 2025.
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