Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (PC, Switch, PS4, XBO)

[drahkon]

Quote

Follow three small heroes: Vi, Kabbu, and Leif, as they embark on an epic quest in Bugaria in search of The Everlasting Sapling, a treasure that can grant immortality! Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is an adventure RPG that combines colorful platforming with turn-based battles using Action Commands. Hidden within the foliage of nature lies a small but prosperous continent: Bugaria. Insects from all over the world travel to it in search of the treasure scattered across the land. The most sought after of these relics is The Everlasting Sapling! In search of this ancient artifact, our brave team of explorers will travel across many different landscapes, interact with wide cast of characters, use their unique abilities to clear puzzles, defeat strong enemies and help the general bug populace!

I feel like this warrants its own thread

Been talking about my journey in the General Switch Discussion but put this game on hold for Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. Now that I've fallen out of love with the latter, I went back to Bug Fables and I'm having a great time

Still in chapter 4, but it looks like I'm about to fight the boss.

The game does suffer from a few flaws:

• movement and overworld skills are a little tricky to pull off; the perspective just isn't suited for what you have to do at times
• hard mode is not worth it for the majority of the game (so far); the negatives (stronger enemies - they have more HP and hit harder) far outweigh the positives (more EXP); it's just unnecessary to equip the hard mode medal 'cause you spent most of the time (and money) for resting and healing items; it's much more chill to fight a few more times instead of going back to stock up on items and resting at inns
• the exp you get (even in hard mode) is just a little too low, in my opinion

Usually I just have hard mode disabled until it's clear that a boss is about to show up. There's quite the bonus when you beat a boss in hard mode: you get medals for each boss killed that way. Just now I've gotten a very useful medal that I think should've been available much earlier:

Spoiler

Triumph Buzz - After a successful battle, the party recovers 2 HP

And a short while later I found:

Victory Buzz - After a successful battle, the party will recover 4 TP

These make a huge difference with regards to money and time spent backtracking to rest and buy heal items.

Anyways, these issues have been a little annoying to deal with but now it feels like the game really gets going. I also managed to beat an optional boss (at least I think it's optional) much earlier than you're supposed to, given the fact that it was able to kill my entire team in two turns without a specific tactic (shielding and loooooooooooooooooooooots of TP recovery items). The reward is pretty cool:

Spoiler

A support character that can deal 2 damage every turn to the nearest enemy. This might actually be a game changer for battles

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by drahkon

[drahkon]

Made some more progress.

Finished a side quest that focused on one of the main characters. His backstory is so good. Sad, creepy and in the end quite wholesome Very well written, an absolute joy.

Apparently I only have 3 chapters left. I guess I'll take on some side quests before moving on

Edited June 15, 2020 by drahkon

[Dufniall]

This game does deserve a topic of its own! I'm currently going through it for a review for the main site, so I won't dive in too deep now. I'm currently in Chapter 6, and I feel there is still a few hours main story to go. I have done only a couple of sidequests, mainly because I don't want to drag it out too long before finishing it so I can start the review.

But it's definitely a game I will revisit after completion to mop up the rest of the sidequests! It's just so charming and the world-building is well done. The writing is good too. Dark at times but overall very merry with plenty of humour.

I'm curious about your optional boss @drahkon, who was it (in spoiler tags)? That support character seems cool!

[drahkon]

1 hour ago, Vileplume2000 said:

I'm curious about your optional boss @drahkon, who was it (in spoiler tags)? That support character seems cool!

Spoiler

It's called Mother Chomper found in the Chomper Caves You can get there by using the eastern exit of Golden Settlement and drop down the first cliff you see with Leif's shield active. Once you're at the bottom level, the entrance to the cave is to your left.

 

[drahkon]

 

[drahkon]

Reached Chapter 6 last night and the story just keeps on giving. Great writing, great characters, great plot

Can't wait to see how it'll all end.

Not sure if I want to complete some more sidequests, though. Fast travel is a little tedious (you have to enter a sub-area in each city to be able to travel to a different city) and annoyingly, most of the quest goals are at the end of areas you've already been through. A sprint button would've been great

[drahkon]

Are you telling me there's a card game in this? Are you telling me I could've played this since chapter 3?
Fuck me sideways...I'm well into chapter 6 and only just found out about Spy Cards.

Well...I was set on finishing the story today but...guess that ain't happening anytime soon

Edit: Also...

On 6/18/2020 at 11:54 AM, drahkon said:

Fast travel is a little tedious (you have to enter a sub-area in each city to be able to travel to a different city)

Just got an item that lets me fast travel to that sub-area whenever I want. Alright...all side quests it is

Edited June 19, 2020 by drahkon

[drahkon]

I think I'm close to the end. One more chapter to go.

Did a few more side quests but I think I've had enough. I doubt the remaining assignments could provide me with worthwhile rewards.

Depending on the exp I get from the enemies in the final chapter I might spend some more time farming but other than that it's going to be a journey straight to the end

[drahkon]

After 28 hours my journey is over (at least the story is done; there's still one character related side quest I will do).

Such a wonderful game
Great story, wonderful world building, well written characters and humorous writing coupled with a cool battle system make this one a joy to play.

There are, however, two negatives that take away one point from the final score:

1. clunky overworld navigation - platforming, pushing (or rather smashing) blocks to the right place in a limited amount of time and other things can be frustratingly annoying; I've turned the game off occasionally because of that...
2. I don't think the game is balanced well
   • you're obviously weak in the beginning but for a rather long time you have very limited options to improve
   • stat changes from level ups are quite unnecessary...you pretty much only need to raise your Medal Points
   • Medals are what makes you stronger, but the majority of good (and necessary) ones you get very late in the game
   • Hard Mode is what the devs actually intended to be the normal difficulty but I think it turns the game into a slog; normal monsters (no matter how strong you are) can take away lots of your HP and require you to spend lots of TP to win; the extra EXP isn't worth the effort

My tip for Hard Mode: Turn it off for normal battles and only activate the medal when it's clear that a chapter boss is coming up. That made for a nice challenge.

Overall, though: 9/10.

Hope there will be a sequel.

[Glen-i]

14 minutes ago, drahkon said:

1. • stat changes from level ups are quite unnecessary...you pretty much only need to raise your Medal Points

Yep, that sounds like typical Paper Mario to me. Badge Points were the best stat by far.

[Dufniall]

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling Review

Reviewed by @S.C.G and me, a real team effort! I really enjoyed my time with it as you can tell. Curious to hear if @drahkon agrees with our verdict.

[drahkon]

32 minutes ago, Vileplume2000 said:

Curious to hear if @drahkon agrees with our verdict.

100%

Great review, spot on. Really hope we'll see a sequel

[Nicktendo]

Just picked this up on Steam. Looking forward to playing though it after reading all your impressions. Definitely more hyped than for the new Paper Mario.

[Glen-i]

I also picked it up recently. Just finished the first chapter.

It's looking solid so far, writing is hilarious. I do have some misgivings...

I must say, Hard mode feels counterproductive. Nothing wrong with difficulty options, but the fact that it nets you double EXP and special rewards for beating bosses with it on makes me never want to take it off out of fear of falling behind.
I never think it's a good idea to lock stuff that makes the game easier behind playing it on a harder difficulty. Cool cosmetics or secret endings? Sure. But you shouldn't be made more powerful by playing a harder difficulty, it kinda misses the point of difficulty options.
Also, Kabbu's horn attack on the overworld has way too much startup lag and I can never hit anything with it and the stat boosts you get from leveling up are really stingy. A total of 3 HP/TP each level up? Feels mean after Paper Mario's traditional 5 HP/FP boost. It's even weirder seeing as the MP boost is the same as Paper Mario's BP. Let's hope the game's balanced around that...

[drahkon]

@Glen-i only use the hard mode medal for bosses. It's not worth it for the rest of the game.

As I said before: I don't think hard mode is balanced very well. You also won't miss anything. The medals you'd get from killing bosses at the higher difficulty? You can just buy them later anyways

11 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

A total of 3 HP/TP each level up?

Put 'em all into medal points. Rest is not worth it. You can get more HP/TP with medals later on.

[Glen-i]

4 minutes ago, drahkon said:

Put 'em all into medal points. Rest is not worth it. You can get more HP/TP with medals later on.

Believe me, I already am. Played enough Paper Mario to know that Badges are king.