Elements: Soul of Fire

[Solo]

Rise, all ye Chosen...​

 
The light of the world fades. Evil hearts seek the Power of the Elements - the forces which bind the universe together - thus threatening all of existence.
 
Join an eclectic cast of characters and embark on a fantastic journey in the vast archipelago of Adamaria, evoking the gods of the land, sea, and sky in your quest to rekindle the fire of hope! Restore the light to the mystical Runes by earning the favor of the mighty Elemental Guardians and stand up to the oppressive forces of darkness.
 
Created with RPG Maker XP and seven years in the making, "Elements: Soul of Fire" is a fresh spin on the classic RPG formula, maintaining that old-school charm while breathing new life into the genre with its passionate, dynamic storytelling.
 
FEATURES
 
   •  70+ hours of gameplay, including multiple side quests
 
   •  Deeply emotional story driven by character development and interpersonal
       relationships
 
   •  21 playable characters
 
   •  Over 90 original acoustic guitar music tracks
 
   •  Hundreds of enemies and monsters to discover and defeat—from the endearing
       Chibi to the menacing Hellbender
 
   •  (collectively) Hundreds of accessories, weapons, and pieces of armor to find and
       outfit your characters with for various stat bonuses and benefits
 
   •  Enter the Party Ball! Change your party virtually anywhere, talk to your friends to
       gain insight into their thoughts and feelings, and even get clues about hidden
       scenes for additional character development
 
   •  Summon the three Behemoths—land, sea, and sky—to travel the world and
       explore new places
 
   •  Action and puzzle elements throughout the game—including mine cart rides,
       water slides, ice sliding, and other tests of reflexes, dexterity, and brainpower
 
   •  Upon completion of the game, unlock the Sketch Gallery, including concept art
       and background information
 
   •  Upon completion of the game, unlock the Arena Challenge—fight until you drop
       for prizes and high scores
 
   •  Find and defeat the hidden superbosses for the greatest challenge of the game
 
SCREENSHOTS

Spoiler

 
ABOUT THE GAME
As noted above, I worked on this game for seven years, pouring my entire life and 110% of my heart and soul into it. It's the realization of my childhood dreams of being a game designer. I strived to write a meaningful story that might enrich people, woven through a lengthy quest with plenty of challenges to overcome and secrets to discover.
 
I myself designed the world and all of the characters and monsters, and drew the graphics for each. The tilesets and battle backgrounds are all my original work, as well, and my father graciously provided for the soundtrack (I did however make some contributions in that regard, most notably in the composition of the main theme and its variations). Not to mention, I put it all together in RPG Maker (dialogue, events, battles, painstaking balance, and so on).
 
Credit is due to Enterbrain for the following RTP resources:
RGSS scripts
Panorama backgrounds
Battle animations
Fogs
BGS (ambient/environmental noise)
Sound effects
 
Aside from those, this game was a collaboration between my father and I (along with others who served as testers).
 
FULL VERSION - $7.99 USD
The full version of "Elements: Soul of Fire" can be purchased on BMT Micro:
https://secure.bmtmicro.com/servlets/Orders.ShoppingCart?CID=8427&PRODUCTID=84270000
 
FREE TRIAL VERSION
The free trial version of "Elements: Soul of Fire" can be downloaded at:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/6d7qhbb9i5b4d3o/E1trial_setup.exe
 
It covers a rather generous portion of the early game, up to the point where you obtain the first of the twenty Elements; several hours of gameplay. Your trial version save data is 100% transferable to the full version. Just copy your save files from the trial version directory to the full version directory.
 
WEBSITE
The official website for "Elements: Soul of Fire" is located at:
http://jeremyz89.wix.com/soul-of-fire
 
There you will find more detailed information regarding the game, including character profiles, music samples, and lots more screenshots.
 
I hope you enjoy the game! And if you do, please be sure to let me know!

 

[Grayborders]

Let me first congratulate you! This must be a very heart-warming moment for you. I cant wait for this sort of time when i finally have the game finished while i only appeared here a few weeks back my story,world and characters have been done and ready 9-10 years ago, i did comics(rebooted it twice do to getting better at it) tried writing it into visual novel. My point is i can feel your investment of time and energy. If anyone attacks your art try to ignore them, its consistent for 1 and i can tell you enjoy doing it and being RTP independent visually is a HUGE positive!

1 note thoughi  understand you feel the story is very emotional and  deep but saying things like "Deeply emotional story driven by character development and interpersonal relationships" can sound a bit generic, just a marketing issue.

All in all it looks very nice and deserves a great plus for minimal reliance on rtp, and great investment.

 

[Solo]

Thank you so much, Grayborders!  Especially for acknowledging my effort in the creation of the game, and my art. When you said you can tell that I enjoy doing it, that meant so much! Thank you again!

I can relate to you, by the way, regarding having detailed plans many years before even creating the game; and in fact, I have many more plans that I can't wait to carry out. So thanks for sharing your own experience!

This is only the beginning!

 

[Shadow of the Wind]

Just wanted to say playing your trial version and having fun

 

[Solo]

Just wanted to say playing your trial version and having fun

Thank you!!

 

[Alexander Amnell]

I've been playing Element's trial version for a couple weeks so far so here I guess are my first thoughts:

The custom artwork is pretty cool, they aren't really my forte and it took a little getting used to them for me but I'm not going to critique someone's artwork when the best thing I can draw is a stick figure.

   One thing I've noticed is that either Leonardo is way overpowered or else Leah and the cursed fairy girl must have other useful abilities I just haven't gotten to yet. I mean, other than being meat shields and that one battle with the ogre where the strategy is to 'spam' wink on him I haven't found a real strategic use for either of them. Leonardo has more dps, a more useful support ability than Leah and can take more hits than her. 

   Another thing that kind of gets to me is that there isn't very much strategy to the combat as far as I've gotten. The few abilities that you do have cost so much to use that it is unfeasible to use them on anything less than a boss (which are usually resistant to them, anyway.) so all I've really been doing is spamming attack and then chugging potions to heal. The only time I've come close to death so far (I've made it to the cemetery town at the moment) is when I was exploring the ice cave and ran into the "crystal eater". You might want to make a way (albeit a hard way) to get out of that battle before your game releases commercially... something about a clearly unbeatable encounter with a monster that you cannot run away from and have to die if encountered kind of irritates me. (to be fair though there could have been more warnings that I just missed, I realized how to find out which paths to avoid after dying but the decorations you used are such standard rpg dungeon decorations that the thought that they marked such an event didn't occur to me until after the fact. To be honest I almost stopped playing at that point.)

   Alright, now that the negative is out of the way onto the positive! I really enjoyed the puzzles in dungeons so far, probably one of the games strongest points in my opinion. Also the level of interactivity within the game is really impressive. A lot of people don't take the time to put text/hidden gems and items into random pieces of the environment but they do wonders to make the game feel more vibrant and alive.

   I won't comment much on the story yet simply because in a 70 hour game I know I don't know enough about it to give proper critique. My first impressions however it seems familiar and there really isn't anything that stands out to me. Leonardo and Leah are nothing if not childish so far to me, (which I get, since they are children... although during the prologue I kind of estimated Leonardo's age around 6-8) and the fairy-thing I haven't really gotten enough dialogue so far to know what she is like. I get that probably the characters expand a lot as time goes on and they learn and grow and while it may turn into an amazing story eventually my initial impression is just not getting into it, which is the main reason why it took me so long to get 3 hours or so into it. I am one of those people who can forgive 'almost' any other fault in a game if the story is good and I want to believe that this is one where the story does get really good but so far it just hasn't drawn me in and coupled with repetitive game-play I probably will not ever really know one way or the other.

   (just curious, have you ever played the game 'the legend of dragoon'? That is what your story so far makes me think of, from the big-brother protecting little sister aspect between Leonardo and Leah, the way elements are described reminds me of 'dragoon souls', Leonardo's element being the same as the main characters from that game and the fact that the two have the same hairstyle almost exactly! Honestly it could just be the hair and that's making my mind find other similarities between them that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise but story-wise there are some strong similarities between the two games' premises.)

   So lastly, let me congratulate you on your hard work and the fruits of your labor. Regardless of what I or anyone else say this is a great achievement, one that I wish to but have not yet fulfilled. I can only imagine how it will be to finally be able to say that my vision for a game is complete and release it to the community for them to experience and hopefully enjoy. Good luck to you, Solo. I'll try and finish up the demo in the next week or so and get back to you on any updates/changes in opinion that might come around afterwards.

 

[Solo]

First of all, thank you for your feedback, Alexander Amnell.

One thing I've noticed is that either Leonardo is way overpowered or else Leah and the cursed fairy girl must have other useful abilities I just haven't gotten to yet. I mean, other than being meat shields and that one battle with the ogre where the strategy is to 'spam' wink on him I haven't found a real strategic use for either of them. Leonardo has more dps, a more useful support ability than Leah and can take more hits than her.

 
It might take a little while, but Leah and Pica do gain strength over time. Leah's Earth magic is very effective against the Fire-based enemies on Mt. Loki, and Pica can gain skills from defeated bosses if she survives the battle; some of those might prove useful to you.

Another thing that kind of gets to me is that there isn't very much strategy to the combat as far as I've gotten. The few abilities that you do have cost so much to use that it is unfeasible to use them on anything less than a boss (which are usually resistant to them, anyway.) so all I've really been doing is spamming attack and then chugging potions to heal. The only time I've come close to death so far (I've made it to the cemetery town at the moment) is when I was exploring the ice cave and ran into the "crystal eater". You might want to make a way (albeit a hard way) to get out of that battle before your game releases commercially... something about a clearly unbeatable encounter with a monster that you cannot run away from and have to die if encountered kind of irritates me. (to be fair though there could have been more warnings that I just missed, I realized how to find out which paths to avoid after dying but the decorations you used are such standard rpg dungeon decorations that the thought that they marked such an event didn't occur to me until after the fact. To be honest I almost stopped playing at that point.)

 
I'm sorry for your frustration at the Crystal Eaters, but I guess I figured that since you can save anywhere it's not that big a deal if they kill you. Actually, much like with Ben, you can use Pica's Wink to confuse them. After you defeat them, you'll find the lost pets of the little girl Cinnamon who lives in the Crystal City. Bringing them all back to her yields an accessory. You could also just come back later in the game with stronger equipment, but that's actually beyond the trial portion and the accessory you get may not be as useful at that point.


As for strategy during battles, rest assured that as you progress in the game, you'll recruit many more characters and gain many more skills that add to the variety of the battles.

I won't comment much on the story yet simply because in a 70 hour game I know I don't know enough about it to give proper critique. My first impressions however it seems familiar and there really isn't anything that stands out to me. Leonardo and Leah are nothing if not childish so far to me, (which I get, since they are children... although during the prologue I kind of estimated Leonardo's age around 6-8) and the fairy-thing I haven't really gotten enough dialogue so far to know what she is like. I get that probably the characters expand a lot as time goes on and they learn and grow and while it may turn into an amazing story eventually my initial impression is just not getting into it, which is the main reason why it took me so long to get 3 hours or so into it. I am one of those people who can forgive 'almost' any other fault in a game if the story is good and I want to believe that this is one where the story does get really good but so far it just hasn't drawn me in and coupled with repetitive game-play I probably will not ever really know one way or the other.

 
It does take a bit of time for the story to pick up, but yes, the characters do mature over the course of the story (Leonardo especially) and you really get a deep look into who they are and what they've experienced in the past. The main plot also expands considerably, beyond the scope of the Elements themselves by the end of the game. All I can say is that if you stick with it, you will not be disappointed with the story when all is said and done.

(just curious, have you ever played the game 'the legend of dragoon'? That is what your story so far makes me think of, from the big-brother protecting little sister aspect between Leonardo and Leah, the way elements are described reminds me of 'dragoon souls', Leonardo's element being the same as the main characters from that game and the fact that the two have the same hairstyle almost exactly! Honestly it could just be the hair and that's making my mind find other similarities between them that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise but story-wise there are some strong similarities between the two games' premises.)

 
Wow, that's fascinating. I've never played that game, though.

So lastly, let me congratulate you on your hard work and the fruits of your labor. Regardless of what I or anyone else say this is a great achievement, one that I wish to but have not yet fulfilled. I can only imagine how it will be to finally be able to say that my vision for a game is complete and release it to the community for them to experience and hopefully enjoy. Good luck to you, Solo. I'll try and finish up the demo in the next week or so and get back to you on any updates/changes in opinion that might come around afterwards.

 
Thank you very much.

 

[Shelby]

I LOVE these graphics! A dark fresh element to them, gratz on your success sube!

 

[Solo]

Thank you!

 

[Solo]

If anyone is interested, I have been interviewed by Candace Broxton of Ten Minute Interviews.


The interview can be found here: http://tenminuteinterviews.com/jeremy-zink/


It dives deep into my design philosophy and my motivation to encourage and inspire people through the messages I instill within my work.

 

[Solo]

Here are some very kind things people have said about my game (these are from comments posted on the Feedback page of my site):


"A brilliant game. At every turn I have been impressed by the overarching depth of content; the story is engaging and provides ample rewards for the intrepid adventure. [This is] a product RPG purists will love . . . They might even call it the breakaway hit of 2014!"


"You have done an excellent job with this game. I love the characters, their interactions, and the story so far . . . I believe that this game has a good challenging factor to it."


"Well done . . . This is an epic game. I am already 50 hours in with no end in sight. This is definitely the best game I have played in a really long time!"


"What a game. You really outdid yourself. The level of professionalism and depth is fantastic, miles above most of the 2D PC RPG games being produced."


"Best RPG that I have played in quite awhile. Great value."

 

[Solo]

If anyone is reading this, is there anything else you might like for me to add to this topic? Some sort of information regarding the game, for example? I'm open to suggestions!

 

[Mana Aeliria]

Looks very impressive!!

Reminds me of graffiti!!

 

[Solo]

Graffiti, huh? Thanks, I think!

 

[Solo]

how are sales?

Honestly, things have slowed down since the initial "rush" when the game first went up on Amaranth and Aldorlea, but I really can't complain. Mostly all of the feedback I've received has been very positive, and people are really enjoying it. So that makes me very happy.


I'm providing game help on my site, on Amaranth, and on Aldorlea, but only Aldorlea has been very active recently; I don't think I made my presence known early enough on Amaranth. But at least it's been a learning experience!


As for what the future holds, I'm hopeful. But most other sites are much bigger than Amaranth and Aldorlea, and cater to a much wider audience. I really would like some assistance if I were to "branch out" further (to places like Steam etc.). Having several other games to work on, and having been a bit burned out from putting my all into this project for so many years, I can't seem to take it upon myself to further my horizons at this point. I don't want to get to a point where I feel overwhelmed (already went through that at the beginning of this process, actually). I tried e-mailing a couple of people at RPGFan to see if they'd take a look at my game, but they never responded, so...


Anyway, thanks for asking!

 

[phoenix_rossy]

Hey dude, congratulations on the release of the game! I too could feel the passion burning behind EVERYTHING that you wrote, and it reminded me of a project that I worked on in XP for many years (sadly, those project files were lost, oh the humanity!!). Anyways, I might be able to help you out a bit with the distribution/publishing side of things; if you want to just get on with your next project or what have you.

Congrats again!

 

[Solo]

Hey dude, congratulations on the release of the game! I too could feel the passion burning behind EVERYTHING that you wrote, and it reminded me of a project that I worked on in XP for many years (sadly, those project files were lost, oh the humanity!!).

Thank you so, so much. Sorry to hear about your XP project.

Anyways, I might be able to help you out a bit with the distribution/publishing side of things; if you want to just get on with your next project or what have you.

I'm interested... what are the details?

 

[phoenix_rossy]

Well, should you accept, you'll be my first client for Publishing (I literally only yesterday started pushing this). Basically, you can provide me with a functional build of the game, plus a press pack, which I will then upload to all the major distributors/sales/bundles as well as pushing it forward for review. 

I'd be anticipating a 75/25 split in your favour on sales.

I have contacts with Daily Indie Game, Indie Royale, Groupees, Fireflower Games, Shiny Loot, Green Man Gaming, Indiegamestand... and more. I've just topped over 10,000 sales with my own games (6,500 through indie royale bundles alone). 

The massive amount of sales equates nicely in terms of money. You don't make MASSIVE cash from bundles, but you do get something important if you're trying to make a go of this- brand recognition. 

Ultimately though, it's entirely up to you. It's a big decision to hand over the fruits of your labour for someone else to market. 

 

[Solo]

Ultimately though, it's entirely up to you. It's a big decision to hand over the fruits of your labour for someone else to market.

Well, pardon my naiveté, but... what could go wrong? Like you said, even if I don't make a lot of money, I still get more exposure, which is extremely important. It seems like it would be a blessing and a big burden lifted off my shoulders. I'm not currently doing anything to broaden my horizons, so where's the harm in letting someone else do it?


That said, I'm not 100% sure just yet, but thank you very much for the offer regardless.

 

[phoenix_rossy]

One of the reasons I've decided to go into this is because a fellow developer asked me for some advice on marketing. It turns out he was trying to sell his game via his own website and Indiecity. That's it. It seems that some people just expect games to market themselves in this saturated market. He basically had no idea what else to do with it, which is fine, you know, everyone has strong points. It's a shame because he's got something like, five titles out on the market now, and they're generating basically nothing for him. 

It's not like I'm asking for a down-payment or anything. Just the opportunity to generate us both some sales. But again; it's up to the developer what they want to do with their product!