This one sort of snuck up on me: I had read about it some months ago, but I was surprised that it’s already released here this week in Europe. The game is made by the same people that made Rune Factory, and that’s why it caught my eye.
In Avalon Code, you play as either Yumil and Tia, a young boy/girl duo born in a world that’s on the verge of destruction. You’ve been having dreams about the world’s end. One day, waking up from one of these dreams, you find a special book at your side. This book leads you on an adventure to explore the world, noting down all the elements that should be carried over when the world is reborn following its destruction, and rewriting all the elements that should be changed.
This book of prophecies, in addition to being a central part of the game’s story, is also core to the gameplay. By changing the contents of the book, you can do such things as giving an invincible enemy a weak spot and healing a girl who’s sick. So, this book of Prophecies is pretty important to the game. For instance, when I had my first boss battle with a Griffion, I was only able to slay him after several tries by manipulating his abilities and make him weaker this way.
There’s more to Avalon Code though than just manipulating a book with the stylus. The game combines action and RPG elements. Battles are fought in real time on the top screen using button-based commands. The title also promises a love simulation component, as you can select from a variety of potential partners depending on the gender of your chosen hero.