Theia: The Crimson Eclipse
A downloadable game for Windows
⚠ Theia - The Crimson Eclipse is a non-commercial game, freely distributed. The game makes use of resources and assets produced by professionals for their respective software houses. All of the non-original resources here employed belong to their rightful owners!
Theia is a classic J-RPG game, so we have characters with Level, Experience, HPs, and so on. Characters level-up killing enemies, etc etc.
These are the main gameplay features:
- 19 playable characters
- 40+ hours of gameplay (about 25-30 of main story, and 10 of subquests, secondary events and minigames)
- 14 subquests
- 12 trophies / achievements
- 5 different endings
A boss harder than usual is giving you trouble?
Do you want to talk strategy with some other players?
Or you just want to tell us who the best Varzan is? (jk, it’s clearly Varneleon)
For all things Theia, join the new Discord server and share your mastery with the community!
Click the Discord link below to join us!
https://discord.gg/nMVzavM
Year 2310.
The world of Ariathale, a planet fueled by the power of Atlas, a mysterious versatile mineral, is facing a heavy crisis period due to mankind's greed. Many years ago, the planet was filled with these crystal stones, but people started abusing it and the world fell into a state of recession. The leaders of all ariathalian states met in the Tower-City of Halderos, the most important and rich city of all Ariathale, to decide the future of the planet. In order to maintain the remaining Atlas resources, those leaders decided to ban the Atlas Technology until they'd find a new energy source capable of substitute the Atlas. The story begins with Seth, an ex-imperial guard of the Levizoan Empire, escaping from his former comrades. They are after him because Lord Meister, vassal of the Emperor, thinks that Seth is linked to the potential solution to the Crisis, but the young runaway doesn't want to return to the Vanguards Castle.
The playable characters of Theia are 19. Each character enters the party with "Guest" condition. As the story progresses, some of them will find a reason to remain with Seth and then lose the condition. A Guest character cannot change his weapons and can't learn new skills.
Each non-guest character has 3 or 4 weapons that can be created and upgraded by using crafting materials.
Many weapons are crafted with Atlas Technology, so the played can insert Atlas Shards inside the weapons to gain bonuses. These weapons also have Atlas Synergies, that unlock extra bonuses according to the equipped shard. This system resembles FFVII's Materia System.
The characters don't learn and upgrade skill by leveling up, but by using Ability Points (AP), a pool of points shared by all the characters.
The classic Limit Break. Each character has a bar to fill during the combat. When the bar is filled, the Exceed Technique, a powerful attack or buff, can be used. Each character fills the bar using a specific battle command (we can see this command in the Status Menu). Each character has his unique EX-Technique. At the end of a battle, the Exceed bar will empty.
In the right side of the battle screen, there is the Mastery Bar: a special bar that charges up by using aggressive commands such as Attack and Skills, and unloads by defending or using items. The more the bar is loaded, the more bonuses we will receive at the end of the battle depending on the characters we are using. Each characters grants a bonus (EXP, AP, money, HP or SP recovery). We can also use this bar to apply passive bonuses by activating Mastery Skills.
The Mastery Skills are special passive skills unlockable by using APs, that grants bonuses during the combat. We can "equip" a Mastery Skill in the Skill Menu and set it at Level 1, 2 or 3. Obviously, the skills is more powerful at Level 3, but it is also more difficult to charge up the Domain Bar until it reaches the selected level.
While traveling in the World Map, the player can access to the Camp, where he can talk to the other party members and increase (or decrease) their stats, learn new infos about the lore and the characters, and also gain new skills that can be used in combat.
- Game by MissingSeven
- English translation by CrawlingChaox, Reem, Why Bother, SognatoreRadicale, MissingSeven
- German translation by SuperSebbl, Adrian "Cube", FireCreeper (Danke an Cherry)
- Spanish translation by Pizus
- Testing by CrawlingChaox, Brave New War, Casull, Balù, Seraph Andrew, ARM Is NOT Loaded, Polakko
- Special thanks: RPG2S.net community, all the members of Paraserver and Theia Discord channels, especially TheFado96 and Waldorf for their video walkthroughs.
- Made with RPG Maker 2003
Download
Install instructions
Download the version you like (they're all the same with different languages). Extract the folder and run the executable file.
The Fast Message Patch (optional) allows you to show the complete messages by pressing the SHIFT button. Copy the "DynPatches" folder inside the game's folder and enjoy!
Comments
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Hi! I'm completely in love with this game!
It was an absolutely outstanding experience and I so wish I had more of it.
The plot was really good and I have to say the "extra" ending is one of my favorites. The writing there was phenomenal.
I have a few small gripes, though! Sometimes, the dialogue feels like it's trying a bit too hard, some swears don't positively service what's going on, and there's a few grammar mistakes. The spellcaster characters fall off really hard, even when you get to max exp and max out their stats. There's basically nothing they do that melee characters can't do better, and even their healing is pretty bad compared to just using items, sometimes. I also wish there had been a better way to avoid encounters other than just relying on Rudra halving their speed (I sorta feel like the halved speed should've been their normal speed in the first place, while Rudra makes them stand still if you're above a certain level), since it makes backtracking much more of a chore. Lastly, maybe Rock or some other NPC could have been able to tell you how many chests you're missing in a certain area of the world, given that the game tracks and rates you based on how many chests you've gotten (missing one or two and not knowing where in the world they are, specially since some spots you can only backtrack to with your full party literally on the LAST chapter, can be a little miserable), so that you'd have an easier time finding them on your own. I didn't know where a few items were, but thankfully managed to find the discord server and the guides in there, so that fixed the issue.
It's a lot easier to talk about the stuff that I had a nitpick with than the stuff I loved, because if I did, I'd just be spoiling it for everyone else here. This game was great and it really gripped me!
Hi! Thanks for playing : )
I'm aware of the game's many flaws, but I'm glad you enjoyed it anyways. Thanks again for your feedback! It will surely be useful for my next game ^ ^
Final Fantasy series ain't got S%$T on this game!!!! Just wishing there was a quest help quide for some of the end game missions that you get from the terminal on the ship.. :(
Thanks! : )
Unfortunately there's no mission tracker ingame except the terminal you mentioned. There is a guide for the side content I made many many years ago but it's in italian. I should definitely translate it in english.
Otherwise you can join the discord community if you want to get some help on the side quests ^ ^
Can we get a android port the game looks really well made
You can try to play it with an emulator, but unfortunately it doesn't work very well due to the plugin customization I used for the game. Sorry! ^ ^
What emulator? Rpgxp?joiplay?
I tried with EasyRPG but it was many many years ago. I don't know if there is any other emulator that can do it better nowadays.
Maybe you can try asking in the game's discord server. Some people could know it better than me ^^" (you'll find the link in the game's page, if you're interested)
Uh yeah update on my comment a week ago it actually work the game is made in rpg maker 2003 so I use easyrpg and it works but the app said it might not work properly so yeah it's probably because it's 500mb
Some of the buttons have problems weapons sends me to save files,status sends me on titles screen exit
Are you playing it on PC or mobile with EasyRPG? If it's the latter, some menu buttons won't work due to some compatibility issues.
This is one of the best JRPGs I've ever played. this is truly a game made with passion. can't recommend it enough for those who are on the fence. also a question for the developer, who made the soundtrack for this? i really have to know.
Hi! Thanks for the compliment, I really appreciate that and I'm glad you enjoyed the game. Unfortunately many assets, music included, are "ripped" from other games (sadly, it was a common thing back in the day ^^"). You can find all the credits at the end of the game. If you want to know some specific tracks feel free to ask, and I'll answer you.
I wouldn't have guessed that they were ripped, every track i came across is well placed and didn't seem out of place. you sir have a great taste, this has brought me beck to the early 2000s. I'm just sad that I didn't come across this sooner. also i don't know what's the big deal with ripped assets it's not like you're selling the game or the assets. you just made a free game for people to enjoy. its weird how the rules have changed over the years. again thank you for this awesome game.
Full of RIPS. Unacceptable. Games like this shouldn't even be allowed.
Make your own assets instead of taking them from other games! Pretty sure I saw stuff from Alundra in this game. You are using copyrighted graphics without permission!
I'll answer here too, just to be sure.
This is a 2015 game made for fun. I've been using legal resources since then so there's no point in continuing this discussion. I just wanted to share what I made back in the day, to let other people play a game for free and I even removed any kind of donation just because I don't want to make a cent out of this.
Making all assets from scratch is a huge task. That's should be obvious
pls, rips are from the 2k3 age, 2015 is far beyond that. I call that laziness.
It's made with 2k3 because it started in 2k3 age. How long do you think it took me to make the game? XD I completed it in 2015 and it took another 4 years to translate it. If you call that laziness I don't know what to say. You won't probably change your mind so have it your way. Feel free to try the game (or the most recent ones) or completely ignore them. Have a nice day.
Look. I have nothing against you, in fact, I didn't even downvote your game because it's not badly made. I'm just against rips.
I'm against them too (in fact this was the last game I made with rips), but unfortunately Theia is a child of its time. As I said in a previous comment, I just wanted to share the product of my passion for this genre and engine, that's all.
I streamed this game for this review. The link will be below.
Theia: The Crimson Eclipse will hit you right out of the gate with some beautiful art. The game has superb presentation, but unfortunately that nice coat of paint is hiding some of the deeper problems.
It's unfortunate that the game makes use of a lot of ripped assets. It unfortunately brings into question how much of the beautiful coat of paint is the hard work of the developer of this game and how much of the hard work was done by someone else. Though I don't have a qualm with folks using ripped assets (so long as the game is free and they make that clear) it does unfortunately greatly harm the perception of the game.
As for the game itself, it lacks information to inform players what to do. For example, the very first game play section, I didn't know what to do because apparently I interacted with the story progression thing in the wrong spot, leading me to believe that was not the right thing to do.
Once the obligatory JRPG lore dump came on screen things really started to fall apart. It was far too long winded with way too many unpronounceable names. The names of people and places in this feel like a joke sometimes. The nice thing is that it can be skipped and for those of whom who play this game I highly recommend skipping this lore dump because it doesn't serve much purpose to the game itself. It could easily be summarized to a few lines, but instead it was needlessly long winded. The reason I chose to read the lore dump (despite not wanting to) is that this was for a review, and I worried that by skipping it, there is the potential of missing something important.
From there, things fall apart further with inconsistent game rules and just poorly thought out levels.
After waking up in a grassy area a small cliff impedes you from jumping down, despite our main protagonist displaying the ability to jump earlier in the game. An outcropping the player can pass under is the actual solution, but just like the interactable object at the start of the game, there really is no indication you can go under it. In this 2D space, it just looks like a cliff face.
The rules the game establishes for itself are quickly broken and only utilized when the game feels ready to use those rules.
I didn't get far into this game as I ran out of time to give it on my stream, but overall I was beginning to lose my patience as cracks in the design began to show slowly over that course of play time, I can only imagine how things might get worse were I to play longer.
If you'd like to watch my experience with the game, I've linked the archive below. You can click the timestamps to jump to when I start playing.
Hi, thanks for "playing", I guess. I'm aware that the infodump is quite useless and it's not a good start. I regret that decision (this game came out in 2015 and, growing up, I started disliking many things of the game) and now I'd probably make a more dynamic introduction to the game, maybe expanding the "run on the roofs" section.
The ripped assets were a thing back then so I didn't mind using stuff found on the internet, but just FYI, I made all the art (drawings, main characters and 99% of NPCs, faces, and so on). The game won 10 Misaos Awards in 2019 (rpgmaker.net annual contest), and it has two fanmade translations in Spanish and German. So, yeah, the years of hard work of the developer (and fans) are right there.
My problem with your comment is that I really can't conceive your approach to games (not just mines): you barely play 15 minutes (not 30, because you complain half the time about the minimal problems you find). I agree with some of your criticism, I'm the first one to acknowledge the problems, but you can't simply judge a whole game from its first 10 minutes, whether it's a 2 or 40 hours long game.
It just isn't the proper way to do reviews. You can stop calling them reviews, and maybe call them "first impressions", or maybe you can give games some more time to grow on you, instead of beginning your journey with a thick layer of arrogance and prejudice. I'm not mad, it's a genuine advice to enjoy some more games.
Hey there, thanks for the reply.
It sounds like you have really accomplished something great with this game and you should never let that be forgotten; your fans love it, and it won awards. That's really quite the accomplishment!
You are right. I usually take more care when posting my reviews to clarify it is more of a first impression, so I dropped the ball there by not making that more clear in my review.
Having played over 100 different games on my stream, I've gotten a good sense for when a game is something I will enjoy or not. That's also something key to keep in mind, is that it's whether I enjoy it - in other words an opinion. Some things (in fact, many things) I have mentioned in my review that I don't like can be overlooked by other people. Not everyone will enjoy your game, and that's okay.
I appreciate your hardwork. Don't forget that success you have made with this game, and don't let a review drag you down.
Hope to see your work again,
Take care.
Hello, NolanAlighieri!
Sorry if this is a little out of left field, but I'm reaching out to ask if you'd like to play and/or stream my first game! It's very short for now, about 10 to 15 minutes. I'm trying to reach out to more content creators, but I don't really know how... Gotta start somewhere I guess.
Game link: https://wasabiiii.itch.io/grass-elemental-demo-demo
Thanks!
If you did the rest of the art then what stopped you from making 100% of it? Why using rips? What's the purpose?
Misaos are useless, just accept the criticism and stop using rips!
The Nolan dude is right about almost everything he said here.
It's a 2015 game made for fun. That's the reason. I've been using legal resources since then so there's no point in continuing this discussion. I just wanted to share what I made back in the day, to let other people play a game for free and I even removed any kind of donation just because I don't want to make a cent out of this.
Making all assets from scratch is a huge task. That's should be obvious.
In my opinion, Theia: The Crimson Eclipse is proof of how it's possible to make a great JRPG even if you work on your own: it's not easy and it's not a task for everyone, but the love and passion of the developer behind this project can all be felt and it's demonstrated continuosly throughout the gameplay.
When I played it, for me, it was an incredible experience (although some resources are taken from other software houses but we're talking about a game developed in his spare time back in the day) and what impressed me the most was the amount of content it offered and the overall level of detail. Not to mention the story: I think it's one of the best I've ever experienced in a game, even superior to AAA games.
To say that this game was also inspirational for me is not a catch phrase as it made me realize that with commitment, skill and perseverance one can achieve tremendous results. Give Theia a try and you'll really understand it well.
Theia is an indie game that has raised the bar of the genre to a higher level. It is surprising to think that behind such a large, detailed and engaging realization there is only one person. Every aspect of the game is taken care of in the smallest details, from the captivating plot to the well-developed characters, up to the twists that never fail to surprise the player. Missing Seven, the creator of Theia, has confirmed his ability to create high-quality games that can give emotions. Theia is a fantastic indie game that deserves to be played by all fans of the genre.
At the time, when I started playing this game for the first time, I had no idea what I was getting into. From the screenshots it appeared to me as a well-made JRPG with serious tones.
I was not wrong about the quality, but seeing how the game keeps it up and continues to surprise for its entire course is honestly surprising.
And for the tones of the game, I was partially wrong. The story is really deep with a lot of twists to keep the player on its toes, but it has a lot of fun characters and whacky moments to alleviate the player from the constant crying (no ok, I'm slightly exaggerating here. But some moments honestly made me cry a little - I have video proof!)
The gameplay is really engaging, the teambuilding part is simple but still really deep, and battles are fun and engaging. It's a miracle it runs on the 2k3 engine honestly.
At the end, I really suggest this game, I guarantee that if you're a fan of JRPG you'll surely like it.
In my opinion this game should not be free, but for various reasonable reasons it is. So It's like getting a paid game for free. :D
It's so good to see this up here. Theia is an incredible SciFi adventure, with 40+ hours of gametime a ton of optional content and endings to keep you entertained until the end. Seriously everyone give this game a shot! It's worth every minute
It’s a surprise seeing Theia: the Crimson Eclipse here.
I played the original version (when it was not Orihalcon yet) and it was a experience. The good kind. Unforgettable.
It’s more of a love letter of JRPG, it’s a game made with love and hard work, years of hard hand-crafted work with a old engine which usually can’t do games with this high quality.
For me, as a developer, it was an example to see how games can be more than just mashing buttons and killing time, I really liked the story (even if now I can see some plot holes here and there), but at that time, I wanted to know more and to know more about that world and uncovering its mysteries.
I don’t know if I can say it changed my life, but surely it changed how I see games. I know it can be too much as a statement, but I really love MissingSeven’s games and I can’t wait to be amazed as years ago with his new game, 5th Era. It’s truly an inspiration for little indie developers like me.
Some parts are kinda outdated like the difficulty system and some endgame grinding for overcoming the hardest challenges the game has to offer, it’s like the only part I didn’t like that much. However, with the varied custom battle animations and high quality music, along with the intuitive and innovative battle system even now with tons of quests to do, this problem can be easily avoided.
Long story short, if you truly like long and well done JRPGs, make yourself a favor and play this game.
[ENG]This is clearly one of the best RPGMaker 2003 games ever made. Compelling story, deep characters and dynamic gameplay, mixed with original artworks done by the developer all combine in a masterwork.
MissingSeven is truly a master of his art.
If you love JRPGs (Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Suikoden, etc) do yourselves a favor and download this gem.
[ITA]Storia avvincente, personaggi profondi e gameplay sempre vario. i disegni originali dello sviluppatore aggiungono quel tocco in più di "personale" che te lo fa amare.
Originariamente in italiano, il gioco è stato poi tradotto in inglese, tedesco, francese e spagnolo. Fatto sta che con questo gioiellino Lollo si conferma punta di diamante di RPGMaker, sia in Italia che all'estero.
Se siete fan dei JRPG fatevi un favore, scaricatevi sto gioco.
Theia is one of the best RPG maker 2003 games. The story is really good (it’s easily at the same quality level of the Final Fantasy games). The art of the game is polished and consistent, even if the source materials are various. For the content expect to spend at least 30 hours only on the main story and there is a lot of both side quests and extra content.
Overhall I would really recommend this game! 👍
Though parts of the game can be very rough around the edges, it has enough content and challenge to last for many hours of gameplay, and the presentation and minigame sections have been polished enough to make it way more varied than any other game made with the same engine.