The Use of Life is a multi-ending adventure book style JRPG. The main character’s various attachments change in accordance with the choices the player makes, and the ending changes depending on “the use of life” you choose through your journey.
All Reviews:
Very Positive (363) - 91% of the 363 user reviews for this game are positive.
Release Date:
May 21, 2022
Publisher:

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Early Access Game

Get instant access and start playing; get involved with this game as it develops.

Note: This Early Access game is not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“The Use of Life employs a new type of battle system utilizing QTE, which requires delicate balance adjustments.
Additionally, when creating unique and distinctive enemies and skills, it is necessary to determine the line between what is fun and what is simply "overdoing it", and how far we can go.
Therefore, in order to effectively adjust game balance and make the game more fun and playable, receiving valuable feedback from players in the pre-completion stage is crucial.
We have decided to put the game in Early Access in order to get that feedback as early as possible so that we may properly polish and improve this game.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Please refer to the following link:https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1483370/view/4272308897315311374

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“In the Early Access version, you will only be able to play partway through the story. However, in the full version, you will be able to view and experience all of the possible endings.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Halfway through the story, you will experience the first major branch in the story and will be able to play through the first dungeon of each individual route.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Since the Early Access version is not a complete version of the game, we plan to offer it at a lower price than the full game.
As such, the price will increase once the full version is finished and released.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Links will be provided from within the game to allow users to report problems and answer questions needed to improve the game.
Additionally, feedback from the Steam community will also be used for reference and taken into consideration.”
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About This Game

The Use of Life is a multi-ending adventure book style RPG.

A Story Influenced by Your Use of Life

In this game, your choices as the player will influence Goshe, the main character, as well as his thoughts and various attachments in life, represented by flames.



Whether Goshe uses his life for his own selfish purposes or sacrifices himself to help others is entirely up to you. The endings of this game are simply the conclusions of the various ways of life, and there are no "Good" or "Bad" endings.

Tense Battles that Balance Stasis and Action

The Use of Life features unique battles that combine the strategy of a turn-based battle system with the quick reflexes and action of a QTE system.



Each turn, both you and your enemy get to choose 3 actions, which you then take turns to perform. How will you deal with the enemy's upcoming flurry of attacks? How will you time your own attacks to deal the most damage? Your skill and strategy will determine the outcome of battle.

Even if you can't defeat an enemy, the game is designed so that you will gradually figure out how to deal with them and win. Boss battles are especially tense, where you frequently have to toe the line between life and death, and we strive to deliver the highest satisfaction you can possibly get after defeating a strong enemy.

Adventure Book Style Events

Events in this game are narrated in an adventure book style, and some events come with TRPG-esque dice rolls that determine the event's outcome.



The same event will play out differently depending on your choices and the dice roll results.



You can choose to proceed cautiously and choose the safest options, or bravely throw yourself into every opportunity for battle you come across—it's all up to you, and your actions will affect Goshe's personality.

Customization

Goshe, the main character, obtains incredible power through a certain Curse. Through encounters with death, he can gain experience which can be used to strengthen his own abilities.

Not only will you gain different advantages in battle depending on what abilities you choose to invest in, but the outcome of events outside of battle can also be heavily influenced by your stats.



On top of that, by leveling up and unlocking new levels for the various classes, you can learn a wide variety of Skills and Spells to use in battle.


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・The "Fighter" carves up enemies with pure physical attack power and a high number of moves
・The "Samurai" unleashes unabashed power with Iai and lands fierce critical strikes
・The "Mage" specializes in high-risk, high-reward super-firepower using incantations and Spells
・The "Sorcerer" toys with their opponent by utilizing special attacks, including some that cause status ailments
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A myriad of fighting styles can be utilized depending on the class you choose to upgrade.

A “Good-New" Type of JRPG

While this title is technically a JRPG, we are not aiming for a "good old JRPG" style, but rather a "good 'new' JRPG" style, in hopes of showing that this kind of evolution is absolutely possible.

■ Early Access Features

① Play even further through the story than the trial version.
② The Early Access version is for the purpose of making the game more fun to play.
In Early Access, the developer will experiment by implementing elements he would like to try out, and then use the feedback received from users to develop/improve the full version.
③ Players who have purchased the Early Access version will be able to receive and switch to the full version upon completion and release.
④ Since it's cheaper than the full version, it's a better deal than purchasing the game after official release!

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • OS *: Windows7 / 8 / 10
    • Processor: 1.2 GHz
    • Memory: 2 GB RAM
    • Graphics: DirectX 9 compatible graphics card
* Starting January 1st, 2024, the Steam Client will only support Windows 10 and later versions.

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