Parents' Guide to RPG Time: The Legend of Wright

Remember when you were a kid and could turn everything around you into a toy or game with just a little imagination? That's the idea behind RPG Time: The Legend of Wright. Every piece of the game feels like some sort of magical manifestation of a make-believe world. Everything from the cardboard buttons to the blue-lined notebook to the tape measure life bar all looks exactly like you might think a young kid might make for his or her outrageous and over-the-top pretend adventure. But then, as the game starts to unfold and those pencil drawing come to life, you can't help but get swept up in the experience. A pencil stops being just a pencil and feels like a powerful sword, while a sharpener becomes a forge with which to hone that weapon. An eraser becomes a magical artifact that can reshape reality and twist fate to its whim. And a random frog hopping through the story? Might as well make it a random boss fight.

As chaotic as everything seems at first glance, in practice it all just sort of fits. But that doesn't mean it always fits smoothly. The biggest issue facing RPG Time is its pacing. One minute, it feels like the action is coming non-stop, only for the game to slam on the brakes with an insane amount of slow and plodding exposition that breaks up the action. Then it might dive into a few puzzles before the action picks up again, only to run into another wall of dialogue. While it all adds to the story and the immersion, Kenta's enthusiasm as he describes every detail of his game in intricate and long-winded detail makes you with he had a cardboard Skip button hiding somewhere in his collection of props. Still, as long as you can find the patience to trudge through these slower moments, RPG Time: The Legend of Wright offers a gaming experience unlike anything you've ever dreamt up since your childhood.