Play Rough RPG (Chapter 1 Demo) for Windows

A taste of a post-apocalyptic JRPG

Play Rough RPG (Chapter 1 Demo) is a free-to-play demo version of PLAY ROUGH. This Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) allows you to play as Beau, a young person looking for an adventure for a new life far from their war-torn world. It follows a turn-based fighting mechanic, as well as an immersive story, one that can keep up with established titles in the genre. 

Its graphics and gameplay feature greatly resemble strategy RPGs from Game Boy and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) consoles. Play Rough RPG (Chapter 1 Demo) is a part of modern retro games such as Escaping Gravity.

The first chapter of a great game

The first thing players should take note of is that Play Rough RPG (Chapter 1 Demo) is just a sample of the full game. It doesn’t have a complete story yet, nor could you access items, characters, and skills available in the later chapters. With that said, the demo version has its own value and it works exceptionally well for its purpose.

In terms of graphics, it uses 16-bit designs for both its characters and set designs. Additionally, it features pop and urban aesthetics similar to Scott Pilgrim vs The World. It works well in the game, featuring a diverse cast of characters. Even the scale of the characters in the game definitely creates that authentic pixel adventure. Overall, the visuals also contribute to this game being an effective demo.

For an indie JRPG, it also works exceptionally well. So far, there are no documented bugs and game crashes across its rather short playthrough. The randomized events in the game, and the battle mechanic might appear imbalanced. Still, with the volume of content available, it’s still too early to pass judgment. A gameplay experience involving the full version would definitely clear these early-game issues up.

Far from a rough start

Although it suffers from the limitations of a demo version, Play Rough RPG (Chapter 1 Demo) is actually good. Its visual choices are nostalgic yet fresh and make players look forward to the full version. The limited content available, in terms of story and in-game materials like items and weapons, is understandable given the game state. It has a short playthrough but makes a good case after all.