Changing the Oil in Our Spirit Engine: Let's Play The Spirit Engine 2

[fizzmaister]

With my LP of Cthulhu saves Christmas wrapped up, it's time to start a new project.

What is this game?
The Spirt Engine 2 is a spiritual sequel to The Spirit Engine. It's an indie RPG developed by two people, Mark Pay, who did all of the programming, writing, and art, and Josh Whelchel, who did all of the music. However, it doesn't carry over any story from the first game, and is much better than it, so one can start with this entry and not be lost. I'm coming into this blind, so I'll let Nweismuller describe it instead:

"This is the Spirit Engine 2, which is a game I have deeply loved for quite some time now. It has simple but charming art, excellent music, innovative gameplay in its combat system, and a well written story that Mark Pay (the person who's responsible for basically all of this game) obviously deeply cared about. Combined with some clever storytelling tricks that actually allow this story to work with a variable that you choose in the beginning of the game."

Speaking of Nweismuller, he will be joining me as a cohost in these videos. The plan is to have him join me on all the videos for the simple reason that this is a completely blind playthrough for me, and nweis has played it many times. This will keep me from getting lost, missing things, doing too many stupid things, and especially in the beginning, getting used to the controls and combat system.

What is the release schedule going to be?
My plan will be to release episodes twice a week, Wednesdays and Fridays. This game is just taking over my Cthulhu Saves Christmas release slot.

Why are you stalling with the Super Robot Wars 2 LP?
I'm not stalling. I promise. Episode 8 (sequential) is going to be released tomorrow. I just need to finish start editing it after posting this.

Where can I buy the game?
The game is now freeware (it used to be shareware). You can download it from Mark's homepage. http://www.thespiritengine.com/news.html
You can also buy the soundtrack. https://music.apple.com/us/album/the...ack/1117611953

Any form of thread participation?
Yes. If this game interests you, please, play along with a different party, I'd love it if you pointed out some of the differences in dialogue that happen with different parties.

Spoiler Policy?
Please no spoilers. I'm coming in completely blind, and I would like to not be spoiled.

Episode 1: Where Where We Open the Story With a Death


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This is a longer episode, and we kick it off with character selection, tutorial, and a few battles before we wrap up for the episode. It takes a while for us to get into the story proper, but the future episodes should avoid most of the things slowing this episode down.

[Amechra]

Wait, someone else remembers that The Spirit Engine exists? It wasn't just a weird dream I had once when I was a teenager?

[fizzmaister]

Wait, someone else remembers that The Spirit Engine exists? It wasn't just a weird dream I had once when I was a teenager?

Well, I know of it because nweis had been bugging me for the past 2 years to play it (or LP it). This is a blind playthough for me, so you can't really say that I remember it, but he does, and he loves this game. So it's just as much him introducing it to me as I'm introducing it to my audience.

Or, are you referring to the original TSE?

[Amechra]

Well, I know of it because nweis had been bugging me for the past 2 years to play it (or LP it). This is a blind playthough for me, so you can't really say that I remember it, but he does, and he loves this game. So it's just as much him introducing it to me as I'm introducing it to my audience.

Or, are you referring to the original TSE?

I played a bit of both. I remember getting absolutely slammed by TSE 2 as soon as I got past the first area.

I should pick it up again, since teenage me was pretty terrible at games.

[fizzmaister]

Episode 2: Where I Get a Bad Case of Black Lung


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And to contrast the first episode, this one is much shorter as I start losing my voice near the end of it. Fortunately, my lungs meet a happier end than Elai does.

I played a bit of both. I remember getting absolutely slammed by TSE 2 as soon as I got past the first area.

I should pick it up again, since teenage me was pretty terrible at games.

Yeah, my recording is a few episodes ahead. There's a point in the next chapter that really sucks if you're not ready for it. I'm really happy to have an experienced partner cohosting for me.



Editing to not double post: 2022/02/18
Episode 3: Where Our Brave Adventurers Set Off on Their Quest


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A pure story episode. We wrap up chapter 1, and move on to Chapter 2.





So, I'm back from my two weeks of vacation. Hit a festival, attended my friend's wedding. This and the next episode is still a backlog release. I'll need to record this week to get my content for next week out. As always, it's editing my Super Robot Wars 2 LP that poses the greatest risk of me falling behind.


Episode 4: Where We Decide 'Why Not Both?"


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So, we can take the scenic detour through an ancient graveyard, or go directly to the fortress following the plains. The obvious solution is to go along the graveyard, and then backtrack along the plains to get all the EXP and loot we can get.





Episode 5: Where Mark Pay Really Doesn't Understand Military Ranks


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We make it to the fortress, just in time for a gun battery to explode on us! We have an interesting boss fight, that's just an infinite wave of enemies, teaching us how to stall and heal. Then, we are faced with the most dreaded part of this game, Mark Pay's inability to use military ranks properly.

And, after much story, we do a little bit of shopping, and meet the sanest man in this game.





Episode 6: Where We Hear Nweis's OUTRAGEOUS Accent


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We meet an annoying fangirl, and a man with an OUTRAGEOUS French accent. Then, we wrap up in town, and setting off on our trip. The foreshadowing pays off well.




2022/03/18
So I know I'm not great at always getting a post out at noon PDT, when I have my videos scheduled to drop, but when I'm 10 hours late, you know it's either me being forgetful, or it's been a very rough day. And spoiler, it's not the first option.



Episode 7: Where Someone Has a Demon Infestation


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After crash landing, we make our way through the desolate frozen wastes, and fight a few enemies before entering Underport. Currently besieged by demons, and pagans. It looks like we need to get rid of both of them.







2022/03/23
Episode 8: Where We Get Shocked By a TWEEST!


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So yeah, we got demons. Fortunately, we also have a priest (and a knight and musketeer) to get rid of the demons. We even meet an old friend in a surprising twist of fate.





2022/03/25
Episode 9: Where We Get Get Reminded That Paganism is Bad, m'kay


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I am tired of these mountain frozen demons from this mine filth cathedral.

So, The Spirit Engine 2 is quite clear that being a pagan is bad. Don't do it guys, it will end poorly. Fortunately, we get around to finding the source of the infestation, and boy is she UUUUUGLY! Fortunately, with her defeated, Underport is saved! Also, will Undertale happen in Underport? Or has it already happened?





2022/03/30
Episode 10: Where We Enjoy a Little Sunlight and Cheer


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We explore Porto Vale, and wander around aimlessly for a while, discovering more of the city, and even stumbling on a traveling circus.





2022/04/01
Episode 11: Where We Spend a Lovely Afternoon at the Carnival


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We spend the entire episode playing carnival games (a hidden tutorial on optimizing our stat builds), and getting new equipment. We would have broken the bank if it weren't for the money from the carnival games. I like the game encourages you to play more of the carnival games so that you have the money to upgrade everyone's equipment. Just as long as you don't think that you should them later when you're stronger.





2022/04/06
Episode 12: Where We FINALLY Get On With It!


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Be careful what you wish for. We've been in Porto Vale for quite a while. Let's just say that meeting up with an old friend has finally caused the other shoe to drop.





2022/04/08
Episode 13: Where We Get Our First Party Wipe


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So, Porto Vale is now infested with the living dead. Good thing we have a priest in our party. Sadly, I also get my first party wipe. The worst part is that it was just after a save point that I decided not to use. Unfortunate.





2022/04/13
Episode 14: Where The Carnival Become Extra Scary


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Did you think we were done with the carnival? No! It's time to revisit the very ghoulish carnival as we make out way out of Porto Vale. It's a shame what happened to these people.





2022/04/15
Episode 15: Where We Face a Confusion of Politicians


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We can't wrap up a chapter without a boss fight can we? Let's fight the boss, and get vengeance for the dead of Porto Vale. And then, we can face a foe even greater than the sky children... POLITICIANS!

Speaking of which, what's your favorite collective noun for politicians? a deceit of politicians, anequivocation of politicians, an odium of politicians, a lie of politicians, or something else?





2022/04/20
So, just a bit delayed, and by a bit, I mean about 9 and a half hours. Oops.


Episode 16: Where We Finally Get to Relax, For Just a Little Bit


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With the boss defeated, and politicians dealt with, it's time to stock up on supplies, and then move out. No fighting this time, just some nice story.





2022/04/22
Episode 17: Where I Mess Up Really Badly


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So, we set off to leave Littlehampton, and we expect to meet Dio Brando,

Spoiler

Show

but it was the Lereftain Inquisition!

. I also mess up, lose the loot, write over the save I wanted to load from, and have to load from the start of the last episode. It does save me a little money though.





2022/04/27
Episode 18: Where We En-COUNT-er Count Cristoff


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Time for another boss fight, and it's none other than Count Cristoff. And of course he's a vampire. What else could he be? And, we get very, very close to another party wipe.





2022/04/29
Episode 19: Where We... AVALANCHE!!!!!


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With the boss fight taken care of, we can resume climbing the mountain, but no mountain climb is complete without an avalanche, and especially not with encounters slowing us down the entire way up.





2022/05/04
Episode 20: Where We... Oooh, What Does This Button Do?


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Out of the freezer, and into cryostorage. We reach the institute, mess up an experiment, mess around with some eggheads, get our sighting, and then tragedy strikes...



So, I've been having a ton of fun with streaming Echoes of Mana every night, but I'm in a precarious position. I started streaming EoM a week ago, and I started with almost two weeks of backlog. I haven't produced anything else for my backlog since then. Heart of the Jedi is done and scheduled, and my Tuesday/Thursday release slot is satisfied until May 26th (then it's going to be Doki Doki Literature Club). Likewise, my Sunday and Monday releases are scheduled that far out. I'm not so lucky with this LP and with Super Robot Wars. I only have Friday's episode queued up for this game, and I do not have the third video for SRW this Saturday. I forget just how rough daily streaming is.





2022/05/06
Episode 21: Where We H̵̗̤̎͌a̷̘̫͛̔v̴̦̯̈̊e̷͉̎ ̸̖̭͐̈ạ̷̊̕͜ ̵̺̭̍Ś̵͖h̶̟̦̓͌o̴͍̽t̵̻̥͊g̷͚̱̒̂u̷̪̫̕ṋ̸̒̌ ̶̖͊W̷̥̌e̷̩̻̊̀d̶͙̕͠d̶̮̮̐̚i̵̬͍̽n̷̛̜͔͌g̶̺̏


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It's time to resolve Ferwin's subplot, and that means a shotgun marriage, but not necessarily in the way you think.





2022/05/12 (Yes, a day late)
Episode 22: Where We Choose the Road Less Travelled


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We have a big jungle to explore, and as always, I decide to explore everything. There are unique zone effects in different fields, so it doesn't stay too monotonous





2022/05/13
Episode 23: Where We Return to the Beaten Path


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On the one hand, this is just part 2 of the last episode as we continue exploring the dungeon. On the other hand, it's the exact opposite, as we head towards our goal this time instead of wandering about specifically avoiding the correct path.





2022/05/18
Episode 24: Where We Transmute Ourselves into Gofers


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So, with the forest explored what do we do? Backtrack and go on a fetch quest. How fitting. Oh well. Maybe we'll move the story forward a little further tomorrow? Spoiler warning, we will.


Also, as of posting this update, Nweiss and I are about to start streaming episode 26. Yes, that's how close I am to running out of backlog. Stupid Echoes of Mana and its fun gameplay and my nightly streams of it taking up so much of my free time.

https://www.twitch.tv/bring_stabity





2022/05/21
Episode 25: Where We Discover the True Stakes


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What do we get today? One hour of story. People coming clean, explaining their motives, and letting us understand the stakes at play. In short? I don't think anybody has clean hands in this whole ordeal.





2022/05/25
Episode 26: Where We Explore a Futuristic Ship and Meet an AI


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Crossing through a crashed metal ship surely isn't going to be a problem. Right? RIGHT?





2022/25/27
Episode 27: Where We Meet a Beautiful Princess


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There's a saying about lipstick on a pig, but on a fish?



2022/06/02
Episode 28: Where We Face Our Fears


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What sort of mind-affecting boss would this be if we didn't need to fight manifestations of our worst fears? Not a very good one. So, before we can face off against the Eldritch horror, we must first face our own demons.


So, yeah, I warned that this might be late. That was not because of the lack of backlog, Nweis and I have finished the game, and there are four more episodes after this already recorded and mostly ready to go (two uploaded, two waiting to be uploaded). It was just a busy day yesterday and today.





2022/06/03
Episode 29: Where We Put Down a Miserable and Pathetic Worm


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Icky, Icky, Ick Thelloth! Time to face your doom! It is a nice psychological horror. It reminded me a little bit of Envy from Fullmetal Alchemist, crossed with a xenomorph, at least for its nested mouths.

I was thinking of the Moray Eel which has a second set of jaws in its throat, just like the xenomorphs. Ick Thelloth has three nested mouths though.






2022/06/08
Episode 30: Where We Finally Take a Human Life


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So, turns out I spent a little more money than I should have, and we can't get the optimal gear for everyone. Oh well. A quick reset at least helped me get a better sub-optimal setup. Isabelle has been kidnapped once more. It's unfortunate, but rather predictable. We have to have a final showdown somewhere, and it would be too anti-climactic for it to be here.





2022/06/10
Episode 31: Where We Finally Learn the History of the World


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In a repeat of the avalanche incident, we need to get across this battlefield, ASAP. We have two reinforcements, and nweis helps me use them in an optimal fashion. Even so, we only make it by the slimmest of margins. Once inside the facility, we get our final bit of story dump.


Also, I'll be streaming some Doki Doki Literature Club in just over an hour on my twitch channel. You can vote if you want Natsuki's route or the good route. Twitch





2022/06/15
Episode 32: Where We Face a New World


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So, we finally have reached the end. Batiste has gone mad with power, and the latent mania of the former commander. We face an epic final battle, and it really shows off the power of the combat system. The final scene is powerful, and moving, but it's not all sunshine and roses either.

Overall... WOW! That was quite the game. I really understand what was meant by "this deserves to have been a cult hit". It really is an amazing game, with a wonderful story, great music, a distinct art style, and very unique combat mechanics. The combat system does have a few issues with controllability. I think a standard combat menu would have been better, but this really allows the fighting to be more of a puzzle.



As for future plans. I had intended to replace my Wednesday/Friday release slot with a new LP of Diablo Immortal. The first few hours have been very fun, but the sheer amount of money you need to spend in that game to get geared up has gotten me sour on the prospects. Someone did the math, and it's $110,000 to fully gear up. So, no thanks. At the moment, I've switched back to a stream heavy focus. I'm streaming Echoes of Mana (F2P) and Date A Live Spirit Pledge HD (whaling) on alternate nights. Tuesday and Thursday, I'm releasing my LP of Doki Doki Literature Club. The other days, I'm working on releasing my massive backlog of my original playthrough of Date A Live Spirit Pledge. Also, I'm putting up stream archives of Date A Live Spirit Pledge HD and Echoes of Mana, about 36 hours after each stream.