Combining a Zelda-like adventure, puzzles, and a small-town aesthetic with marriage candidates (similar to Harvest Moon), Prodigal promises to show you a journey bursting with content.
Oran, our protagonist, is making his return to his hometown after learning of his parents’ death. And its not a particularly warm welcome. Leaving on bad terms, Oran will have to earn his way back into the townsfolks’ good graces. Although a certain Undead with godly powers may be a bit harder to win over than your dear old grandpa.
Among these townsfolk are eligible bachelorettes that come in a rainbow of personalities. With each showcasing a unique design, it will be hard to settle on just one true love. Luckily, with each interaction, you’ll learn more and more about the depth of their character and I’m sure one will find their way into your heart.
When you’re not busy swooning over your potential dates, you’ll be helping your grandfather and his apprentice. This will take the form of diving into dangerous dungeons filled with mind-bending puzzles and nasty monsters. The style of the dungeons are reminiscent of Zelda in that you’ll be given different tools to help navigate their puzzles. For example, one of the tools is called the ‘dread hand’ and it will warp you to where you entered the screen from. A pretty nifty tool when it comes to switches that block paths! On top of the puzzles, you’ll have an array of monsters to fight, and perhaps some very challenging bosses to stand in the way of your rewarding treasures. And then you can blow all the money you make at the local casino.
What sets Prodigal apart from traditional adventure games is the small-town aspect. There are TONS of uniquely designed characters with high-quality pixel art that will wow you within moments. Each of these characters has a wealth of personality, and they also move around town as opposed to sitting stationary and waiting for the hero to come along and spit out vague dialogue. Giving these characters a schedule makes them feel way more relatable and sentient. For example, I saw the farmer girl with a scythe while walking by, and I figured I would talk to her when I got around to it. I knew where she would be. When I came back, she was gone and it made me wonder why I should expect her to wait on me?
I was extremely intrigued by this schedule, and combining it with the marriage aspect gave me hints of Harvest Moon. Imagining a mash of the adventure elements of Zelda and the small-town charm of Harvest Moon 64 instantly hooked me into Prodigal. I think those who are fans of those style of games will be extremely attracted to what the game offers and how it stands apart from its competition. Prodigal is definitely worth a play and I hope you have just as hard a time as I did choosing a true love.
Prodigal is available now on Steam.
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