Summary
Keylockeris a new indie RPG. It plays similarly toSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Starsas it has an active turn-based battle system. If timed right, players can nail critical hits or defend from enemies without taking damage. Players will begin as Bobo, who can take on the role of one of four classes, withSamuraibeing one of them.
The Samurai is a good starting class for a first run ofKeylocker,as it is more defensive, which is typically how they are designedin other RPGs. Instead of leveling up traditionally, players will get Keys that they can then spend on a skill tree. Let’s go through the Samurai’s skill tree and determine which skills players should focus on.
7Edgeworth
Edgeworthis the first skill available, and will automatically unlock in the game. However, every ability in the skill tree can have ranks dumped into them, thus making them stronger, which is how similarskill trees work in RPGs. The idea of Edgeworth is that edged weapon skills will reload faster after use.
There are similar abilities in the skill tree that reload abilities faster for particular weapons. For example, Melody of the Stars will reload skills based on Violins, Cellos, and Harps quicker. If players find a particular weapon they enjoy as a Samurai, or any other class, they would be wise to focus on one of these weapon reloading abilities in addition to Edgeworth.
6Life Force
Raises HP, Improves Counterattacks, And Life Attacks But, Lowers Electricity
Life Forceis a very basic ability that a lot of RPGs have. It will raise HP, or as it is known inKeylocker, LP, or Life Points. Players technically have two health bars, LP and EP, which stands for Electric Points.
Different attacks will affect one bar over the other, kind of like how theYu-Gi-Ohcard gamecan have players attack their opponent’s cards to destroy them, or their opponent’s Life Points directly. The Life Force skill will also improve counterattacks at the cost of lowering EP. Another skill below this is Chariot Epidermis, which can add AP, or Armor Points, to Bobo, which is a good makeup for the EP loss if players choose Life Force.
5Chain Reaction
Perfect Hits Cast Entangle
Chain Reactionwill add the Entangle ability to an equipped weapon. Entangle will prevent two things from happening in a combat scenario: First, it will stop enemies from moving around the board, and second, enemies can’t counter in an Entangled state.
Players have to get a Perfect Hit to cast Entangle, which can be tricky sometimes, as fans of theMario RPGseriesknow. Using certain weapons should train players to time their attacks better though, and the benefit of Entangle is a good incentive for players to start practicing.
4Impulse Response
Improves Countermeasures
Impulse Responseis one of the best moves a Samurai can learn. For weapons, players will start with a sword and a guitar when they make their character. The guitar will attack enemies directly, while the sword will only be used for counters, or parries, as these moves are typically called.
Once players enter the Parry stance, they will attack an enemy once that enemy tries to attack them. Impulse Response will increase the damage done by a counter by 25%, and that’s only the first ranking. Parry, or other counter moves, are best used when players can’t not move on the battlefield, which looks like the grids used intactical RPGs.
3Reckoning
Guarantees A Critical Hit On The Next Move
Reckoningwill imbue a weapon with the Violation ability. Violation guarantees the next attack will be a critical hit, and it’s not just a percentage chance either. A critical hit can sometimes make the difference between a life and death situation.
The more critical hits players achieve, the quicker enemies will go down. It’s something that mostRPG fans will understand, fromPokemontoFinal Fantasy. Other skills in the Samurai skill tree will improve critical abilities as well, such as Prophetic Edge.
2Asymmetric Training
Increase Speed And Overdrive
Asymmetric Trainingis a skill players can obtain to make their Samurai classa bit more ninja-like. The description for this skill implies it’s an assassin-like trait to make characters faster. Speed, as a stat, will affect the turn order inKeylocker.
The higher Speed that characters have, the sooner they can act, sometimes even letting them act twice in a row. Asymmetric Training essentially increases Speed. Another related skill is called Oni-Science, and it can have weapons cast Wither on enemies to decrease their Speed, which in turn makes players faster in a roundabout way.
1Synthetic Biology
Healing Over Time
Synthetic Biologyis the final ability of note that is found in the Samurai skill tree. It will disperse nanomachines within Bobo to heal her over time, which is fitting for the cybernetic design of the world. It’s kind of like the Regenspell found in a lot ofFinal Fantasygames.
Synthetic Biology will not eliminate the need to use healing items like Milkshakes inKeylocker,but it will help stabilize Bobo in dire situations. Any way that players can heal in a game is beneficial, from skills to passive abilities to items. It’s another lesson RPG veterans will know all too well.
