There used to be a time when the vast majority of RPGMaker games were merely fanfiction-level stories coupled with a thick coating of Final Fantasy-themed paint. That stereotype is starting to melt away it seems, with a recent surge of titles that endeavor to be different. One of these RPGs is Astronomic’s Atonement: Scourge of Time. Eschewing the anime-inspired illustrations and 16 bit look for a more modern art style and some Suikoden-esque pixel work, Atonement stands out quite a bit amongst its fanmade peers.

Atonement also boasts a twin story arc where you select one of two main characters and have to contend with interference from the one you opted not to use. A full list of features can be found on its steam page:

• A large, decadent, dark fantasy world with a new take on concepts of angels and demons.

• Two different protagonist teams, each one with its own point of view on the same story. Their paths repeatedly converge and diverge as they attempt to accomplish their own goals, occasionally antagonizing one another.

• 10+ hours of gameplay in total – roughly 5+ hours for each team’s story arc.

• Unconventional way of unlocking new skills: each character possesses all of their special abilities from the start. However, many are locked by high energy cost. Increase max Energy by any means necessary to get access to those skills.

• Strategically manage your energy in battles: use lots of low cost skills in a row, or use a high cost skill and wait for the overall energy to recharge.

• Two difficulty modes: Normal and Challenging. Normal is streamlined so to allow most people to complete the game and witness the story. Challenging is for those seeking blood, sweat, sorrow, and death.

• Turn-based battles and a variety of boss fights which require strategy to be beaten, especially in Challenging mode.

• A variety of weapons, armour, and accessories, allowing customization of the equipment on playable characters to fit to your playstyle.

You can purchase the newly released game on Steam for a 15% discount off of the regular 8.99 price, or head over to Atonement’s forum thread where there are listed several other outlets to purchase it from.

Thanks to reader Cameron8161 for pointing us to this news.