Game Review, by Super Searcher
Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale is an interesting game to say the least. It’s similar to a Japanese-style RPG-MMO game, but its core element is not fighting monsters. (Even though that is in there.) This game is more about running an item shop (called Recettear), and you sell items that you either buy from other people or that you obtain more commonly through dungeon scavenging.
The game starts out kind of suddenly; you’re introduced to the two main characters, Recette and Tear. Recette is a young girl (I’ve not heard her actual age) who is rather… childish. Tear is a Fairy who was hired by a loan company to collect on some debt from Recette’s family. When the two first meet and Tear tells Recette what is going to happen, Recette says she can’t pay and will be forced to lose her home (which she lives alone in). Tear then, feeling a little bad for Recette, decides to try and help her pay off the debts and discusses with Recette what she could do to get the money. Eventually, they decide on starting an item shop. Thus begins the story of “Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale.”
Once you start the game, you must begin finding and selling items to get enough money to pay off your debts; these debts are separated into weekly parts that you must meet and pay each week, or you’ll lose the game. The first week is a piece of cake but after a few weeks, well, things get a bit tougher. But I’ll let you find that out. I have not been able to complete the game yet, but from what I’ve played thus far I must say that it is one of the funniest and compelling games I’ve played in a long time.
I’ve only mentioned two of the characters in the game, but there are many more that are just as fun and funny. So all in all, I’d say this is a great game to get, especially if you’re into mercantile. Now for the price of the game, right now (as I type this) you can buy it on Steam for $19.99. If that price is too high for your taste then you’ll probably like this news: the Steam annual Summer Sales should be starting soon, and Recettear (along with many other games) will drop dramatically in price. So chances are you’ll be able to get it then.