Painted Heart: Chronicle of the Hero is a short RPG Maker game with a unique battle system by Accha and Trass (of Dreaming Mary fame). It takes place in a world where art is a magic power called Pictomancy. Near the village of Appelby, the painter boy Corbin, who is training to become a Pictomancer, is pulled out of self-study and brought by his father to the local cathedral, where a painting known as the Chronicle of the Hero is featured. The painting's magical energy brings good fortune and tourism to Appelby, but a strange substance known as the Pestilence has destroyed all but one small part of the painting.
Corbin is thus called upon to enter the realm of the painting and restore the world as it once was- to his incredible reluctance, as he doesn't believe he can do it. But since everyone is ignoring his protests, it seems he has no choice. With the help of his familiars, the devoted but violent angel Zophie and the friendly demon Agiel, Corbin must battle the forces of the Mother Pestilence/Swarm Queen, the source of the Pestilence, and save the painting world. But first Corbin will have to overcome his own self-doubt...
The main draw of the game, besides the pretty art, is the Trinity System, a battle system that shuffles the usual strategy for RPG games. The player controls Corbin as a supporter and healer, and each of his abilities can only be used a certain number of times per game- how much depends on how many of the corresponding item he has. Meanwhile, Zophie and Agiel are the main fighters, and can only use dual attacks which cost Art Points, after which they switch to Defense Mode, where they guard, heal, or do nothing. There are also five elements- Body, Mind, Spirit, Phantasm, and Astral- which all have effects on each other.
Can be downloaded here
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This game contains examples of:
- Art Game: Being about a magical painter who fixes a world inside a painting, it has art itself as a theme, and the visuals inside said painting are colorful and striking.
- Big Bad: The Mother Pestilence/Swarm Queen is the source of the Pestilence that is destroying the world inside the painting Chronicle of the Hero.
- Deliberately Monochrome: The intro of the game inside the Appleby cathedral resembles an early Game Boy game with no color (in particular, the sprites resemble Pokémon Red and Blue). This is to contrast the vibrant, detailed Scenery Porn inside the painting world where the actual game takes place.
- Portal Picture: The titular Chronicle of the Hero painting; when Corbin enters it in the intro, he is transported inside it to the world in the painting.
