One of the best features in the RPG Maker series on the PC is the ability to turn your finished game into a standalone executable, which can be distributed for others to play. The basic keyboard or gamepad controls for the games created with RMVX allow for movement in four directions and use of multiple buttons to interact with the environment and make selections. A new dash feature also allowed for faster movement in the play field. Controls can be adjusted and arranged in order to suit the user's needs.

RMVX comes packed in with tons of resources including sound effects, backgrounds, music, map tile-sets, items, animations, character sprites, faces, and other elements that can be selected and used to make your own game quite effortlessly. Those who are just getting into the RPG Maker series for the first time as casual users will probably find the range of sprite options included in the game to be sufficient to create a fun basic RPG creation to share with friends. Also, there are several online communities that provide tutorials, forums, and updated links to resources for use in the program.

The ability to import user-created sprites, audio, screens, tile-sets, and more vastly expands the functionality of the program. It's possible to switch out these components of the game with your own custom work to truly make a unique original RPG game. In this regard, RMVX can be a very powerful and relatively easy-to-use development tool. All of the basic tile-sets and elements that come with the program are of the typical fantasy RPG theme similar to the ones you'd find in early Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior titles. You're certainly not limited to the fantasy genre. Using your own tile-sets and resources, it's possible to create a present-day, sci-fi, or any other kind of themed RPG your mind can concoct. The Ruby Game Scripting System 2 built into the program also allows those with the patience to learn the programming language to exceed the basic functions of the engine. This lets you make substantial adjustments to any feature in the game. The level of customization possible is extremely expansive.

Though RMVX is designed with beginners in mind, there is a slight learning curve. Fortunately, it shouldn't take most users very long to get the hang of things thanks to online tutorials, an in-game help section, and the ability to right-click selections in most event menus to figure out what does what. If you've ever dreamed of creating your own RPG title, then this is your chance. Developing a game on your own can be a painstaking and time-consuming process, but RMVX makes it possible without far less hassle and a lot more fun.

By Nathan Meunier
CCC Staff Contributor