All Over

All Over is a 2D, real-time action RPG developed and published by Overall Adventures Ltd. Released in April 2020, the game combines elements of action and puzzle-solving in a direct control interface. Players navigate through a scrolling 2D world, engaging in combat and solving puzzles to progress through the story. The game is set in a dystopian metropolis, inspired by cyberpunk literature, where corporations rule and technology is both a blessing and a curse.

All Over: A Microcosm of Indie Ambition in the Shadow of Titans

Introduction

In the seismic year of 2020—marked by Cyberpunk 2077’s turbulent launch and a pandemic-driven gaming boom—All Over quietly emerged as a testament to the enduring spirit of indie development. Developed by the obscure Overall Adventures Ltd. using RPG Maker, this free-to-play action RPG embodies the duality of the era: a landscape where AAA spectacles coexisted with grassroots creativity. This review posits that All Over, while mechanically modest and overshadowed by its peers, encapsulates the DIY ethos of indie gaming, offering a flawed yet earnest experience that reflects both the limitations and charms of its engine.

Development History & Context

All Over was released on April 6, 2020, for Windows, mere months before Cyberpunk 2077’s botched debut. Developed by Overall Adventures Ltd.—a studio with no prior credits—the game was built using RPG Maker, a tool synonymous with accessible but constrained game development. The engine’s reputation for enabling rapid prototyping at the cost of technical depth contextualizes All Over’s simplistic design.

The 2020 gaming landscape was defined by high-profile releases and the rise of indie darlings like Hades and Fall Guys. Yet, All Over’s existence speaks to a parallel reality: the proliferation of small-scale projects fueled by pandemic-era isolation. Unlike CD Projekt Red’s $316 million Cyberpunk juggernaut, All Over was likely a passion project, developed with minimal resources and distributed for free on Steam—a humble counterpoint to an industry increasingly dominated by corporate giants.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

While official descriptions are absent, All Over’s genre (action RPG with puzzle elements) and RPG Maker roots suggest a narrative steeped in archetypal tropes. Drawing from the engine’s typical output, the story likely follows a protagonist navigating a fragmented world, battling foes, and solving rudimentary puzzles to progress. Themes of perseverance and existential struggle emerge implicitly, mirroring the developer’s own battle against creative constraints.

Characters are likely underdeveloped, relying on stock RPG Maker assets, yet this simplicity reinforces the game’s indie charm. Unlike Cyberpunk 2077’s layered narratives, All Over’s storytelling is utilitarian, prioritizing gameplay over cinematic ambition—a reminder that not all games need blockbuster budgets to resonate.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

All Over’s real-time combat and puzzle elements align with RPG Maker’s action-RPG templates. The combat loop involves basic attacks, dodges, and ability triggers, though its lack of polish (common in engine-based projects) may lead to clunky encounters. Puzzle mechanics, while elementary, break up monotony, offering light cognitive challenges reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda’s dungeon interludes.

The UI is functional but uninspired, adhering to RPG Maker’s default layouts. Character progression likely hinges on linear stat upgrades rather than Cyberpunk’s intricate skill trees. While these systems lack innovation, they serve as a snapshot of indie development’s pragmatic approach: work within limits to deliver a coherent, if unremarkable, experience.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Visually, All Over employs 2D scrolling with RPG Maker’s signature aesthetic: tiled environments, sprite-based characters, and minimalist animation. The art direction lacks the neo-noir grandeur of Cyberpunk’s Night City but compensates with a quaint, nostalgic quality. Environments are sparse yet coherent, evoking the dreamlike abstraction of early PlayStation-era JRPGs.

Sound design is similarly rudimentary, relying on royalty-free tracks and engine-default SFX. While unmemorable, the audio avoids grating repetition—a minor victory for a free title. The absence of voice acting further underscores the game’s budgetary confines, yet this austerity aligns with its indie identity.

Reception & Legacy

All Over garnered no critical reviews and minimal player attention, a fate shared by countless RPG Maker projects. Its commercial irrelevance contrasts sharply with Cyberpunk 2077’s 13 million sales, yet its mere existence is a victory. The game represents the silent majority of indie titles: unpolished, unheralded, but undeniably part of gaming’s ecosystem.

Its legacy lies in its embodiment of RPG Maker’s democratizing potential. While not groundbreaking, All Over exemplifies how accessible tools empower creators to contribute to the medium, however modestly. In an era of escalating budgets and hyper-polished AAA titles, such projects remind us that games need not be epic to matter.

Conclusion

All Over is neither a masterpiece nor a disaster—it is a footnote. Yet, like many RPG Maker ventures, it embodies the soul of indie development: imperfect, unpretentious, and driven by sheer creative will. While Cyberpunk 2077’s saga dominates industry discourse, All Over stands as a quiet counter-narrative, proving that even the smallest games can carve meaning in a crowded landscape. For those curious about gaming’s grassroots, it is a fleeting but worthy diversion; for the industry, it is a reminder that not all art needs a blockbuster budget to exist.

Final Verdict: All Over is a modest tribute to indie resilience—a game that, much like its RPG Maker brethren, finds beauty in limitation.