Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
TL;DR - I loved it, but it is rough in some areas. The people complaining about it being a d20 game are dumb for buying a pathfinder game and expecting it not to be. I love it.
Good -
Fun gameplay, decently implemented from pnp.
There’s a ton to do (for most part, more under bad).
The VA’s are great, when the lines are voiced.
The replayability is off the chart, I am on my 3rd playthrough and not bored of it at all.
SO many choices that can make one playthrough completely different than the first.
– Real player with 628.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best CRPG Story Rich Games.
A Quick Summary:
Wrath of the Righteous, in a nut-shell, is an excellent party based RPG. It uses the pathfinder system which allows for very complex character builds. The overall story is quite good, and the graphics are definitely up to date with modern RPGs.
It does have bugs, but the developer has been fixing them. While the worst bugs have been fixed, there are still quite a few minor ones. I am sure given time that they too will be fixed.
The Good:
The Pathfinder RPG system. In most CRPGs I have played in recent years, the character building is fairly simple. You pick a druid or a fighter which comes with a few basic skills or abilities, then every few levels you may pick a few more. With the Pathfinder system you have a plethora of choices and other classes to mix and match in. Even basic classes have 4 variations, not to mention feats and mythic powers.
– Real player with 464.9 hrs in game
DUNGEONS OF CHAOS
Did you love Ultima IV? Pool of Radiance, Curse of Azure Bonds? Might and Magic II? Do you sigh in nostalgia at the thought of endlessly rolling stats to make the perfect party, and do you get misty eyed at the thought of being unable to even hit an enemy unless you have certain magically enchanted weapons and spells? Do you remember playing Final Fantasy I and feeling like an ultimate badass when you could finally change classes, and have your fighter become a knight, and your thief become a ninja?
– Real player with 526.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best CRPG Indie Games.
A really awesome game and truly an achievement for just one man. Hats off to you, Volker!
Steam does well enough with the game description so, here is a biased review.
DUNGEONS OF CHAOS
The pros:
Don’t let the primitive graphics fool you, the mood is quite well set and very efficient. There are some places where I literally stopped and just went Whoa…
The music, for the most part, delivers adequately. The chaos rift music is just epic.
You can build the party you want. Yes, you can be uber, yes you can gimp yourself. You can spend HOURS rolling your stats (I LOVE doing that), you can make a tree hugging barbarian, an electric monk, heck, your rogue can even be a presidential candidate. (Don’t ask, just do it). Speaking of Rogues, there are NO necessary classes in the game, there are enough classes and skills to allow you to go around just any and every problem, providing you have enough craft and imagination.
– Real player with 221.3 hrs in game
Inferno - Beyond the 7th Circle
Inferno - Beyond the 7th Circle is a first-person RPG with a horror theme that’s a sequel/spiritual successor to The 7th Circle - Endless Nightmare. Plot-wise there’s no connection between the two games–in the 7th Circle you played a man’s subconscious fighting his inner demons, and in Inferno you play a human survivor fighting literal demons who have all but conquered Earth.
It’s hard to review Inferno without comparing it to the 7th Circle because the two games are so similar. Both are first-person dungeon crawlers, and the basic gameplay of the two games are identical. Nearly all of the enemies are identical too. (there are only 7 or so new ones not counting palette swaps) If you liked one you’ll probably like the other, and vice versa. Where the games differ is that The 7th Circle was restricted to a single dungeon with 20-odd floors and had a permadeath/metaprogression mechanic; Inferno is more of a sprawling open world and abandons the permadeath model for a more traditional RPG.
– Real player with 50.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best CRPG Singleplayer Games.
Finished the game
Pros:
-Enjoyed character customization and the control given to me for said character growth.
-Enjoyed RNG rolls for gear.
-Enjoyed combo build up in combat.
-Enjoyed utilizing spells and status ailments for a varied combat experience.
-Enjoyed the 1st 2/3rd of the game in terms of difficulty.
-The setting is very unique and I feel it will likely become the new sensation as cyberpunk dies down.
-Enjoyed punching out demon lords and the duke of hell with my bare hands 10/10 would fist hell spawn again~
– Real player with 40.4 hrs in game
SKALD: Against the Black Priory
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1609100/Skald_Against_the_Black_Priory__the_Prologue
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1712620/SKALD_Against_the_Black_Priory_Original_Soundtrack_Vol_I/
You drag yourself from the black tides, across the corpses of drowned men, and onto the unwelcoming, craggy shoreline. Gulls cry overhead and the stink of seaweed fills your nose. By some miracle you have made it to Idra. It will take all your skill to survive and unravel the eldritch mysteries of the Black Priory. Pray your sanity holds.
About the Game
‘Skald: Against the Black Priory’ is an old-school roleplaying game that combines modern design and a fully realised narrative with authentic 8-bit looks and charms.
Delve into a dark fantasy world, full of tragic heroes, violent deaths and Lovecraftian, cosmic horror. Explore an engaging, branching story mixed with rich exploration and crunchy, tactical, turn-based combat that will seem familiar yet innovative to RPG fans, old and new.
Do you have what it takes to lead a company of broken heroes from the tainted shores of Idra to the gates of the Black Priory - and beyond?
Features
Lovingly crafted retro-style art:
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Experience a richly illustrated world of authentic pixel art using thousands of hand-drawn tiles and images
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A palette inspired by the legendary Commodore 64 computer.
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Optional CRT filter for that authentic old-school experience.
Deep character creation:
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Build your main character and recruit a party from among a dozen diverse characters, each with their own skill-set, agenda and personality.
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Choose from a dozen classes and backgrounds as well as heaps of feats, spells and equipment as you take your party from level 1 to 20.
Crunchy tactical combat:
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Engage in challenging, fast-paced, turn- and grid-based combat.
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Play it your way, with fully customizable difficulty and feedback settings. Or hit ‘auto-resolve’, lean back, and (hopefully) watch your party cleave a bloody path through their foes.
A richly detailed, living world:
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Explore the vast expanse of Freymark and the Outer Isles and watch your actions spell doom or salvation for the region.
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Focus on the rich, branching narrative… Or live the life of a mercenary and explore varied sidequests and encounters - the plot will wait for you.
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Manage your party as you make camp, recruit hirelings, travel by land and sea, and interact with powerful factions and their visions for the world.
Become part of a fantastic community:
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Skald was made possible by crowdfunding and already has a large, passionate and welcoming community that can’t wait to meet you.
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By joining Skald’s Early Access you’ll have a direct line to the developer, get sneak peaks and give feedback on forthcoming plans and help shape the game into a modern classic.
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We will publish the powerful tools used to create the game in an effort to support and encourage modding and content creation once the game has fully launched.
The Story of Skald: A Dream Come True
Skald is the dream-project of a lone Norwegian developer, AL.
AL missed the thrill of delving into grand, immersive games such as ‘Ultima’, ‘Magic Candle’, ‘Wasteland’ and the Gold Box series. When he noticed the lack of newer roleplaying games that combined the classic (early 90s) charm with more modern game design he decided to take matters into his own hands.
AL set to work crafting the game of his dreams.
A highly successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaign with 700 backers, and a fast-growing community of passionate fans proves he made the right call.
Collaborators
Despite being a one-man company, Scape-IT has been able to collaborate with some amazingly talented people in creating SKALD:
Danny Salfield Wadeson is a UK-based writer & narrative designer who has worked on BAFTA and TGA nominated narrative games such as Roki, Backbone and Duelyst
Twitter: @MadQuills
John Henderson is an experienced fine artist and illustrator and is also a teacher of Art. Whether using dip pen, oil paint or pixels, John’s work is easily recognizable as being highly atmospheric as well as lovingly created. Having worked on many publications and indie gaming projects he is also currently busy with his own project, Wild Wood for the C64.
Twitter: @JohnHen65953721
Scott Hartill UK based artist and game designer. More interested in pixels than anything else. Currently busy developing a PS1 style survival horror in his spare time.
Twitter : @cluly
Torgeir Fjereide is a Norwegian artist and illustrator. He loves painting mythological and medieval scenes and he’ll take any excuse to paint a bearded man.
Twitter: @TheBrushOfThor
Post Horn Public Relations is a pro-bono initiative created to support talented developers.
Twitter: @horn_pr
Rachael A Edwards hails from England and spends most of her days writing fantasy novels about morally grey characters in worlds filled with mythology, corruption and magic. An avid gamer, Rachael’s love for storytelling began at a young age. She is currently working on a YA fantasy novel and is represented by Rena Rossner of The Deborah Harris Agency.
Twitter: @RachaelAWrites
MementoMoree (formerly known as Paolo Pomes) has been creating art since his late teenage years. Proficient in most types of art, from pencil & paper to highly detailed 4k textures, he’s found solace and pleasure in the retro pixel art!
Twitter: @MementoMoree
Marco Pedrana is a digital and traditional art vagrant. He started as draftsman in advertising and comics, went on in illustration, then painting, then conceptual art. He doubled back on videogame design with Aeon of Sands, creating its graphic, story, and sfx. Lately he freelances as a 3D generalist for indie game and cinema productions.
He focuses on narrative art, regardless of the medium or scope.
Twitter: @marcopedrana
Romanus Surt is the main guy at Graverobber Foundation, the developer behind Das Geisterschiff and Der Geisterturm. He does music for SKALD.
Twitter: @surt_r
Edwin Montgomery is a composer and sound designer for games, films and performance. A long-time RPG obsessive, he wrote the soundtrack for inXile’s remastered 30th anniversary version of “Wasteland”. He has created music and sounds for a variety of fantasy game worlds, including Warhammer 40,000, Game of Thrones and Neverwinter. Edwin does sound design for SKALD.
Twitter: @edwinmyshkin
Sea Dogs: City of Abandoned Ships
This is the perfect pirates game. i spent years trying to play this game but my computers never allowed me. now i have had the chance to fully play this game i have to say it has given me hour of fun. do you want to be a merchant and become the wealthiest man in the Caribbean and trade your way to power, or become a privateer and attack your nations foes and bring riches and glory to your nation or do you want to be a feared pirate who will attack anything on sight for wealth and reputation and be the most fearsome man in the Caribbean sea. THE CHOICE IS YOURS. I LOVE THIS GAME!!!!!
– Real player with 125.3 hrs in game
This game is not “good.” It has an extremely high learning curve, no tutorial, a clunky interface, poorly laid out and unintuitive quest objectives, sub-par writing, semi-frequent crashes, and is heavily dependent on the community “Combined Mod” to smooth out its rough edges.
That said, it is the best pure Pirate RPG available. But that probably says more about the gaping hole that exists in the market and less about this game itself. Aside from the brief but very welcome tangent that the Assassin’s Creed franchise took with Black Flag we have not seen a good single player pirate RPG in a long time; probably since Sid Meier’s Pirates. So if you need your pirate fix and are willing to take the time to learn this game, then you will be satisfied. But I can’t help but wonder why we haven’t seen a better Pirate game made.
– Real player with 75.9 hrs in game
Wasteland 3
This is a fun, mildly complicated party-based, turn-based game full of various strategies & tactics, with a large focus on combat tactics. You can play on hard-core mode & min-max everything, or just play casual & have fun with various builds.
The setting is post-apocalyptic, & you gradually fill out your squad of “Rangers” on your team. You mainly choose their weapons & skills, ranging from beefy (or speedy) melee specialists to glass cannon snipers who deal death from afar. Or go in between with pistols, automatic weapons, & machine guns. Skills, aside from the weapons mentioned, include dialogue specializations, explosives, science stuff, stealth (not very fleshed out, but useful for sneaking up on enemies), dealing with robots, taming various animals, etc. Pretty much every skill is useful.
– Real player with 417.7 hrs in game
I’d highly recommend it. It most definitely feels like a combination of X-Com style combat and Fallout post apocalypse atmosphere. I very much enjoyed the story, voice acting, music and plethora of choices. I liked both DLCs because they both added time to the game, blended well with the main story AND added a new mechanic in each case. I did three full sessions with a good-ish and bad-ish run on Ranger and a November Reigns min-max playthru on SuperJerk. Once you get a feel for the game, it becomes much easier. I learned new things in each playthru too about both game mechanics and story choices. I was pretty impressed with one in particular where I found out about a special type of armor you can get. In my last playthru, I tried to get it but because I pissed off the wrong group of people earlier (which I never thought would matter), they STOLE it from me later. I was both bummed I didn’t get it and happy it was a “thing”.
– Real player with 247.1 hrs in game
Requiem Aeternam Eden
It’s fine.
– Real player with 10.6 hrs in game
Shieldwall Chronicles: Realm of Madness
Gather a party of hardy adventurers and venture to the desolate wastes of northern Tarren, a realm ruled by the demon kings and their twisted champions.
Explore an open world freely while pursuing either the main quest or numerous side quests as may suit your fancy. Earn glory and riches as you lead your party into ancient ruins and face the monsters that lurk there.
Write your legend in the blood of your enemies as you face the corrupted denizens of a land steeped in dark magic. Your tactics, courage, steel and sorcery are your only allies in the northern wastes.
Choose from a host of varied character classes from among the many races found in the northern wastes. From men, elves, orcs and dwarves to outlandish creatures such as iron golems and even those possessed by the demonic. Each class has unique strengths, weaknesses and abilities that you must leverage to earn victory.
The northern wastes were warped beyond recognition by the foul magics released by the sorcerers of the elves and humans in their last great war. The unchecked and reckless use of sorcery tore the realm apart and corrupted its very nature. Worst of all, the magic brought the demon kings into existence … creatures of immeasurable power and malice. They rule the north now and their armies march ever southwards in their endless desire to bring war and death to the entire world. Holding back this tide, are the men, elves, dwarves and other races who now stand together, united by a common foe.
You will venture into this realm and face its horrors. You will gather a party of heroes that will battle and overcome the dangers of the northlands. Face braying beastmen, demonic champions and monsters formed of dark magic in tactical, turn-based combat.
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Explore an open world freely, pursue the main quest or one of the many side quests.
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Earn glory in tactical, turn-based battles.
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Face countless horrors as you explore ruined castles, fetid swamps, corrupted forests and dank caverns.
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Earn gold and loot from defeated enemies and use it to better equip and customize your party.
Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition
Kingmaker is rough around some edges, with a few changes to the tabletop rules that aren’t clearly stated to the player. (If you’re unfamiliar with Pathfinder, it is a variant of Dungeons and Dragons.) A large number of frustrations I have often come from either the interface not being great at explaining when something is different, or not explaining anything at all until you’re in another menu. (A game like Pathfinder really demands a character creation/level up screen that lets you preview your whole build from levels 1-20 just to get an idea of what you’re doing.)
– Real player with 255.9 hrs in game
As a cRPG this is an excellent game - great characters, great companions, great stories - main plot and companions - and a combat system that works.
As a game, it’s a mish mash of systems, ideas and a rigidly enforced ruleset that sadly overwhelms that content a little. It is a massively long game with 6 distinct acts that do not flow one after another, but intersperse themselves with a poorly explained Kingdom building mechanic that ultimately just doesn’t work and really, really gets in the way of the rest of the game. Making numbers get bigger doesn’t really make for a compelling experience, but if you don’t do it you’ll get yourself in a right mess and the game will end. It has no respect for your time as a gamer at all, and will test the very limits of your patience.
– Real player with 209.4 hrs in game
Inquisitor
Wow, I just finished this game after almost 200 hours of gameplay, (197 to be exact). The game does not necessarily take that long to complete but I really enjoyed it and wanted to explore every dungeon, kill every enemy, read every detail of the story and lore of the world, and complete every side quest. Honestly, it could probably be completed in 140 to 150 hours. This very involved, isometric, action RPG offers a lot for your money and has a very engaging story. It takes place in a fictitious continent strongly modeled after medieval Europe, with a theological system loosely based on Roman Catholicism. The name of Jesus is changed to “The First Prophet,” but there are crosses and crucifixes decorated throughout the game.
– Real player with 198.0 hrs in game
Inquisitor is an excellent game. It has its flaws but it has abundant strengths. There is some truth to elements of the negative reviews – it’s complex, it is difficult, it doesn’t have state of the art graphics, it doesn’t have redundant randomly generated ‘levels’ that developers are trying to pass off as a quality world, or randomly generated loot composed of mad-libs descriptions whose creation clearly lacked conscious thought, it doesn’t have many of the “features” of modern RPGs, like quest markers or path guidance or regurgitated info-spills, or immersion-breaking tweaks designed to appease the Modern Gamer, or cartoony goofiness that spoils an otherwise interesting idea. And for all of these things it should be celebrated. It looks amazing, like a much more detailed, hand-crafted Diablo, with a beautiful and mysterious world that is fully immersive, aided by the great writing and plot, and a focus on things more impactful than combat and loot.
– Real player with 162.1 hrs in game