Recent reviews by Sigvuld

Wow. I've had a wonderful time with this game, and I still plan to keep going after breaking through 100 hours. This is a pretty big deal for me, as games like this with with complex-ish stat systems, etc. tend to pretzel my poor, simple brain, despite my love for the systems regardless of my ability to break them well.

So, I'm very tired as I write this, but I really, really want to just lay out some basic bullet point-y thoughts to support this game as much as I can.

TL;DR If you like Wuxia games, get it. It's good. If you're a Sseth watcher, get it, it's 100% a game he'd make a video about.

So, to lay out those simple thoughts of mine...
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- This is a text heavy game, but it has plenty of gameplay, it's not a visual novel or anything. Just a lotta text-based dialogue. -

Yes, the translation has been updated. It's much better than the vast majority of comments about it that you can find will say about it, because many, MANY of them (most of them, really) are talking about the pre-1.0 translation. It's far easier to understand now. I'll point out something that'll help peeps like me who got stuck on some weird wording.

If someone ever talks about "those in the rivers and lakes", basically they're referring to a cultivator. Someone who does martial arts. Y'know, someone like you - lots of crazy cool powers, etc.

Anyway, the translation's just fine! It can sound stilted and weird at times, but it's completely serviceable and really isn't even a quarter as bad as some people seem to insist that it is.

The only areas where it doesn't work is the aforementioned "those of rivers and lakes" thing, which as soon as you know what that means it becomes a non-issue, and the other situation it doesn't really work is in the quizzes you can take and some riddle stuff that comes off weird. The quizzes/tests rely on answers you really just don't have a way to answer naturally if you aren't familiar with chinese literature, but there's steam guides to tell you what answers to pick, so it evens out! These are a very small part of the game, so don't worry.

- Combat is great fun! -

If you like Fire Emblem / Final Fantasy Tactics / etc., that sorta vein of grid-based turn-based combat, this game'll likely scratch an itch for you.

Lots of things to level of, lots of fighting styles to choose from, lots of gear, lots of replayability as a result.

- Story has several paths to take and thus has several playthroughs' worth of runs to get at LEAST the major endings! -

There's several endings, three major factions you can join to reach multiple endings, and lots of "minor" endings to get that aren't considered end game states, but are rather just big accomplishments with special splash screens to commemorate them. I've spent this 100 hours doing two playthroughs, and have more to go!

- Game is built to be replayed. -

There's a homestead you'll unlock that is shared between every character you make, encouraging repeat playthroughs! The homestead enables you to do things like leave behind legendary weapons and armor for your next playthrough to use, pass on martial arts you've mastered to new characters so they don't have to do acquire that martial art the normal way on next playthrough, etc.

Atop this, the game's chock full of achievements for doing all sorts of things. Every achievement gives you points which can be spent on starting traits and stats for your next character, and thus, every new character is stronger than the last. There's also traits that are locked behind getting certain achievements and thus you'll have goals every playthrough, things to unlock for future runs that you think look fun! Many, many hours to be had.

- This game is very, very obviously made with an unfathomable amount of heart, and love for Wuxia as a whole.-

I don't really know how to elaborate on this point beyond simply repeating what I just said, but seriously, what a lovely, charming game. Its developers clearly care, and care a lot.

- Story's simply fun, but not remotely deep. -

As stated, the story's not a particularly deep or enthralling one, but I don't say that as an insult.The game's very much a playground with a general overarching war rearing its ugly head for you to get involved in in some way, and you can choose who to join during it.

There's lots of Sects to join that have their own tasks and mini-storylines though! So you're NOT going to feel like every playthrough's the same, I promise you that! Lots of variation for fun!

- The game gets lots of updates and has been getting supported since launch, and supported heavily! -

These devs clearly care about what they've made and doubly care about you actually having a good time playing their product. Their main menu straight-up tells you to just refund the game within two hours if it's not to your taste - they're very honest, and the language barrier hasn't prevented them from taking aboard feedback at a great pace. This is a game made with love!

- - - - -

All in all, do I recommend Hero's Adventure: Road to Passion? Good lord yes. So yes. PLEASE support developers like this, the game is so ungodly cheap for the sheer amount of hours you can get from it, I'm shocked that it's $18 USD at the time of writing this review. Don't even wait for a sale, just get it + the Her Vanishing Silhouette DLC (although I recommend saving its content for a second playthrough.) Not only do these devs deserve it, but it really is worth full price for what you pay. More than that, honestly - this is NOT what I think of when I think "20 dollar game", I think of much cheaper, less rich, and much thinner on content games than this when I think "20 dollar game".

This game is wonderful. Please, at the very least, give it a shot if it's of even passing interest to you, and try not to be wildly picky about tiny details like typos or the UI overlapping in sparse places due to the english text being harder to fit into everything than the intended chinese text. I promise, regardless of other games having typos and UI issues because they simply don't care, that is NOT the case here. This game is not remotely shovelware, or anything of the sort.

(I know that last bit may sound worrying but genuinely, it's just that there's some overlapping text when you do stuff like gather herbs or chop wood or fish, etc., the tool durability and chance of breaking, etc. text overlaps 'cause english isn't fit as finely into the box as chinese is. That's all - nothing is broken because of the translation, it just looks weird in those very minor spots.)

Anyway, I've rambled on enough, I think - hopefully this stream of consciousness helped you decide. I hope it did! This game's lovely and I really, really enjoyed the 100 hours I've played - and I plan to play more! That's a LOT for a game that ran me like 20 bucks with the DLC included!

If you've, like me, been trying the deluge of various shop sim games and, like me, despairing at the apparent universal constant that 95% of them just feel awful to actually play or are so busted they barely function? This review is for you.

This is one of the good ones.

Is it made using assets like many sim games? Yes.
Is it clearly made with genuine effort and care? Also yes.

YOU CAN OPEN BOOSTER PACKS TO SEE IF YOU GET LUCKY PULLS, LIKE THE $665 ONE I GOT, AND SELL THEM INDIVIDUALLY AS BIG BOOSTS TO YOUR SHOP'S REVENUE. YOU EVEN HAVE A CARD ALBUM YOU CAN SORT THROUGH!

Try the Prologue!

Genuinely having a wonderful time with this after being so afraid I'd bounce off of it like I did the first one due to absolutely gutpunch RNG difficulty that you can't mitigate utter decimating what would have been enjoyable runs. This one's a huge improvement and they're STILL updating it with free goodies! Please support devs like this who care!

Dawntrail is the start of a new chapter.

So was A Realm Reborn.

Most of these reviews conveniently ignore the fact this was explained to us in great detail long before Dawntrail even launched lmao

Dawntrail's good.

Desperately wanted to play this for years, as creature collectors / monster tamers, as well as JRPGs are big loves of mine.

Thank you for bringing this to PC, ATLUS! Please keep this up for future releases - keep bringing them here, and we'll keep buying them!

The team behind this has clearly worked their hearts out and the game is made with so, so much love.

There is a genuine gem here - I don't need 500 hours in a game to tell you that.

Give this game a shot - it's a JRPG made with clear passion and love for the genre!

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE REVIEWS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE MAP BEING SECTIONED OFF LITTLE ZONES INSTEAD OF AN OPEN WORLD ARE NOW OBSOLETE. THE GAME IS OPEN WORLD NOW!

This has been a genuinely lovely experience thus far. This is one of those rare indie games where the developer's shockingly responsive, constantly implementing player feedback, and even making sweeping, big updates to the game YEARS after it's come out.

A wonderful combination of Legend of Zelda Wind Waker sailing and a simplified AC: Black Flag combat system with ship upgrades, crew to manage, ship colors/sails/emblems to unlock, all sorts of side content you have plenty of excuses to do, new ship types to unlock, weapons to buy, customizations for your ship to buy, the works!

This game scratches a very hard itch to scratch, and for that, it's more than worthy of my recommendation.

SUPPORT DEVELOPERS WHO CARE, TRY, LISTEN, AND WANT YOU TO ENJOY THEIR GAME!

To date, this is the only company I've ever been able to find that's capable of capturing, and HAS captured, the sheer ~vibe~, genuinely funny humor, and outright charm of Bullfrog's games, like Evil Genius and Dungeon Keeper. While a lot of reviews love to just repeatedly go "it's Two Point Hospital... but SPACE!!!", I cannot stress enough that it's not just some other game with a new coat of paint.

This is what an indie that's made with a genuine attempt at humor that can reach just about anyone who plays it is like. This is what it's like when a game cares about you enjoying yourself, when the developers' "vision" isn't to force you to deal with a tidal wave of inconveniences and annoying game design decisions masquerading as "challenge" - their vision is, instead, to just let you have a good time, in a silly sci-fi universe with genuinely creative races.

The races have actual lore, and they've given me worldbuilding inspiration as a result of the genuine care that went into making them! Atop that, the humor doesn't feel hamfisted or forced - it feels rather modern, and that's something I adore both it and their previous game War for the Overworld, for accomplishing.

If you've ever thought "man, I wish games with the levity and just genuinely fun atmosphere of games like Evil Genius and Dungeon Keeper were still being made today", look no further than this company. Their behavior on their forums is immaculate, they take feedback well, and they respond as much as they can to as many people as they can.

These developers proved they both incorporate feedback into, and just generally polish their games YEARS after release. They have earned my loyalty with how they cared for, and still ARE caring for, War for the Overworld.

SUPPORT DEVELOPERS WHO ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT GIVING YOU BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!
SUPPORT DEVELOPERS WHO POUR THEIR HEART INTO CAPTURING A VIBE THAT ANY CAN ENJOY!
SUPPORT DEVELOPERS WHO -CARE!-

There's many, many hours of play to get out of this game, despite the fact that it + all its actual DLCs (that isn't soundtracks) is like, $21 USD.

Because it was so cheap, I thought "Oh that's cute, I guess you just have this static location you cook in and it's an endless stream of customers sort of deal, maybe a score attack sort of thing?"

NAH. There's a slew of upgrades you need to chase, you gather ingredients by running around during the day until night where you open your Izakaya, there's whole zones you unlock with new ingredients, people to buy things from, quests, etc.

You upgrade the size of your Izakaya in each individual location and the DLCs add whole zones - on paper they're not big zones, but in practice you've got a buncha new peeps to talk to and learn new recipes and gather new ingredients, and each one is a new locale to open your Izakaya that has customers unique to that zone who want particular things.

There is SO MUCH LOVE poured into this game, it is made with an unfathomable amount of heart, and I cannot recommend it enough. Wholehearted, "buy it full price" recommendation, zero hesitation in saying that. Support developers who care, support developers who make good games with love.

You can actually start a new game without having to wait for this "feature" to be patched in, and it even has a Hard Mode, both things its sequel SOMEHOW LACKS!