Recent reviews by Maeve

GoT or else...

This game is such a gem that I don't even know where to start. Also, I've never really written a decent review here before, but I really need to recommend this one! like it. However, it's not for everyone, for two reasons: it's turn-based and has a very rich wuxia story.

And I might as well start with a common critique from other players: that the story is convoluted or that something a certain character did doesn't make any sense... And this kind of thing really stems from cultural differences. This game is like a chinese novel come to life, it tells a story of a martial hero, but besides that, it involves all of the Jianghu. <3

(Basically: Jianghu is the community per se of martial artists, and congregates all the sects and schools. And of course it has a code of righteous and stuff, but I digress...)

Anyway, what I mean is that although the game has a lot of characters and things going on at the same time, it's very characteristic and formulaic of this kind of genre. It's kind of confusing at the start, and I really wish there was a glossary, but it's not the developer's fault (except glossary part). It's just that we're not used to this kind of genre or behaviour.

But let's talk about the game stuff:

Gameplay: 7/10
I admit that when I think of Tactics, I imagine something where the terrain and movement can have a big impact on the outcome of the battle, but that's not the case here. My biggest problem is that because it's always the same grid, and I don't have much time to play because of work, I ended up spending a lot of the game fighting on auto mode and at x2 speed. But even though I did that, it didn't make the game seem any less enjoyable to me. Because it was so rewarding to level up my character, upgrade them, learn new moves, and massacre enemies, that I'm just grateful to have those in-game options. Oh, and READ the skill descriptions and distribute your Meridiam points well. And use the game's Spar system, the benefits are amazing.

Visual Presentation: 8/10
The game is beautiful. More diverse than I imagined. It's an indie pixel art game, so there's not much to say there. But I dream of this game becoming a triple-A title, with cutting-edge graphics and real-time action. I'll be following this studio until that becomes a reality..

Audio: 10/10
I could live in the game's start screen. And I wish it had voice acting in certain parts, because I find Chinese music to be both loving and heroic, it would be beautiful to hear the poems out loud.

Story: 8/10
The story doesn't reinvent the wheel. It follows the genre's clichés, and you can see the plot twists from a mile away. And there's an unnecessary romance, because, come on, the other girl is so much more amazing! In any case, that doesn't mean the story is bad. Clichés exist for a reason, and it's always worth it when they're well-crafted, especially in action plots. And the game shines in the longer side quests, which are about the companions.

Overall: 9/10
If you're into this style, just play it, it's one of those games that you want to stop doing things to spend more time with. Of course it's not perfect, but I've genuinely never seen a game that's so complete and polished, with a responsive team that actually makes the changes requested, appear out of nowhere on Steam with such a different proposal from the thousands of others that are out there.

To the developers:
My party was huge, but obviously due to game restrictions, they don't interact much after being summoned. However, it breaks the immersion in some points of the story where you're getting beaten up and alone, because in reality you have a full team with you. So, maybe, in specific game missions, a disclaimer that your group cannot enter a certain place and is waiting at the nearest inn? Anyway, you guys are perfect, I hope you release something Xinxia one day.

Monster Catch meets American Gods.

12/10

Um pouco lento e clichê, porém estranhamente viciante.

Tatics absurdamente gostosinho!

So many relevant choices. Sooo many ways to go!