Recent reviews by Årvåkenhet

I am gay

This game single-handedly killed my grandmother, dismembered my best friend, ate my cat, and ♥♥♥♥ in my bowl of cereal all within the 14 hours I spent playing it. The worst ATLUS RPG I've played yet

Me spending an hour creating a new empire, contemplating what build I want to try, just to end up going fanatic purifier for the 15th time in a row

I sure do love broken PC ports of fighting games

Update 6 months later: I sure do love broken PC ports of fighting games

I wish I could give a neutral review, neither positive or negative, as a lot of stuff about this game is wonderful. The story, characters, environment, and quests are all phenomenal and I wish I could experience the rest of it. The only reason why I will most likely never finish this game is because the combat is unbelievable tedious and boring. From what I understand combat is just DnD5E which I have no prior experience with, making this system very unfamiliar and frustrating at first, especially when it sorta feels like Larian expected us to understand it right out of the gate. Once I began to understand what worked and what didn't work, what spells were mandatory and what spells were essentially useless, with the help of others who have played DnD before, my frustration quickly turned into boredom. So much so that I dropped the game at the end of act 1 because I could not stand a significant portion of the game being just incredibly boring combat. Comparing this to Larian's previous RPG, DOS2, which had combat I really did enjoy despite is being incredibly similar. It was much simpler and felt more intuitive to understand as someone who has not played DnD previously. Not to mention it was also much more forgiving on dice rolls. Specifically going out of your way to buff allies, debuff enemies, and get favorable terrain, just to end up constantly missing bc of poor dice rolls anyway, makes me wish I could just have someone else do it while I experience the rest of the game that I actually find enjoyable, and only reaffirms my position that this system of combat does not belong in a modern video game. The combat systems being simpler in DOS obviously has the caveat of not having as high of a skill ceiling as BG3 combat which I also understand. But I can very clearly tell that this combat system was created for a board game rather than a video game, and it does not translate well to me personally, as someone who is not very much into board games. If there was some mod to just import DOS combat mechanics or something similar and overhaul the combat, I would enjoy it much more. I am unsure if one exists or if someone has even considered making it, but I do not have high hopes. I think the only way I could realistically get through this game is if I play it with a group of friends and they just do the combat for me, because there is no way in hell that I am going to be able to stand frequently engaging in combat, where I would rather do quite literally anything else imaginable.

Every single bone in my body is telling me I need to peg Goro Akechi

The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate. Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yes, the arcana is the means by which all is revealed. Attaining ones dream requires a stern will and unfailing determination. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. The silent voice within ones heart whispers the most profound wisdom. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. Celebrate life's grandeur, it's brilliance, it's magnificence. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. Only Courage in the face of doubt can lead one to the answer. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. It is indeed a precious gift to understand the forces that guide oneself. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. There is both joy and wonder in coming to understand another. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. One of life's greatest blessings is the freedom to pursue one's goal. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. To find the one true path one must seek guidance amidst uncertainty. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. It requires great courage to look at oneself honestly and forge your one's own path. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. Alongside time exists fate, the bearer of cruelty. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. Only with strength can one endure suffering and torment. The arcana is the means by which all is revealed. In the face of disaster lies opportunity for renewal. The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate... Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yet arcana is the means by which all is revealed. Beyond the Beaten Path lies the absolute end. It matters not who you are, Death awaits you.

They fixed online so now the game is good

Have you ever had the desire to play a video game where you play online by sending your turn over email? Well boy do I have the game for you

It was fun until people got good at it. This is probably how the rest of Europe felt being conquered by Rome