Recent reviews by Slaane

This is not a bad game. However, after spending thousands of hours across a multitude of cRPGs and mobile gacha games throughout the years, there are a few things I can't ignore about it.

Firstly, if you rate it solely on the cRPG aspect, it's a 70/100 at best if I'm being generous. I feel this should be pretty self-evident so I won't waste time here, but instead focus on the core game mechanic that matters: the gacha system for acquiring heroes.

The devs are based in Hong Kong. If you played enough mobile games, you already know this is a red flag: the game is EXTREMELY top up heavy and the rates are terrible. Legendary heroes are the endgame and the odds of you pulling one of those as a f2p are very, very slim because: (1) the orange dice required for Legendary pulls are hard to come across as a f2p; (2) the odds are bad (3% base chance, 1 guaranteed Legendary every 35 summons). There are videos of YTers doing 500 orange pulls (~ $2500 USD) at once. Go check it out and see if you like those odds. It's certainly not for me.

Edit: To add insult to injury, after I uninstalled, the game started reinstalling itself automatically the next time I restarted Steam. Fantastic.

When I heard about the PC launch of Tactics Ogre: Reborn I felt the urge to play a Tactical RPG immediately. That’s when I found Symphony of War and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did.

If Fire Emblem and Ogre Battle had a baby, this game would be a possible offspring. The inspiration is evident right from the start with the blue-haired main character (Marth) and the tarot reading when you start a new game.

Gameplay is essentially FE but, like in OB, combat is carried out automatically by squads that can range from 1 to 9 units. It’s possible to fast forward combat by holding the left trigger, which is great. Units are not locked onto a certain path once you evolve them. It’s possible to conveniently devolve units and get a full refund on the materials. There’s no need to backtrack to a prior save so you don’t get stuck with a unit you don’t like.

Even though the writing and the menu’s UI/UX could be improved, it’s not enough to justify a thumbs down. If you are itching for some Tactical RPG time, SoW is a solid, budget pick that will run on your kitchen toaster and will keep you entertained for dozens of hours.

Nearly 140 hours and 100% achievement on hard mode. Did I enjoy the game? Sure, but I can’t recommend it.

Twelve-year-old me would probably recommend this game. The plot is complex and mysterious enough to keep you playing. Plenty of well-developed NPCs bring the world to life. Plenty of grinding (not mandatory) for those that like it. Plenty of quests to get done. The improved artwork and Japanese voice acting from the EVO mods are also sure to get your inner weeb excited.

However, my adult self can’t look past: (1) the juvenile romance between the two main characters; (2) the orbment system had me hoping that there would be some tactical element to combat, but even on hard difficulty that never happened (with the exception of one boss fight); and (3) despite the overwhelming amount of detailed dialogue, there’s no real choice to be made in the game.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of that but it’s not a game I can recommend. Will I ever play the sequel/SC? Unlikely. I will probably find a pure story playthrough on YT and watch that instead.

Amazing, timeless game for all ages. World-scale puzzle solving, treasure hunting and a rewarding combat system that manages to be simple and challenging at the same time. Truly a masterpiece. The Mithrarin lives on!