Posted on: November 14, 2023

Early Access review

Thor3250

Games: 85 Reviews: 2

TLDR: Not for everyone. Buy on sale.

Exanima is the only "modern" game that tickles the spot in my brain occupied by old school real time dungeon crawlers such as Ultima Underworld. I've been deeply enjoying my time with it. Go watch footage on Youtube and such to determine if you think it's for you. That will be much more useful than any written review for figuring out if you want to buy it or not. That being said I can definitely say that I would only recommend it if you have paitence for games that demand a lot of learning, and hinge on a lot of stupid physics-based lunacy. What is fun for one moment will be infuriating in the next. i believe this is exaggerated by some of the systems, and lack therof, that (in my view) handicap the game. -The controls should be rebindable. -The camera should follow the mouse cursor, or the direction your character is facing. (I know about the INI file thing. Better.) (-possible target-locking system.) Here's why: Your character faces toward the mouse cursor, and this is how you orient your directional attacks and tank-control movement. You read that right. Tank control movement with physics-based jank. in combat. Prepare to stumble and trip. You must wrangle these things while also juggling the physics engine, and also adjusting the camera. In the heat of combat this is all a bit much, and pulls focus from gameplay. I do not find it fun to lose control because my character lost all sense of direction due to trying to track the cursor being moved over his shoulder. This really drags down on the game for me. I will note that perhaps this can be solved with a tightening of the agility of characters in tight space turns. (I've also experienced repeated crashes at higher graphic settings which seem somehow related to the lighting and particle effects.) Early Access Rating: 3/5 stars. +Interesting gameplay concept. +Hand crafted dungeon crawl. -Unfinished mechanics. (magic.) +Captivating combat. -Needlessly rigid controls. +/-JankyAF (play at own risk)

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Posted on: April 6, 2020

Early Access review

DarthNocturnis

Verified owner

Games: 396 Reviews: 2

Really good concept; Objectively 3/5

Okay, I really enjoy the concept of this game. I have almost 13 hours of gameplay. Exanima offers a very new and unique format to the RPG/Dungeon Crawler genre. The combat system is fresh and actually demands a larger amount of skill than games that would run in a manner similar to this one. I can honestly admit that I am not that great at the combat system, but it is enjoyable once you start catching on to the flow of how it's supposed to work. And here comes the downside. While I have spent a good amount of time playing this game in the short period of ownership, it just takes way too much time with very little reward. It is promoted as a level playing field with the AI, but the issue is that the AI can coordinate the physics engine better than a human player. This is the main problem I am having with the combat system. Besides that, there are a lot of "clunky" issues that come from using a raw physics model, such as hands getting stuck behind the character's back. Lighting... I don't see too many reviews on this, but I feel it is critical in this game. The lighting in the game is TERRIBLE. For a combat system that relies on actual hits rather to a character model. I know it's keeping with the dark theme of the game, but it is absolutely miserable for the combat. And, honestly, it makes the main story almost unplayable. The main story starts in a dungeon. I don't know if that's where it ends, I can't get out of the dungeon and haven't spent much time trying. There is no sufficient light in the dungeon, which makes it impossible to use two-handed weapons in most circumstances. Also, makes it impossible to use a shield, as you can't hold a shield and a torch. The arena mode is worthy of being a small game in itself. There are multiple options of play and a no-mercy system by which you can build up your force. Also, there are maps with suitable light so that you can enjoy the combat system and get good at it. Short: New combat system not enough light, play arena

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Posted on: May 16, 2019

Early Access review

AzharInTime

Verified owner

Games: 91 Reviews: 1

Unlike any other game

You either really love this game or you fint it awful, there's hardly a middle ground. First I want to clarify that the reviews from new accounts that other reviews are saying it's fishy it's because the had the game on steam for a long time before it came out on gog, I recognize a lot of these guys from the community. There're 2 things I love about this game, the atmosphere and the physics-based combat, the atmospehere because it's really dark and appealing to me, it really has a medieval feel to it. As for the combat, I love physics simulation, the most fun I had in games have to do with this, and while it's hard to get used to the controls of this game, once you learn to fight well enough it's really fun. You have two main modes to the game: story and arena, the story is not finished yet and is being expanded with each update, and the arena is just as it sound, you manage your fighters and gears and participate in different types of battles: Boxing, 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 1v1v1v1v1v1, 3vMonster, etc

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Posted on: October 22, 2024

Early Access review

FrostedPug

Games: 340 Reviews: 2

Amazing Dungeon Crawler

This game is not for everyone. It will take you numerous hours to come to grips with the controls and learn how movement works. You will die countless times to things like physics based planks over an open mine shaft or tripping and being beaten senseless by a skeleton. There are countless items in the game world that serve no purpose other than to make the world feel alive... and you will trip over them. These are all features, not bugs. Put some hours in and when this game finally clicks you're in for a hell of a ride. *I own this on steam and will happily be buying the GOG version for archival purposes.

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Posted on: February 20, 2025

Early Access review

Lowtiercomputer

Verified owner

Games: 89 Reviews: 2

High Learning Curve, Boring Dungeon

If you want to put many hours into a bungling and unintuitive combat sytem, have fun. It´s a unique game and interesting, but not enough to keep me in with it´s frustrating and strange combat system.

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