Posted on: March 3, 2017

sir_horace

Games: Reviews: 6

Satisfying RPG Experience

To me, the most interesting aspect of this game is that it is short but broad. A trip from the start of the game to whatever ending you choose - and there are many - does not take as long as it might for a more linear RPG. The tradeoff is that you have MANY consequential decisions to make that can lead you down a host of branching paths. This is not a game that offers the illusion of choice and then funnels you into the same conclusion; the story very much depends on your decisions as a character. In this RPG, you don't just roll dice to hit things - you play a role. Your choice of stats and skills has a big impact on the options available - not just in terms of how you can solve a given quest, but what quests, characters, and even locations are available to you in the first place. As a consequence, there is no way to experience the entire game in one go. Don't think that this is a negative, however, because each play-through is varied enough that it's worth your while to run through the game two or three times. Personally, I first stabbed my way through the game as a streetwise, spear-wielding mercenary, and then immediately started over to experience the game as a combat-adverse loremaster. Totally different experiences, not just in terms of plot but also of play style; the first run felt like a tactical RPG, while the second played out like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book with lots of skill checks. I have just one gripe and one bit of advice. The gripe: While the game is non-linear, the game is divided roughly into a few major acts. You aren't always sufficiently warned when embarking on a quest will usher you irreversibly into the next act - causing you to miss out on a lot of potential story. You learn quickly to save before any serious-sounding quest, just in case. The advice: Don't rush to spend all your skill points, especially if playing a pacifist. You never know what skill checks the game might throw at you, and it pays to be flexible.

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Posted on: September 18, 2020

MPatusz

Verified owner

Games: 172 Reviews: 8

Hidden RPG gem

AoD may not be most artsy, may not have most innovative setting or ruleset among RPG renaissance, but it is absolutely unprecedented when it comes to choice, consequence, player agency and replayability. Each faction offers different storyline and experience and there is a lot of possible endings.

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Posted on: February 25, 2023

daniel280456

Verified owner

Games: 557 Reviews: 7

Fun, if you can accept its flaws

This is a peculiar RPG, but one I liked. It's more like multiple games on top of each other, mostly driven by your initial character choice. My Loremaster Smartius used his big brain and high verbal skills to gain access to a lot of cool places, uncover forgotten machines & read ancient documents. Skill points were abundant, and fights almost absent. Meanwhile, as a Mercenary, combat was common, and very difficult when outnumbered (Crafting and Alchemy helped). Sometimes I had allies, which should have been a permanent thing, because it was much more fun. I know others have already mentioned it, but things really do fall into place when you accept your character's occupation and invest points accordingly. The not-so-good parts: reloading (often) because you failed a conversation skill check; quests becoming unavailable once you leave a city; the way it looks.

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Posted on: February 19, 2017

Pressure

Verified owner

Games: 166 Reviews: 11

A perfectly crafted world

In a nutshell: If you like a good story and a rich world then this is for you. Gameplaywise there is a brutally difficult turn based combat, witch has the potential to be very frustrating and very satisfying. If you are not into that kind of thing you can avoid it completly. Though I would highly recommend to at least give it a try. The second and more important part of the gamplay is an extensive textadventure and dialog system. You will read a lot in this game and everything is so well written that you won't even notice. The Heart of the Game however is not its gameplay mechanics, it's the world and the story. Those two things blend into each other in the age of decadence as the world evolves in ways that cannot be foreseen by the player who will have to find his own way to deal with the callenges presented to him. The Amount of freedom you have in your choices is huge. I more than once found myself staring at the screen wondering if the game really just allow me to do this. However you always have to get along with the consequences of your actions. So if you mess up you might get thrown out of your guild or even executed for treason. The whole world is as unvorgiving as the games combat system. Age of Decadence has probably the richest and most dense world I have ever experienced in a game. It really gets you immersed and even for players who don't usually do this its well worth to play a second time to see just how different things might have gone. If you did read untill here Age of decadence probably is for you. Have fun playing!

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Posted on: November 13, 2018

joet88

Verified owner

Games: 345 Reviews: 7

Mixed bag

There are a lot of interesting ideas, and one of them is that the same story is being told from different angles, so in one playthrough you're a drifter who witnesses the aftermath of an assassination, another playthrough you're the assassin, and another you're the bodyguard, etc. The combat is pretty good, but a lot of the time it's teetering on the edge from hard and fun to tedious and unfair. The skill checks are out of hand- the system for getting through a campaign is basically trying out a sequence and reloading so that you can upgrade the skills you need. You can skip missions if you dared to upgrade a skill that won't get you through, and eventually end up at the mandatory ending that is the same for everyone, which gives you about four choices, two of them only possible with maxed out skills, and not necessarily skills that have anything to do with your class. But a lot of that has been covered by other reviewers- the real offender that hasn't been mentioned much is the writing. The setting is okay, I would say it's greatest strength is its atmosphere, but a lot of that is pulled directly out of Fallout (with references throughout.) The characters, dialogue, and descriptive writing are bland and juvenile. A lot of swearing and cruelty is used to cover up the lack of creativity. We get it, everyone is awful, that doesn't really replace characterization. Not to mention that there are about 2 or 3 women characters that I can think of: one is a prostitute, one killed all her husbands. Come on. Also, for a world based on ancient Rome, it's pretty ridiculous that almost everyone is white (Feng and a couple "Ordu" characters are the exception.) You can make a bad argument for Northern European fantasy lacking diversity (something that doesn't stop D&D, or most settings) but Ancient Rome was a central hub in the Mediterranean and North African region, so it's just lazy and adds to the bland boring nature of the world presented here.

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