SKALD: Against the Black Priory

If you grew up on rpgs like Ultima, D&D or even console Jrpgs, and you enjoy the vibe of horror/grimdark/lovecraft, get this game. It's not just grinding for levels & loot - the writing is incredible and invokes a lot of emotion, parts are genuinely tense and even frightening. As of this review I'm about 20 hours in, on chapter 2 and am 110% invested in the story. I'm finding myself genuinely *wanting* to help the downtrodden, save innocents and destroy the evil that's infesting the land. Can't recomend enough!

This is a pitch perfect atmospheric RPG that perfectly straddles the line between retro and modern. It really nails the vibe it is going for - artwork, writing, worldbuilding, design, music are all excellent. It's creative and interesting in ways many modern RPGs lack and manages to be a huge breath of fresh air. Highly recommended.

Splendid game, and a very ambitious project for a sole developer: responsible for all writing, designing, and coding. Further, he is also one of the few refreshingly respectable individuals remaining in this landscape which has become known for immense greed and incompetence. Either he lacks hubris and has humility, or is willing to swallow his pride, as evidenced by the price point. Many would be tempted to demand a higher price upon release, simply because having endeavoured they feel deserving of greater remuneration or are overcome by greed. There were some oversights, typographical mistakes, small technical issues for some, and just general polishing that was required on release day. The developer has been so receptive and diligent in improving the overall experience, many of which would not be noticed by the average consumer and only by the most excessively pedantic individual; even going so far as to recommend refunds until issues are sorted. Considering that patches are being or have been actively worked on with all possible speed, I have no problem heartily recommending it. The expressed attitude of the developer negates any criticisms that I initially had. With that said, many others have expressed admiration for SKALD's qualities regarding graphics, visuals, and storytelling. Succinctly put, the overall experience is intuitive and enjoyable. The combat benefits from some strategic input, but is forgiving enough that novice or story-driven players can still succeed. Those who are used to the immense difficulty and depth possible in modern, high budget titles such as Owlcat's Pathfinder games may wish to temper their expectations, and simply find some relaxing enjoyment by indulging in the sombre and grisly fantasy setting by beating the game with a solo character. The choices by necessity cannot branch to give endless alternate paths. But still, somehow there are options for the player to consider that alter progression through the honed story. Delightful!

I funded this game on kickstarter (in 2019, I believe...), and it seemed to take forever until its release. However, it was worth the wait. I am not very far in, but the game systems work very well (talent checks, mini-quests, etc.), the graphics design is retro C64, but works surprisingly well. Hitting SHIFT in combat to see targets more clearly helps a lot to avoid mis-clicking somewhere else. So far, the story seems promising, and I'm eager to find out what's going on...

Though I am not sure why it is called Skald, I love the game. Its old-school sensibilities appeal to me enormously and the inclusion of dice as a visual conceit put a smile on my face. I do not find it too difficult at all; rather, I am able to navigate most combats without problem. Maybe I ought to use a higher difficulty level. There are some soft-locks regarding quests and some performance issues, as well as a handful of typos in the text. I would otherwise give the game five stars, and I might change this review later to reflect that if those issues should get ironed out. I intend to play through it a second time as a different class; I am sure that there are parts of the game that I have not yet explored.