Title basically says it all - It's a frenetic retro FPS roguelike with gothic overtones. The gameplay is rock solid, pace is pleasantly twitchy, and the upgrade/dopamine drip loop is substantive and satisfying. $6 (on sale) is a STEAL for this game - Easily worth the full asking price!
Quite simply, I would call Suzerain more of an "experience" than a video game. As a fan of narrative adventures and text-heavy RPGs with serious choice and consequence (Disco Elysium, Pentiment, Torment: Tides of Numenera, Telltale Games, etc.) Suzerian far exceeded my expectations. Never in a videogame have I agonized so much, and so often, over my decisions. The level of nuance and gray area contained in this game is almost overwhelming - your ideals WILL be compromised; your moral compass WILL be challenged; the 'right' way is rarely ever the 'best way'... If you want to feel the emotional weight of running a developing, but unstable 2nd world nation - in the midst of greater international turmoil and maneuverings - Suzerain is absolutely a game not to miss.
Right off the bat: I was completely captivated by Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon, putting in 24 hours of playtime over just four days. I was looking to scratch that 'old-school Elder Scrolls itch' without playing Oblivion for the umpteenth time...this game did the trick 100%. Based on a grimdark, macabre reimagining of the Arthurian Legend, Tainted Grail's main story - even most of its side quests - had me hooked right to until credits rolled. What it lacks in AAA visual/sonic/mechanical fidelity, it more than makes up for in tone, spirit and heart. Is it an unabashed homage to TES? Yes - right down to its "level by doing" system, dialogue style, cooking/alchemy/crafting mechanics, and combat feel. However, it always feels like a loving tribute - not a cheap ripoff. I only dock a point at this juncture due to quest/pathing bugs, regular crashes and limited enemy variety reflective of the game's early state. Otherwise, I consider my $22 (bought on sale) very well spent! I'm super excited to see Questline bring it toward the finish line and greatly look forward to giving it another run once the game is finished. Bonus Kudos: Despite running on four-year old hardware (RX580 GPU & 3700X CPU), I was able to play on Ultra settings with very few issues!
After a strong opening sequence and well-designed character builder, you're thrust into a game with wildly uneven difficulty and lack of balance. While it can be argued that Iron Tower is going for an 'old school' RPing experience with Colony Ship, I'd say there's a lot more trial and error and arbitray punishment dealt than is reasonable for most gamers. Rather than immersively "playing a role", it felt like my playtime was spent trying to be/do exactly what the game wanted me to, in order to progress. CRPGs are one of my favorite genres - I'm a big fan of Fallout 1 & 2, the Wasteland series, the Planescape/Torment series, the Shadowrun series, and indie titles such as Stellar Tactics and Encased. That said, I cannot recommend Colony Ship.
Wasteland 3 is easily my favorite release of 2020 thus far - a big achievement for the small, talented team at inXile. Other than a handful of moderate loading screens (from an HDD), performance was flawless. Only two bugs that I can recollect - a quest which didn't 'complete' upon finishing, and an event in another quest which didn't "trigger" until I reloaded and tried again - out of 65+ hours of playtime. Writing, characters, combat/mechanics, atmosphere (music! voice acting!) are stellar. Graphics are solid if unremarkable. Role-playing, choice & consequence are FANTASTIC. I haven't been this drawn in and hooked by a modern CRPG since inXile's own Torment: Tides of Numenera. I'm sure I'll play through this again at least once. If you're seeking a CRPG that marries old-school sensibilities and aesthetics with modern quality of life features and finesse, look no further than Wasteland 3.
