I'm already 52 years old. So, I know very well this type of vintage RPGs and am not surprised by its archaism and type of gameplay. This should be right up the alley of my cup of tea. Unfortunately, I can't afford to play "Grimoire". The fights are so painfully slow that I would die of old age before I reach the first village. (Turn-based RPG of the time, I mean the early 90s, don't drag like that during combats. What's the matter, here??) I'd advise those who are tempted to try this type of gameplay to play Wizardry 8 instead (reasonnably paced, and same type of mechanics with more comfort) . Too bad. Because you can feel "Grimoire"is a work of love, and very pretty too.
I played this game on another platform and really loved it all the way until the end. Movement and combat are better than in Mars: War Logs and even better than it will be in the Technomancer (next title of the devs). Story and maps are excellent, as well as models and environment. Very little backtracking, which is what I dislike usually in Spiders' games (especially Technomancer). Crafting and weapon enhancement are quite fun. If the language problem is solved, I'll buy it again (at a discount) and play once more on GOG ; it is that good from my point of view. Only very bad point: the last boss... It's terribly awkward compared to the rest of the game. Don't miss Bound by Flame! And screw the bad reviews giving a low rating at this little gem, because of a technical problem that has nothing to do with gameplay.
Is it an action game? Yes, and no. Is it a card game? Yes, and no. Is it a strategy game? No. Very brave brave from the devs, especially for a small indie team, to imagine and implement a type of gameplay away from the standards. It's a whole new ball game. Does it work? Yes, it does. At first, the "combat" system may seem awkward (though not overly complicated). But when soon you start to master it, you realize that it was only because you had to learn a new type of logic and moves. The "in town" part is somewhat clunky, especially the shop and inventory. But the main game and combat are very polished and nice to look at. Two things that I don't like, though. But it's just a matter of taste: The game don't save when you quit on a combat-map, and you'll have to restart the whole map all over again. And meh! to the maps where enemy re-spawn again and again all around you (this, I just hate and it will make me quit Wartile sooner than I'd wish.) You have to play a few maps before judging the game, because... it's different.
