As someone that does not tipically play turn-based RPGs, this was an incredible first experience that made me want to explore the genre a lot more. While it could probably be called "simplistic" compared to other games of it's genre, I think SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is an incredible experience to introduce a casual player to turn-based RPGs. The gameplay allows for an enormous amount of creativity and the gameplay get progressively more complex as the story goes on with new effects and statuses being introduced, as well as characters with very interesting and fun to master mechanics. At the same time, the enemies are just the right amount of challenging and the bosses are very well designed in terms of difficulty. Narratively. and while I didn't fall in love with the story or anything, the characters and the setting are so full of whimsy and charm while having amazing chemistry in between them and presenting interesting twists and character arcs that eventually will end up making you interested in them. The majority of levels and the design of the areas were pretty fun and varied with each one feeling unique and, honestly, getting better and beter as the game progresses and none of them were particularly frustrating or annoying to traverse in my opinion. The only problem I had was the final boss, which at least felt a lot like a damage sponge, but the rest of the bosses were great, especially the one before the fianl one. That boss was incredible and I still remember the fight to this day. Overall this was an amazing experience and I can't wait to play more games, both from this studio and from this genre.
I had very little issues while playing this game, mostly related to the ending and one of the boss fights. Everything else was spectacular to me: the gameplay was incredibly well tuned to make a fair experience where you have just enough resources to get by, which forces you to be careful and explore all types of weapons at your disposal. The enemies and their designs also complement this exploration and in each level they add a lot of complexity both to the gameplay and to the world. Both of this element are amplified even further by the atmosphere of horror brought by the retro style and the sense of powerlessness you can feel when you make a mistake. The characters were charming and many of the sidequests were very entertaining and rewarding. Blood West is very good at both fomenting and rewarding exploration of the various places, with each one feeling like an evolution of the previous one. This is an amazing game if you like mixtures of horror and western atmospheres with a gameplay focused on action and resource management. It's an incredibly fun and entertaining experience.
