A Quest That Became Legend

Updating this review now that I've had a chance to complete the game.
-I played on hard difficulty the whole game.
-Took a warrior, shaman, mage, hunter
-The dark conjurer fight forced me to use my first and only potion (but that doesn't mean the game was easy).
-At the end of the game my chars were level 37.
There is an optimum way to setup stats, and don't forget you can always 100% respec everything for free at any time past the first couple hours of the game. It's almost always the wrong choice to go str or dex, unless you need it to wear gear. It's always wrong to put any points in con, except maybe the very start of the game.
Weirdly enough, Int made my war absolutely OP. The class felt really good at end game when I had 100% uptime on all self buffs and I could riposte every attack for 1.5k dmg. This run through I also had a 12% life leech mace, so I was healing about half the damage I took on every attack. Really made my war feel like a juggernaut. This was my favorite class for sure. Though the war is useless till it isn't, when it is useful it's an absolute powerhouse (if built right). And generally the war is more useful the harder the content is, making it a key class for a run through. Don't neglect your spell resist on a tank war, in this game spell resists DO matter and can make or break many fights.
My hunter used the 20% chance for 2 attacks bow all the way to end game. It's probably the best bow in the game--the low damage is deceptive when your hunter is using a 180 attack spear and tons of +dmg gear. I was also surprised at how solid all 3 end game abilities were on hunter, they all felt good. Even so, I had a hard time justifying the hunter for most of the game. It did shine, notably in boss fights where single target dmg + longevity were more important, but I honestly think the dev should consider buffing this classes dmg by about 50% or improving the itemization considerably (put it on same level as melee dps for dmg). There were MANY times where I thought a second mage would have been better, and even now after beating the game even though the hunter is cool and has some strong abilities, I'm not sure I'd consider it in the same class as the mage for damage output except in very specific situations. I do think I could have more easily beat the game with 2 mages than with the hunter+mage combo.
The mage was fun, especially with some of the end game skills, but once she blew her load she felt weaker than the other 3 classes. She by far had the best aoe dmg and was queen for tons of mobs with low hp/lower resists. However, in hard mode many mobs and bosses can get very high resists (80+) which makes doing damage more of a challenge. Also, mana could be a problem, because even with 7k mana she could only use 3 rank 4 spells before being out of mana, meaning the lower rank 3 or even rank 2s also needed to be used. They still did good dmg, generally outpacing the hunter even when only spamming rank 2 spells.
The shaman was the glue that held it all together. Shaman's curse massively improves the other classes. The aoe ground cast poison is incredibly strong in longer fights. The hp swap skill could be a 20-30k nuke, making it by far the strongest single target nuke in the game. Add in the healing, and shaman is a requirement for any run through.
This game is rough around the edges. The story sucks. The writing makes me want to grab the developer and shake him. Some things, like skills (fire, two hander, axe, etc.) were poorly designed. Don't get this game thinking you're getting a AAA title--you're not. However, if you want to tactically mow down mobs (while moving at a snail's pace) and enjoy this M&M style of gameplay, you'll like the game. Itemization is fairly well done, though some of it is wonky like putting spell damage on hunter gear. The classes all have a place except maybe hunter, which still needs a buff in my opinion (though hunter is not useless, especially on boss fights). The game is fairly hard and you really need to think about how you build your chars and what mobs you're fighting. Some mobs are immune to certain spells. Some mobs have very high AC. Every mob does elemental in addition to physical, so understanding their damage types and warding accordingly can be huge. The game is about 100 hrs per run through, so you will get your money's worth if you like how the game plays. What you see in the first hour isn't much different than what you see in the 90th hour, but there is enough mob variety to at least keep you guessing in new areas.

This game is now a spectacular treat for anyone who played the most accessible/best Might & Magic roleplay games (generally M&M 6 through 8). There are very few recent party based/turn based rpgs out there (not based on DnD) , and this is by far the most accomplished low budget title since Wizardry 8.
A lot must have improved since the earlier reviews because this is now truly a completely solid and enjoyable game.
Compared to the recent Wizardry reboots, this game has arrived quietly without fuss, but achieves much more, being so far bug free, carefully balanced, more pleasing on the eye, and benefiting from delivering a slightly later era of gaming (1990s instead of 1980s), which gives advantages to the look and 'openness' of the game experience.
There are a number of features that specifically please, time and time again. The areas/regions ('levels') have been very cunningly developed and there are few 'empty' areas, and there is always a new challenge across every region's map.
Itemisation of loot, though 90% random is generally very well done, so none of those Diablo-random-loot complaints.
The core design decision seems to be to slant heavily towards tactical management of your 4 character team, and the affection for your party grows not through their dialogue, but rather through the sweet-spot collaboration of your 4 properly built PCs. I suppose a good Xcom squad gives a similar buzz, and this rather simple game delivers really well balanced and complimentary characters/builds.
The progression through levelling up/learning spells/equipping comes straight out of the M&M series, and is a great tribute to those games as well. Same with the visuals and dungeon design. I have yet to explore all of the 10 or so regions, but the level of challenge and excitement is sustained so far (I am on the 3rd map after 40 hours).
If you don't mind slightly stripped down Lore and Puzzles, in favour of the longest and most dedicated set of regions and dungeons, this would be the game for you.
It is 'retro' in that it looks very similar to the above titles, but it is to be noted that the download is almost 40GB because the game is essentially vast. It plays completely smoothly on my spec from 2024, but it might disappoint if you still have the same PC you played on in 2015.
Whether the game gets the player base it deserves is a matter of critical mass. I hope people will really help the game grow by word of mouth, because right now it is below the threshold where there are many guides, mods, and the facility to make large improvements (such as having automaps for dungeons).
Either that or the next game in the series - and it deserves to be a series - should be properly marketed, because this game should have been a big success. I hope you enjoy it.

At the very beginning it gives an impression of a basic indie RPG that leaves much to be desired. But as one progresses, the game gradually exposes itself to be a hidden gem for anyone who likes classical RPG/dungeon crawlers.
The character skills, the combat system, the loot/equipment, and the world all have more depth than it initially seems.
As for the visuals/graphics, they are really good for an indie game.
I had lots of fun playing this, and it took me almost a 100 hours to finish the game.
Cons: low quality dialogues with NPCs, and single combat music track

I tried this game a year ago, for whatever reason, I could not get into it, but I tried again. What is helping me is starting with the easy difficulty mode, just to mess around and learn the game. After getting slaughtered by wolves a few minutes ago (welcome back, lol) I switched to easy mode, got a chance to learn the menus, spells, and skills of my group that I had made a year ago, and I can tell that this is my type of game. Read the tutorial, use easy mode to start, and have fun! I plan on switching to normal difficulty soon. My only wish would be the ability to use a xbox controller, then this would be perfect, but hey, its just one guy, and what he as made is simply incredible.

This is a VERY early review, but I feel like I've played enough to have a gist of the standard gameplay loop. I grew up playing Might and Magic games, and have been starving for a similar gameplay experience since. They just don't make games like that anymore; and no, Legend of Grimrock style games do not count in the slightest.
So!
- It is very, very Might & Magic coded. That is a plus for me.
- It looks nice in some areas and lacks polish in others. Navigating menus and exploring modes (free look vs interacting) feels clunky. But! Things like spell effects look really nice.
- I agree with another reviewer who says "set it to easy mode". If you're looking for the hack-and-slash feel of Might & Magic, that's the way to go. Enemies won't be pushovers, but every fight won't be a high likelihood of death either.
- I like that mages get "skill spells" that don't cost mana, but have a cooldown. Gives them something to do when they use up all their mana.
- There are only 4 classes, which feels limiting. Each class can have its specialty though. The "Shaman" gets healing magic, but feels weird if you're going for more of a paladin vibe.
- Again, the polish is ROUGH. Towns feel lifeless. The text is so unbelievably out of place for a fantasy game. Spelling and grammar issues abound. Lots of AI-generated imagery and voiceover, which I'm fine with, but sometimes clashes with the style of the rest of the game. Lack of cohesion, as it were. The game has modern dark fantasy 3D graphics, but cutesy mobile game icons for inventory items.
- Humor is good. One item, "Beggar's Rags", has the description of "You don't want to be seen in this take this off". Made me chuckle.
- Rats will carry things like pants or maces. Where did they get those. Where were they keeping them. I guess they swallowed another adventurer, we'll go with that. Rats in M&M games carried gold, so nothing new, but still amusing.
- Without highlighting, it is impossible to see enemies in the wild. Realistic, because goblins and rats are going to blend into the woods, but a stark contrast from the bright and vibrant colors of M&M.
- The UI could use more buttons, instead of having to remember keybinds. A minimap would be dope too, but that might come with a skill. I know the compass requires pathfinding, so a minimap probably does too.
Overall, I recommend the game so far. It's clearly a work of passion by probably just one guy, and we are STARVING for Might & Magic similar content. So this gets a win in my book. The game length and amount of content will determine if it's worth the full $30, but based on the download size (15GB!), I imagine that promises a decent amount of content. We shall see.
Either way, excellent job, Dev! Get a team together and make more of this. Polish those rough spots and you've got a full winner on your hands.

How do rats drop full-sized armor?