Vambrace: Cold Soul

i played while not having experienced darkest dungeons.
i read there were lot of issues when the game first launched, but as i played this on august 2024, no particular balance or RNG issues (game was a bit on the easy side, i played on normal).
i had fun playing this, really liked that the devs put extra arts to go with the different costumes (the columbo and sailor moon were funny).

A decent RPG with very slight roguelike elements. The story and world building is interesting. I really enjoyed it, but I can't recommend it without some caveats. There's just not enough room for experimentation with team bulding with being forced to bring along the main character in every run and not having space for extra units. I mostly only played the same team composition during my playthroughs. Event variety in runs is also a bit lacking and gets repetitive. Other than that, I enjoyed the game fine, it's a fun adventure, but it could have used some extra juice in the form of DLC or an expansion that added content, or a new game plus mode so you could make the main character super OP for fun. There's really no point in putting points in anything other than damage at first, since the other relevant stats can get taken care of by team members.
I love the art style, and I'm thrilled the game is being followed up on with a sequel of sorts, even if tower defense is not really my cup of tea, I'm interested because I enjoyed this game enough.

Lovely 2D dungeon crawler with light survival elements. The strongest aspects of the game are its visuals, atmosphere and worldbuilding. The artstyle is fantastic, everything looks gorgeous and detailed, and most characters (from playable to NPCs and enemies) are beautifully designed. The writing is good, and even if the overall story is not something super special or unique, it's still above average because the dialogue is well written. What really kept me engaged though, were the tons of interesting characters that appear throughout the story. The effort put into the lore of the game's world is also very impressive. Sometimes you'll have to make decisions that will actually affect some of the characters storylines, unique items you unlock and the ending you get.
The game absolutely does not deserve the current "mixed" review score. I see a lot of players giving it a negative review just because, in their opinion, this is not as good as other games from the same genre, which I don't think is fair at all. This game might not be the best of its kind, but it's still a good game, with a lot of love put into it.

Decent enough game. They did really good for the art, characters and the atmosphere. Gameplay wasn't amazing or awful, just functional. The story as well was kinda meh but the lore building was pretty interesting.

This is one of those games that's not amazing but does the job well enough to be worth the time, especially considering the deep discount when it's on sale.
The gameplay is a position-based turn-based RPG with a story that you progress by talking to NPCs and beating stages. The lore is pretty cool, the artwork is fantastic, and the overall aesthetic is very good. There's 3 endings influenced by the choices you make at a few key points. There's a selection of characters with different abilities for each class so you can customize your team to your liking.
Most of the negatives are QOL things. Some complain about character balance but i would argue that every character being interchangeable would just be boring. Min-maxing is boring. I play the Hedge Mage and had no problem beating the game. The QOL things for me were just not knowing what the status effects are actually doing, how to cure them, and figuring out what each character's abilities actually do without going to their character sheet all the time.
Positives are most definitely the artwork. It's absolutely beautiful. I also love the overall aesthetic, the lore, and the main story. I find it very interesting and there's a lot to read in the in-game codex.
The combat is a bit mid for me; not bad but also not great. My biggest problem with the combat is there just isn't a lot of variety to each battle. It can be a bit frustrating at times when you get too many debuffs on your team or keep getting critical fails. But it's good enough overall.
The absolute biggest disappointment with this game is that they didn't make a proper sequel. There's a new game in the same universe but it's a completely different genre of game. This game deserves a true sequel since there's tons of player feedback for them.
The TLDR is maybe a 6/10, just above average and carried by the artwork.

This game is a recommend from me, but the reviews are mixed for a reason.
Tutorials are lacking, with many features and parts of GUI simply not explained. Worst of all, after finishing the first act (mostly story), you're introduced to combat and exploration, which is extremely unforgiving. Succeeding requires careful and specific planning and strategy.
However, if you can get past the initial challenge, work out how to build a party, equip them, and stock appropriately, this game is some of the most fun I've ever had in a dungeon crawler. The art is amazing, the characters are all interesting and well-played, the story is riveting, and world-building intriguing. And to top it off, the gameplay actually strikes a fun level of challenge once you wrap your head around it.
Would recommend planning ahead, and consulting online guides or the creators' discord if the initial difficulty is too steep. Speaking of difficulty, it's kinda weird how there's two difficulties, and neither of them is more difficult than the other, and they instead just shuffle stats around.
The game has 3 endings with decent replayability and collectable goodies. Dunno how long my first run took because I played this when it was still on xbox gamepass.
Absolutely love this game, but be aware what you're getting into.

I first have to come out and say I really like this game. It was enjoyable from the beginning until the end. The art and the character design is beautiful. The music always enhances the atmosphere. Playing through Vambrace I came to like every character. They are unique and multifaceted. Everyone with the own backstory, that the game doesn't force onto you and often even doesn't explain, but you get a feel for these backstories just by talking to these people and learning about their cultures, views and motivations.
But it doesn't end with art, music and characters. The gameplay is awesome too. Making your way through the dungeons with fights, traps and different events is a lot of fun. There is also a risk and reward system. You can try to go through more rooms in a dungeon than necessary to get more loot, but at some point stronger enemies will appear.
The combat is turn-based strategy. The order of your team and with that the placement of your teammates will decide who can attack which enemy and logically the other way around. With the different mercenaries that can be recruited and their respective classes and skills, the gameplay and your choice of team composition receives a lot of depth. And you will need a good plan for a lot of the fights, especially for the boss fights.
Everyone can be equipped with a relic. There are relics for every class, some class specific and some only for the main character. The relics, like the healing items, can be crafted and bought.
Another important detail in choosing your team composition are the stats of every character. These stats give you bonuses while exploring a dungeon. Some are important for loot or finding traps. Others give you more items at a merchant or help you recover while camping. This adds another layer to your strategy.
Last but certainly not least I have to talk about the story. I'll try not to spoiler anything specific. In the beginning you constantly add new questions in your mind. Thanks to that not only is the main character seeking answers, but also you will. You'll have to make difficult decisions in the course of the game with lasting consequences. There exist 3 different endings regarding the choices you made. Sprinkle in some twist and turns and the aforementioned great characters, and you got yourself an exciting and memorable tale. The story in Vambrace: Cold Soul is a finished piece. But there is still room for a sequel that I hope will be developed someday.
Conclusion:
Every second with this game was well spent. I can wholeheartedly recommend this game to you, if anything on this steam page or in my review piqued your interest. I will definitely play through the game two more times to see the different outcomes of the choices and endings.