1. Arkan01d

   9

   Your first time in AVWW is like playing a MMO for the first time except their is no n00b chat to lead you in the right direction. Sure there are signs in-game that tell you things you need to know, but the game is so foreign in design that the general hints will probably still have you scratching your head. It did for me anyways. I know what you're thinking, "So far this doesn't sound like a review worthy of 9/10.' Well my fellow gamer you are so wrong.
   
   To start off let me say that I am reviewing this game as of version 1.2. From what I can tell a lot has changed since it's initial release less than 3 months ago and I am glad I waited to purchase it. I won't go into the changes just how the game is now. The overall platforming has a retro feel, but still very fluid and easy to navigate. Your character responds to the slightest of key presses and can change direction in air. That is a good thing as you will find yourself jumping and dodging a lot.
   
   Combat is... very confusing at first. You have a spell bar 1-9 that constitutes all your attacks you can use. The 1 slot is bound to Mouse 1 and the 2 slot is Mouse 2. The other spells must be cast via the number bar. Mana is regenerated automatically and very quickly, however if you spam a spell or try to use a spell too powerful for your character you can find yourself in a tricky situation. Each and every spell has an elemental attribute which works well or not for certain monsters. The way you can tell what a monster's weakness and resistance is, is by pausing the game and mousing over the monster in question. The pause button is set by default to 'p' which I quickly moved to the 'f' key as I find myself pausing quite a lot. Not just to check monsters either, but also to change equipment and spells, all of which you can do while in combat.
   
   This game, as with all self-respecting games, feels that the player not only learns from wining, but also from dying. Death is a permanent situation in AVWW. You will find yourself picking new players and starting again. However death does not take away your inventory of spells or equipment, but you may run into your old ghosts along the way.
   
   You also control a settlement where you can build buildings that help you or your people, but only if you find the plans for a building in a mission. Which was a great frustration to me when I first started. I had began the game with the idea of a Platforming/RPG/Action/Adventure/City Builder/Crafting would be a lot like Minecraft and Terraria meets confusing graphics and some other new twists. I started the game and fought my way through the opening platforming/tutorial part and made it to my settlement. The message at the top of the screen said I wasn't producing enough food and my citizens were starving. "No problem," I thought, "I'll just build a farm..." No sir! As it turns out crafting is mainly for spells. With spells they tell you automatically what spells you can craft and how close you are to getting the materials for other spells. With building you first need to find the plans. You probably won't find plans for a farm in the first 5hrs of play. So what keeps your citizens from dying? Well, as it turns out they don't starve to death. Their hunger level only affects their mood and their mood affects how well they preform missions that you send them on and you can't really send them on missions until you train them and you really can't train them until you build a few building that specialize in their certain profession AND their professions affect which missions they will be willing to go on! If you understood that, then I think you will like this game. I just wish the game had laid it out like that. I had to search Google for 2 days before I found that piece of info. However, even though I was frustrated my settlers where going to dye from starvation I kept finding myself returning to play. Coming back for just a few missions. Just a little bit more play-time.
   
   You see, AVWW is all about sticking with it. I know that's been said in other reviews, but it's good advice and a mantra you should recite every so often. For me, I played the game for 30 minutes. Then an hour a while later. Next thing you know I'm at work wondering what I'm going to do in AVWW once I get home. This game will suck you in, but you have to give it time, don't force it. There is a lot going on, a lot to do, and no n00b chat to hand hold you to level 20.… Expand

   • Helpful? 4 of 5 users said Yes.
2. Siegfoult

   8

   This game has changed a lot since it was first released. The graphics are the only real drawback now. This is a fun game for people looking for metroidvania gameplay, lots of stuff to find, procedural worlds, and infinite play value, if you don't mind the repetition. And frankly, I find this game's repetition much more preferable than games where you have to fight the exact same fights over and over. But forget these reviews and just go try the demo.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
3. Shadexx7

   6

   A Valley Without Wind is a game you've really got to stick with. It has randomly-generated worlds, tons of monsters and spells, and it just seems like it'll be a fantastic game. Unfortunately, it just doesn't live up to what I expected it to be. The gameplay is deep, and you will notice how hours go by without even noticing them, but it just gets boring after a while, grinding to get the right materials. It doesn't always feel like a grind, but you can tell it's there. It's a mediocre game that could be greatly improved with a large patch later.… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 6 users said Yes.
4. DiscOH

   0

   The game promised customization and a game that adapts to your play style. Unfortunately, what the game actually delivers on is an endless cycle of exploring levels that differ only by changing the background and re-skinning mobs with identical AI. There are no customization choices, only recolors of spells that do essentially the same thing. There are no choices in character progression other than increasing your health or increasing your damage (losing all your health results in permanent death though, so this is really a non option). Its hard to put into words just how poorly this game was designed.
   
   A shining example of what not to do.… Expand

   • Helpful? 4 of 10 users said Yes.

See all 21 User Reviews