The level design, enemy placement, and especially the puzzles are all, by and large, wonderfully crafted. There are a few instances where the "traps" seem more unfair than clever, but that hardly tarnishes what is otherwise a terrific experience. You'll be hard-pressed to find a modern game like Legend of Grimrock any time soon, but with a game of this quality, you won't need one.
Great game that looks and plays a whole lot like the good old Dungeon Master. It features a skill system instead of the learn by use method in the original game which is a little different but still work fine. You also need ingredients now to create potions rather than just a spell filling a vial which limits the use of potions. Other than that most mechanics work just like in Dungeon Master which means lots of puzzles that require thinking, observation and timing, lots of tunnels to explore and secrets to find and figuring out different ways to deal with monsters. If you loved Dungeon Master 25 years ago then Legend of Grimrock will get you hooked once again, no question about that. Also available DRM free for both PC and Mac!
And taking into account that dungeon-crawlers were considered dead and buried, Legend of Grimrock does a very good job of reminding new RPG players why the genre was so popular in the Golden Age.
In a way, The Legend of Grimrock is a lot like Dark Souls. The game rewards calculated, meticulous play and any severe injuries or deaths are likely a result of not taking in your surroundings. There are a lot of ways to die in Grimrock and if you're not paying attention, taking the time to search out better gear and learn to craft potions, you're going to have a difficult time with it. However, there's a great feeling of accomplishment as you traverse each floor, defeating powerful monsters and figuring out puzzle solutions on your own.
Legend of Grimrock hits the nail on the head: the old-school alchemy of Dungeon Crawling works perfectly right from the start. The gameplay, atmosphere, and puzzle quality could even go beyond the simple nostalgia-induced pleasure, but it's still a niche product, so be advised.
For every puzzle that rewards experimentation and inventive thinking, there are a handful where you're supposed to find a button blending into a random panel of the dungeon's wall.
I had played this game for a bit in the past, less then a few minutes because I could never figure out how combat worked and would always get killed off from the snail. Then the other night I started it up again and tried playing once more not expecting to get far or play to long. However I found myself playing for over an hour and was able to figure out what I couldn't before, so here is my review on a very awesome game.
The Legend of Grimrock, a game I bought on Steam a couple years ago during the 2012 summer sale event made by Almost Human ****].
The game is an old school RPG that is not turn based but live action. In other words you are able to move, cast spells, select items from your inventory and rest without waiting for creatures to take their turn. As your trying to get your spell cast or looking for a throwing item in your inventory the creature will be attacking you and won't sit there and wait till your done.
I really found this game to have that pen and paper D&D feel to it and I like the idea of selecting the option to not have the game do the mapping as I explore and then I can map it out with graph paper and a pencil (I didn't do this of course).
The character creation screen is very simple with 4 races and 3 classes to choose from. The inventory and character screen isn't complex or confusing but very intuitive and easy to figure out and understand.
The spell's though are based on symbols and you have to select the right symbols or combination of to cast the spell. I found that you couldn't get the spell unless you found the scroll for the right spell but this could have been because I wasn't selecting the right symbol until I found the scroll.
When venturing through the dungeon your characters will get hungry and there will be a symbol of food in there avatar picture indicating they need to eat. When you kill of creatures they will sometimes leave a meat chunk behind and you will want to get these to eat along with any food things you find along the way.
During combat along the way some of your party member may die, take heart because they are not gone for good. You will be able to access their inventory while dead to. There will be these big blue floating crystals that when touched will restore your party to full health and energy and raid the dead. Remember where these ones are. Once they are used you will have to wait for a bit till it can be clicked on again.
Now as for combat, where I originally had most of my troubles. To attack all you need simply do is right click on your hand under your avatar (wither their is a weapon in it or not). If your a spell caster you will want to keep at least one hand empty for right clicking to bring up the symbol window for spell casting.
When you left click on a throwing weapon it will be attached to your mouse cursor and if you click with it again with your mouse pointer above the midline of the screen (the top half of the window) then it will be thrown. If you click below the midline (bottom half of the screen) then it get dropped on the floor.
This is a keyboard and mouse type game and no controller support.
Now that I have been able to find out something about the game and how combat works, along with the abilities to make your own dungeon's and storyline and the Steam Workshop to try some community based dungeons, The Legend of Grimrock is one game to have in your collection. Its worth a play!
Unlike any other game i've played. A grid based real-time dungeon crawler. Set levels and item locations means that there's no randomness to this experience which is a welcome sight. You control 4 prisoners which you can customize thoroughly from their race, to their class and skills. The game isn't hard to get to understand but may take quite some time to master. You won't be able to level up fully by the end so you'll have to spend points wisely and there's no economy so hoarding loot isn't viable and managing your inventory is a significant part of the game. The story, though not a big part of the game, is interesting at first and you find haunting letters along your journey that tell the tale of a prisoner that came before you. This all builds up to the ending which I unfortunately found to be a big let down. I was really interested in finding out what happens at the end but the final boss and big payoff was ultimately disappointing in my opinion. Other than that the game is well made and is an enjoyable experience. There are issues here or there but nothing major.
Even over a year later after I got it, I still find this game extremely fun and challenging. It's a very unique experience for me as there's no other game I've played like it. There are dozens upon dozens of secrets hidden among the walls of Grimrock, some in which are extremely rewarding. Although the game can be very unforgiving, you can save at any time. Being able to spot a hidden button on a nearby wall, and be rewarded with good equipment is very satisfying. My biggest gripe with this game is how frustrating the dice roll system can be, kinda like in Pokemon where you miss your attack 10 times in a row.
There's a sequel in the works, so pick this up sometime so you can look forward to it like me!
I really wanted to give this game a shot. I managed to beat a few levels, and then I realized this game didn't really give me any satisfaction. It's basically a tedious venture through a linear dungeon filled with uninteresting monsters, mediocre puzzles and no backstory. Don't get me wrong now, I really love a good dungeon crawler. Sevral months back I finished M&MX which I found incredibly addicting, but here... The small things I found annoying the most. Things like real-time combat which was made to be turn-based. Like potion making - very unintuitive. Like using spells, where you have to create a rune combo each time you want to cast a damn fireball. All-in-all, it turned out to be a game for a real die-hard Eye of the Beholder, Black Crypt and Lands of Lore fans.
I had quite high expectations from this game. Wich turned out to be a fault. It isn't really bad game, but it also isn't exactly what I thought it would be. Many of the old school dungeon crawlers had quite a story attached to them. Not this game though. The atmosphere is there. To some extent. The old school feeling too. The difficulty curve is too steep for my taste. Something feels a bit off about this game too, not sure if it is the characters or the general style of graphics. The game kept me entertained for about 6 or seven hours after which I concluded that this isn't exactly my cup of tea. However I do applaud to making old-school styled games in the modern setting. The new games can learn a lot in the history of gaming industry. Thumbs up for the overall concept.
SummaryLegend of Grimrock is a dungeon crawling game inspired by oldschool classics of the genre while still bringing its own twists to the game. The game features survival, combat, magic, puzzles and role-playing elements. The player is a prisoner sentenced to death and exiled to the secluded Mount Grimrock for vile crimes he may or may not ha...