Aarklash: Legacy

1. Inq

   Sep 12, 2013

   9

   Okay, so, I just created an account to review this game (and I'm using Metacritic to check Game Scores for over a year now, so that shouldOkay, so, I just created an account to review this game (and I'm using Metacritic to check Game Scores for over a year now, so that should tell you something) and I just have to say, this is SO good.
   
   The combat is genuinely interesting and challenging (make sure you play on Hard or Impossible for full effect), the directional heals are a cool idea, as are most of the skills (except for a few generic ones, but can't have any RPG without a Direct Damage Melee Skill, right?).
   
   Basically you control a party of 4, 1 Tank, 1 "Healer" and 2 "DPS", notice I'm using Healer and DPS loosely here, because some DPS classes (you get more Characters later on) are better used CCing enemies or even healing as well. The Main Healer has kind of a blood mage thing going on where he can't heal without leeching the life of allies and the Tank uses HP for his abilities and these aren't all of the interesting mechanics.
   
   Anyway, this game has decent-enough graphics, decent-enough sound, a good story, questionable voiceover but incredible mechanics, for the price it's being sold it I can recommend it to everyone who likes gripping tactical combat that requires you to actually think for a change. Great stuff.… Expand

   • 15 of 16 users found this helpful
2. punishing

   Sep 19, 2013

   9

   Aarklash is a Tactical RPG/Puzzle adventure game that is very well done. Good atmospheric graphics, adequate sounds, and decent backgroundAarklash is a Tactical RPG/Puzzle adventure game that is very well done. Good atmospheric graphics, adequate sounds, and decent background melodies accompany you on your quest to...well, you'll have to play to figure that out.
   
   All lines are spoken, which is a both a valiant effort and a mixed bag in delivery. Some of the voice acting I found to be exciting and fantastic, some of it was just OK, and a few parts seemed a bit awkward. The story is good, but it's nothing new however it is delivered very well. I certainly wanted to know what was going to happen next even when I was pretty sure how the plot would turn out and I was pleased with how it was delivered.
   
   There are some puzzles that might make you pause to think, most can be completed with a little though or some trial and error. I never got stuck, but I was able to just run through all the puzzles mindlessly a good balance.
   
   The combat is the real hero of this game, and there's plenty of it. The tactical action is massively fun and the game play is exemplar. Customizing your character's skills for a tough battle or changing you party layout is elegant and fun. There are some challenging bosses where positioning, thinking out your strategy and making good decisions are required to succeed. Just using the same 1 skill per character or trying to rush through with auto attacks will not give you success, particularly if played on a challenging mode (I recommend setting the game to Hard for anyone who has played a tactical RPG before).
   
   The game has a good length, I felt it was just right. It's not epic, I didn't get bored playing at any point. A developer could have taken this style, put in hours of filler and missed the mark, or they could have made it too short making me want much more. For the budget price, I found the value to be massively worth the money I spent.
   
   What could be better? More itemization, additional skills, more quests, more characters, a sequel, sure. But what you get is more than enough to have a fantastic experience. That's the mark of a great game, it gives you a great time and makes you want more, more, more. I really hope their is additional content or a sequel in the works.
   
   I recommend this game. 9/10.… Expand

   • 2 of 2 users found this helpful
4. Tjuhl

   Sep 24, 2013

   9

   Indie priced tactical RPG at AAA art and animation quality. Best squad management game I've played in a while. Ability choices matter duringIndie priced tactical RPG at AAA art and animation quality. Best squad management game I've played in a while. Ability choices matter during combat, it's very tactical, including unit positioning.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
5. Militis

   Sep 12, 2013

   9

   Aarklash: Legacy has, quite possibly, one of the most cohesive, addicting combat systems I've experienced in a strategy RPG in years. RealAarklash: Legacy has, quite possibly, one of the most cohesive, addicting combat systems I've experienced in a strategy RPG in years. Real time combat with a pause at any point to micromanage your Quorr of Wheel Swords (team of mercenaries)? Yes, please. Add a fun setting, interesting story, and interesting customization options and you've got a great strategy RPG experience everyone should give a go and for a budget price, it's a hard one to pass up! The voice acting is a little hit-or-miss, but the gameplay is top notch.… Expand

   • 5 of 6 users found this helpful
6. hellostanley

   Sep 15, 2013

   8

   Aarklash: Legacy does one thing wonderfully right. Combat. Crank up the difficulty, and every encounter requires proper management of yourAarklash: Legacy does one thing wonderfully right. Combat. Crank up the difficulty, and every encounter requires proper management of your group of four to succeed and enemy abilities require you to actually pay attention.
   
   Combat is designed so that you can (and must) pause regularly to give orders to the group. This is similar to the original Dragon Age, and--though it sounds strange if you've never done it--it can be as much fun (or more) than real time combat.
   
   To keep things interesting, you can alter the members and skill trees of your group at any time. Characters have a limited set of spells, but you're expected to use most of them on a regular basis (and the game doesn't give you much time to learn them on the harder modes). Skill trees drastically alter the skills, and since those skill trees can be reset at will, there's ample opportunity to tweak the group for every fight and to experiment.
   
   Art style is similar to Torchlight 2 and Diablo 3; character movement is performed in a similar manner (point and click).
   
   The game does have flaws. A crash rendered my quicksave unusable. Fortunately an autosave allowed me to at least start at the beginning of the area.
   
   The game's graphics are fine (for the art style), but they appear to need optimization. The game (on a static pause screen, no less) spikes my video card temperature worse than any game I've played on this machine, games with much more action, larger maps, and far better graphics. For this style of game, I can live with turning down my settings, but I shouldn't need to.
   
   The voice acting is mostly good, although the editing could use some work (e.g. gaps in conversation that make it obvious the lines were pieced together).
   
   I've found a variety of little user interface bugs/behaviors, but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a patch (or even better help text in a few places).
   
   In brief, this is a game that deserves attention. It definitely has niche appeal, but you might be surprised to find yourself part of that niche.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. Sjago

   Sep 12, 2013

   8

   Aarklash Legacy is probably the most challenging game ive played in a while, even on normal difficulty it takes a while to figure out theAarklash Legacy is probably the most challenging game ive played in a while, even on normal difficulty it takes a while to figure out the attack patterns of enemys, plan a strategy and a good portion of calmness, because otherwise you'd die pretty quickly.
   
   I dont have the time for a full review so ill just do a quickie.
   
   Pros:
   Price
   Great, challenging combat system
   Interesting skills
   Random loot
   
   Okays:
   Gfx
   Story
   
   Negs:
   Level design
   Voiceovers… Expand

   • 8 of 8 users found this helpful
8. Dcruize

   Nov 3, 2014

   1

   About as fun as League of Legends, ie not very. Highly repetitive combat without the engagement of the Dragon Age titles with the worstAbout as fun as League of Legends, ie not very. Highly repetitive combat without the engagement of the Dragon Age titles with the worst inventory concept ever.… Expand

   • 0 of 7 users found this helpful

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