Disclaimer
I was sent a free copy of Deified to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
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Table of Contents
What is Deified?
Deified is a unique strategy roguelike where you search for powerful relics to defeat your enemies. The game game is available on Steam, and you can get the version with the artbook if you like the art. Spoilers, you probably will.
Hook
The Gold of Rhine has been taken from your people and used to build powerful relics. Seven lords now hoard your people’s treasure, and it is up to you to get it back. Use the random powers and curses granted to you at the start of each run to defeat anyone that stands in your way. Will fortune favor your bravery, or will you end up another fallen solder in this dark tragedy?
Gameplay
The game starts with a very detailed tutorial before throwing players into its roguelike. Between deaths, players will be taken to a hub where they can use currency to buy upgrades, or learn about the different relics they encounter along the way. Good players will probably use this time to properly plan their next run, but I am pretty sure I did it wrong. I like building what I think is fun, and it was, but I’m not getting any records anytime soon.
Loot
Once players start a run, they get to choose from a random selection of relics. Each relic has a different ability whether it be an attach (ranged or melee), or a utility. These relics are purchased with gold picked up throughout the run, and can stack to create more powerful artifacts. Players only have limited slots for what they can carry, and each additional slot will come with its own set of rules. These slots can give additional powers, like giving the slotted relic poison damage. These slots will have a curse as well, like you can only slot a rare relic in this slot. You get to choose from a random selection of slots rules each time you level up, so choose wisely. I also go for the full condition builds, even when they don’t make sense.
The Roguelike
During a run, players can choose between the type of reward they want. This can be gold to spend on relics during a run, additional XP to level up faster, random events that will grant special upgrades, or places where you can heal. Players choose from a selection of encounters until they reach the Leader where they will get some story and a hard battle. You will die a lot, but the grind isn’t that bad when you’re having this much fun.
Combat
Combat in this game is a pretty casual turn-based system that still demands your respect. You can undo your actions to a certain point, but you still have to pay enough attention or you lose the encounter. The only real limit in the action economy is movement. You can only move a certain number of squares, but all of the relics can be activated once. Since most combat is the hero vs all of the minions, it makes combat that makes the player feel powerful while still requiring strategy to progress efficiently. What makes combat unique is that you can use traps to and a few other random variables to defeat enemies. I had a build where I would teleport to a random spot between each activation and it made combat very memorable.
Review
Deified is easily one of my favorite strategy games I’ve ever played. I don’t like it as much as I did Warcraft III, but that love is dripping in nostalgia and there’s no beating nostalgia. I am not good at playing strategy games, but it didn’t matter for Deified. This game looks really good, it plays fantastic, and it is honestly going to live on all the devices I can play it on. Times are tough, and money is getting tighter, but if you have the $15 to buy a game that will get you through the next time you can spend money, Deified is a fantastic contender. This game should be in everyone’s library.
Aesthetic
I will admit that a lot of the games I choose are because of how they look. While I am a little burnt out on roguelikes, because it feels like everyone is making one now, I liked the art enough to give it a try. I am glad I did because I like the game, but the art is still a god part of that. I like the comic book style cutscenes, the color choices, the high contrast, and the character design is cool. The relics are all unique and have a good amount of flavor baked into them. I wish the music was better and some of the letters were bigger, but I am an old man and I listen to podcasts while I game anyway. Luckily, the game is good enough to try at least once, especially as a game you pick up when you don’t want a huge commitment.
Gameplay
The gameplay is fun, but I enjoyed that it was a bit more on the casual side. Don’t get me wrong, the game has a grind. The more you play the game, the more you will have to grind to buy upgrades and make meaningful progress. After a while, the game does start to feel repetitive. I didn’t get very far because I am not good at these kinds of games (especially when only chase dumb, fun builds), but a lot of the combat starts to feel the same after a while. Even when the maps were different and my build was unique, it felt like I was doing the same thing. Maybe that’s why I am not good at this game, but better players will probably find an easier and more repetitive time with the game unless the game gets some necessary tweaks.
As the crazy person I am, I enjoy the repetition. I find it relaxing, but this game isn’t for the minmaxing strategy genius looking for a challenge. If you play this game enough, you will eventually earn enough permanent buffs to be nearly unstopable, and that can be a problem. As the filthy casual that I am, I enjoyed feeling powerful, especially when I found a dumb build that worked.
Conclusion
I think Deified is a fantastic game for those looking for a chill grind with some solid story baked into it. If you don’t mind a grind, even an easy one, then the game should be in your library. It will get repetitive the more you play, but its only $15. You’ll get at least that much fun out of it. The game does need some tweaks, especially if it wants to carve a permanent spot in its niche, but it is in a good enough place where everyone should try it at least once.
You can pick up Deified on Steam.