Tag Archives: fantasy

Board Games and TCGs

The Pathfinder Monster Core Book is Invaluable for any GM

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I was sent a free copy of the Pathfinder Monster Core Book to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions of the game. This will be my honest review.

What is the Monster Core Book?

The Monster Core Book is a valuable resource for GMs searching for ways to spice up their next campaign. It features over 300 pages of monsters, creatures, and rules for those tired of the monsters that come with the Game Master’s Core. There is also a handy glossary of skills and abilities for those who want to homebrew their monsters. It’s going to be impossible to own this book and not use it.

Review

Like most TTRPG resource books of this nature, the Monster Core Book is optional. While it is hard to dispute its usefulness, all you need to run a successful Pathfinder campaign is dice, the rules, and an imagination. Some will argue that a real Game Master can create the perfect encounter from thin air at will, but I argue that it is always nice to have access to a concrete set of rules. I like that I can flip through the book, pick a few interesting monsters, and be ready for a session at a moment’s notice.

While having access to a ton of useful stat blocks, the book is full of lore and tips to use in your campaign. Struggling to fill your world? Look through the different races and build off the blurbs so generously provided. I loved flipping through the book and reading about all the creatures that could potentially fill my world, and I even got a few ideas on how to use them. You can always flavor the monsters to fit your campaign, but their lore is always there for when you need it.

What I love most about Pathfinder is how thorough it gets. You can always pick and choose how technical a campaign you want to run is, but the books are pretty thorough in explaining its many mechanics. I don’t use everything that is in these books, but I will be using the rules for making elite monsters.

My absolute favorite part of this book is the art. This is such a pretty book with a fantastic art style. If you like fantasy, Pathfinder is an interesting TTRPG with a lot of fantastic flavor. If you’re already playing Pathfinder, the Monster Core is a great addition to your collection.

For newer GMs, I would start with just the GM Core until you get your grove. While the Monster Manuel is useful, it isn’t necessary for those first couple of sessions. Eventually, you’re going to want to get yourself a copy of the Monster Core because of its undeniable utility. However you want to spend your money, you can’t go wrong with getting yourself a copy of the Monster core.

You can pick up the hardcover version of the Monster Core on Amazon for $59.99 (Currently $46.67) with my affiliate link, or the PDF on the official Paizo website if you don’t care about physical media.

Other TCGs

Genesis: Battle of Chapions: Path of Fire Visual Deck List

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With the release of Invasion, Edge of Exile also released five new starter decks. These starter decks feature a sleek and modern new design as well as some reprints. I’ll be posting decklists soon, starting with the Playing with Fire Purple deck. This is probably my favorite deck because of its theme. I am still working on getting the modern versions of the list, but I think it’s cool to see some of the older cards mixed in. Most of the cards feature the same art except for Death’s Companion.

If you want to learn about Genesis: Battle of Champions, head on over to the official website.

Full disclosure: I was sent these decks for free, full review is coming soon.

Champion

Harlequin

Deck

Blood Feast
Blood Speer
Dhuma Ejitr
Fire Break
Flame Jet
Inferno Crawler
Oten
Blood Rakshasa
Deaths Companion
Emergent Worm
Fire Pillar
Inferno Ghoul
Lambs for the Slaughter
Scavange Parts

Subconscious

Pox Spreader

Deck List

Champion
1 x Harlequin

Deck

  • 3 x Blood Feast
  • 4 x Blood Rakshasa
  • 3 x Blood Spear
  • 3 x Death’s Companion
  • 4 x Dhuma Ejitr
  • 4 x Emergent Worm
  • 5 x Fire Break
  • 4 x Fire Pillar
  • 5 x Flame Jet
  • 4 x Inferno Ghoul
  • 2 x Inferno Crawler
  • 4 x lambs for the Slaughter
  • 3 x Oten
  • 2 x Scavenge Parts

Subconscious

3x Pox Spreader

Board Games and TCGs

Vaesen is the Prettiest Mystery TTRPG You Need at Your Table

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I was sent a free copy of the Veasen core rulebook 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.

What is Vaesen?

Long ago, Vaesen and man lived side by side in harmony. Vaesen are powerful creatures with the power to control the world around it. Man would make offerings to the Vaesen in exchange for their powers. The Vaesen would make it rain, fill the forests with game, and anything else supernatural. As the industrial age dawned on Sweden, people began their migration to the big cities. Soon, there was no need for the Vaesen’s power and they slowly faded into fairy tales. Most lost their ability to see Vaesen.

Man may have lost their ability to see Vaesen, but the creatures live on in their separate world alongside man. The Vaesen keep to themselves for the most part. Occasionally, however, man’s impact on the planet goes too far and sends the Vaesen into a terrorizing rage. Stories circulate of castles haunted by terrifying ghosts, of witches that snatch up children in the middle of the night, or of trolls terrorizing villages. The people have learned to cope with the unexplainable, and most have forgotten about the Vaesen.

But not all is lost. The society was formed to keep man safe from rampaging Vaesen. The society is a secret organization made up of the few people left in this world with the ability to see Vaesen. People gain this ability by experiencing some kind of supernatural trauma. While these folks may not be the most stable, they are humanity’s only hope.

Gather your friends as you investigate the supernatural in this dark and edgy tabletop roleplaying game. Can you bring peace to the Vaesen before it is too late?

The book

The Veasen core rulebook is the prettiest RPG book you’re ever going to own. The cover and pages are textured to feel like an old book. The formatting is easy to read and search through. The illustrations in this book are breathtaking. The art style is amazing and the use of color is astounding. I’ve read this book as a PDF, but nothing beats flipping through its pages. This is a very high-quality book and one that elevates the look and feel of any bookcase and table.

Gameplay


Vaesen is a D6 system that is easy to learn. Players will spend their sessions investigating mysteries and trying to bring peace to a raging Vaesen. This doesn’t have to mean combat. Vaesen seems to be a more roleplay-heavy system due to how investigations work, but you can always adjust the rules to fit the needs of your table. If you would like to learn how to play Vaesen before picking up the game, AlchemyRPG has a solid tutorial series. They also have a very good official module for their VTT. If you’re planning to run Vaesen online and don’t mind doing it through theater of the mind, AlchemyRPG might be the solution you’re looking for. I am not affiliated with the company, I just like the module.

Impressions

Veasen is a terrific RPG that deserves some attention. The system is unique and easy to learn, and the book is full of fantastic lore and flavor. The rulebook contains everything Gamemaster’s need to run a successful mystery, and there is even a prewritten module for those who need it. I felt like the system is better when players can get into character, struggle with their flaws, and roleplay through the investigation. While I am sure you can make the adjustments to focus on the needs of your table, the game is meant to be a monster of the week mystery-type game. I do like that there is a combat and skill system because things are better with RNG. Besides, it doesn’t matter what type of game you want to run, you’re players are always going to want to hit things.

The game has a tremendous amount of flavor. Even if you don’t end up playing a game of Vaesen, it’s going to be hard not to, you’re going to enjoy reading through the monster profiles. The lore is so good, and it reads like a fairy tale. The classes are all unique, but I like that they aren’t restricting. Classes feel like they are suggestions for roleplay because players have the freedom to play the character how they want. I like that the book gives a good amount of ideas for all sorts of creation for those who need it. The book ends with a well-written first mystery, making the core rulebook an invaluable resource for both players and gamemasters looking into running the game.

If you enjoy murder mystery roleplay, dig the 20’s aesthetic, or want something new to run at your table, check out Veasen. It is a beautiful book with some amazing lore that belongs on a lot more tables.

You can pick up the Vaesen rulebook in Hardcover on Amazon for $49.99 (Currently $40.79) through my affiliate link. If you don’t care about physical media, you can grab the PDF over on DriveThruRPG for $24.99.

video game reviews

Terra Alia: A Multilingual Adventure VR Just Got Updated. Is it Better?

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I was sent a free copy of Terra Alia: A Multilingual Adventure VR to review for my blog. You can read the original review here. I was asked to revisit the title and reevaluate my initial review based on recent improvements and a new online multiplayer game mode. As always, while I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will remain unbiased.

If you’re looking for accessories for your VR headset, like magnetic prescription lenses or a high-quality charging cable, get it at ZyberVR. Use discount code CHURAPE for 15% off. You can also always buy me coffee. 

What is Terra Alia?


Terra Alia is a VR RPG that attempts to teach its players a new language. Magic and technology in Terra Alia are powered by words and phrases in another language, and it is up to the players to explore the world and learn them. The game accomplishes this through its minigames and puzzles. Players must speak the words to learn them and eventually cast them as spells. There are also word-matching puzzles that help players practice and associate the new words and phrases they learn. The power is out there, it’s up to you to find and harness it.

What’s new?

The most important change this time around has to be the performance. While the game ran fine when I first picked it up, there has been a noticeable improvement. Combat and movement feel smoother, and the voice recognition is better. It wasn’t unplayable before, but there were some challenges I couldn’t complete because the game didn’t understand me. It is cool to see that the team is hard at work trying to make their game better.

There are also three new locations to explore, with new quests to complete. The new locations are neat, and they come with some noticeable improvements to visuals and animations.

The biggest change is the inclusion of the online multiplayer game mode. This is a four-player game mode (2v2) where players race to be the first team to fill their vocabulary meter. There are holograms scattered across the field that players must find and correctly name. The mode is available in ten languages, and a creative way to think about multiplayer.

Impressions

I have to commend the team for working so hard to make this game work. You can see the passion behind the project with each update. This time around, the experience was a lot smoother and the game looked better. That said, the game is still hard to recommend.

As a tool to learn a new language, it works fine. Exploring the world to pick up new words to cast magic is a cool idea, and the mini-games make for good practice. It is a very creative approach to learning language, but one that can grow stale. The leveling felt less of a grind, but the grind still feels repetitive. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it makes this one of those games I can’t play for too long without losing interest.

The story is fine. It isn’t anything genre-defining, but it was good enough to hold my attention. The flavor of the world, especially for the new locations is neat and and helped keep my attention longer.

I have no interest in the Multiplayer mode, not that I could find the game. It is a neat concept, but I can see it losing its luster after a couple of games. It could be fun with a good group of friends, but I didn’t like the little I got to play enough to try. This is just personal preference.

So is this game worth it with its new update? It depends. Terra Alia is a very mid-RPG with an interesting gimmick. If you like the gimmick and want to pick up a few words in a new language, you’ll get your

$20 worth of entertainment. If you’re looking for a new game for your kids, this is an inoffensive one that teaches them a new language without being boring. If none of these apply to you, I’d move on. The gimmick isn’t strong enough to make the game a good RPG, but the gimmick is valuable for those who want to learn a new language. This game won’t make you fluent, but you’ll have some fun learning a new way to say hello.

You can pick up Terra Alia: A Multilingual Adventure for the Meta Quest for $19.99 (currently $10.99 until August 23, 2024).

video game reviews

Lost Castle 2: The Cute Roguelite You’ll Play With Your Friends!

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I was sent a free copy of Lost Castle 2 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.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Lost Castle 2?

Choose your class and make your way through the most adorable dungeons in search of treasure, money, and fame. Brave these procedurally generated dungeons on your friends online. What hilarious stories will you share around the campfire?

Gameplay

Players choose their class at the start of each run. These classes can be swapped freely at the blacksmith or through random weapon drops during a run. Players can choose between a melee, magic, or ranged class. Each class is unique, but I preferred the magic class for my play style.

Like most roguelikes, players will receive random upgrades and skills throughout their run. There are random shops within the dungeons that also sell player items. These upgrades are all RNG-reliant, which means luck can ruin a run. I thought RNG was fair for the most part.

Players will then move through the dungeon, clearing each room of its monsters. Enemies increase in difficulty with each room, but a player’s power level also increases. Players can choose the types of encounters after each room. They can fight regular monsters or elite monsters, rest and refill their positions, buy items from a shop, and eventually fight the area boss. These choices are mostly randomized. Make sure you plan your route wisely.

In between runs, players can buy permanent upgrades in town. They can level up facilities and give their character some valuable buffs for their future runs. While I am sure there is an optimal build path, I always went with what fit my playstyle the best.

If you have friends or want to make new ones, Lost Castle 2 has a built-in matchmaking system. I liked playing alone, but I can see this game being a lot of fun with other people. It definitely has a party game vibe similar to Castle Crashers.

Review

Lost Castle is incredibly cute, but that shouldn’t distract from its issues. The gameplay, while fun and engaging, can grow repetitive and stale if you let it. Multiplayer is what will extend the game’s shelf life, but you’ll at least get your money’s worth if you decide to go solo. The wacky quirky gameplay gives this game its charm, but it would be a lot better with friends. I definitely wish there was an opportunity for couch co-op.

If you’re looking for a fun party game you can only play online, this might be a solid solution. This is a cute game with a charming little loop, but one that won’t stay in your rotation for too long unless you can find a group of friends that can make the grind worth it. The grind isn’t terrible, but it gets repetitive. I enjoyed the repetition, but I also understand the value of a good friend group.

The game is in early access. While I thought the game was fine, I am sure there will be some valuable improvements on the horizon. Buy at your discretion. You can pick up Lost Castle 2 on Steam for $14.99.

video game reviews

Veritus is the Adorable Retro RPG You Need to Be Playing

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I was sent a free copy of Veritus 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.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Veritus?

Veritus is an adorable 2D retro RPG out now on Steam.

You are a miner asked to explore the mysterious temple of the god of shadows. This won’t be an easy task. Dangerous monsters lurk its halls, dark secrets hide in its shadows, and locked away somewhere deep inside, there is treasure to be had. Explore the temple, fight off its monsters, solve its many puzzles, and try to make it out alive. What secrets will you uncover? Do you have what it takes to conquer the god of shadow’s dungeon?

Gameplay

Fans of old-school hack-n-slash RPGs need to buy this game. Combat feels like a simple button mash, but there is a neat crafting system to keep things interesting. Boss fights are creative, manageable, and fun. Puzzles in this game are incredibly satisfying. They were hard enough to keep things engaging, but never so hard that I needed to look up the solution. Exploration can feel tedious, but the grind isn’t as soul-crushing as it could be. Overall, it is a solid RPG for those looking for something with a cool retro vibe.

Review

If you are a fan of old-school Zelda, this game should be in your collection. Veritus has a decent story, beautiful pixel art, and a fun gameplay loop. I loved it for its much-needed change of pace, and I appreciate it for its creativity. I love how they handled cutscenes, and won’t mind sitting through them again. Combat is fun, puzzles feel good, and the boss fights are creative.

That said, the game isn’t perfect. Exploration can feel tedious, especially when you have to move between checkpoints after dying. The simple dungeon and combat design can make the game feel monotonous. Most importantly, despite its modern mechanics and pacing, the game does feel old. As someone who loves the old-school hack-n-slash genre, I found the repetition soothing and the combat relaxing. These complaints aren’t dealbreakers, but it is something to consider before taking your dive.

If you’re looking for a casual new game with a lot of charm and some solid gameplay, I recommend you pick up Veritus. The game is cute, fun, and only $7. Pick up your copy on Steam today!

video game reviews

Deathbound is a Solid Soulslike for Your Collection

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I was sent a free copy of Deathbound 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.

If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming/streaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset, the AM8 Streaming Microphone, and the SC3 Gaming Mixer for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Deathbound

Deathbound is a party-based soulslike coming to Deathbound releases on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, Epic Games, and GoG on August 8. Make sure you add Deathbound to your wishlist and join the official Discord.

Long ago, the Goddess of Life tricked the Goddess of Death, stealing her power and creating a race of immortal men. From these men, an advanced and powerful civilization Zieminal formed. For a while, the Zieminal thrived in their immortality. But the Goddess of Death did not sit idly by while her sister made a fool of her. Slowly, she seduced the Zieminal to give up their immortality. Her seduction worked, and the civilization crumbled overnight.

Centuries pass, and a new civilization rises from the wreckage, one hungry for the immortality they once had. A zealot group of scholars work tirelessly to perfect the ritual for immortality but at a terrible cost. You are a result of these experiments.

Awakened by strange forces, you find yourself as one conflicting soul in a body. Now you must fight your way through the city of Akratya discover the truth of your existence, and put an end to the heresy. What secrets will you uncover?

Gameplay

Deathbound plays like Dark Souls, but with a well-implemented and unique party system to spice things up. The game features the same attack, parry, dodge, and item mechanics to make even the most casual Souls’ fan comfortable. There is a campfire mechanic for rest and leveling, and players drop their experience when they die. The party mechanic is what keeps Deathbound from being a soulless clone.

Players have access to four characters with unique abilities and values that they can swap between freely. Party placement gives characters buffs and debuffs based on their personal beliefs. Each character has a unique set of combat skills and utility. Switching between characters is not only circumstantial but also an important combat mechanic. Players can switch to a character with higher hp to heal an injured one, or they can use the switch to trigger powerful attacks and combos. It gives combat its unique flavor, and it felt more engaging than the traditional soulslike.

I particularly liked how stamina was tied to health. stamina is the energy a character uses to perform his or her actions. Running, attacking, dodging, and blocking all use stamina. A character who runs out of stamina can’t perform an action. Characters have as much stamina as they do health. stamina refills over time, but a damaged character has access to a smaller pool of stamina. Health becomes the most important resource because it keeps a character alive and allows him to do stuff.

It wouldn’t be an RPG without a skill tree, and Deathbound has an expansive one. There is probably a right way to build, but I had fun building to my tastes. I felt like I had enough choices without the experience become overwhelming. Filling the skill tree is a grind, but it is expected for the genre.

Impressions

Deathbound is a fantastic soulslike with a solid story, amazing flavor, and a cool mechanic. I love its dark atmosphere, and the story was a good watch. Combat felt wonderful, but it is easier than Dark Souls. At least I found it a lot more forgiving, and that isn’t a bad thing.

Deathbound‘s combat system is so much fun. I am a huge fan of the party system, and the switching mechanic made for some satisfying combos. My only complaint is with the health/stamina system. I think the system is brilliant, but there is one annoying issue. Sometimes, an enemy will push you into a crate, wall, or other artifact. There isn’t enough room to perform actions either because your weapon gets stuck on a wall or the enemy keeps pushing you into it, and then you run out of stamina to attempt your escape. It didn’t happen often, but it happened enough to be worth mentioning.

Aside from that, the game is a lot of fun. If you’re looking for a casual soulslike with unique flavor, you’re going to want Deathbound. Deathbound releases on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, Epic Games, and GoG on August 8, so make sure its on your wishlist!

gaming news

Drakantos Gets Closer to Release and a Solid Gameplay Teaser

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This month’s Dev log was a little late, but it was juicy. While we don’t have a firm release date, we do have a time frame. Drakantos plans its release for 2025. This seems like a long time, especially for those of us following from the beginning, but I’ve made it this far, what is a couple of more months. I rather have a finished game than a rushed one. Make sure you check out the official log for all the details, and don’t forget to Wishlist!

In a bit of sad news, dev logs will be moved to a three-month schedule. This means longer waits between devlogs, but it also means we’ll be getting juicier ones. There will be a consistent stream of teasers on the official Drakantos Discord, so make sure you join up and check regularly. I’ll try to do a monthly update of the teasers of they are juicy enough.

Liam Teaser

This month’s teaser was fantastic. We not only got to see Liam gameplay, but we got to get a good look at how the world of Drakantos works. We get a peak at the player hub and how questing works. I like the clean UI and the guild hall has a fantastic vibe to it. Most importantly, we got to see group combat. I love the art and am always impressed with how good they make the attack animations. I can see it being a little too busy for some folks, but I find it the perfect amount of world-shattering chaos without it ever being too distracting. I am curious to see how it things will work with busier instances like PvP and World Bosses.

I wasn’t too impressed with Liam’s gameplay, but I don’t tank. He seems too slow for my taste, but in the right hands, he can be a menace. Liam has a solid taunt, access to valuable debuffs, AOE, and he can close gaps quickly when needed. The cherry on top is his cool animations and voice acting. If you are looking to tank in Drakantos, you definitely need to consider Liam.

Game Info

Drakantos will be an MMO with dungeon-crawler elements. It will have an open world to explore, quest, and make friends in. There will be an overarching story which I am very excited to dive into. The game already has a solid amount of lore, I can’t wait to see what they do with it. There will also be a traditional player market. As long as players aren’t allowed to sell real money items, I’m cool with a player-run economy.

Drakantos will include character-specific prologues that will eventually lead to the starting zone. This will include a character story, a great way to start the game. The devs talk about moving away from the traditional linear system of questing in the hopes of giving the system purpose. Quests will reward players with gold and experience, but it will also unlock new systems, shops, and areas for the players. Some side quests will be class-specific, requiring players to use a character that knows magic for example. Most importantly, these types of quests will offer horizontal progression, which means completing a mission counts for the entire account. I like that the game isn’t forcing a tedious grind with their unique system.

The Dungeon Crawl

We got to see a bit of the Adventurer’s Guild in the Liam teaser above. The Guild is the main player hub where players can gather and queue for instances. Instances will take players to over 120 different maps and have them complete different quests. The intention is to always have players complete a different quest every time, even if they queue up for the same map. This is a very cool feature. While I do find comfort in repetition, the grind can get soul-crushing and monotonous. I can’t wait to see how this system is implemented. There will also be a random secondary objective or rare event to make things extra spicy. This can be a random encounter or a golden gnome for example. Completing side quests will net you more rewards, but they are optional.

Some instance bosses

Matchmaking

Matchmaking for an instance is tied to a player’s power level. There is no lobby. Instead of waiting for others to join, the game jumps you to the instance as it continues to look for other players. Difficulty scales based on the number of players in an instance (max 3), and rescales if someone drops suddenly. This is fantastic for a mobile game where internet connection can be spotty. Premade groups can be up to four for when you eventually join your guild and make your friends.

Conclusion

I continue to get hyped for the Drakantos release because this game looks fantastic. I’ve been waiting for an MMO to fill the void PSO left behind, and I am hoping this will be it. I love the art, the flavor, and the fact that this thing is portable. I can play it anywhere! Each month brings us closer to a release, and I’m just waiting for a beta. Make sure you join the official Drakantos Discord to stay up to date on all the news, and don’t forget to add the game to your Wishlist.

video game reviews

Noreya: The Gold Project is a Solid Metroidvania

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I was sent a free copy of Noreya: The Gold Project 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. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming setup, check out my reviews for Fifine H9 Gaming Headset and the AM8 Streaming Microphone if you are looking for high-quality, budget-friendly peripherals.

What is Noreya: The Gold Project?

Noreya: The Gold Project is a 2D-pixel art dark fantasy Metroidvania game out now on PC.

Salluste, the God of Avarice, has taken over the city of Lemia and imprisoned the Goddess of Light. Once a glowing city, Lemia now stands as a twisted and tortured version of itself. Its inhabitants, smitten by greed, have sold themselves to Salluste and now roam the city as twisted shadowy creatures. Kali, with nothing left to lose, travels to Lemia in search of answers.

Travel through the City of Gold, battle creatures of shadow and gold, and pledge your allegiance to the god of your choice. Where will your devotion take you?

Gameplay

Noreya is your typical 2D action platformer. What makes this game unique is that you can use the gold you collect to heal at any time, and the god you devote yourself to controls your narrative. Choices do matter in this game, which may give the game replayability if you become invested enough in the story.

I am terrible at platforming, but found it very manageable in this game. Enemies are cool, but they will get repetitive. The game will spice things up with special events and boss fights. Special events change the flow of the game. In one instance, a giant snake chases Kali through the map, and it is up to you to navigate through the city and find her sanctuary. Boss fights are creative, but not unrelenting. I didn’t feel like I ever needed a guide to beat the bosses, I just needed to be better. That said, this game feels like a very casual entry to the genre, perfect for those newbies trying to find their start in the genre.

Combat feels fine, but I found the skill tree customization limiting compared to other titles. The skill tree can only be accessed at shrines throughout the city. Players can buy levels of their skill tree with gold at shrines around the city. The skill tree is expansive and gives players the freedom to build toward their play style. I don’t think the build matters in normal mode. I built towards what I thought would be fun and never felt I needed a guide. However, harder difficulties and speed runs will probably need a more efficient build.

Impressions

I like Noreya: The Gold Project. I love the art, the mechanics are manageable, and the flavor is neat. Choosing between Light and gold and the god you worship is a very cool idea. That said, Noreya isn’t the best Metroidvania on the market. After a while, it starts to feel stale. While I enjoyed the environment and music of each level, it started to feel repetitive. I understand repetition is somewhat expected, but the more I played, the less I wanted to keep playing. There just wasn’t enough to hold my attention.

Noreya isn’t a bad game. The game runs fine and has a few good moments, but you have better options. If you’re looking for a new Metroidvania game to add to your rotation, Noreya: The Gold Project is a solid choice, but I would wait for a sale.

You can pick up Noreya: The Gold Project on Steam for $24.99.

Board Games and TCGs

Eldritch Automata Campaign is Live and Fully Backed on Backerkit

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The Eldritch Automata campaign has officially launched on Backerkit. The project was fully funded within the first 30 minutes of going live and continues to gain momentum. Most of the stretch goals have been unlocked which means excited fans will receive a generous amount of goodies. The campaign ends on July 25, leaving plenty of time to decide if you want to embark on this bleak adventure of survival featuring mechs. While Gehenna Gaming does have a solid record with their delivery, always be mindful of what you back on these types of crowdsourcing campaigns.

What is Eldritch Automata?

Eldritch Automata is a post-apocalyptic TTRPG powered by the award-winning Year Zero Engine.

Society crumbles under the weight of Eldritch invaders. Monsters and horrifying angels spread their rain and despair across the world. Humanity is pushed to the brink of extinction, but hope is not lost. Giant Mechs known as the Automata come to humanity’s salvation, but piloting them comes at a cost. Those brave and competent enough to pilot these mighty machines must risk their entire mind, body, and soul. Some will rise and become the shining pillars of hope and salvation, while others will lose themselves under the strain of piloting an Automata. How far can you push yourself to save humanity?

How to Play

Impressions

Pilots in Eldritch Automata must survive the strain of an unforgiving world. Infighting between factions, the stress of survival, the strain of piloting the Automata, and facing the endless waves of Eldritch horrors wear down their spirit. Eldritch Automata is a game where even the bravest and brightest can lose themselves in the madness.

The game does a decent job of creating systems that emulate the strain of surviving in its world. The game is set up where players are constantly having to push their limits while risking their sanity. Piloting an Automata is cool, but it can make you go crazy or leave you with a permanent, life-altering injury. Having a player lose control of their character due to a dice roll is bound to lead to some interesting roleplay.

Gameplay seems solid and easy to learn. I’ve ran a few Year Zero games, and my table is always content with how they run. It makes for a nice break from D&D without being too big of a shift.

Ultimately, you’re playing Eldritch Automata for its flavor. I love the dark hopelessness that will inevitably seep into every session, and I am sure my players will enjoy fighting in giant mechs. The combat system seems to involve enough strategy to make it engaging without being overly complicated while establishing its unique flare in the space. As a GM, I like the amount of tables and charts available for a healthy amount of chaos. I can’t wait to see how my players react when they have to roll to keep their sanity. It is going to get tense.

If you’re looking to run a bleak survival adventure full of monsters, chaos, and mechs, you’re going to want to go back Eldritch Automata on Backerkit. The art is cool, the flavor is fantastic, and what I’ve seen of the system is impressive. There is a free quickstart available from the publisher if you would like to see if the Eldritch Automata is right for your table. The Quickstart comes with a streamlined version of the rules and a small haunted house-style adventure for you to run. I’ll leave the files below, but you can get the quickstart and the pre-generated characters on the DrivethruRPG.

Quickstart

Eldritch_Automata_-_Quicklaunch_GuideDownload

Pregenerated Characters

Eldritch_Automata_Quicklaunch_Pre_Generated_CharactersDownload

Tiers

Official Liveplay