Adrian's Tale

[b]My Playtime:[/b] 6.3h (15/16 achievements, finished the game) [b]My First Playthrough:[/b] [b]Grindy Achievement(s):[/b] No. [b]Optional Achievement(s):[/b] Yes (12 achievements). [b]Difficult Achievement(s):[/b] No. [h1]Intro[/h1] [b]Adrian's Tale[/b] is an action-adventure game similar to [i]Zelda[/i] games. It offers a lot of short dungeons to explore, unique bosses, and objects that will block you from passing an area unless you have a certain item with you. [b]Pros:[/b] - A lot of short dungeons to explore - Clever puzzles that can take some time to figure out - Maps with point of interest [b]Cons:[/b] - Too much area to cover by the slow walking speed - Stiff controls - Tutorial is lacking [b]Specs[/b] Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 [h1]Should you buy this game?[/h1] [b]Yes.[/b] [i]If you enjoy playing Zelda-likes and don't mind playing a mediocre one, buy this one when it's heavily discounted.[/i] [hr][/hr] [h1]In-Depth Review[/h1] [h3]Visuals[/h3] [b]Adrian's Tale[/b] is displayed in 3D visuals. The models look simplistic and cute, most of them are in a geometric shape that was expanded into a human-shaped one. The animals work well in this style, showing their cute look. The environment, however, looks like plastic with its shading, although they are not that bad once you get used to it. [h3]Story[/h3] The story is pretty much lacking. The game starts with a cutscene that gives no information except one picture that was shown in that said cutscene. It then proceeds with you controlling the main character with hardly any plot given, especially if you don't talk to the townsfolk. Some people will provide a rough situation of what's going on and that's the only story that you will get until you face the final boss. To be honest, I forgot that this game has a story until that point. The ending was cool, though. I like how they portray the jokes. It's not flashy, and despite the lack of dialogue, the game manages to do it well with the camera and animations. [h3]The Game[/h3] [b]Gameplay[/b] As a [i]Zelda[/i]-like, you play the game equipped with a sword and a large world to explore. Despite the vast world, the map helps you from getting lost, giving a marking for all points of interest that you can find. The game is mostly linear - you have to travel to each point of interest in order, getting key items along the way to progress the game. Sometimes, you'll have to enter dungeons and beat a boss. And at some occasions, this will also give you items that you can use to unlock other optional places. The items are standard. You'll get a bow, a bomb, and a shield. Despite having to switch them over time, there doesn't seem to be a button that allows you to swap them quickly. Moreover, the game doesn't seem to tell you which button to press. The tutorial shown in the menu only tells that you need to press a button that was shown on the screen, which only applies to talking to people. The controls for using the key items or the shield are only covered in the control scheme that was shown in the main menu. I didn't even know how to use my shield until I realized that there was a button for it. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3302724144 The game has a lot of vast, empty places. The reason why I dislike playing open-world games in particular is because of this, and [b]Adrian's Tale[/b] sadly gives off a similar feeling. Your walking speed is slow and there is just too much area to cover. You have to walk a very long way to reach an area, and sometimes you need to go back and forth to progress. There might be some teleportation points, but sometimes they don't help much. It's hard to precisely control your character. I often find myself having to reposition my character to swing my sword in the direction that I want. Figuring out how to throw or place a bomb is also a nightmare for me - I had to waste a lot of bombs on it. Luckily, the game is pretty easy and it gives a lot of room for errors. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3302724941 On the positive side, I liked the short dungeons. Each can be finished in a few minutes, which makes it bearable with the small HP pool. Sure, you can recover your health by using potions, but I prefer not to use them, and the short dungeons go well with this. You still need to redo most of the dungeons if you die, though. However, it won't take long if you know what to do. Bosses are also unique. They are not challenging at all - you can even beat them without losing a lot of health if you know what to do. That's where the game shines, though. Despite them needing to be beaten in a certain way, I instinctively know what to do as soon as I step into the battle. The only exception is the final boss since their HP was buffed so much that I thought that my method wasn't working. Otherwise, most bosses can be beaten very quickly. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3302724088 Puzzles are there, but they are not noticeable. The obvious one was easy to figure out, but sometimes, they will present some tricky ones. They are pretty simple once you know what to do, but I found myself getting stuck sometimes, trying to figure out how to solve them. [b]Length and Difficulty[/b] I finished the game in 6.3h. Some areas can be tricky to solve, but the developer made a walkthrough on YouTube that can help you if you are stuck. You might get hurt a lot in dungeons, but bosses are pretty easy to beat if you know what to do. Moreover, you also can stock up on health potions if you need more health. They cost some money, but I don't find myself lacking money throughout the game. [b]Issues[/b] Switches are too dark. Sometimes I mistook them for stairs, which obviously doesn't exist in the game. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] If you are looking for a mediocre [i]Zelda[/i]-like game, [b]Adrian's Tale[/b] fits the description well. There might be some cons like the lack of QoL fixes, but I don't find them hindering my experience that much. The short dungeons work well once paired with the short, unique bosses, and they can be a good time waster if you are looking for a short game. However, due to the quality, the asking price can be too much, especially since there are better [i]Zelda[/i]-likes at this price point. I suggest buying it when it's extremely discounted - it was pretty cheap on the last summer sale, for example. [quote]This game was reviewed with a key provided by the developer for free through Curator Connect.[/quote] [quote]Follow our curator page: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]IndieGems[/url] if you like and want to see more reviews like this one.

NOTE: the game has a broken achievement and no longer receives updates. --- Action-adventure where you use arrows, bombs and other tools to beat dungeons. The story is straightforward and focuses on the wannabe adventurer who wants to find his cat. It begins like many other similar games, in a village where you receive your sword, which can chop grass, barrels, and other destructible objects. Objects conceal coins, but the primary source remains enemies, who virtually always drop them. If you are missing more than half of your hearts, you will find small hearts in cut grass rather than coins. Since healing is done with apples or potions, this allows you to heal in a fairly fair manner. The game's goal is simple. You need to explore dungeons and get new skills. Your main hub is the village, which offers items like arrows and bombs. However, you must first learn how to use them before purchasing them. Although the world appears to be open, there is always a linear path. This means that a new power will allow you to enter the next dungeon. You begin with a jump, then acquire a bow, and so on. There are no waypoints, but you do have a map with exclamation marks indicating dungeons. When a dungeon is completed, the exclamation mark vanishes. You will also encounter some villagers that require assistance, although this is not handled well because you must approach them and see if a question mark appears above their head. They usually require an item discovered in dungeons or the main world. Instead of handing them the item automatically, you need to open the inventory and choose the correct item. You will travel to two unique main maps, but the game is not particularly large. This is also why the hero's slow speed isn't that big of a deal. Dungeons are equally small with only a couple of rooms that contain a few puzzle. Aside from pressing switches, you will need to throw bombs at cracked walls, shoot arrows at orbs, or push something. The bothersome thing is that arrows and bombs must be purchased in the main hub, so if you run out during a dungeon, you must exit the dungeon and restart from beginning. The game's biggest criticism is lack of tutorial messages and objectives. New items make sense, but sometimes you have to use them in a new way. For instance, there are tiles in the ground that need to be hit with a hammer, or rocks that can be pushed in only one direction. I would also appreciate hints on certain puzzles; experimenting with weapons and figuring what works usually ends with no more ammo.