Aeon of Sands - The Trail

How to describe this game in one sentence? ... It will give you blue balls. I want to like this game, but the developer(s) chose to suck the air out of the room each time there's dialog. What I mean by this is the great, atmospheric writing and art is almost always proceeded by a totally off beat sentence. Some of the time its thinly veiled self-pitying that has nothing to do with the game. Other times the main character is suddenly clueless. Imagine if Gandalf suddenly turned into Pippin or Merry after screaming "YOU SHALL NOT PASS" at the Balrog. If they delete all the off beat, immersion popping literature, I could totally immerse myself in the game's world. The art is one of a kind and beautiful. It's just frustrating to be pulled out of the world every time there is an encounter. Maybe I'll push myself to play more of the game, but for now, my rating is a dont buy. It feels like the developer(s) don't believe in themselves, except this is clearly a game from talented people. Also, there is a bug that throws the game's balance out the window. Weapon cool downs still count down when the game is paused. QOL Things like adding walls to the map when I can see them would be nice too.

I am a 52 yo father, probably one of the oldest people playing Aeon of Sands - The Trail. I am a single father to my Son, who is 14 now. My son found this game at Christmas, so we installed it on his computer and he started playing. By the end of the week he had 24 hours on this game. This was horrible for me, as it was already hard for me to find ways to spend time with my son, as he is always out with his friends or just watching YouTube. So I decided to make a Steam account and get this game to see if I could maybe play alongside him. Loaded into the game world and started playing but I was stuck on what you were supposed to do. I asked my Son for help and he helped me. Loved it as it was the best time had spent with my Son since my wife had died. This game has ever since brought me and my son closer again and now we actually spend time together outside the house together as well. This game reminded me that there's fun to be had in everything, and it has brought both me and my Son many happy memories. Thank you <3

Aeon of sands可谓是我近年来玩过的最牛逼的RPG之一。完美的废土主题DRPG，完美！ 游戏总共有三大结局，决定结局走向的的判定地点其实只有一处，但判定条件较为复杂，根据队友和对话选择有至少十几种情形。迷宫隐藏要素较多，一些地方不做记号很难完成。大部分时间下我玩的是普通模式，只在最后的地牢里改成困难，而困难模式下属实有些挑战。最后地牢的突变人，移动速度快，H&R的强度要求很高，如果solo的话难度更是极高的（当然SL大神是万能的）。 游戏只有7个手动存档，存档无法直接覆盖，只能删除后重新存。我备份了一百多个档，为了体验尽可能多的剧情、并预防在探索迷宫的时候卡关。做成就花的时间不多，主要是可读备份存档来跳过一些重复内容。普通难度总共耗时40小时左右，一些地牢没有完全探索（或者说找不出来解法···），如果全程困难难度，或穷尽更多剧情，则还要花约20小时。其实，游戏主线不长，一些地牢完全可以跳过，不过，开局和最后的地牢是避不开的。 文本是非常上乘的那种，堪比极乐迪斯科、颓废年代等的文本水平，用有道截屏翻译有时会词不达意。故事发生在一个有两个太阳的荒漠世界中，彼时人们围绕着巨树盖起了玻璃穹顶，来抵御太阳辐射、沙尘和防卫沙漠中的奇异生物。主角所在的城市潘泰拉是仅存的几个穹顶之一。作为一名办事员，主角被要求出去探寻一辆大篷车的下落。为了在沙漠中生存，需要在开局地牢里拿到呼吸面罩等装备，并采购物资做准备。之后，在外部世界的冒险中，又会遭遇各种离奇事件，最后以重返潘泰拉为结尾。除了文本、画风、硬核迷宫对后末日世界的刻画外，游戏还无处不在地透露出一股“怪核”味，如开局旁白和主角的对话、梦境剧情、一些boss和场景的设计、剧情走向（一些对话选项完全难以预料会产生如何结果，比如拒绝Cortney反而可以让她入队）等等，非常怪诞有趣的体验。 在画面和战斗系统方面，AoS自然是简陋的。战斗系统可谓“过时”，连人物属性面板都没有，只有血条、精力条、法术条。人物的力量是多少、敏捷多少这些统统不清楚。然而，手绘场景和文字描述、场景设计等方方面面对废土世界的营造却是我所见过的最为纯正的一款——甚至比正牌的废土续作废土3这种我玩了一关就兴味索然的平庸之作要正宗得多。地牢探索是标准的DRPG，没有掷骰子，没有复杂的装备搭配和技能成长，但是有大量的解谜要素、隐藏内容和代入感强的冒险体验——是不是CRPG只要是奇幻主题就得在一个偌大的dnd/pf或者其他什么桌游规则框架下展开？而热兵器主题的CRPG就非得搞出个类xcom一样的掩体系统才叫CRPG？当然不是，AoS就走出了一种迥然不同的道路。 在第一个地下城，也就是新手关卡，只有相对充分的探索才可以拿到进入沙漠世界的必要装备。在这个地下城中，暗门的把手以墙上藤条的方式出现，同时还时不时有脚下的开关需要通过丢东西的方式开启。这些都是DRPG的常见元素，不过较好地和废土世界相融合了而已。 而在第二个地下城——废弃穹顶，谜题的方式有了些变化，地图中出现了数目众多的危墙，一开始，只有使用丢火瓶的方式砸开，然而火瓶的数目极其缺乏。直到在迷宫的某个角落，我发现了一个锤子，有了这个东西总算可以无消耗地砸墙——而就在某堵墙之后，通往穹顶二层和三层的道路也在等着玩家。 第三个地下城：废墟，地图上到处是陷阱和钢铁蚂蚁，围墙的正门被剧情堵上，这里我因为探索不充分，成功地错过了地下的各处探索内容，实际上地图是有其他的入口的，在那里，还有一些隐藏boss和彩蛋未被发现。 然而上述部分都只不过是一个地牢爬行游戏比较出彩的部分，真正让我惊为天人的地方，还是它的剧情设计。在游戏博德之门2中，一个为玩家津津乐道经典场景在于当你在禁魔监狱没有选择接收赛蒙的提议，而是选择进入传送门，会错过整整一个鲨化鱼人城的剧情——选择的意义在CRPG中的重要性在此得到充分体现。而在AoS中，这样的隐藏剧情却比比皆是，并且和博德之门等大作不同，开发商似乎并不热衷于向玩家推销这一切，这些内容仿佛被有意隐藏起来，只有在比较严格的条件下才可以触发。而这种偏硬核复古的设计，却能够在玩家发现它的时候提供比传统情形下更惊喜的感觉——“什么？还有这种设定？”这恰恰是目前大部分CRPG所无法带来的。 例如，在第一个地下城结束后，主角需要走出穹顶进入外部沙漠世界，然而在此之前还需要先去市场采购一番必要物资。在这一过程中，如果主角选择错误的对话会直接略去这一过程···而如果选择购物，在市场中走不同的对话路线则会导致不同结果，比如同伴Harro的加入——这需要两次进入酒馆，并做出正确的选择才能实现。 在市场购物的道具同样对后面的支线至关重要。比如我看中一个看似无用的水龙头并买下，预感后面会有特殊剧情，果然不出所料，在后面一个名为深坑的地方，它就是让某个女性npc加入的关键剧情道具——然而，光有水龙头还不行，想让她加入需要绝对正确的选项——先把她诱出深坑，再经历一些合适的对话才可以实现。如果选错，没有让npc爬上来，也可以触发沿着绳子爬下深坑的剧情，这就是另外一个场景了，因为虽然npc没有加入，但是有一个深坑地下城可供探索——在这里，同样有一些独特探索解谜内容在等着玩家。比如，其中有两堵墙之前是开启的，当我走出去以后再次读档时路居然堵上了，而我看地图明明是探索过的，实在令我有些丈二和尚摸不着头脑，即使SL了很多次未找出解法······ NPC的入队条件，除了受对话和道具影响，还受其他入队NPC的影响。在绿洲处，有一位厉害的法师npc，但是由于队伍Harro和她的剧情似乎有冲突，令她加入就成为了不可能的事。不过在这里，主角在第一个地下城里搜刮到的一个沙虫幼崽也成为关键道具，利用该道具同样能够触发和她的隐藏对话，并解锁一个成就。 DRPG一度因为玩法过时、视角反人类和过于偏重解谜而逐渐被时代所抛弃，近年来最受好评的如魔岩山传说也是10年前的游戏了，更别提巫术魔法门等老古董。然而，RPG最核心的部分永远是叙事、是对世界的营造、是各种剧情选择条件下的可能性，在这一点上DRPG并不能说就比其他类型的RPG无论是等角的还是那些3A惯用的第三人称/第一人称单人rpg落后在哪里，归根到底还是要看开发商的制作水平。不过，DRPG有一点比较好，那就是至少在目前，它尚未步入那些掷骰游戏的庞杂模式中——可以，但没必要——因此玩家就不需要把太多工夫耗费在角色成长、队伍组成、甚至是完全多余的王国经营上，而是更多地专注在冒险上。在这一点上，AoS作为一款有别于其他奇幻主题的、揉合了怪核元素、并且在选择取向和探索要素上做到了非常高水平的DRPG，几乎能够无可争议地被封为废土题材游戏的代表性神作。

This game blends dungeon-crawling exploration with a narrative-driven approach in a post-apocalyptic setting. Its retro-inspired graphics and text-heavy storytelling offer a distinct experience. I didn't like the puzzles and the real-time combat, but the art style and humor is good. Overall, it caters well to fans of retro RPGs seeking a unique, if niche, adventure. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3283870327 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3281705651 Unlocked all achievements!

This game saved my life. I am 27. My ex-wife and I have a daughter together, and adopted our son together. They are now both 4 years old. When we were going through our separation, I found myself lost and miserable. I was self destructive. I got so mad one day from everything spiraling out of my control that I punched some concrete in a moment of overwhelming emotion. That caused me to break my 5th metacarpal in my right hand... my working hand... my games hand.. the hand that I held and carried my children to bed with.. The hand I desperately needed to make sure I could continue to provide. After learning of the severity of my self-inflicted damage, I was borderline suicidal. Keep in mind that just a few months before this, I was the happiest man with no history of depression or anxiety. I have never had fits of rage, or been one to break down and cry, but I was in a low spot that just really buried me from being able to see the light on the other side. Having nothing better to do, I searched for a game I could play, ONE HANDED while I recovered. I somehow stumbled upon this game and read some of the reviews. I decided that it had to be worth a shot... I must admit, I didn't beat the game, or play nearly as long as some of you. In fact, I may have only played this game a day or two.. With that being said, after doing so, I had a new found joy and hope for life. I was able to put behind me the pain and suffering that had been cast over me. I was able to experience other peoples joy and happiness. I was able to see the fruits of my "labor". I relaxed for 5 ♥♥♥♥ing minutes to this music long enough to realize that I was going to be okay. After coming to that realization, I turned the game off, and I went back to work. It hurt my hand like hell but I was motivated. I stopped feeling so damn sorry for myself, and I became the father I needed to be in that moment, not the weak boy I was behaving as. Today, I am close friend with my kids mother. We don't fight, or argue, or say hurtful things to each other. We are parents, and friends. I now have 3 kids. My third child is, wait for it, ALSO 4 YEARS OLD. The woman I am with was going through a very similar situation at the time of my own separation, and we just stumbled in to each others life unexpectedly. We have been in a relationship for a year now, and are very happy together. Moral of the story, you never know what life holds in store for you, and if I would have given up when all the odds were stacked against me, I wouldn't be where I am today. This silly little game helped me realize that. Thank you

Solid - Though less focus on combat probably would've been better in the long run. Some levels go on for too long as well. But aesthetic is top-notch. Like a weird mix of Dark Sun + Fallout or Wasteland. Writing is also good and funny.

An interesting realtime dungeon crawler that could have been (a lot) better with more love in the design of the levels and minor tweaks. The game reminds me a bit of Lands of Lore in term of approach to the genre: not too many stats, increased by combat, characters you can get around the world instead of creating them, lots of loot found around instead of shops or only drops from enemies. Also the visual design is quite good. There are few things unique to this game. For example the story bits are presented like a gamebook, with some illustrations and sometimes choices. The magic system has its own logic, with "catalysts" and mana items, with different types (water, thunder, etc). Some characters have unique gameplay (ex. no inventory, only spells type). The issue i have with the game is with the design of the mazes. The starting levels are fine but then you wander inside a world where most of the places are very large floors with lots of damaging tiles (debris or plants), with the main gameplay feature being a mix of hidden walls, few switches and lots of exploring to find the exit. Enemies in those areas can be challenging only in narrow paths, not much else. I can understand those are more "extra" places instead of main dungeons but in the end they feel most of the same. Then the mandatory dungeons have little more added to this pattern: a bit more switches or a couple of key items, some degree of linearity. But still, i'd like to see a theme, of love in progression more than wandering around to find the next door/switch/hole/exit with waves of enemies here and there. Another thing is that some ideas don't match the game in a way. For example you can edit youself the maps but would you trace tens of damaging tiles on a floor and like 10 places of items found each map, and nothing else? Trace hidden walls or switches to, most of the time, optional stuff too? At the end of the journey i felt it didn't added much, i'd have preferred the game tracing it automatically (ex. i use a switch or go inside a fake wall, or inspect or drop an item, set a mark, etc). I think notes work better with very tight level design, lots of stuff interconnected, or very few items around. Most of the time stuff was optional or just one way (click, open a door, that's it). Inventory is also an interesting choice. Every character can have one or not. There's a party one but only with stuff added by story progression, you can get things out of it but not add stuff. The problem is that maybe you have only one character with an inventory, so lots of loot is impossible to take for potentially new characters later. Add notes to every level to pick up them later? Maybe but a chore. Also i found that if i have a character with inventory usually you open it to use heal items, so status of the others isn't displayed. Sometimes the other characters die but you don't see it and maybe you quicksave and lose people. While you can work around this issue (i played with only one character with inventory and beat the game with 2 people), it's kinda frustrating to discard everything, pick up stuff for maybe new companions but then it doesn't happen, etc. A shared inventory, with characters with no equipment would be a nicer balance. See statuses of everyone all time. Other issues. A boss took like 15 minutes to kill, while the others (with 2 people) were a matter of a minute or less. Health and stamina staying the same while travelling so that when you go to the next place you instantly die when you spawn in the next area if you barely survived in last encounter. Sometimes you instantly go out a map, sometimes you can still stay there. Cutting all the world behind to force you to the final dungeon isn't a great choice (ok you need to hurry but maybe heal, take some gear you stored away? remember, limited inventory, tracing items on maps, etc). There is no uniform approach. You CAN enjoy the game, in particular having a better idea of what it offers (where to find companions, gear, etc). But i feel it could have been more. Maybe the devs can reuse everything and make another adventure, with more polish. I'd love to see more of this world, the idea applied in the best way.

A well made first person grid based dungeon crawler made in modern times! Not only is the gameplay done well, but the setting and story are pretty neat. It even includes desirable modern features like automapping and autosaves! I really hope the developer makes more games with the same gameplay and the unique, detailed setting.

I have had a lot of fun playing this game; if you like games like DM, EOB EOB2, Lands of Lore or Grimrock - you will really enjoy this game.

Pretty awesome, retro-style, dungeon crawler reminiscent of old Windows screensavers! I really enjoy every aspect of this game, except for perhaps the lack of a direct level-up system. I've murdered so many monsters that I could've easily bypassed but the only real rewards from destroying all enemies and old women you come across are: +increase in combat effectiveness +epic loot +new directions to travel +hilarious dialogue