ASTRA : Era Of Anguish

A sweet and short old-school action rpg game set in the GOR3 universe that can be completed in around an hour. It's a passion project from a solo developer and it definitely feels that way, you can tell the dev had fun making it. Graphics are reminiscent of Morrowind with higher quality photo textures, and the music complements the world well in setting a moody environment that is reminiscent of our world but definitely different in other ways. The player is a lost soul mysteriously awoken in a land that's plagued with ghouls. You create your character out of some very basic customisation & skill point system, then adventure out into the valley of Laywind. Here you can talk with NPCs, explore the land and try to piece together whats going on in this world. The quests are fairly simple, mostly being fetch or "clear this area" type of tasks. It can sometimes be a bit confusing to find locations as there is no minimap and only a compass (I am usually really bad with directions but didn't have too much trouble with navigation as the characters give you some clues (e.g. north-east of the abandoned tower) to make it easier. The gameplay is also quite straightforward. You have a sword for melee and a wand for ranged spell attacks, and they increase in strength with their respective stats. I did a melee playhthrough where the combat boiled down to slashing the ghouls down while kiting to avoid damage. Even though I'm not too familiar with the world, the narrative was interesting and it made me want to play GOR3, the first entry in the universe, to get a better picture. If you're interested in exploring the GOR3 universe more, or want to experience a bite-sized action adventure rpg game inspired by old-school classics for less than the cost of a cup of coffee, I'd say go for it! Also if you gather enough money, definitely buy a house at the starting area. Private property is a worthwhile investment! You won't regret it :]

Another short glimpse at a much larger universe that might be fun to explore further. Once again, the tale focuses on a mysterious Astra. However, this organization, which is supposed to maintain the world in order, appears to have failed, as things are worse than they were before. Long story short, they bit off more than they could chew. You begin by creating a character. The options are limited, with only a few faces and hairstyles to choose from. You can not name yourself or change advanced settings like color or clothing. The choice is not final because you can change them during the game, but the feature is not important. The same can be said about your three stats. Strength increases your odds of landing a hit, dexterity allows you to dodge attacks, and willpower increases spell damage. Because the game is tiny and does not take you on a large epic journey, you can raise all of them to their maximum potential. The story begins with you being transported to a little kingdom by a mysterious force. The map is larger than in the original game, but it is still small, with only a few houses and a few dungeons scattered across the wilderness. However, all dungeons remain closed until you speak with the appropriate person. Keeping track of quests is an issue. First, you must speak with someone to activate them, and then return to the mission giver once the task is completed. All tasks ask you to clear a basement or dungeon of enemies. They will reward you with a few coins, but quests are not marked in any way, making them easily missed or forgotten. Combat is not ideal due to a lack of feedback; you are never sure if your strikes inflict any damage. Because enemies do not have a health bar, you must keep attacking them until they die. Although they can be defeated with a simple technique of triggering their strike and charging in for a hit as soon as their animation is complete, they can kill you quickly. The enemy variation is limited because there are only three types. A basic knight, spell caster, and legless crawler. The latter enemy is particularly annoying because it explodes and forms a persistent circle that injures you every time you walk within it. Death is not a big deal. There are save sites throughout the world, and the game automatically saves at the beginning of each dungeon. Although the sole means to replenish health is to drink potions, each of which restores 10 units, you can purchase a limitless supply. Money is also not an issue because it respawns in some areas. If you like, you can upgrade your sword or even buy an expensive house. The house is worth every coin since it helps you deal with those annoying exploding blobs and other enemies. The game ends in less than two hours with an easy boss fight and a solid ending. It’s self-contained and doesn’t reveal much about the game’s world, but at least it reveals something about your character.

Definitely a very interesting game. I echo the praise of other reviews and I'll also add that it's very impressive that even someone as dumb as I never had any questions about where to go or what to do. Looking forward to more.

best GOR3like of our time

Pretty awesome experience. So much charm and love was put into this. Fun little romp. 8/10.

Sí, está bueno. :-)

Really only play it if you've played the other ones and are interested, for whatever reasons, in where the series goes. Not a technically good game, but interesting.