Bought this game because I got baited by the “it’s kinda like Crimson Desert” comparisons.
Turns out the only things it really has in common with Crimson Desert are:
-Koreans made it.
-At some point the devs apparently woke up, chose peace, and made it a proper single-player game instead of some wallet-destroying live-service gacha hellscape.
Anyway, I’ve literally never played gacha games before. Zero clue about the genre, the culture, the rituals, the waifu economy - nothing.
And somehow… I’m having a great time.
The whole game has this super wholesome, cozy adventure vibe. Kinda reminds me of Fable mixed with Zelda. Maybe every gacha game is like this, idk, I’m a tourist here. But it’s just incredibly chill. The game doesn’t constantly try to stress you out or make you sweat like you owe it money.
There’s an actual story, and surprisingly it’s pretty decent. Quests are fun. Combat with character switching and abilities weirdly reminded me of Dragon Age: The Veilguard - although, to be fair, maybe Veilguard was the one desperately trying to copy modern gacha combat.
But here’s the funny part:
When it comes to the actual spirit of an adventure, the chemistry between the characters, and making me give a damn about my little squad, this game absolutely folds Veilguard with one hand.
I have no idea how the devs did it, but now I’m out here unlocking characters, leveling them up, doing side quests, collecting random crap and beating the absolute ♥♥♥♥ out of stinky pigs like this is the most important thing happening in my life.
Is this the optimal lifestyle for a 30-year-old single dude?
Probably not.
Am I going to stop?
Absolutely not.
I’m definitely finishing this one. Apparently it’s not even that long if you mostly stick to the main story, which is honestly another W. Not every game needs to be a 170-hour unpaid internship.
I can genuinely recommend this to basically anyone. Yes, even the dark-fantasy addicts and Soulslike psychos. Sometimes you need to stop fighting malformed gods in a swamp, chill the hell out, and play something like that. (I know what I’m talking about.)
Only real L so far: armor and weapons don’t seem to visually change on your character. You get the stats, but not the drip.
Bro.
I want to run around wearing a refrigerator-sized suit of armor while carrying a weapon that looks like it was ripped off a construction crane.
Apparently I cannot.
Maybe I’m missing something, but from what I can tell, gear is basically stats only.
Still, very solid game.
Came for fake Crimson Desert.
Stayed for friendship, vibes, character upgrades and beating up smelly pigs.
Would recommend.
