Erannorth Renaissance

I have to give the game a thumbs up, because I certainly got my money's worth of entertainment. However, this game is not... great. It's good and can be better. I support the devs' vision and applaud their efforts to continue adding content. Yet I would honestly prefer a sequel at this point in the game's life cycle. There is potential in this game/format, but this game had its 1.0 in October of 2025, and despite its updates, the most common criticisms in negative reviews remain and will likely persist. The best part of this game is certainly its combat. With a large pool of items, actions, and enemies, there is plenty of build variety to go around. I never once felt like I jumped into a new game with the same character as the last. Recent updates focused on bulking out the combat encounters with an expansion of the "contract" system and roaming enemy bands, so if grid-based turn-based RPGs are your thing, then there is plenty of content here. For modders out there, the game has a built-in engine for creating new content, but you can also dive into the files if need be. Either way, it's easy to learn, and you can tweak just about everything that exists in-game. The worst part of the game? The story mode, I am not going to sugarcoat it, but it's servicable to learn the game... maybe, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you are hunting for achievements. It's one of the most common criticisms I see about this game, and it seems that AI was used in the writing, and how and to what extent is discussed in other reviews, so I won't retread the same ground there. I will say that there is potential in the plot, it just needs reworking. I like a lot of the ideas for the characters and the plot direction, but the writing falls short. EX: [spoiler] There is an assassin character who is recruited as part of the MSQ, but their reason for joining the party is too convenient. They tried to kill you once, by just charging you, in your room, in a populated tavern, in a main city. Because they failed their one attempt, their assassin order is now after them too. Good idea, but it happens so quickly that the pacing seems awkward. Add another attempt at your life, and it would go a long way to believability. [/spoiler] Most companions are similar in that regard. Companions are introduced, given story beats that seem to lead somewhere, and are then never resolved. On a similar note, for an RPG, there are next to no side quests. Outside of the couple of short "quests" for either Augustus or Jocelyn in the starting city, there are no more "written" side quests. The game relies entirely on the "contracts" and the player's self-appointed goals. Just to clarify, "Contracts" in this game are Battle Brother style, go here, kill this, escort "x", style of objectives. Fun for a time, but not really what I expected for a game with this much potential in its choose-your-own-adventure style game system. Personally, the rest of the game kind of works for me, with mixed results. I think procedural NPCs are a cool idea, but they all have very similar dialogue and interactions. You click on one, get a very generic event like the NPC has lost their way or had their money stolen by a thief, and as the player, you can intervene to possibly boost your relationship with them or mess up, and their opinion of you takes a hit. It's a cool idea, but it's very shallow. It could do with some more interesting encounters, something involving higher stakes. It would be great to have dynamic rivals and friend NPCs that can make a memorable impression on a playthrough. For examples of this system done well, I would recommend examining Crusader Kings 3. Lastly, I am divided on the art. The game uses AI art for everything, from the splash screen to the character portraits, and while it's not great. The UI is also clunky at times. It doesn't affect the experience as much for a game with a focus on text. It's not game-breaking, and portraits can be changed easily with modding tools. For more examples of story points that can be improved (imo): [spoiler] The game starts with the player and their party coming across a magical doohickey simply referred to as the "orb." The significance of the "Orb" is explained later in the MSQ, but for the most part, the "Orb" is simply a foreboding "Orb". Without context, the "Orb" being this menacing object is kind of more amusing than anything else. Sheela somehow coming across that one random guy who knows the prophecy about us, the player stumbling across the orb, after like a day of searching, is too convenient a deus ex machina. [/spoiler] I am not a writer, I do dnd, and my favorite fantasy book author is Brandon Sanderson, so I am sure there are people out there better qualified to critique the writing, but if this game interests you even a little bit. Check it out, share your opinions, and support the dev.

Definitely an underrated gem with a dedicated team. Tracking people are complaining about AI, but this team has it listed at the very top that's it's included. But seriously their is AI in everything now and if you can't embrace the change then don't know what to tell you. The story can be as long or as short as you want it in this game. Just play any other open sandbox game and see if their is a story there, other than the one you create. This is one has multiple branches and avenues to go down, as well as side quests that are endless, which encourages replay-ability and character creation aspects. The developers appear higher responsive and open to constructive criticism and ideas. As of this dated posting people were asking about adding additional undead to the game and not even a month later (time meow) they were added, as well as fixed several bugs identified. It's highly modd-able with a decent fan base, with a plethora of game settings to make it easier or harder on the player's choosing. Looking forward to seeing more of this teams products and developments.

Combat and character building are solid and the main story is pretty good but I would like a little more depth to social interactions and reputation in sandbox.

It was OK. I like the skill system but nothing else was very good. The man quest was neat but ended fast, other than that its just doing the same 3 contract quests over and over. The perk system could use some work too, if you pick skill and perks yourself you're pretty well invincible by about Lv5 but I cant think of a game thats ever made more useless characters with the automatic pick system.

rranorth is an absolute blast to play. From the moment you step into its world, it pulls you in with rich storytelling and a sense of momentum that never lets up. The narrative feels layered and immersive, giving real weight to your choices and making every quest feel meaningful rather than routine. What really stands out is the pacing. The game strikes a fantastic balance between exploration, combat, and story progression. It never feels rushed, but it also never drags. There’s always something interesting unfolding—whether it’s uncovering new lore, facing a tough encounter, or developing your character in creative ways. The depth of customization adds another layer of fun. You’re not just playing through a fixed experience; you’re shaping your own path, experimenting with builds, and adapting to challenges in ways that feel genuinely rewarding. Overall, Erranorth is a deeply engaging experience with great storytelling and excellent pacing. It’s the kind of game that keeps you thinking about your next move even when you’re not playing—and that’s always a sign of something special.

This has been an absolutely fantastic adventure so far. Tons of replayability so far, fairly engaging story, love the combat, having a great time with it. Highly recommend to people that love to read and enjoy making choices that matter and living with the consequences.

It has its charm, good systems and lots of content. I love build variety in games - this game provides it. Also, an amazing achievement for a solo dev.

So far I enjoy the game quite a bit and have only played sandbox. My only real issue is the overworld map. I know there is a quick travel but their are things still difficult to find (ex. Statues for god). As well as finding new NPCs to add to the team. Also with the towns being so close when you start having horses the camping feature is no longer really needed (which is a shame because I love the camping and random events). And with how close you are to the map it feels claustrophobic. Suggestion: Personally I think a fix would be when you reach the town/city it brings you to another map that represents the place. Can have the NPCs walking around here to make them easier for the player to find (could even add bandits at night that you could fight there as well). Would either increase the map size or lower the movement gained from horses to +.5. As well as the ability to zoom out to give breathing room. Excited for future projects.

Good Game all around! Thank you for making this, it's refreshingly different from most of what I'm used to playing. I would certainly recommend this!

I honestly don't even remember why i decided to get this game. Nothing about this game really stood out to me besides being able to become a vampire ig.