RuneScape: Dragonwilds

The early access definitely shows. That is not to say it isn't a good game. I did not enjoy valheim, but the lack of gameplay friction in Dragonwilds makes it a significantly more chill experience. You will never encounter brick walls in progression. If you don't like grindy games, and want a serious difficulty challenge, it isn't for you. If you like prepping for a long time for bosses like in Terraria, this game is for you. In traditional runescape, gear swaps for specific bosses are required, in Dragonwilds it's possible to pick any class. In dragonwilds, most things are gear-locked rather than level-locked like in runescape. Levelling up certain skills is worthwhile, but the grind does not need to be as long as it is. Multiplayer is where the game really shines. Similar to project zomboid, having specific players be experts in specific things is a giant boon. Many things are level-locked rather than gear locked, like runecrafting, meaning dedicating one player to runecrafting or having each player lock themselves to a class can be convenient for all parties involved. The game optimization is [i]not very good.[/i] DLSS is not a crutch for bad optimization. Without DLSS, expect framerates in the 80s at medium settings even with good hardware. The game does feel quite clunky in certain places; combat is extremely easy to cheese and the fatigue system usually tires you out before you finish a dungeon, meaning that for longer dungeons you have to [i]walk back to the entrance[/i] to rest or just endure the stamina loss. I would prefer if the fatigue system was completely removed. It adds nothing to the game other than waste time; there's a spell to create a portable shelter to restore fatigue that's extremely easy to unlock. The mining spell unlocked by skill level is entirely dependent on luck, as most ore veins aren't tightly packed enough to break with the spell. The spell is also so powerful that it's faster to wait for the cooldown and go on a "mining run" than to actually mine deposits. Despite the jank, which I'm sure will be ironed out in later patches, the game is relatively feature complete and is a complete experience on its own, well worth the price tag.