SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition

[b]My Playtime:[/b] 16.6h (finished the game) [h1]Intro[/h1] [i]SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition[/i] is a roguelike turn-based game with ASCII art. It offers several customizations on your build from your class, modifiers, and upgrades. [b]Pros:[/b] - Different builds to play the game with - 3+ difficulties [b]Cons:[/b] - Repetitive gameplay - Cheap deaths [b]Specs[/b] Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 [h1]Should you buy this game?[/h1] [i]I'm not enjoying how repetitive and grindy it is.[/i] [hr][/hr] [h1]In-Depth Review[/h1] [h3]Visuals[/h3] The game uses ASCII art. This means that the UI and the images on the screen are made of a bunch of text and symbols. The drawings are done well; you can see what most things are meant to be, and the colors also help to make the objects stand out from the UI. [h3]Story[/h3] The story starts with explaining the state of the world you live in, which shifts into the journey of the main character who is trying to go and slay the evil. The story is linear with a lot of exposition. You'll feel like reading a visual novel because of that, especially since the story is presented in a wall of text. That being said, I found that most of the story can be skipped for the same reason. The ending was also confusing with a lot of holes, which probably would have been addressed if the game had a second installment. The thing is, it has been 10 years, and it doesn't seem as if we're going to have it. [h3]The Game[/h3] [b]Gameplay[/b] [i]SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition[/i] is a turn-based game at its core, where you can choose your class and modifier at the start of the game. As you progress, you'll also be able to choose skills that you can learn and allocate skill stats and mastery to make it more unique. However, you won't be able to reset your choice, so you need to restart the whole game if you made the wrong build and can't progress, whether it's from killing yourself or restarting it manually. Dying means death, unless you are playing the easiest difficulty. However, a lot of deaths tend to come from RNG, be it from two consecutive random events that can reduce your health or unfair fights in the coliseum that give an opponent that is too strong for you to beat. For the latter one, there is an option to run away, but the chance isn't always 100%. Plus, there are also occasions where an enemy can reduce a chunk of your health at once, more so than their usual attack. I myself found that dying is just an annoyance in this game since everything seems to want to kill you from these unfair things, not your mistakes. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=659027891 The game offers a lot of choices that you can make. You'll be able to explore the main story, buy some weapons, manage a bar, participate in the coliseum, and tons of other things, but sadly, they are too monotonous. You'll find yourself typing the same thing over and over to repeat the same actions, especially since you always need to grind at some point to progress with the game. Enemies in the coliseum will be stronger and can kill you compared to the enemies in the main story, but it's the only way you have to get better gear and grind levels more efficiently. [b]Combat[/b] The combat is similar to other turn-based games, except that you need to type your input rather than pressing a button to select an option. You can do a combo to increase your finisher's damage, use some skills to deal damage, or heal. Skills have certain restrictions before they can become effective, so you'll rely on your combo and finisher most of the time. The combo can be broken if you heal midway though, so you need to formulate a strategy to fight efficiently. Sometimes, an enemy will try to defend or attempt a big attack, and you need to respond by moving away from your spot. Doing the same thing too many times will also break your combo, although sometimes, you'll be able to do a follow-up to deal higher damage. Balancing between the options that you choose and the random prompt is necessary to win the battle. Enemies have different affixes. Some will have higher health, some will be able to bleed you more frequently, and many more. Some enemies will even have more than one affix, which might change your strategy in battle. There are only a few that will force you to do that, though, as the basics are usually the same. Bosses don't have affixes, but they are usually stronger than normal enemies and have their own perks. Just imagine them as if they have a hidden affix and it'll fit right in. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=453917725 [b]Length and Difficulty[/b] I finished the game in 16.6h. I died once in the normal difficulty, then restarted the game in the easiest difficulty to finish the game. It has three difficulties in total, and a higher difficulty will unlock after you finish the game, along with a new game+ option that will reset you to the beginning with everything intact. The game can be easy or hard depending on your build. I almost didn't manage to beat the last boss; it took me a lot of equipment changes and luck since my build wasn't up to standard. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] Despite the unique concept, all I could remember when playing [i]SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition[/i] was just its grind. Doing battles for who knows how long, with the same tactics and strategy—it tires me out. Moreover, the permanent death seems to just give an excuse for the cheap deaths that the game has. This might be obvious, but I couldn't recommend the game.

[quote]Follow my Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41363546-Fruit-N-Doggie-Reviews/]Fruit N Doggie Reviews,[/url] so you can be updated whenever I post a new review.[/quote] [h1]Overall Rating - Seriously Flawed ★★☆☆☆[/h1] [h1]First Impressions[/h1] SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition (SB) was one of the earlier games released for Humble Bundle monthly. It was quite unlike any other RPG I had played, and so when I first tried it, its unique style caught me off guard, so I decided to leave it be. Fast forward several years, and not only did I give it another try, I also let another large span of time pass after my last time playing it. This time though, trying to record a Let's Play is what threw a big monkey wrench into my experience. Either way, I've left this title alone for far too long, and needed to finish matters. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Although SB looks different from any other RPG you're likely to play, by and large it still functions the way you'd expect. You'll acquire information by speaking with NPCs, obtain better equipment, find treasure, fight tough bosses, etc. Also included is a crafting system, where different grades of raw materials can be used to make equipment. I honestly found it kind of confusing how to manipulate the process so you'd create quality items more consistently instead of fouling them up, but that's kind of how the game is designed overall. For example, understanding the stats and character classes in order to develop a capable hero isn't as straightforward as I'd hope. Aside from its appearance, a big difference between this and other RPGs comes from its battles, as it has a strong emphasis on building combos, and setting up your next move strategically in order to trigger a handful of effects. At any time you'll have a list of possible moves you can make, and after picking the first attack, this brings up new options. Enemies won't be sitting idly by as you make those choices though, and you'll be hit with various ailments if you don't properly counter their attacks. Sometimes, you'll have to disrupt a combo you were building up in order to protect yourself from being hit by a devastating move, but other times it'll work out so you can pull off a strong finisher. It looks complicated with all the variables to consider, but after getting used to it, your choices become second nature. Often enough, there's a move you simply can't afford to be hit by, so your theoretical options actually narrows down to only one sensible choice. [h1]Controls[/h1] Since the game is comprised of keyboard symbols, it seems only reasonable that a keyboard would be used to play it. All of the menus will be navigated using a number or letter selection system, with a list of options off to the corner. This goes for both combat and exploring the world at large. As long as you stay focused, you shouldn't have any problems, and can benefit from hidden secrets if you're especially attentive. [h1]Story[/h1] Following a story-line fitting for a medieval fantasy world, there's a mighty sword hidden and plunged inside a stone, for its so powerful that it alone is a threat to all mortal beings. Hell bent on acquiring it, The Matron sought it until she was finally able to claim it for her own. A mighty wizard was able to hold her back temporarily, but even he succumbed to this force, and the world is once again under threat of being destroyed by The Matron. Your primary goal is to stop her by any means necessary. It's a straightforward enough goal and obstacle, though with the game tossing crumbs over what feels like long periods of time, plot progression comes out at a trickle. [h1]Visuals[/h1] This is the most striking aspect of SB, as it uses keyboard symbols as the basis for all the game's visuals, which is called ASCII art. When I saw that in the game's description, I thought it was a really old computer model or operating system I knew nothing about. Either way, in spite of being a very simple style, it's rather striking, and isn't something that comes up all that often. With a bit of imagination, each item, NPC, and monster has the rough semblance of what its striving to represent, which is all a game really has to do in theory. Compared to other minimalistic styles, I find this much more compelling than a title that merely makes use of geometric shapes for every character and enemy. [h1]Sound Design[/h1] Based on how the game looks, it wasn't too surprising that the track was built from chip tunes. It sounds more refined than old-school beeps and boops, but it still makes use of simple sound effects in order to compose the numerous songs from the game. From the different moods and styles comprising the RPG, you wouldn't think the composer had many limitations, because it's truly a great OST. Although there's a large number of songs throughout the game, with some lasting around four or five minutes, many of them are on the shorter side. This lends itself to the tunes looping fairly quick, so if you aren't more efficient with your playing style, they might get repetitive. Also, depending on how you handle certain tones or pitches, some notes or sound effects could be irritating to listen to. [h1]Pros[/h1] 🌟 I think this game would really hit the right spot for fans of old school RPGs. It has a classic vibe to it. 🌟 The visuals make the game stand out amongst so many options on Steam. [h1]Cons[/h1] ❌ I understand how some people want every battle in an RPG to be meaningful, where you can't just mindlessly mash a button to get through it. However, if that's going to be the case, than I'd argue that you can't also put in monotonous grinding. How many battles you have to fight should be reduced to compensate for the higher level of effort, but this game has a lot of repetitive fighting in it. ❌ The game's sense of humor reminds me of what my friends and I would have done when we were teenagers. We'd make up a joke or reference to something, find it hilarious, and bring it up in all sorts of situations. That seems to be the case for this game and potatoes. “Hey guys, I just thought of something. Potato... salad!” “Hahahaha! Good one!” ❌ If you don't design your character in an optimal way, you'll struggle throughout the game. It's rather unforgiving. [h1]Tips[/h1] 🔍 I'd recommend playing on the easier difficulty that doesn't include perma-death, as it's really easy to make a mistake during a crucial fight and have the enemy turn it around on you. 🔍 Look up a character guide so you have a well-designed warrior to play as. Otherwise, you'll be facing many uphill battles. [h1]Final Thoughts[/h1] My greatest annoyance with SB is that the enemy controls the flow of battle. In order to address the various statuses and powerful attacks they charge up, you have to respond in very specific ways, lest they start bulldozing you. When you get used to it, fights can go fairly fast, as it tends to follow set patterns, but you still follow where they lead you. Battles present a guise that you have several options at any given moment, yet since you can't be too reckless with your resources, there's far less viable choices than you might expect. What convinced me that I didn't like this system is when I stopped hamming things up for my now deleted recordings, and I realized how unengaged I was with the game. It's really not that interesting, even though I want to love it for having a unique style. However, gameplay rules over everything else, and since it fell flat for me, I can't recommend it. [table] [tr] [th]PC Specs[/th] [th]Performance[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Ryzen 2700 RTX 2070 16GB RAM ADATA SSD 1920x1080 [/td] [td]The game ran without incident on default settings. 💖 - SB is healthy [/td] [/tr] [/table]

I have been playing this on and off for years and I still know there is a crazy amount of stuff to experiment with and uncover. The art and sound design are very cool as well.

Un roguelike geniale e che sa dare dipendenza, nonostante il suo aspetto possa sembrare quello di una calcolatrice scientifica. Dietro a quello schermo nero pieno di caratteri ASCII si nasconde un gioco semplice e allo stesso tempo sfidante, incredibilmente bravo nel dare assuefazione con le sue brevi ma semplici interazioni, che riesce anche incredibilmente a essere "graficamente" appagante, segno della bravura di chi ha realizzato sapientemente interfaccia e "sprite". Dal punto di vista ludico è un roguelike duro e crudo: muori? Rinasci con un altro eroe e ricomincia dal principio, ci penserà il cimitero dell'HUB centrale di gioco a ricordare tutti i tuoi eroi caduti. Bella anche la costruzione del personaggio, che tra equipaggiamenti e perk attivi e passivi, diventerà sempre più variegato e "complicato" da usare nelle centinaia e centinaia di battaglie che ci aspetteranno. Un gioco da pause pranzo e che assolutamente da il meglio di se in portabilità. Cheers...all'ASCII.

For a cheap price it's ok for the hours you can get out of the loop if you like turn based combat and grinding. I was disappointed by the ending, and the story in general seems to try to hint at a plot and resolution that just isn't there, leaving you feeling like you're missing something. The combat loop is engaging - you are kept paying attention by situational prompts to react to such as repositioning to avoid an enemy charge, foucsing to double combo count, or grappling to deal more damage (and conversely being penalized if you skip this one). The nice thing is depending on the state of the battle it can be a valid to choice to do a different move if you have another priority, so it's not entirely just "hit the same sequence of buttons and the prompt." Certain modifiers are more of a pain than others, but in general keeping a healthy hp pool, not letting your current MP climb to high (spend it frequently against threshers), and playing safe on healing helps with a lot. The devs could've also been more evil about loading backups, so I appreciate the ability to do so if you feel you got robbed, though make sure you save the backup files *before* you die as they get wiped. The combat options can seem overwhelming but aren't that bad to get used to, with the main 1-2-3-3 combo (you could also do 2-1-3-3 or 3-3 but it's rarely going to make or break a fight) doing most of the heavy lifting. Building a character with a plan is definitely necessary, but the various build guides on steam guides as well as from google generally work out well, and generally the idea is go for synergy. Out of combat is more disappointing however. The game presents a bevy of options, many of which are of questionable utility. There is a hidden room that only gives 1 quest, NPCs never update their dialogue to match the current story point, and the Market and Temple seem largely pointless to name a few. Much of the player growth ends up coming from crafting, which is much more repetitive than combat and subject to RNG. The gear you craft is entirely randomized, and also much better than the available gear that drops with the sole exception of the blacksmith's premium weapons. I spent a frustrating amount of time repeatedly crafting the same general rotation to get a desired effect and substats. Finally, the game hints at a larger world and choices between certain NPC dialogues and the faction system, but having beaten the game once and gotten partway through a NG+ this has not paid off yet. The story beat about the Brotherhood and the Resistance never goes anywhere, the mysterious NPC is never explained, and ultimately faction is reduced to a 20 percent damage buff if you have a weapon with the correct tag. Ultimately I still recommend, but get it cheap and expect a grindy, light rpg rather than a hardcore decision-making/resource management/mechanics game like the oldschool roguelikes (nethack/angborn/etc) or a deep narrative experience like jrpgs. Good for playing during travel downtime.

Wonderful game. Clever combat system where you chain attacks together to make combos, balanced with repositioning and charging an attack meter. Great depth of gameplay in other areas too. Easy to play for short or long periods. Very hard to master.

It's a little hard to describe the gameplay loop of this game, but it's a combo-heavy RPG with a lot of moving parts that seem more complex than they really are. Combat is mostly just observing moment to moment which mechanic you need to refresh or push (combo counter, barriers, mantras, mana expunge, adrenal smash, snares, guarding, poison, etc) and outside of combat you're mostly just grabbing all the free stuff that refreshes day to day. Fun and not too hard once you understand how things work, and the artstyle is truly one of a kind.

Невероятно затягивающая смесь ролевого экшена и рогалика, визуал которой выполнен в виде символов, букв и цифр из ASCII. Непримечательная на первый взгляд SanctuaryRPG сходу затягивает многообразием игровых событий, предметов и другого наполнения, заставляя идти на новый заход в надежде продвинуться как можно дальше. Для тех, кто боится играть в режиме одной жизни предусмотрен слегка упрощенный режим без перманентной смерти. [url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/10680382/] Больше обзоров читайте на кураторе.[/url]

It works great on steamdeck with the community template. The music is really nice (I'm going to buy the soundtrack, I think it's worth it). And the game can be challenging on lunatic mode. I like it a lot!

這款遊戲蠻厲害的，用文字來呈現各種圖案，另外所有的玩法也都是透過文字敘述來遊玩，本身不反對看文字的玩家可推薦！ 但是遊戲是全英文，需要有一定程度才玩得起來...小弟邊玩邊翻譯挺痛苦。