The Foretold: Westmark Legacy

[h1] A Card Game KING review [/h1] Despite the amazing visual design and solid mechanics, regretfully I cannot recommend it due to many other issues plaguing this game. This includes unnecessary fights, repetitiveness, low player choice, time consuming battles and a few others which I will discuss below. Although I will say that the devs are fixing some of them with balance patches. I will say that I like the base mechanics. To explain them briefly, everything revolves around having a board with numbered cards that drop down each turn. Once they reach the bottom they can stack and their values add up creating a new number. The goal is to have the bottom value be an exact number and each time this is achieved your attack power increases. The cardplay comes into effect through cards that can manipulate the cards on the board by pushing, swapping, and changing values. It's simple, but works well as a support mechanic for a story rich game. Unfortunately, the game is torn between trying to be a (kind of) roguelike deckbuilder and visual novel that it doesn't do particularly well in either. From the roguelike deckbuilder perspective there are several issues. Enemies are always in the same place, and combat is slow and can become tedious quite quickly. The unnecessary battles don't help either. Apart from the lack of variety in enemies, the dialogue choices are the same with same results and sometimes you just need to quickly click through them and get it over with. The card play is interesting, but often the decisions are obvious, deckbuilding minimal, and frequently the best move is to skip the turn. Having a miss chance is absolutely frustrating as a miss often means 3 turns of setup are wasted. Honestly, a good story, along with the interesting theme and visuals, could still carry the troubled combat, but unfortunately is equally troubled. Sometimes you will encounter NPCs that act like you know them but you don't. Sometimes you will see them once and never again, never finishing their part of the story because you clicked on a different map node. There are also a lot of inconsistencies - one time my character found that the person they were looking for is dead, but in the same area comments how they hope the character is home (nope, still dead). Some encounters just suddenly end. I encountered some cultists (who were apparently in my property I guess) and after defeating them, there is nothing. No comment, or tying it to a greater plot or explain why were they there. This is a common theme unfortunately. Everything feels disjointed. When the ending came, it similarly also had a distinct lack of closure, because there was no proper build up leading to the resolution. Everything of importance only seems to happen on the last level and then it ends as quickly as it began. Speaking of the ending, the good ending is locked behind a RNG stat check, so if you didn't upgrade that stat you will only have 25% chance to get a good ending. I have no idea why it was designed this way. I wish there was a 2nd attempt to make this kind of game, because the idea and building blocks are there. Unfortunately, the story feels scattered around in small independent fragments, while the combat doesn't have enough depth or variety to warrant replaying the game more than a few times. [h1][b]The positive[/b] [/h1] + Visual and sound design. + The card mechanic is simple but interesting. It either needed a better story or have more complexity to carry the game by itself. [h1][b]The neutral[/b][/h1] * Bugs. Ranging from cards being unusable to forcing repeat on certain battles. However, these are being actively squashed so you might never see them. [h1][b]The negative[/b][/h1] - Story feels unpolished and all over the place. Same with characters that often only appear once. - Combat can be unsatisfying. It's slow, there is a miss chance, combat decisions are too obvious and deckbuilding is unsatisfying. - Not much replayability. Not many different branching paths and low enemy variety and deckbuilding options. - There isn't enough variety in how to approach combat and the few items they are in the game often do a similar thing. [h1][b]Conclusion:[/b] [/h1] Despite the visual appeal and solid concepts, the game struggles to keep either a cohesive story or have strong gameplay to carry the game. You can see a lot of effort poured into the game, so I hope there will be an another attempt. But as of now, unfortunately I can't recommend it. [code] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/36948155-Card-Game-KING/] FOR MORE REVIEWS ABOUT CARD GAMES, CHECK OUT OUR CURATOR PAGE: [b]CARD GAME KING [/b][/url] or [url=https://twitter.com/TheCardGameKing][b]TWITTER[/b][/url][/code]

[h3]RANKING:[/h3] [table] [tr] [td] [h3][strike]AVOID | FLAWED[/strike] | [b]MAYBE[/b] | [strike]WORTHWHILE | COMPELLING | UNMISSABLE [/strike] [/h3] [/td] [/tr] [/table] [h3]SYNOPSIS:[/h3] [table] [tr] [th][b]ASSESSMENT:[/b][/th] [/tr] [tr] [td] The Foretold: Westmark Legacy (TF:WL) follows on from a promising prologue with this very playable, horror themed gamebook adventure. Seemingly shorter but highly replayable, it embodies style over content, comes with an interesting story and Lovecraftian setting that's an immersive experience. A steep learning curve must be overcome before being able to fully enjoy combat and not be frustrated by early failures. Thus it suits players who can recall where to find each key item and which routes to take from previous playthroughs. Polished and refined, it has some fantastic voice acting and supporting audiovisuals that perfectly sell the mood. There are a few immersion breaking issues such as savegame glitches and frozen screens. It is also possible to build a character incapable of beating the game. Bar these issues and too short a story, TF:WL would have warranted more than a [b]MAYBE[/b] consideration. [/td] [/tr] [/table] [table] [tr] [td][b]STATUS:[/b][/td] [td]Fully released, but still needs some work to swat a mix of bugs and glitches [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]APPEAL:[/b][/td] [td]For fans of gamebooks. Especially those who enjoy the Lovecraft theme [/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]VALUE:[/b][/td] [td]Can't argue with its quality and the depth of mechanics, but seems overpriced for the amount of content [/td] [/tr] [/table] [quote=]Key provided by the developer through curator [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/tbtactics/][b]TURN-BASED TACTICS[/b] [/url] | Click to follow and receive updates for similar reviews[/quote] [i]More info below....[/i] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3251953514 [h3]OBSERVATIONS:[/h3] ► The CAMPAIGN seems more compact. Perhaps due to a combination of a smaller WORLD MAP and shorter travel distances between nodes. The non-descript area contributes to its generic feel. While the story should have been x3 the size. ► MAP NODES consist of the same: combat encounters, levelling up, weapon upgrades, save checkpoints, card trader, story-driven multiple choice events. The player can only travel forwards. Never backwards. So some event branches can be missed on a run, and only seen on subsequent ones. ► CHARACTER STRATEGIES from the prologue are less pronounced in TF:WL. Seems impossible to max out any single PERSONA stat, mainly due to short breadth of the game and the need to be able to pass stat checks in certain events. ► The CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE (COYA) style encounters are more pronounced in this title. A handful of key locations have multiple phases to navigate with more actions to decide upon. There are some issues with narrative's overall timeline, where events mention elements that did not occur on the same run. ► STAT CHECKS can be frustrating when 50% or better odds never triggering at critical moments in the game. The worst example was near the end, a 75% chance failing to succeed after x10 attempts on Normal diff. Bizarrely, on the first attempt on Hard diff, it had no such problem. ► The CARD SYSTEM returns for (non) and combat encounters. Compiled with the same layers of complexity that made for interesting puzzle-solving. Basic cards, non-turn inducing spells, plus a host of other states and modifications create a powerful mechanism with many combinations that will test a player's mettle to overcome. ► The marvellous INVENTORY of the prologue returns. A good selection of WEAPONS and RELICS provide a decent number of combat strategies. Either gains experience through use that unlock stat bonuses. Upgrades allow more of these items to be equipped and utilised during combat. ► RNG seems to have less of an effects in this game. Mainly impacting the choice of items offered as rewards. Though it should be noted it seems to favour the same items across a particular playthrough. At least some of the time. ► An altered ENEMY ROSTER returns. New enemies have been introduced more akin to the Arkham Asylum boardgame. Examples include cultists, a host of undead, deformed animals, zombies and werewolves. Each has their own combat abilities and fighting styles. Requiring their own strategies to overcome. ► AUDIOVISUALS are one of the game's best features. The Lovecraftian MOOD is perfectly captured by convincing visuals which are darker than in the prologue. Impressive graphic-novel style artwork, atmospheric audio and voice-acting add to the overall feel. ► The UI is functional, but let down by a lack of communication in combat. Initially core game mechanics can escape understanding despite there being tool-tips. Aspects like applied bonuses are shown, but disappear too quickly. A log of combat messages would have better served to remove the obfuscation. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3252070641 [h3]COMPLEXITY:[/h3] 🔶 ACCESSIBILITY - Its quite bad for new players. Initially the core mechanism that feeds the card system will feel obscure and perhaps overly complicated. There is no tutorial only a few info screens which never show after the first run. Had to rely on my time with the prologue. 🔶 DIFFICULTY - Very steep at the beginning. Requires multiple playthroughs to work out the best route and make 'better' choices through muscle memory. Patience and determination are a must. Ironically the next diff is easier. 🔶 BALANCE - Overall quite balanced, but much depends on the playthrough and ultimately the choices made. RNG has only a small affect. 🔶 PACING - Considering the variable effects on the game, this seems the most stable. The step-by-step approach allows the player to dictate their experience. RNG has no real affect. 🔶 SCALING - TF:WL is quite well scaled, but overall feel depends choices made. Scaling feels more organic outside the key multi-phase events of the game. RNG has some affect. [h3]STAYING POWER:[/h3] 🟨 REPLAY VALUE - Despite being a short scripted game, it has been built to be very replayable. Which works out as an unintended requirement due to its initial steep difficulty. Becomes formulaic because of a lack of viable strategies. Nor are there any random or proc. generated elements. 🟨 LONGEVITY - There is no long-term draw once all x3 difficulties have been completed to spring 100% achievements. [h3]PRODUCTION:[/h3] 🟣 QUALITY - Its refined and has considerable polish. It is prone to a fair amount of glitches with a few leading to potential softlocks. A small amount of bugs have been reported and some experienced. The worst being savegame issues. 🟣 STABILITY - No crashes experienced, but progress can be lost through savegame and screen glitches. 🟣 STEAM - Organic achievements require completing the game across all x3 difficulties. Cloud saving. Overlay screenshot capture. No controller support. 🟣 OPTIMISATION - Runs consistently at 60 FPS. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3252069619 [table] [tr] [td][b]REVIEWED WITH:[/b][/td] [td]Build v 1.0.3 INTEL i5 6600 3.3GHz, 8GB RAM, GTX970 @ 1GB 1920x1080 fullscreen, EVO850 SSD, Speedlink XEOX Pro Analog Gamepad [/td] [/tr] [/table] [table][tr] [td]Click for:[/td] [td][h1][url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/TheIrregularGamer/discussions/0/4326348922705123744/]Full Review[/url][/h1][/td] [/tr][/table][table][tr] [td]Click for:[/td] [td][h1][url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/nourl1/recommended/2432680/]Prologue Review[/url][/h1][/td] [/tr][/table] [quote=]Thank you for reading | Click to follow my curator[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/40556040-The-Irregular-Gamer/] THE IRREGULAR GAMER[/url][/quote]

Leider ist der "chaotische" Schwierigkeitsgrad unschaffbar, mit dem leider auch diverse Errungenschaften verbunden sind. Irgendwann landet man vor einem Gegner, der dich mit einem Schlag tötet, egal wie gut die Waffe gelevelt ist und egal was du alles ausgerüstet hast. Beim Auswählen dieses Schwierigkeitsgrades steht schon als Warnung obendrüber, daß man vermutlich sterben wird, aber wieso sind dann Errungenschaften daran geknüpft? Ich finde das einfach frustrierend. Die 0,7% der Leute mit diesen Errungenschaften haben vermutlich ein Cheatprogramm benutzt... Der normale Schwierigkeitsgrad ist aber spaßig, auch weil ich das Spielprinzip interessant fand. Leider war ich schnell durch mit dem Spiel (4-5 Stunden) und wollte eine etwas größere Herausforderung. Aber wie schon gesagt, der chaotische Schwierigkeitsgrad ist unschaffbar. Daher würde ich das Spiel nicht weiter empfehlen, da die kurze Spielzeit sich im Vergleich zum Anschaffungspreis (19,50 Euro) in meinen Augen nicht lohnt. Blackscreens und fehlende Speicheroption: Ich hatte während meiner Spielzeit fünf Blackscreens nach dem Besiegen von Gegnern (waren leider immer schwere Gegner und die Kämpfe hatten entsprechend lange gedauert). Ich mußte das Spiel dann über den Taskmanager beenden und wegen der fehlenden Speicheroption den Gegner erneut bekämpfen. Das Spiel speichert an Checkpoints automatisch, aber diese sind so doof verteilt, daß sie eigentlich nutzlos sind.

Whilst I do quite like the combat mechanics, there is a serious lack of content in the game. I played through the main campaign in a couple of hours, and although there is a certain amount of replay-ability it does get increasingly repetitive on successive playthroughs. I got this in a half price sale, and even at that price point I feel a little bit cheated with the main campaign being so short.

Just WAY too short a game for the price. Interesting and fun while it lasts though. But starting again after unlocking a more difficult version of exactly the same story doesn't compensate for it's brevity.

Мне игра понравилась. Обратил на неё внимание ещё с момента выхода демки. Особого внимания заслуживает мрачная атмосфера, которая создаётся как иллюстрациями, так и хорошей игрой актёров. Тексты проработаны тщательно: есть и философские нотки и юмор. Имеется, правда один нюанс… По всей видимости, пытаясь повысить степень реиграбельности, разработчик предусмотрел возможность прибытия в финальную точку карты разными путями. В зависимости от выбора пути, главный герой встречает разных персонажей. Так вот местами создаётся странное впечатление, что ГГ уже знаком со встретившимся ему человеком, хотя игрок видит его впервые. Не сказал бы, что это – критическая проблема, но создать некоторый дискомфорт и вызвать недоумение она может. Многие критиковали игру за сложность боёвки, но лично я на нормальном уровне сложности проиграл за 3 прохождения всего 2 боя. Возможно, разработчик провёл ребалансировку этого аспекта, хотя допускаю, что если не подбирать снаряжение под стиль боя игрока и не думать над тактикой на игровом поле, то можно проиграть даже одну из первых стычек с врагом. Несмотря на некоторые технические нюансы, игра произвела на меня положительное впечатление. На мой взгляд, главная её изюминка – повествование. Любителям сказок с тёмной, гнетущей атмосферой, думаю, она придётся по душе. Русская локализация отсутствует, поэтому я решил начать прохождение с собственным дубляжом: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9ruLKe5Jic&list=PL0gwzo2l7TCZ29UEuTOzEK1xhUnHMgeMr

Cool combat system but too little content and too many bugs. Unfinished, abandoned. A shame. Pros: + Interesting setting well served by appropriate dark fantasy graphics and animated cutscenes + The puzzle-like combat is original, engaging, but the fights are few and far apart during a run + The voice acting is very good Cons: - Bugged beyond belief for a full-release game (e.g. post-Craven black screen has been acknowledged, yet unpatched since 2024. Same with the irremovable pumpkin head during combat - known bug, easy fix one would think, left unpatched for years). Disgraceful attitude by the devs - Too linear, with very few branching paths, no meta progression = too repetitive, little replay value - Extremely short, a run can be completed in less than 30 minutes - Saving only allowed at pre-determined points. No respect for the players' time - Features such as key rebindings not implemented (despite appearing as a greyed-out option in the menu) - Poor tutorial. Mouse-over tooltips are incomplete and poorly implemented - Misspellings, missing capitalization, punctuation errors - The price is too high, even on sale, for the available content and its current lack of polish

I absolutely love this game. It has a great setting, which oozes atmosphere, along with a Lovecraftian narrative that's very compelling. All of this creates a world that's engaging and rewarding to explore. The game play look confusing or come off as simple, but there's a depth to it that's fun to learn and mess around with. I also love the voice acting, that's really well done and adds a lot to bringing this wonderfully realised world to life. Highly recommended. Especially for fans of Eldritch literature and deckbuikders.

Nice game. Can replay the game several times to explore different outcomes and stories. Overall it's a fun game.

首先感谢作者、发行大佬们的信任，赠送给UU鉴赏家的牵线游戏。 如此“厚礼”，不知要如何表达感谢，不如就赠上一篇简中语言区的好评吧。 [h1][quote=] [table] [tr] [th]　欢迎关注 [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38287879]网易UU鉴赏家培养计划[/url][/th] [/tr] [tr] [th]　关注UU加速器VX公众号，回复“steam”，获得专属玩家群邀请。　[/th] [/tr] [/table] [/quote][/h1] [h1]相当挑玩家的游戏，还不是一般玩家能接受的那种[/h1] 《The Foretold: Westmark Legacy》是一款相当挑玩家的游戏，并且还不是一般玩家能接受的那种。首先游戏的风格是相当阴暗的高仑恐怖风格，但这并还不是重点，最为关键的地方是游戏有着一定的数学玩法，而且还是比较奇怪的数字排序，这样的玩法虽然新颖，但对大多数玩家来说，未免枯燥了点！（我们好不容易打开游戏休闲一下，竟然又要面对习题？） 游戏的进程以恐怖剧情为推进，玩家将扮演赫伯特与恶魔安布罗斯一同处理韦斯特马克家族的土地纠纷并随着调查的深入逐渐发现隐藏的真相。这其中将遭遇各种各样的恐怖事件和生物，玩家需要根据游戏内角色属性及自身过硬的数学天赋给予解决。玩法为常见的爬塔卡牌模式，只是皆有了一定的变相改变，喜欢这类型的应该会喜欢。 游戏里各种各样的道具、装备、遗物、卡牌应有尽有，但最为重要的还是战斗部分。战斗系统需要玩家对随机而来的几个数字利用手上的功能卡牌进行组合排序，以组成下方格子要求获得的数字。卡牌的功能就是一些相加、减半、左右移动、上下移动之类的，看着似乎简单，实则每次战斗基本都需要十来分钟，除非喜欢数学的小伙伴，不然必然会感觉相当枯燥！ 总而言之，这是一款挑人的游戏，如果不是同时喜欢恐怖题材和数学，建议慎重，只单单喜欢其中之一，可能也并非适合，有着恐怖题材，也无法用来给小孩子提升数学能力，这游戏定位，相当可人哇！