The Vale: Shadow of the Crown

I feel like I have to mention I am blind and have been since birth. If I have to explain how I get around in daily life, I tell them to play this game. The voice acting is on par with a top quality radio drama, the mechanic is so instinctive I was using real life mobility skills to travel and oh my days the story had me in floods of tears. Forget best audio only game, this is the best game I have ever played. The only complaint I have is that it is criminally short. Some games like this, Lost In Blindness, A Blind Legend, they feel like vegitables. They're games designed to show people what life is like for people like me. This game not only feels like a great game, but it blows those others out of the water for actual real life skills we use. The worlds are some of the best sound design I've heard anywhere, the fighting is awesome, the cain reference is really relatable, and you feel empowered to be Alex. I kind of just want a free roam option so I can just chill and explore the world with nothing to do, but then I'd never leave the house. 11/10, no notes.

独特的“音游”体验 刚需听懂洋文。但是听懂了是一份绝不可多得的体验。也可能本以为是accessible游戏，最后真的超出预期太多。 全程无画面，但剥夺了视觉后对于盲人公主的代入感竟无可比拟。这是一个非常王道非常中世纪的RPG故事：抽丝剥茧的世界观、一个个城市的邂逅、身世的揭晓、乃至终章的高潮设计，竟能一步步地使人沉浸其中。大约7小时包含支线的流程，仿佛做了一场小天国拯救一般的梦，仅仅是一场女王归乡的王道旅途、竟然在最后嗅到了一丝史诗的味道。或许正因为没有视觉，所以听觉方面会让人格外专注，我特别喜欢shepherd在途中向我描述的晚霞盛景、老巫婆向我喊出princess的刹那、从盲人视角出发的独有叙事也并未缺席，甚至路上一场场相遇离别、拯救村民惩恶扬善的惯有桥段在这场盲人冒险中也别有风味，游戏最后一小时左右的终章使我的心情澎湃不已。 战斗操作方面相对平庸一些，在上中下三方向攻防的基础上、尽量做到了赋予变化（解谜、马车、不同音效的敌人），甚至加入了巫术要素。碍于游戏的底层逻辑对战斗也很难要求更多，只能靠脑补达到荣耀战魂/天国拯救的水平。但在音效与配音方面可谓出类拔萃：环境音、动物与人声、刀剑交错的打击声、巫术火球、不可名状之物等等极具临场感，角色们的配音演出更是折射着人物弧光，最后一刻那个刚毅、勇敢、正义、又不乏柔情的女王仿佛就在我的眼前。 ++ 强大的音效与配音演出 ++ 王道史诗的中世纪冒险 = 战斗操作相对简单 - 支线设计些许重复、且错过不可挽回 - 刚需听懂洋文 闭上双眼，戴上耳机，享受一场独特的盲人女王之旅 8.5/10

holy moly what an experience. i understand that its targeted toward niche crowd(blind) but Holy its a damn good game. Story is great, there are side story which are somewhat same. voice acting is great, the 3D audio is great. combat is acceptable. man to be blind and whooping ahhh and shooting bow and arrow, weilding magic. LOVE IT must try even if you not blind 4.5/5

"The Vale: Shadow of the Crown" is one of those very rare cases where the stringent quality standards I apply to every game I try out get waived... why the exception? This is a game for the blind and visually impaired, using audio cues and soundscapes to present a narrative driven action RPG that you don't see, you experience through the sounds you hear. You put yourself in the shoes of a blind heroine in a medieval fantasy world, and the different environments you hear in different directions using carefully done 3D sound guide your decisions on where to go, and what you can do when you get there. It's remarkable that the developers were able to create such a rich fantasy world completely without what most would say is the most important aspect of video games, the visuals. Anyway, my core philosophy is that gaming should be for everyone, and everyone should be able to enjoy great games (and be well informed so they can avoid the bad ones). Because this is one of those very rare games that gives the gift of gaming to those who usually miss out, I can't help but to give this a rare recommendation. It might not be for everyone, but for those gamers who can't see so great, this is a must have.

مغامرة من منظور أميرة كفيفة في عالم فانتازي تعتمد بالكامل على الصوت بدون أي عناصر بصرية ، التجربة تشتغل بشكل أفضل مع شخص يملك خيال واسع لأنك هنا ما تستقبل الصورة أنت تبنيها بمخيلتك غمضت عيوني وخليت الصوت يوجهني وكان ممتع فعلًا إحساس التركيز والتوتر خصوصًا في القتال وأنا رافعة الدرع أحاول أميز اتجاه الضربة و نوعها عشان أعرف متى أصدها ، كل شيء مبني على السمع: صوت التلويح والأصوات المحيطة كانت كافية تخليني أتخيل العالم بتفاصيله و غير انه فيه ثلاث صعوبات تزيد وقت القتال و سرعتهم في الضربة .. أعجبني وجود مهمات جانبية كثيرة، ممكن تحسها متشابهة ومكررة مع الوقت الا انها ضلت ممتعة للنهاية ⭐3.5\5 (5 ساعات)

I was diagnosed with glaucoma about three years ago, and my vision has gotten worse since then. I’m now completely blind in my left eye and have lost more than half the vision in my right, so it’s become much harder for me to play the games I used to enjoy so easily. That’s why games like A Blind Legend, and now The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, are so incredible to me. I would even say The Vale was better than A Blind Legend, and I absolutely loved A Blind Legend too. Not to say the other game wasn’t good, because it truly was, but this one was amazing. I really wish more audio-based and blind/visually impaired-friendly games — especially RPGs and action games — were made like this, and expanded on even further. If you are blind, visually impaired, or even if you’re not, I highly encourage you to play this game. It absolutely will not disappoint. And if it somehow does, then I have to ask: what planet are you from? Unless RPGs and action games just aren’t your thing, you’re seriously missing out. This gets a complete 5-star review from me. I loved it completely.

This is a perfect blend between a book and a game. It forces you to visualize the scene, just as a book, which inevitably leads to immersion, while still being interactive. The way turning off a mini-map in a huge open world game makes it more immersive, this is like that but better. I found myself 'daydreaming', where I zoned out while the scene was playing in my mind. Such a hidden gem, an absolute must play since there's nothing really like it. I feel like the steam page doesn't do it justice, it is a really emotional and immersive journey, with unexpectedly good combat and sound effects. PS: Play with eyes closed, or in complete darkness (and an OLED screen). And with headphones, of course.

game design is an art form, but I don't think of most games as works of art. This game is a work of art. It makes your feel things and experience things in ways that you might not be ready for. from a gameplay perspective: it is a very easy action hack/slash game, but the protagonist, and therefor the player is blind. The entire game is built from the ground up to be playable blind, and I find that the game is most immersive when played with the eyes closed. having to defeat foes while being unable to see them is an experience that is hard to convey

我听不懂，但我大受震撼

I am not blind, but the experience of this game was very unique. Being forced to listen like this was very interesting. The story, characters and voice acting are all quite good and make it worth playing already.