Recent reviews by grumbo

My only concern with this game is that the queue and load in times are so short that I don't have time to pee before raid.

Couldn't launch the game because I have a 5060ti. To fix, the devs want me to install old drivers that are not compatible with it. I refunded it.

I like runescape, bionicles, mushrooms, and dark souls, so naturally I like this game.

It's a little rough around the edges in some places, but overall very enjoyable, especially with two or three friends. The gameplay has massively improved since the demo was originally released in 2024, and I'm very hyped to see where the game goes in Early Access.

If this game were released by a different developer without the RuneScape IP, it would be poorly received.

Dragonwilds feels like a UE5 survival-crafting sample project with a sprinkling of RuneScape seasoning. It is a futile approximation of the Valheim gameplay loop, with a few questionable design decisions that really hold back the comparison. As a fan of both RuneScape and Valheim, the game somehow manages to disappoint me on both fronts.

If you turn off upscaling and frame generation it runs and looks like chunky mud. The art can be pretty but feels stylistically uninspired.

The gamefeel of running around is literally the stock Unreal character movement component. The combat is incredibly spammy. There is very little skill expression, your victory over an enemy is based on your arbitrary power level which increases when you are able to craft new gear. I want to explore, but the feeling of exploration and combat make this feel like a chore.

Crafting progression has nothing to do with leveling or grinding a skill. A level 1 noob can craft iron armor if they find the right materials. They do not need to level up a skill to do so. This is where the game departs from RuneScape, in my opinion. Sure you can grind your skills, but there's no real game progression reason to do so. If you know how, you can completely skip the bronze tier. The skills feel like a secondary afterthought.

The quests are nothing like RuneScape. They are like a Korean MMO where you literally just go somewhere and press E. I would expect pithy lines with dry British puns and somewhat complex logical puzzles, not to mention getting the required skill levels to complete the quest.

The building system is pretty good for its current implementation, but I hate it because I am constantly attacked by level 1 goblins who can destroy anything I build in 2 hits. Not to mention the constant dragon pools of poison. I want to build a pretty structure but currently have no way of defending it.

I love the utility spells and think that this feature is the saving grace of the game. They are all so creative and fun to use.

I am ultimately disappointed in the game as it currently stands, but I see the potential and I hope that they are able to rectify these issues.

I love this game because in order to express my creativity I have to first optimize my economy.

Reminds me of the critically acclaimed mod: Dingovania.

I want to like this game, it has potential to be great.

I felt like everything was clicking and my build was fun to play and powerful, then I tried fighting the final boss and was greeted with a "coming soon" screen. I feel like there's not enough content at this point to justify the pricetag.

The combat does not feel as skillful as the first game. Melee is spammy, like The Witcher, when I want it to feel more like Dark Souls. Swapping to ranged combat is fun, and it seems like there is build craft potential.

Exploring a procedural world will never be as compelling as exploring a bespoke world. It feels like I have tools to travel around but am constantly struggling with the terrain. The map gives away too much information and does not function well in multiplayer. I want to explore to find objectives, and I want to be able to relay information to my team on the map.

There are things to love about this game but there are many other things that leave me bewildered. Hyper Light Drifter is a huge inspiration for me and I am honestly somewhat disappointed in this game. But I see the and I hope that the early access period improves it significantly.

I generally recommend the game to fans of the genre.

Though, to be fair, I have played the demo and several builds of the game over the past year.

This is a high-quality, well polished distillation of the Souls-like formula. The pacing of combat and encounters is excellent and I really enjoy parrying and reflecting projectiles. The interface is well designed and it is clear how each choice I make affects my build.

I have a few qualms with the game but I do not think these are valid criticisms because the game is specifically marketed as top-down, minimalist, and abstract. Nonetheless, I find that I am less compelled to explore a two dimensional environment and at times it feels like the environment is not oppressive because of the game's nature as a souls-like, but oppressive because of my own dysphoria of inhabiting the body of an abstract triangle instead of a humanoid.

Still, it is impressive how much emotion and soul these developers have wrought from three lines.

I am a longtime fan of this series and am biased.

I think half of the negative reviews are crybabies who have had their hands held by AAA live service developers who make battlepass games that play like netflix with buttons. Some of these people have never installed a video game from a CD and it shows.

I will say I am not a fan of the UI (especially in combat) and losing gold on death is pretty harsh.

That being said, this is a complete upgrade on the original Hammerwatch and I am very impressed with how far they have taken the game engine.

The gameplay and rpg mechanics are crisp and I am enjoying planning out a build.

Yes.