IMMORTAL REALMS - BETA REVIEW (~60hrs)

[DexGames]

IMMORTAL REALMS - VAMPIRE WARS
[BETA REVIEW]

INTRO
~60hrs in, I must say, unlike my previous post, I do like the game. The concept is indeed absolutely amazing, but here's what makes this game be more of a prototype, rather than a full game. It lacks too many features to be thought of as a full game experience.

(It's obvious but worth mentioning that, everything that I'll mention here, are not revolutionnary. I'm not reinventing the wheel, most of the devs from this game could come in and say :
"Of course, if I had more time and money, I would've implement that".
I'm sure, off all the things I'll mention. Devs want/wanted to put them in, so hold on to your butts)


PROTOTYPE
Yes, I said "prototype". Because this is what Immortal Realms - Vampire Wars is to me. It is a stable, full functionning, very fun and very cool prototype to play. But feels more like a "first iteration" of what the game truely holds within itslef. And it is here, that the fun begins.


WHAT DOES THE GAME NEED
So, in my humble opinion. Here's what Immortal Realms needs, in order to be more than a working prototype, and unleash its true potential.

First, it needs money. Yes, Kalypso is a very tiny studio with not a lot of money, trying to make a cool game about vampires and stuff. But you feel the lack of everything they would have put in it, given appropriate resources.
Second, the game needs more developpment in Art & Animation in my opinion. Kalypso needs either more time, or more people to work on the game.


ART
Elizabeth, Vlad & Urhammu : I see them as three very cool "Hereos". And "Hereos" is the part I want to expand on. I think there should be way more defined characters.
It's simple there's Elizabeth, Vlad, Cecilia & Urhammu, the rest are peons, litteraly. No one else exists in the world of Nemir.

In summary : More Art, to help create more Defined Characters, more "Heroes/Lords".
Just like how the current ones works. They're all different from each other, different stats, different mechanics, different spells (even though the spells that are in, are redundant across every Lord, that would need to be changed aswell).

I think the setting background of the game has to be dug deeper, to help making new characters rise, and go on from there. Entertwined relationships between clans & characters, motivations, goals, intrigue, etc.
Like Cecilia's story arc, this is what has to come in a lot more. Very cool character, but it's kind of a cheap version of Sylvanas Coursevent to be honest.
(Devs : I know it, you know it, everybody will know it, and that's ok lol)

I say "cheap" because of how it's delivered. It is still a good intrigue overall, but it needs to be spread out over multiple campaign missions. Not four, with a two or three lines of dialogue behind it.

Aside to that, I think a huge selling point of this game, and what makes it look good : is the work they've put on the animated cards. It looks awesome and should and should remain like that. Keep it the same, just need more of them. (hence more Art)


ANIMATIONS
Animation, this is my TOP recommendation to work on. Immortal Realms is a game about Vampires... I haven't seen a single "Vampire Themed" attack or animation in the game.

They are all attacking with swords, arcs, punches & kicks ! The game needs animations, at best, on every units in the game. At least, on Lords. Make them more of the Hereos they're supposed to represent ! Show me Vlad bitting ennemy's neck, sucking blood, as a vampire would do.
More diversity in animation is what is lacking here. For exemple, The "swarm like" creatures, multiple models like zombies making one combat unit (3 or 4 in a single tile). I think you should play it more like Heores of Might and Magic, and make all of them a single, well animated, unique creature.


CAMPAIGN
The Game has a Campaign, in the form of three Mini-Campaign revolving around the three different Vampire Clans playable in the game. Each of them have their own side of the "General Story", which is great and helps a lot setting up the tone & vibe of Nemir's world. Unfortunately, the campaign while interesting, is way too short.

The Campaign would have to be way more substential.
Because the first and most obvious department in which it lacks is the lentgh of it, "the content".
4 short missions per clan, that serve more or less as of a tutorial, while setting up the clans' stories is really not enough.


MAPS
There's only 4 maps Total in the game, and I think it really is a problem.

By the time we finish the campaign, in which there are stories to keep us hooked in, mission afters mission. What else is there to do after that ? There's Sandbox. But what will happen when you're done that ? There's nothing left, new or interesting to do.

In my case, I'm playing the beta. I've already finish both the entire Dracul's & Nosfernus mini-campaigns (and that's just a few hours). I went into sandbox, played in all of them. I played each with a different clans, and won all of them.
This is very important to say, that I did had fun doing it. But unfortunately, once you're done with it, playing all clans in evey map. There's just no point returning back in, it will forever be the same.
You'd have to replay the campaign or the same exact 4 maps over and over again.

And on that front, I feel like Maps, especially in Sandbox have to be way larger. Overall, I think the game needs a way bigger scale visually.
For exemple, the maps needs NEUTRAL CREATURES, and stuff to do within those maps ! (Ancient Tombs are a good exemple for that, but it's the only, single, lonely one...)

Keep going on with that, and you will see that the game maps and worlds will have to go like 3, 4 even 10 times larger than what they are now. Camps to raid, Castles to conquer, Magic Items to find (not only to buy, like now).
For exemple, tier 3 item only findable exploring maps ? Magic unique Cards to find once in a while ? Same families of items, Set Bonus ? Could go on and on.

I don't know, I want the overworld map to still look like a top-down overworld map. But in combat, I want it to look like a Turn-based RPG, with Vampires jumping on preys etc. (Great looking unique Heroes, Good looking armies, etc)


CUSTOMIZATION
The game severely lacks customization features, especially in-lobby or pre-game.
For exemple :
- Choose Starting Heroes.
- Custom Starting Heroes.
- Custom Maps.
- Custom Card Decks.
- Custom Start Location.
- More Win Conditions.
- Etc, etc.

None of this is possible. If we're all stuck, starting every Moroia's game with Elizabeth (even if she's the best) it doesn't help having replayability values, since we're always with the same "Heroes".
It goes back to what I've said about Heroes/Lords, more diverse and unique cool characters to play with. That's why it is important to allow for different choices.


SUMMARY
In the end, I'd like to list everything that comes to my mind, on every aspects. Easy to digest "what I want/hope to see" Immortal Realms become.
But first, I would like to say that Kalypso truely holds, a small, unpolished gem in their hands. The Game, and the franchise as a whole, has so much untamed potential under its hood.


SO WHAT'S IN MY MIND WHEN I THINK ABOUT IMMORTAL REALMS - VAMPIRE WARS

What it is :
It is Heroes 3, with VAMPIRES, with unique Faction's Playstyles, unique Faction's Skill Trees, with Cards, with Claiming Territories. (which is awesome, that's why I think they hold a true gem right here)

What it needs :
True Campaign, Longer, Deeper & Complex.
Unique Heroes & Lords.
More Maps. (like way more)
More Customization, which-ever form it takes.
More Art.
More Vampire Themed Animations, Spells & VFXs.


CONCLUSION
I think the game is good, but not worth 40€ at all. 4 Missions per clans, with little to no dialogues whatsoever, with only 4 Sandbox maps to replay on. This is just not enough.

Although, I'm already waiting for a sequel. Yes, I say sequel.

Because if "changes" can't be made for this one. I hope Kalypso will make enough money from this one, (part of why I didn't ask for a refund. Please enjoy, and make good use of my money), and will start up a new one from the ground up.

Keeping all that is great, Cards, Claims, VAMPIRES, Skill Trees, Spells, Items, Unit Tiers (more), etc.
But revamping everything else. (revamping... got it ?)
The scale, the quality, the engine (Unreal Engine is free, stop using an hacked Warcraft 3's game engine copy lol), the content, the visuals, art, animations, vfx, music, interface, etc.


As I've said before, Heroes of Might & Magic, but with Vampire Clans, with Cards Deck, Empire Management, RPG Mechanics like Items, Spells, Skill Trees and so on.
Dude, that's f**king amazing, the potential is so high.
So I hope there will be a follow up on this game or this franchise, with a better overall direction, and top-notch execution.
Right now, it's a good enough starting base.

Thanks for reading.
DexGames

[KnuckleHead]

One of the most mealy-mouthed and long winded reviews I've read in some time.

4/10

[GidbinN]

lots of good points, OP.

I'd also like to see a larger campaign and more hero customization for what the game is priced at.

[Ol' Dirty Custard]

Originally posted by KnuckleHead:

One of the most mealy-mouthed and long winded reviews I've read in some time.

4/10

One of the most word-less and concise reviews of a review I've read in some time.

8/10

[WaywardPaladin]

Animation is expensive and I don't think would add much at this point to the game.

We certainly do need more characters, notable heroes in the game. I also think a change to hero design is in order, they should have bonuses tied to certain unit types to encourage mixing up unit compositions per lord because right now I just end up with "3 tier III ranged, some tier 3 tanks, tier 3 flankers" with every army.

Speaking of, I always seem to just skip Tier II completely. Maybe Tier III needs to be further down the tech tree or there be an additional ability that you can unlock on Tier IIs that while still lower stats than Tier III, let's them strongly support those units so you'll want to keep a few of them in your army.

And of course, playable humans. Need to hunt some vampires...

[Omgwtflol]

Lol maybe they should have gone epic exclusive.

[^1BigBossMan1978 [BE]]

Originally posted by KnuckleHead:

One of the most mealy-mouthed and long winded reviews I've read in some time.

4/10

This comment is like making a fart while standing inside a windy storm and hoping to hear it.
Utterly useless!

[Dr Morningwood]

I don't really care about animations and what not, but the map settings (and more of the maps themselves) are absolutely crucial. That's what gives games like this a long life, that's what makes people go back and play again.
This and map editor, to create your own campaigns and scenarious - just look at Discliples 2 or HOMM 3 - those games still have an army of fans creating context.
But I understand that asking for an editor is a bit unrealistic. Asking for maps and map settings is not.

[Ferien auf dem Innenhof]

Originally posted by DexGames:

"Of course, if I had more time and money, I would've implement that".

I think the game is good, but not worth 40€ at all.

So, you'd like to give them less money? :D

[emp456]

Kalypso is NOT creating the game, they are just the publishers... (and they are not a tiny company at all, btw)

Anyway, bad sign when a game releases at all platforms at the same time (PS, Xbox, etc) Let's see if has too much "consolization", i will wait for reviews and gameplays.