My Comprehensive Review

[Corpserule]

So, im gonna start off by saying, my opinion is going to echo a lot of other discussions i've seen here, but in a more positive light, i think. If you read enough comments, you can see a lot of frustration around similar topics

I've played Pony island and the hex, so i knew what i was in for with inscryption. However, there was one thing very different about inscyption compared to Daniel Mullin's other games, which was made very apparent from the demo.

the game that would act as a base for the narrative to be built on was actually a very good game

this actually has a huge impact on how this game has turned out and my resulting opinion. In the past, with pony island and the hex, i felt like i overpaid a little bit for both games. they were decent games, but for their primary gameplay loop, length, lack of replayability and challenge, they felt pricey.

With Inscryption i feel like i paid $30 for a game that's worth $40-$50. So is this game a good deal?, yes, it's a good deal, in that respect. the length is decent, the storytelling, environment, concept are incredible.

For that, David, if you're viewing this, thanks, you've made a good game here.

But, like many other comments i've seen here, man, playing this game feels like it's one step away from greatness. (albeit programming-wise, investment, etc, it wouldn't be)

this game, with more challenge, internal balance (e.g. no 2 card broken synergies) rogue-like focus and replayability, traits i admittably don't expect from David's games. this game would honestly probably be worth.. hmm... $120, which would definitely have made it GOTY. Since price varies region to region, as a comparison, psychonauts 2 costs $100 here, and is probably worth $80 imo, i'm not upset over that price, im merely using it as a reference. (I was willing to overpay slightly for it, i just think there are better options for price).

that's just how close the game was to being a true, top tier game, and what was lacking.

And you can't help but see that whilst you're playing. the "GMs" are great (though leshie is better), the puzzles are fun to complete, graphically cannot be disappointed, but man, you are limited in how you can express your understanding of the great underlying card game. (challenges, replayability, multiplayer (not expecting it) etc)

and that's my overall review.

I'll definitely keep an eye out on this game for possible expansions/sequels, as where other games it didn't really have a good reason for an expansion. this time around, that fundamental difference might overturn that.

For anyone who's read this far, who's had a similar experience to me. A Question.

If there was an expansion that directly addressed those 3 things (challenge, replayability, internal balance), aka, focusing on the card game itself. how much would you pay for it?

[KriKitBoNeZ]

Try using the review section, champion.

[Corpserule]

eh, go ahead, move it, copy, leave it, delete it, it's fine, i look at this area on most games i play, and forget other sections exist.

Edit: though if i did, the open ended question at the end would no longer be possible to respond to

[The Troll King]

Originally posted by KriKitBoNeZ:

Try using the review section, champion.

Clearly they wanted to start a discussion, nice Chad move by assuming they were an idiot.

Personally? I'd pay an easy extra $20, at a minimum as the game is now, for an "infinite" mode. With some actual insight though? I think if we were given what the community wants, an "endless Slay the Spire" style mode, probably like $40+? Which I realize is more than StS costs, but you're asking someone to change this story-based game into a mindless game (love me some StS, but this game play is a bit more complicated storywise).

If I could wax on your first question, everyone wants an endless style mode of ACT I (I would also enjoy it). But how would they do it? This game is designed to slowly funnel you through, the enjoyable things like better death cards, better combos in ACT I have a limit, we just get spirited away before it happens. Just on my 2nd play through I made an 7 (atk) - 9 (hp) hits left and right, with 2 cost card, within 5 deaths. I mean come on... This is a fun game, when you get into ACT II, you get more or less the full game with 4 distinct game play types that play differently. ACT II is also the focal point of the hatred, the act most representative of what a "full" Inscryption would look like.

So I would say I don't want ACT I or ACT III as a full game, but gimme some ACT II. Loved the whole game though.

[Corpserule]

Originally posted by Ser Rat:

Originally posted by KriKitBoNeZ:

Try using the review section, champion.

Clearly they wanted to start a discussion, nice Chad move by assuming they were an idiot.

Personally? I'd pay an easy extra $20, at a minimum as the game is now, for an "infinite" mode. With some actual insight though? I think if we were given what the community wants, an "endless Slay the Spire" style mode, probably like $40+? Which I realize is more than StS costs, but you're asking someone to change this story-based game into a mindless game (love me some StS, but this game play is a bit more complicated storywise).

If I could wax on your first question, everyone wants an endless style mode of ACT I (I would also enjoy it). But how would they do it? This game is designed to slowly funnel you through, the enjoyable things like better death cards, better combos in ACT I have a limit, we just get spirited away before it happens. Just on my 2nd play through I made an 7 (atk) - 9 (hp) hits left and right, with 2 cost card, within 5 deaths. I mean come on... This is a fun game, when you get into ACT II, you get more or less the full game with 4 distinct game play types that play differently. ACT II is also the focal point of the hatred, the act most representative of what a "full" Inscryption would look like.

So I would say I don't want ACT I or ACT III as a full game, but gimme some ACT II. Loved the whole game though.

good to hear it, act 2 was pretty good too (and imo, hardest act not including leshie's TOO FAST,) i was considering mentioning act 2, but in its current form i felt like it gets scummed by good rng too easily. (but i guess that's addressable)

I'm about to sleep, thought i'd clarify something, when i gave the game $120 (an expansion of $80), that's kind of the point where it tips into questionable value. If an expansion came out, i'd expect it to cost more like $40, feeling like i'm getting great value for money, rather than parity.

It's an odd mismatch of expectations vs actual value

[The Troll King]

Act 1 has Sacrifices and Bones. Act 3 has Power and Gems. Act 2 is what those all blend into it. However for me it hard to know if people actually hate Act 3, the biggest complaint is that the "atmosphere" style things ares missing. But P-Stoat himself mocks Leshy for loving those things, you're not supposed to feel for the world in Act 3 by design.

[KriKitBoNeZ]

Originally posted by Ser Rat:

Originally posted by KriKitBoNeZ:

Try using the review section, champion.

Clearly they wanted to start a discussion, nice Chad move by assuming they were an idiot.

Well now i assume you're both idiots. Reviews have comments if enabled.

[Hobin Rood]

Originally posted by Ser Rat:

Act 1 has Sacrifices and Bones. Act 3 has Power and Gems. Act 2 is what those all blend into it. However for me it hard to know if people actually hate Act 3, the biggest complaint is that the "atmosphere" style things ares missing. But P-Stoat himself mocks Leshy for loving those things, you're not supposed to feel for the world in Act 3 by design.

I've seen you stating this on a couple different threads, as if this somehow makes people get over the fact that - outside of gameplay - act 3 still kind of sucks. It doesn't. Daniel's intentions or artistic values don't change the fact that act 3 was kind of a drab/bore to play thru.

[Corpserule]

Act 3 i felt like had an issue of, you'd craft improve a card, (in my case, infuse a sniper with sentry), and that card would remain broken throughout the entire game.

the starter deck, even though it didn't use unique cards, it held probably some of the best cards you could find in act 3 (shield bot, sniper, 6 mana split attack, and energybot). i think it only really lacks bombbots to finish a perfectly balanced deck. as such, you tend to smash through enemies, most opportunities to add cards to your deck feel a little wasted, looking for better cards that don't really exist makes there less to be excited about.

I genuinely don't know what happens if you lose a battle in act3... can someone enlighten me?, do you even have multiple lives?

some card "improvements" felt like they didnt really do much, beast mode sounds cool, but the amount of use cases for "delayed flying", "delayed poison", etc, is exceedingly narrow, and the benefit of "wolf" mode is only a marginal improvement.

Overloading a card, is similar to improving attack in act 1, with a side effect which is both good and bad, in both cases, it's very rare you should want it over granting more sigils (a feature which is even stronger in act 3 i think, even if you had less control)

I enjoyed the concept of having a different gm, i think it adds to the experience compared to having leshie 100% of the time, and whilst "holographic" cards i felt was the worst theme, i didn't mind it "as one amongst several themes"

[TemmieNeko]

Originally posted by Hobin Rood:

Originally posted by Ser Rat:

Act 1 has Sacrifices and Bones. Act 3 has Power and Gems. Act 2 is what those all blend into it. However for me it hard to know if people actually hate Act 3, the biggest complaint is that the "atmosphere" style things ares missing. But P-Stoat himself mocks Leshy for loving those things, you're not supposed to feel for the world in Act 3 by design.

I've seen you stating this on a couple different threads, as if this somehow makes people get over the fact that - outside of gameplay - act 3 still kind of sucks. It doesn't. Daniel's intentions or artistic values don't change the fact that act 3 was kind of a drab/bore to play thru.

i kinda liek the change up. it's a refreshing pace to not have to restart an entire chapter over bc i died at the boss i only had one life on. there's some neat stuff to find and a hidden boss which is pretty cool, too.
i am upset that they force you to go robot.
i picked robot sso i just assumed each person would be the new 3D world.
but it's whatever. there's assets created for the other two scryers, and im sure they could have a " roguelike " mode added with the 4 scryers as possible opponenets. maybe even stack the STS map thing in

[Corpserule]

Originally posted by TemmieNeko:

Originally posted by Hobin Rood:

I've seen you stating this on a couple different threads, as if this somehow makes people get over the fact that - outside of gameplay - act 3 still kind of sucks. It doesn't. Daniel's intentions or artistic values don't change the fact that act 3 was kind of a drab/bore to play thru.

i kinda liek the change up. it's a refreshing pace to not have to restart an entire chapter over bc i died at the boss i only had one life on. there's some neat stuff to find and a hidden boss which is pretty cool, too.
i am upset that they force you to go robot.
i picked robot sso i just assumed each person would be the new 3D world.
but it's whatever. there's assets created for the other two scryers, and im sure they could have a " roguelike " mode added with the 4 scryers as possible opponenets. maybe even stack the STS map thing in

See, that's the thing, I like the features in the game, there isn't anything i'd "strictly" want to replace (swap out for something else), i do feel like i did value for money, and yet, i still really want those features. So, circling back to my original question,

How much was I willing to pay extra for those features?