FULL REVIEW: Medievalien

[Two Clicks]

IN A WORD: MAYBE

IN A NUTSHELL:

WHAT TO EXPECT: Real-time combat. Action Roguelike. Medieval setting with alien technology and enemies. Fast-paced ARPG styled, ranged and skill based combat. Excellent range of alien enemies with different travel and attack types. Large arsenal of medieval and alien ranged weapons. Passives and skill power-ups instead of character levelling. Changeable level modifiers. Procedurally generated isometric maps. Unlockable hub trainers. Single-player only.
ACHIEVEMENTS: NONE.
STATUS: IN EARLY ACCESS. DEVELOPMENT IS CURRENTLY PAUSED.
WHEN TO BUY: ONE TO WATCH.

More info below....

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2615339810

THE LOWDOWN:

Medievalien (Mden) is an action rogue-like with an emphasis on real-time combat played on 2.5D isometric maps. Players must battle alien creatures who have invaded a medieval era world which now lies devastated in ruin. In response a powerful mage recruits the help of a raft of warriors to discover the reason why these aliens have come. In the hope of seeking a way to turn the tide against these aggressors. Along the way characters will meet and converse with a few NPCs. Discuss story-based encounters. Complete a few menial but rewarding sub-quests.

Players take control of a warrior without a class. Armed with a crossbow, a deployable trap skill and two item equipable attacks, they must trek across a series of randomly generated levels. Choosing a preferred route through nodally connected waypoints. To explore procedurally generated locations made up of numerous self-enclosed areas. Created with themed pre-fabricated tile-sets. Each of which is sealed off by one-way force-fields that dissipate only when the last alien in the area has been defeated. To move onto the next waypoint, players must find the exit portal in each location and activate it. The eventual aim being to traverse through all the waypoints of a level and eventually reach the last node. To take on and defeat the end of level boss.

On the player's journey a mix of loot, items and weapons can be collected. Medieval and alien in nature. For use or for trade. Food is used to recover health. Gold to buy items from three types of traders or to complete sub-quests given by NPCs. While artefacts can be used to craft keys to open alien containers. Crystals can be used to change the nature of waypoint locations from one type to another. To increase difficulty or give greater rewards. Even turning the next location into secret encounters against enemy mini-bosses that reward the best loot. Teleporters can be activated throughout levels to allow for instantaneous travel to speed-up the clearing of locations or to collect unclaimed items.

Combat plays out as an ARPG affair. With the character attacking in the direction they are facing. Using one of two ranged weapons carried. Of which there are five or so classes and several sub-types. Both medieval and alien in nature. Each having their own unique characteristics such as firing rate, range, firing pattern, reload speed and more. By using an inherent ability to dodge incoming fire. As well as cover to avoid line-of-sight. A hunting trap pins enemies, allowing for a concentration of fire. While two cooldown restricted modes of AoE attack can used to affect groups of enemies. Depending on the items equipped including: explosive, poison and ice bombs or an electromagnetic pulse.

Alien enemies come in a surprising variety of models. Some are biological lifeforms. Others are technological in nature. Some attack the enemy directly. Others use indirect fire. Some spawn new enemies. Others use defensive shields. Some produce residual damage. Others act as healers. Each possesses an attacking style of their own. Some shoot bolts. Others fire laser beams. Some fire mortar rounds. Others burrow, launching attacks from below ground. Enemies change between levels. With later levels providing an even wider range of enemies. Such as gun emplacements and missile turrets.

Characters do not level in the conventional sense. Instead of allocating skill-points, players use power-ups they collect to upgrade skills and inherent abilities called Passives. Buffing damage capabilities. Boosting health points. Increasing energy recharging. Even augmenting how the dodge skill works with trailing damage, additional speed or allowing consecutive rolls. The game's difficulty threshold starts low but climbs rapidly through its mix of hardcore combat and a permadeath. Further complicated by its ironman style solitary-save system. One that does not allow reloading of previous saves. Where death on any level means restarting from the very beginning.

Returning to the central hub with certain unique items allows trainers to be activated. Here upgrades to character attributes can be unlocked that remain permanently available for future runs. Upgrades can affect aspects such as increased health and power cell recharge. Costing a rising number of Splintered crystals with each upgrade. Resources that can be colleced as others can.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2619159782

THE GOOD:

+ Enjoyable ARPG style combat. Good variation. Good tactical options. Intensifies with progression and the use of modification crystals.
+ Strong replayable design through level and nodal waypoint system generation.
+ Very interesting setting. Bought to life with a good amount of detailed thought and design.
+ Impressive mix of enemy combatants. With an impressive array of different offensive capabilities.
+ Comprehensive and well designed inventory and journal system.
+ Good range of collectibles keeps the search for better loot addictive. A key element of design.
+ Graphically pleasant if basic models with an almost graphic novel quality.
+ Apt quality soundtrack with Celtic overtones.
+ Interesting line-up of passives and character augmentation; in-game and through the hub-upgrades.
+ Teleportation pads diminishes the time spent backtracking through a waypoint location.
+ Strong replay ethic. Despite its ironman and permadeath design.

THE BAD:

- Difficulty spikes with ironman mode save system and restarting from the very start on permadeath. In need of tweaking.
- No way to sell unwanted alien items or drop them from inventory.
- Possible to miss some quest objectives by not finding required items until after completing it with a non-.
- Healing items cannot be carried in inventory. Must be used where found or discarded.
- Currently reuses the same sub-quests repeatedly throughout the subsequent locations on a level.
- One time: The input system froze up. Couldn't shoot or use roll ability. Causing death.
- Experienced some stuttering. Grew works in the second level. Making progression very unlikely.
- Future updates have been paused without a firm date or timeline.
- Program hangs on exit.

AND THE REST:

* Fair terrain variety with existing pre-fabricated areas that make up each waypoint location. Changes with each level.
* Good responsive controls and lean GUI.
* Some interaction with alien tech but would like to see more.
* Unable to experience in full the rich and compelling storyline but. What is there seems promising.
* Unable to unlock additional characters to play.
* Story and gameplay seems lined with secrets. Hard to gauge how much this will keep gameplay interesting. But also seems promising.
* The range of character abilities seems basic. But well-thought out. Passives augment character abilities when found.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2615340150

ANALYSIS:

Overall Mden provided a very enjoyable experience. The current version has a lot of positives despite it remaining a work in progress. It already possesses that addictive 'one more level' feel. The one where you promise to fight through just one more location. Only to try another and another. Ad infinitum.

All this coming from a design that makes every core feature accessible yet fun. Made possible by using the intrigue of discovery. Cemented by some depth of variation. Qualities that gave the game a sense of freshness with every new run. Even with a model focused on a tight pool of abilities, enemies, weapons and items. The successful creation of systems that make each location visited and every encounter fought; fun. If not different. This despite its roguelike model. Giving it a strong foundation for repeated play.

Graphics may appear basic for some but I appreciated the graphical production. It must be said the audio too. The visuals have a certain comic-book style about them. With a hint of noir that seemed to me, that took it away from an overall cartoonesque aesthetic. It gelled well with the obvious apocalyptic state of the areas the character would visit. Having enough touches of alien technology to invest the player in its setting. The pre-fabricated tile-sets were well-made. Providing the setting with a sense of charm. With some variation. I would have liked to see a few more tile-sets to help players maintain their interest in their environment. At least the themes changed with the next level. These also proved another good foundation for repeated play.

The audio production was of a fair level. With the basic soundtrack another fine addition. Not as comprehensive or diverse as the paid OST but another piece to add to a distinct ambience established by the story, setting and graphics. The Celtic overtones in portions of some tracks were a particular highlight. While the use of electronic melodies gave some tracks a futuristic tinge. Undoubtedly a nod to the aliens in the game. Charming to listen to all-in-all.

Level design appeared spot on with subsequent playthroughs having at worse, only near-identical level maps. The use of only seven waypoint location types, was barely enough. With only four locations where combat takes place. There was a reliance on the algorithm placing the pre-fabricated areas with variety, to keep the layouts fresh. At least these seemed to change with a new level. A challenge waypoint at least provided a dynamic location with; enemies and rewards determined by rolling them only after the player had entered. The blacksmith, smuggler and merchant traders being separate waypoints also added an element of strategy to the route taken through a level. As their abilities to upgrade and re-forge items and; to buy and sell them would require a commitment to take one route or another. Depending on the player's needs.

Gameplay was without doubt the best element of Mden. Playing like an ARPG with encounters that were fast and more varied that I otherwise considered. Made possible through the use of mechanics including; weapon and secondary attack selection, enemies encountered or the collection of waypoint crystals, to change their nature. Possibly the game's most interesting feature. An unusual one. Difficult to remember something similar in other games. This distinct feature gave Mden an extra degree of replayability. To allow players to change the nature of the locations they would visit. On top of a well-balanced procedurally generated map that grew in difficulty with every node the player got closer to the final level boss.

Combat could be samey for significant parts of play. At least if the same weapons and attack were retained. There was some variety in if these were changed. A requirement with progression through a level. With tougher enemies always on the horizon. The possibility remains while still in Early Access, that more weapons and attack types will be added. At least what has been included in terms of bows and alien firearms, have their own unique characteristics and fighting styles. Range, reload speed, repeating fire, shot spread, projectile type, firing speed; all make choosing the preferred weapon a deliberate choice. At least two can be equipped at once. The small number of secondary attacks gave some range of tactics to overcome opponents. Freeze them. Pull them blackhole-style into a group. Electrocute them. Damage them with explosives or over time with poison. A good start but a few more variants would add depth.

Enemies were exceptionally designed. Consisting of many different models with varied fighting techniques. Something that grew with the start of the next level. An important aspect of gameplay. Given that the player will need to develop techniques to avoid being damaged by the multitude of attacks present and identify which to kill before other threats. Of particular note were the aliens abilities to engage the player from range or to move in fast or by stealth to deal damage before the player could react. Something that demonstrated the need for player's to possess some really good reflexes to get the best out of this game.

Looting another big aspect was well done. Gold and gems gave the coins to complete sub-quests or buy items from traders. Food to heal did not come in large quantities and could not be carried. Will prove not enough for sloppy players to keep their characters alive for the toughest fights. Unlucky players will be able to purchase better weapons to take out enemies faster. The inclusion of alien tech. is just about felt in the game but I would like this to go deeper. It should be possible for players to appropriate the abilities of the aliens themselves. Shielding for one thing should be something a character could adopt. Maybe the game already does or it is in the works. This unconfirmed. Collecting artefacts could go towards creating macgyvered tech or repair alien items at least. As it is, its only use for now is in creating keys to open alien containers. As opposed to the ones of the gameworld's era which are open.

With characters only upgrading abilities though the collection or the purchase of items (and hub upgrades) Mden remains very much a roguelike. Its definitely not an RPG as there was no choice of skills to be made. Unlocking characters with alternate skills may be already possible but could not be verified in my playthroughs. Passive crystals and trainer purchases remain the only way to increase aspects of a character such as: health, energy recharge, skill level and most of all develop the core skills. The only example I could give being the dash skill. Which could generate an increase in movement speed after use. Could generate a trail of fire behind the character to damage foes trailing in their wake. Could allow for the use of more than one dash instead of the cooldown taking effect.

Difficulty started benign buy ramped up very quickly. Not having the best loadout of weapons, attacks, passives and a large excess of health will see runs cut short. Something that may be a big issue for gamers that prefer more forgiving enjoyment. With only one save and permadeath on dying. Some of you may find having to go to the very start too oppressive. At least there are some global factors that remain active for the next run. Though RNG will play a significant role in the experience of every run attempted. It is what it is. A roguelike.

VERDICT:

As can be seen Mdan looks a very promising game. The current positives are more than enough to persuade me its worth investing in now. Despite its obvious incomplete state. My usual wait and see stance for games in Early Access was just about overcome by the enjoyment this version gave me. It only really remains to see if the developers can take this version to a full release. Incorporating additional content that would honestly blow my mind, thinkingg of the potential of this game.

There is little doubt in the quality of the developers work. The only worrying aspect is whether or not this essentially beta version, with its promising qualities will be completed. Whether that be will be in good time or never. Given that the team is currently on pause as indicated in their Discord. Which is why I found this to be a game to MAYBE be good enough for purchase at this time. My fingers will remain crossed that Medievalien does reach its promised potential.

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[Two Clicks]

RANKING:

AVOID | LACKING | MAYBE | WORTHWHILE | COMPELLING | UNMISSABLE

SYNOPSIS:

ASSESSMENT:

STATUS:
APPEAL:
VALUE:

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