Nightingale is a striking game with some obvious - yet fixable - problems.

I've been following the game for a couple of years now, but the closer it got to launch, the more skeptical I was. It promises a lot, and I went in with my guard up fully expecting it to fall flat and feel sterile and dull.

The first few hours were enjoyable, but nothing revolutionary. Nothing was lighting a fire beneath me. At some point, when you start hopping through portals and discovering new realms, everything clicks. This game puts a compelling spin on a tiring formula - and the deeper I got, the more engrossed I was.

The game has some real problems. Follower and enemy AI is rudimentary. It's missing some key quality-of-life features. The crafting system has so much to it, but it's a slog to use because it's impossible to find which chest you left your materials in. The menus need work, and some systems aren't well explained.

These are all things that I hope will be addressed by the dev soon. Currently, they're stopping a good game from being great. The issues are hard to ignore, but they don't outweigh the strengths of the game in my opinion.

If you're on the fence, it's probably wise to wait for some fixes and improvements to smooth out the experience. If you're excited and able to look past these things - I'd say dive right in. It's a really enjoyable game despite its flaws.

Also - the realm card system is some excellent game design. Oh, and Puck is excellent. Be nice to Puck.

There's also a Shrek easter egg if that sways you one way or another.

[EDIT: Removed a line about trees being bouncy. I included that 'cos I thought people would find it funny. Boy, was that a miscalculation. It landed very badly. (Kind of like the trees in the game).]

Nightingale is a striking game with some obvious - yet fixable - problems. I've been following the game for a couple of years now, but the closer it got to launch, the more skeptical I was. It promises a lot, and I went in with my guard up fully expecting it to fall flat and feel sterile and dull. The first few hours were enjoyable, but nothing revolutionary. Nothing was lighting a fire beneath me. At some point, when you start hopping through portals and discovering new realms, everything clicks. This game puts a compelling spin on a tiring formula - and the deeper I got, the more engrossed I was. The game has some real problems. Follower and enemy AI is rudimentary. It's missing some key quality-of-life features. The crafting system has so much to it, but it's a slog to use because it's impossible to find which chest you left your materials in. The menus need work, and some systems aren't well explained. These are all things that I hope will be addressed by the dev soon. Currently, they're stopping a good game from being great. The issues are hard to ignore, but they don't outweigh the strengths of the game in my opinion. If you're on the fence, it's probably wise to wait for some fixes and improvements to smooth out the experience. If you're excited and able to look past these things - I'd say dive right in. It's a really enjoyable game despite its flaws. Also - the realm card system is some excellent game design. Oh, and Puck is excellent. Be nice to Puck. There's also a Shrek easter egg if that sways you one way or another. [EDIT: Removed a line about trees being bouncy. I included that 'cos I thought people would find it funny. Boy, was that a miscalculation. It landed very badly. (Kind of like the trees in the game).]