Based and boomer coded. This game is by far not for the faint of heart. Even a more experienced RPG fan should think twice before playing, as the game pulls no punches and gives no helping hands. It is a throwback to the olden days of role-playing games in many ways, and difficulty alongside no hand-holding is among them. But if you can rise to the challenge the game presents you with, you will be rewarded with one of the most entertaining RPG experiences in a long time. This might be one of the few games I can think of where you get to choose how much combat and how much dialogue you want to have. With so many choices to build your character and choose how to progress, each playthrough will give something new to see and do. My only major complaint is that I wish each of these playthroughs were just a little bit longer. But that then just encourages you to make a new character and see what else the game has to offer you. Overall, The Age of Decadence is a good time, with no alcohol required. (8.5/10)

The conceit of this game is that it is challenging, but fair. It is challenging, but it isn't fair. Not because the enemies use different formulae for themselves compared to you, obviously not, they're your equals. But that's just the issue: Each one of the enemies you fight is roughly your equal, unless you min-max, but every encounter in the game (in the brief time I played) had you outnumbered 4 or 3 to 1.

One of the earliest combats, whose purpose a guide told me was for free xp, against some lowly muggers, is 4 to 1. I managed to triumph against them, because for some reason choosing the critical hit option auto-kills one of them (a design decision out of step with the rest of the combat, but I'll take a freebie, I guess). If this was how the developer imagined encounters, he should have given the AI a disadvantage, or given you some companions that you could roll with. In this world of roving gangs of 3 or 4 people, your character is sorely out of place as a loner.

The game next led me to a mine I had to assault (again, alone). I couldn't talk the bandits up to taking them out, but I was able to poison their wine. I approach the outpost expecting a walk-over: I crit killed the sentry and proceeded to get domed by their crossbowman who couldn't miss a shot. Apparently the rat poison didn't influence his aim. My boss was out of his mind thinking I could 1v4 these guys.

The game could be better if it had companions you could take with you. In the world of Age of Decadence, where the basic social unit are gangs of three or four people, your guy needs to be able to make friends. Unless you enjoy min-maxing I'd pass on this title.

Edit: I found out the game has a console. What you should do if you really want to play this is to make your character as normal, but add in 6 or 7 points via console command. This doesn't make the game easy, it makes it playable. It's only fair that since your character has to fight outnumbered always, you can even the odds a bit by having him be a bit above average. I'll update the review if I end up enjoying the game with this change.