Elminage ORIGINAL - Priestess of Darkness and The Ring of the Gods

Elminage ORIGINAL is an easy recommendation, but only for the right audience. If you watched me play, you'd assume I hated it as I rant and rage about bad design choices and frustrating aspects. But at the end of the day, there's not a part of me that doesn't actually love the game. Thing is, EO is a very old-school dungeon crawl by faithful wizardry fans. Everything Wizardry does well is done well, everything done poorly is still just as bad. So, casuals? Look elsewhere. People that want a modern crawl? Not recommended. On the positive side, the systems are EXCEPTIONALLY interesting. The classes and races are actually unique and change up the gameplay. Summoners that can capture monsters, Servants/Maids that get free item slots for consumables and automatically use them each turn, Alchemists that allow a complex and clever weapon enchanting system, one race that is immune to cursed items. It's worth doubling down on the weapon enchanting system. It's awesome. There is no limit to what you can do with this dang system. Bonus damage, multipliers against certain enemy types, damage/status resistance, remove racial/gender limits, etc. It looks like a fantastically cool system th…

[b]TL; DR[/b] Classic grid-based Dungeon Crawler goodness, complete with hordes of monsters, instant death attacks, and the infirmity of old age! [i]Elminage Original[/i] is a very enjoyable game, if you like its combat, otherwise it is tedious and not worthwhile. [b]Note[/b] that most resources are not in English, if you are looking for an in-depth guide… there isn’t one, at least not on the usual sites. You can use guides for [i]Elminage Gothic[/i] if you want a better understanding of the classes. [h1] Story [/h1] No one knows the truth of the world, not even the gods, but with their power they could fashioned the realm, and so that its foundations might be upheld and its peoples might live in peace, they invested their might into several Rings. All that is in the past, the barrier has been destroyed, monsters are overwhelming the world, and if the Rings are not reclaimed the Priestess of Darkness may succeed in summoning her dark lord and reshaping the world! [i]Elminage Original: Priestess of Darkness and The Ring of the Gods[/i], has a very long title, and it pretty much explains the entire plot. This is, after all, a Dungeon Crawler, and those are often lighter on narrat…

Elminage ORIGINAL - Priestess of Darkness and The Ring of the Gods, developed by Starfish-SD Inc and mebius and published by mebiusu., is a dungeon crawler that deliberately resists modern design trends in favor of something far older and more demanding. It draws heavily from the lineage of classic first-person RPGs, particularly those that emphasized player-driven exploration, complex party management, and minimal guidance. From the moment the game begins, it becomes clear that it is not interested in easing players into its systems. Instead, it expects them to learn through experimentation, observation, and persistence. Character creation is one of the game’s most defining features, offering a wide range of races, classes, and customization options that allow players to build a party tailored to their preferences. These choices carry meaningful consequences, affecting everything from combat effectiveness to how characters develop over time. The level of control given to the player is extensive, but it also requires a willingness to engage with systems that are not always clearly explained. For those who enjoy fine-tuning their party and experimenting with different combinations,…

why does my mage lose intelligence when he levels up? My fighter has double the vitality of my cleric yet when we leveled to 2, my fighter gets 1 hp and my cleric gets 5? this is stupid.

Superb.

It took a while to make up my mind, but the further I get into this game, the better it gets. At first look, it seemed like a typical Wizardry-like with a huge grind ahead. The UI is a bit clunky compared to modern games, but it works fine once you get used to it. Worse, the difficulty cliff was daunting since everything after the first dungeon is MUCH more deadly. Likewise, some of the quests are obtuse, and I've ended up smacking my head against the wall more than once before seeking clarification on the internet. However, as I proceed, I'm impressed with the balance between the different classes and abilities. You CAN'T have everything you want, so you have to make hard choices. This is great game design. It's frustrating, but the alternative is a line-up of indestructible all-powerful do-anything adventurers. Furthermore, as I finish quests, world time passes, and NPCs change (or even die), and there are unexpected rewards. For example, when you finish one certain quest, character alignment becomes less of an issue. Considering I was expecting a Wizardry-like this is astonishing. If you like the various Wizardry clones, this game is perfect. If you can't stand them,…