Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory

This game has tons of potential... but its kind of wasted; One of those cases where I wish steam had a neutral recommendation. Story seems interesting, and the oposing points of view are fun... but translation seems janky (Octavia being called THE octavia constantly for one) But the thing that most irks me about this game is how its entirelly built around you parrying enemy attacks and avoiding damage... but 90% of the time you cant even see the enemy attacks because of screen effects, unclear animations, or blending into the background. This wouldn't even be such an issue if timing wasn't extremely tight, no space for you to be even one second early or late... or if enemy spells werent a thing; Spellcasters are often in the back where you cant directly hit them, and sometimes even hitting an enemy will not stop their spellcasting, with some spells just being downright impossible to block. You also cant hit enemies out of their attacks 90% of the time... but they can hit your characters out of their attacks, the timing issue is made even worse by enemies sometimes attacking in quick sucession, to the point where getting a perfect guard against the first will leave you open to th…

This game is a hidden gem for people who like the combat of Valkyrie Profile and games with active blocks/parries. The game uses something similar to an active time battle system so it's essentially 'real-time'. The story is delivered and short bits between each level. Very simple and to the point. I found the story and writing to be better than expected though a bit confusing most times. Though, I keep coming back to this game for the combat alone. If you ever catch it on sale, it's definitely worth the purchase. Very fun game once the blocks/parries and combo attacks sink in.

Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory developed and published by YummyYummyTummy is a genre-blending title that combines real-time combat, political storytelling, and visual novel-style decision-making into a structure that feels both distinctive and occasionally uneven. Rather than following a conventional RPG formula, it presents two intertwined narratives set within a collapsing empire, allowing players to experience the same conflict from different viewpoints. This dual-perspective approach adds a layer of narrative ambition, giving the game a broader scope than its relatively contained structure might initially suggest. Combat is the centerpiece of the experience and arguably its most defining feature. Battles take place on a 2D plane, where players command a small group of spectral warriors known as Exemplars. Each character is tied to a specific input, and managing them effectively requires both timing and awareness. The system blends real-time action with a rhythmic cadence, encouraging players to coordinate attacks, chain abilities, and execute well-timed defenses. Perfect blocks and counters play a significant role, turning defensive play into an active and rewarding part of comb…

Fast and yet strategic, Fallen Legion Rise to Glory actually caught me by surprise by it's "minimalistic" interface yet mechanically deep gameplay and beautiful presentation despite my wrongful expectations. Basic gameplay is very easy to get into; button masher style game where one button corresponds to commanding a party member to attack, while also building combo bar to unleash their specials. But later on enemies start to get stronger and/or numerous and have to mind your parry timings. All this is presented with an approachable learning curve however, and the timing is rather lenient, so you'll eventually get there. Aside of the satisfying gameplay you also have an amazing soundtrack and visuals accompanying your entire adventure. Pretty amazed how much production value it has. You're also offered lots and lots of choices that affects not just the battle you're on (creating a little roguelite-ish experience), but also the entire story; and even secrets; allowing some fresh view of the same tried story of two emperors fighting for the throne. That said, as an RPG where you expect some kind of power progression, whatever progression you have felt rather minimal, and equipment …

Fallen Legion is heavily focused on real time defensive reaction; specifically in the form of perfect guard. You'll need to focus on the enemy animations to judge when is the exact time to start blocking to trigger it. I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys that kind of mechanic. I will also mention that I did not find it very easy to play this for long stretches of time at each sitting. Since you really need to be on point and alert, I found it somewhat exhausting.

Not really my cup of tea.