Zoria: Prologue (2020) (2020)

A good choice of you're a completionist. No broken achievements, the hidden ones are doable, and it's possible to be done under 5 hours in one playthrough. Personally I think the storyline, gameplay and characters are very generic, but the clear possibility to 100% the achievements outweighs that. Another gripe is that there's a lot of backtracking and circling around since there is no highlights mechanism on screen and on the map, so it's very difficult to spot secret doors and loots. The graphic is great, but you'd expect with graphics like that the characters would be customizable, which they are not. So that's another minus. But hey, did I say that even with all that, it's possible to 100% the achievements?

Zoria: Prologue (2020) is a compact but surprisingly substantial introduction to a party-based tactical RPG that combines traditional CRPG ideas with turn-based battles, exploration, character progression, and base management. Developed by Tiny Trinket Games and published by Anshar Publishing, it feels less like a bare demonstration and more like a concentrated preview of a much larger adventure. Its strongest quality is the way several systems connect with one another, ensuring that combat, exploration, equipment, companions, and progression all contribute to the same sense of leading an adventuring company through a dangerous fantasy world. The journey takes place across the continent of Uram, where once attractive forests, caves, settlements, and imposing structures have been corrupted by dangerous creatures and hellspawn. The darker atmosphere gives exploration a sense of uncertainty, while hidden areas and environmental interactions encourage players to investigate rather than simply follow the most obvious route. Exploration has practical value because the composition and abilities of the party can determine what opportunities become available. Certain characters may help re…

Zoria: Prologue is a free introduction to a bigger tactical RPG, and I think it does a pretty good job of showing me what the full game is trying to be. I lead a party of four heroes through the ruined lands of Uram, fighting monsters, exploring dangerous areas and slowly building up my group. The world has a dark fantasy feel to it, with forests, caves and old buildings that have been overrun by creatures. I like that the game gives me a proper party to manage instead of making the whole experience about one character. The turn based combat is easily the strongest part for me. Each character has their own skills and perks, so I have to think about where I place everyone and what abilities are useful in each fight. I can attack from close range or at a distance, heal and protect my party, apply effects such as stun and immobilise, and use elemental attacks when they are useful. The environment can also matter during fights, which gives me more options than simply selecting an attack every turn. It is not the deepest tactical system I have played, but there is enough here for me to actually think about my moves. I also like the progression outside combat. I can improve each charac…

Even 10 years ago this game would have been mediocre. Dungeon Siege 1 from 2002 plays better than this...

An enjoyable preview of the full game and well worth playing through if your interested in getting a sample of what the full game might has in store for you.

FUN TO PLAY NICE GRAPHICS