Exanima

what a weird game, some games dont hold your hand, exanima doesnt have a hand to hold, nothing seems to make much sense and things just kind of happen i guess. The combat is mid ngl you might be able to master it but srrly whats the point, most things are either waaayyy to strong or defeated by stumbleing, its quite a silly game-

its been in early access for 10 years and is wasting time on things like a meaningless character creator or a stupidly complex clothing system. its great graphics in a game that plays like QWOP, its strong terrifing enemies in a game where the enemy and you are just stumbeling across the map. Its a walking contradiction

this game ends up dieing for me because half or more of the game is without any checkpoints, so be prepared to loose hours of gameplay each time you die. why, not punishment because the real punishment is this game.

its made up of mazes and doors, clunky punishing combat and a general meaningless to everything you do

this game has a vision but it feels like the combat is not only just not enjoyable its clunky, silly and activley takes away from the game design. it feels like there was a vision about a game that would have been cool, but then the combat system was made and we just kind of got this ?

in general the fact that theres no controller support just so the parry system doesnt have to be reworked is silly to me, because non of its fun and it isnt neccesery when the enemies are way too strong anyways.

Without co op. its hard to wait for anything else. if they just added co op we would have so much more fun. its too slow for a single player.

Physics warrior runs around in circles, trips on skeleton & fractures skull. 10/10.

10th year anniversary in early access this April! Those who were following the game since the beginning died of old age! I'll update my review shortly before the next ice age.

P.S Not hating the game or the devs, but there should be limits. A human lifespan is not a fucking limit for an early access title. Also the last update (real update) was 17 months ago, hell even Steam stared to warn about it.

The Game that surprise you with a proper patch each year or so and you'll get equally excited each time. People might cry out, "DEVELOPMENT HELL!" but it's still gets more and more solid each update. And the next one is looking to be a banger.

There isn't many games like this one, the atmosphere and combat really shines. If it becomes a bit tighter and more tuned it's going to be a absolute masterpiece.

In short, I couldn't care less if Exanima is a "test bed" at this point it's becoming quite a extensive game.

Honestly I dunno what I could say that others haven't. It runs amazing on Steamdeck. Controls on are better with a controller imo as they are camera relative vs keyboard is direction based. You can't swap styles you just have to use different peripherals. Only downside to controller is game is heavily mouse driven and that means controller can feel a tad fiddly when managing equipment and inventory. Steamdecks touch pad make it fairly simple. I'm not sure how the game adapts to other controllers so keep that in mind. overall game's worth investing time into as it has a steep learning curve that reminds me of the first time playing demons souls on PS3 before anyone knew what it even was. Good times. It will not hold your hand and you will die and be incredibly confused while you do. That sounds either great to you or you'll hate it. Just depends on you adaptability and patience. If you're holding out for 1.0 that's fair. It's worth playing now tho. Game expects you to die and play through in different ways and there is a lot of game to explore here already. I've put in close to 50 hours and I haven't seen everything yet. But I refuse to use outside game maps or watch videos or read tutorials. I recommend that. It's not a bad idea to make your own maps if you're feeling lost. It's rewarding but I respect those that would use premade maps. Games all about exploring, lore hunting, and susing out puzzling situations, and of course the wildly fun physics based shenanigans you get into. Solid recommend. $15 is honestly cheap for what you get.

Really amazing and beautiful tech demo. The physics based combat is something really unique and cool to play with, and the way that plays into other mechanics like magic is interesting. Some reviews label the game as stuck in "development hell" but this is essentially a feature complete tech demo with tons of content for just over $10, which is exactly what the devs promised this would be.

Honest to God when I say this. Exanima, In the state it is in now is probably one of my favorite games of all time. Yes, the controls and mechanics of the game will take some getting used to. Yes, the enemies are incredibly challenging and the health system is a pain in the ass. But the combat, armor system, enviroment, and sound design are incredible. I high recommend this game to anyone who has played half-sword, hellish quart, and other physics based, realistic fighting games.

8.5/10

I can recommend this to those interested in the combat, which is unique and fun once you get the hang of it. Arena mode offers infinite replayability in that regard, but yes, development of the main game is too slow. That being said its 15$ and its already well beat my minimum of a 1$/hr of entertainment

The atmosphere in the single player is fantastic, the use of physics makes the gameplay both hilarious and inventively fun. The combat is very different from anything (also a steep learning curve) but rewarding. There are a ton of secrets too but somethings that should be shown or presented to the user in someway are missing, like talking (I killed Darin a ton of times before realizing he was a friendly). With the 1.0 update finally on the horizon, I hope this game gets the attention it deserves.

Its a fun game. I like the armor and weapon varitety, i like the combat feel
I play almost exclusively arena.

Stop yapping in your "Coffee Diaries" and just update the damn game already. Idgaf if you make the my character disabled in a wheelchair, add co-op. Reviews would literally skyrocket into the positives. Still overall game, 7/10. Devs just need to stop pulling a "Yanderedev" and start updating the game already.

i fucking love this game, and everything about the world that the devs have created. i love how nothing is explained to you, i love how dark and oppressive the dungeon feels, i love the subtle environmental storytelling, and i love the grittiness that all of these things amount to.

but you should not buy this game

under the early access flare, youll note that the game hasnt been updated in 16 months. thats a critically long time to leave fans with only a monthly blurb with so much technicality that it might as well be written in binary (i heard rumors many times that the lead dev isnt even the one who writes them, take that with a huge pinch of salt though, as its just hearsay and could very well be unfounded). the devs clearly are hyperfocused on getting the game so perfect that they will work on the same things for years before ever releasing them to their fans, with much of the things they work on, while no doubt being important, not actually affecting players. things like new shadow rendering or better grass textures (keep in mind this game is isometric, grass textures dont fucking matter). theyll spend a year working on making it so you dont have a small black gap between certain parts of your clothing when you do a very specific movement and view it from a very specific camera angle, or increasing the poly count on banners so that they flow better when players bump into them, and then not even release the updates, or better yet, there isnt even an environment or props to take advantage of the new systems theyve implemented.

each time they do end up releasing some small crumb of new content to the public, it is invariably locked behind hours of genuinely hard gameplay. things like new fancy armors as rewards for winning all the tournaments in the arena mode, or new levels at the end of the game, magic that cant really be utilized until the last like 3 levels. things a new player simply wont see, leaving the beginning of the game largely the same as it was 10 years ago. i dont blame anyone for putting 2 hours into the game and then giving it a bad review.

the community is one of the most arrogant ive seen in any games to date. i have far too many hours in league of legends for my own good, and i feel strongly that theyre more welcoming than whatever the hell goes on in this game's discord or forums. spend more than a week in either and youll see just how autistic and antisocial 90% of the playerbase, moderators, and dev team really are. fiercely protective of their favorite game and frothing at the mouth to denounce virtually any criticism of the game, and raising the lead dev to the status of some sort of local deity.

speaking of the lead dev, this dude is unequivocally skilled at what he does, and he clearly has a very vivid vision as to what this game should end up as. thats great! whats not great is his lack communication with the playerbase and clarity on a time frame for this game. 10 years ago, the studio raised 160,000 pounds for a game that would be out of early access in 9 months. i didnt back the game at the time as I was only 16, but i do know that if i was any of the original backers then the only thing that would be keeping me even vaguely interested in this project was my monetary investment, because otherwise i would have completely forgotten about it. if i were to put myself in the shoes of someone who backed this project, i think i would be livid at what seems to be a complete disregard for the people who essentially made the entire game possible (bless them), but that doesnt really matter because ultimately i was not one of those people.

the amount of content the devs are sitting on without releasing is almost certainly similar to something like fort knox. and while i think the game is fine, i think the devs are moronic. its like working a job in which you earn incalculable amounts of money, but your boss is so awful that you cry every time you go to the bathroom, and whether or not youre willing to put up with that has to be a personal choice.

IF, and thats the biggest if ive ever muttered, sui generis ever gets released, it will almost certainly be fucking awesome, and push the boundaries of what we think of games. but the likelihood of that game ever releasing is very very slim at this point, in my opinion. it took them 10 years to make 2/3rds of a turkey sandwich, what reason does anyone have to believe they could make a beef wellington?

At this point it feels more like a computer science project to marvel at, than a game to be enjoyed. I've followed this project the full 10 years and imo it still doesn't have anything to offer that's been worth waiting for. Some might be impressed with the dedication the devs have shown to perfecting the more technical aspects of the engine, but I simply don't equate complexity and time it took to create something to the value of said thing. I have seen solo devs make far more fun and engaging experiences in far less time, and at a cheaper price point (though I don't believe the price of Exanima is an issue). Wish the devs and community the best, but I just don't care about this project anymore...

This game is really cool and a lot of effort went into it. Its got an oldschool vibe with location based save progressions making health and save-points valuable resources that you'll end up planning ahead for after a few runs.

This game is a slow burn. It has a very confusing and underground map, secret item interactions, and dying a lot. Over time you'll be able to understand where you are but even then you are still navigating a labyrinth with a rotating camera so it can get confusing fast; which is definitely intended.

Sometimes the game is so slow, and I'm so lost, and I'm just walking in circles over and over again, I have to close it and do something else.

Definitely a thinking mans game that has come a long way since when I first started playing it.

So what if they keep refining this masterpiece for another decade.
I already got my moneys worth out of it years ago.

Buy it.
Enjoy what is there.
Embrace new things as they get added slowly and carefully.

This has been in early access for several years, updates have stagnated to nonexistence, unless you consider the tldr coffee diary the devs write up each month that adds nothing to the game, save your money and skip this.

It is a fun, detailed game with a lot of lore and carnage. really made me nervous for our friendly npc friend when his health was low (even though he once turned on me for no reason and i didn't have the calm spell yet)

I mean not the game if you wanna have simple fun,its like a dang horror movie.I almost pissed my pants even tho it is not a horror game.Still the mechanics are different and uniqe and I like souls games so it is good.

The game's development is progressing too slowly; that's a fact. The average is sitting at around 1.4 decent sized updates per year. That's just unacceptable, and i absolutely understand everyone who's been with the game for YEARS in their feeling of being lied to or ignore. I don't care what's going on behind the scenes, there is NO WAY it's that hard to add a new enemy, weapon or level section semi-regularly.

That said, it's also unacceptable to say the game is a rip-off or not worth your time or money. It's 15 dollars. The price of a medium sized meal at wendy's. 15 dollars for an extremely interesting and fun ragdoll-based combat system in a dark gritty dungeon with a sizeable amount of levels and enemies to get through, as well as a really solid arena fighting minigame. If you don't like the combat, that's fine, but telling people to boycott the game or whatever because development is taking a long time is asinine when what is already here is well worth the price.

10 years of pure early access hell. Keep in mind that the devs, at the time I purchased this, told the public that the game would hit 1.0 in 9 months and we're now a decade later with the last update taking place well over a year ago. It's a damn shame because the community that formed around this game have been nothing but patient and supportive to the devs. The devs repaid that loyalty by leaving the players holding the bag on what amounted to a $15 tech demo.

I'm not even going to comment on the state of the game because even if the game was fun in it's current state the devs should not be rewarded for stringing players along for a decade plus. This is the kind of stuff people are talking about when they say "early access garbage" or "early access hell".

DO NOT BUY EXANIMA. The devs will never finish it. If you buy Exanima you're paying $15 for a glorified tech demo.

Exanima is a very fun dungeon crawler with better atmosphere and story pacing than most games released in the same time frame. The combat is challenging and punishing but ultimately very rewarding once you learn your kung-fu. The skill system is consequential and each new skill (with some exception in the magic trees) gives your character a new combat ability rather than just changing the damage or speed of an attack by X%. Leveling up feels very consequential. The game runs great and crashes are extremely rare. The level design is fantastic and is the largest driver of the diegetic narrative of Exanima. Really the only negative I have with the game is the recent trend of the level design rely on precise platforming in a roguelike game where regularly walking down a hallway without tripping is considered an achievement.

Perhaps my favorite part of Exanima is the equipment system. There are SO MANY LAYERS. There is clothing, then mail, then jackets, then armor for nearly every body part. There is a coverage system that also determines what gear is occupying what slot and in which layers which is so intuitive that there is no need for a cluttered UI explaining all the details.

If the story mode wasn't enough, there is also an endless Arena mode where you compose a team of NPC and PC fighters that can compete in various scenarios like different arrangements of team-fights, monster fights, free for all, weapon trials, duels, etc. You earn money which can be used to purchase support characters like doctors or trainers, equipment, and new fighters. It is extremely fun, and I hope it gets fleshed out more in updates to come.

So... updates. Many recent reviews seem targeted at the length of time Exanima has been in development and the length of time between updates as a negative. I think this is unfair. The updates are usually MASSIVE changes in how the game is played. They usually include extremely large new areas to explore in story Mode, changes to the combat system, adding new systems, and even a lil ol morsel for us Arena enjoyers. My point is this: the developers have been very clear on what this product is and what their plans are for it. They have provided updates which make good on the planned features they have previously communicated. They also provide monthly reports on progress and direction. In my opinion, the length of time between updates reflects the quality of content contained within.

So I think it should really tell you something about what kind of product you're getting when the recent negative reviews are so hungry for more content that they are willing to dumpster a $15 game they've spent 50+ hours in. Let me be clear, even if they never update this game again and stop all communication, the $15 you spend on this game will not be wasted. There is more content and fun currently in the game than I've seen in games I've spent more than double that on.

Exanima can be a very frustrating experience that you struggle with and put down, or an extremely rewarding combat system that makes you feel amazing for having pulled off that move. Its lore is not yet complete but the story is revealed through exploration. That exploration itself also rewards you or punishes you accordingly. The leveling system and Thamaturgy are also fun and make magic feel strange and mysterious. Overall its a beautiful dungeon crawler and a lot of fun to play blind, the more you look up about how to explore the dungeon the more you take away from your experience. The arena helped me prepare for the main dungeon and is also a lot of fun on its own, letting you level combat and play with different armors and weapons.

"1 Step forward 5 steps back" - the game. Or "Development Hell Simulator".

I was really hyped 10 years ago, when the ea version released. I played very little, not to spoil anything for the full release. A couple of years later around 18/19 I picked it up again and I really enjoyed the mechanics, the "content" that was available and started to regularly read their "coffee diary".

It became quite evident that they are not in a rush at all. This felt good, because I wanted them to deliver quality. But as time went on, updates stalled and their "progress" was evidently non existing. Their journal became more and more ridiculous and disappointing. Instead of adding up to what they already had, they took more and more steps backwards to overhaul fundamentals. No new content in sight, but weapon-generation had become procedural. Hurray... Then they made new shaders. New movements. And so on. Nothing that had impact. Their diary became more and more technical in way that bored the community until players left in disappointment. In their latest "update" they showed pics of shadows that look a little bit different than before...

Putting down the pink glasses reading their journal feels like "we planned to do a certain thing, but now got bothered with something completely unrelated that will sidetrack and distract us for 2 years. So no updates until then. And when an update comes, you won't even notice, except for a save-wipe".
Or "we weren't satisfied with how a certain piece of cloth moved during our secret testing, so we have to rewrite the whole engine". In 10 years from now, they will try to reinvent zeros and ones, because they're unhappy with the state of the binary system. And when they're done they have to start their work all over again on their project because it's outdated severely.

Last version I actively played was 0.7.something. Six years later now in 25 they are at 0.9.something. I had a gander back at their page, but nothing has changed significantly, except for how they do their diary. It's less entries now...wow.

Either they got completely lost in technicalites and forgot they were making a game; they have lost interest and won't admit it; they have no idea in what direction to go with their "game"; suffer from mental health issues -> pathologically stuck in a non-existent overhaul process or a combination of those points.

The actual state feels like a demo with a nice idea behind it, but the controls and camera are so difficult, time consuming to learn and handle, that many players give up after a short time. To those who manage to actually git gud, it does feel really rewarding, but this gets played down because there is almost no content. What's actually there in terms of story elements is so scarce and only bits and pieces that just tell you about its potential. But potential that is left untouched is the same as nothing.

That doesn't mean that people cannot enjoy what's there. Again: their movement and fighting system takes a lot to even get used to. The exploration through their levels is also quite nice. But there is so saving, so if you die after a certain level, ALL your progress up to this point is lost and you have to (almost) start all over again.

If you like learning difficult controls and experimenting with different weapons, enemies, etc... it can be fun for a time. It was for me. But it's just really disappointing when you slowly discover that all your effort doesn't lead anywhere.

What they call a game is a tech demo at best, which is stuck in development hell for well over 10 years. And I'm not even talking about Sui Genris which at this point is a complete dilusion. Even Steam wrote a public warning on their store page that their last update is over 15 months old.

I honestly don't think this will ever see the light of day. But if a miracle happens I gladly play again to potentially change my review if I don't forget about this title.

Abandoned. They developed all this stuff too slow and their custom solutions are already out of date which can be done better with 3rd party tech.

Absolute solid game. cant wait to see them bring it to full release. The COOP Alone will be worth it for me. If the only thing people are complaining about is lack of content and they forget they have played 100 hours it doesn't make sense to me. The Arena inst for everyone and can get a little same same after awhile, but nothing beats your first time killing that Golem King or Sir. Many hours of Unique and Solid Encounters to be had!!!

I don't think it will ever be finished, plus it's pretty boring with what they do have. PRETTY MUCH JUST A TECH DEMO 10 YEARS ON.
These small teams can sometimes suck at letting people know if anything is even still happening, leaving the user to search for info when it should be right there on the main steam page, seriously people.

Wacky physics, intriguing lore, simple yet intuitive magic system, creepy vibes and cool armour and weapons.
Good stuff.

It's a good game but it's been over a year since the last update. I know the dev's are working on stuff but it's taking so long that I can't recommend buying it yet, in a few more years maybe...maybe...

Painfully difficult, kind of clunky, but I love it so much. It scratches an itch I've always had for exploration that no other game has. It doesnt update often, which is seriously an issue and its blatantly unfinished but what is in the game is really solid.
The combat is weighty, the magic if fun, the dungeon is filled with surprises, and for the most part the challenge is fair?? Kind of..??? Hard to say, its not an easy game, sometimes it feels unfair, reminds me a lot of rainworld in that way.
Overall though, I think I got my moneys worth.
Its not expensive, but I'd recommend waiting on a sale if you're real strapped for cash.

last update was 2023, and that's the only reason i give it a negative review. course waiting so long for a update in an early access game is just sad. otherwise its super fun and hard. love the arena gamemode where i can beat people with a stick

I absolutely love what Bare Mettle is crafting here. Ive followed Exanima from the beginning and you can really feel the love theyve put into their game and its world. The physics theyve built into the engine allows for some incredibly satisfying and rewarding combat/gameplay (thaumaturgy is way too much fun already, I cant wait to see where the dev team goes with it).

The dev team may be small (hence the wait between updates) but theyre very communicative about what theyre working on every month and incredibly passionate about their project. Its been well worth the money.

An unfinished symphony? So much potential but the devs don't seem to be interested in finishing it.

I adore this game. The difficulty. The raw challenge of navigation. The innovative combat system.
Yes it's clunky. It's a physics based combat system. With practice though, you will learn to land the perfect shot and its SO SATISFYING when your halberd crashes into their face. It really has such a satisfying combat system that i've spent 100 hours probably in just the arena mode. If only it was multiplayer?

Outside of the combat, it's an unforgiving, unfinished dungeon crawler. It wouldn't take that much effort to finish it, but the devs just... don't. WHY? diving down some rabbit hole about cloth textures and 'ai roles'. Nobody cares. Just finish it and move on.

As of 05/02/2025 the game has been in early access for OVER 10 YEARS. Steam added a feature that showed how long it was since the games developers last updated the game which as of today was 15 MONTHS AGO. Either laziness, Ineptitude or poor leadership is to blame.

I WILL REPEAT, 10 YEARS IN EARLY ACCESS AND 15 MONTHS AGO SINCE LAST UPDATED.

Exanima was meant as a tech demo prerequisite to Sui Gineris, which was the original concept and was estimated for Exanima to be in EA for approximately 9 months. Promises made but not delivered. They do have a monthly "coffee talk" which is meant to overview progress but is filled with things they "feel" is necessary rather than getting on with updating what is currently available. Massive engine updates to add inconsequential things. More so even it seems they brag about improving cloth physics, terrain changes, or even texture changes that are slightly shinier, that which grass and light can penetrate through, than the ones before. In which took them several months to make but still needs improvement.

As of right now the monotonous game play cycle has worn thin. Only a few enemies feel like the AI is past the point of worth fighting against as the vast majority simply spam attacks onto the player, let alone the giants which just rush onto the player character model which breaks the combat as swinging weapons is dependant on the room of which it is allowed to be swung. The "intuitive" controls are not difficult as many have stated and are just clunky in the grand scheme of things. Bring the cursor onto one side of the enemy, click and drag over and passed them to hit them. Rinse and Repeat. Also being hit staggers the player which prevents retaliation so you can be essentially stun locked to death.

Also having only a few checkpoints which is an auto save does not mean it is adding a reason to play less aggressive and more "strategic". It only exist it seems to aggravate the player, and comes across as to pad game play time. Simply adding save rooms through various parts of the game would alleviate frustration to newer players which is regularly discussed. Then again there is only a few levels so it often feels fruitless to continue once you get passed them all.

TL:DR: Not recommended, developers waste time refining the engine with inconsequential things rather than improving core and essential needs of the game such as actual game play improvements and story. People judge on what can be played now, not what is promised in the future and not delivered. 10 YEARS IN EARLY ACCESS AND 15 MONTHS AGO SINCE LAST UPDATED. 05/02/2025

Although I ultimately enjoyed my time with this game, I cannot recommend it. It feigns complexity and difficulty by being relatively unintuitive. Once it "clicks" for you, the thin veil of uniqueness falls to reveal truly clunky gameplay that's nothing special at its core and annoying (and unfinished) mechanics. I've progressed through all of what is currently playable in this game (including getting that sweet armor in the arena), and sadly there is simply not enough here to justify recommending that anyone buy this game.

Scroll back up and read the text box detailing this game as early access. Take note of things such as the developers estimating it would take "around six to nine months, give or take three months" for the game to leave early access, and "the last update made by developers was over 15 months ago". This game was put up on Steam before I graduated high school and now I'm about to graduate medical school in a few months. If I can get a medical degree and become a doctor before you can even finish your game, let alone even the magic mechanics/skilltree, there is something deeply wrong. I used to appreciate the monthly dev coffee diaries, but now I look back at them with disdain as the developers obviously put their care and attention on things completely separate from what many players actually care about.

With this review, I am officially sending this game to my graveyard of games that had so much potential but will never live up to it. Maybe I'll come back in ten more years and enjoy a full release of this game, but my review will never change.

Quote from steam page of this game's description that was released into early access on 29th of April 2015:

"Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
Around six to nine months, give or take three months! Honestly, we can't provide an exact timeframe as there are many factors involved, some of which are beyond our control. These include feedback from a wider community and, ultimately, Exanima's success which will determine our budget going forward."

It's 4th of February 2025 today, 3 months untill full 10 years have passed.

Last time I've played it around 2020-2021, and let me tell you how much has changed in the game since then, just by looking at version numbers:
1 April 2020 Exanima 0.8 Released
19 December 2021 Exanima 0.8.3
17 July 2022 Exanima 0.8.4
13 October 2023 Exanima 0.9

Entire 2024 and until now, 4th of February 2025, there has not been a single update or patch to the game after a minor patch that was uploaded 31st October 2023, check this game's steamdb patchnotes/updates history.

Decent game, I highly recommend playing with Exanimap. I personally use a health mod to balance out my skill issues.

this was one of my favorite games now it keeps crashing and giving me error screens because the devs keep messing with stuff.

It's a tricky game to get to grips with, but one that is irresistibly addictive to those that refuse to lose. After a few hair-brained solutions, I'm running about in Power Armour I stole. The game is totally Unique, and a godsend; if only there was the option to lock the camera into always being oriented in the direction your character is facing!

If you like experimental game mechanics and trying a little harder than you should, you'll get your money's worth for whatever equates 18 canukistan credits. It's its own category of game that stands halfway between a demo and a full release. Development on it is dead, despite what may seem, and it doesn't look like bare mettle will ever succeed in elevating their unique combat mechanics past the drunk pudding puppet combat simulator that it currently is. Which also means that the following full game that was spoken of a generation ago is not but a fever dream. At least we got videos of SRG's mastery of the combat system out of it.

jesus christ the devs need to stop trying to mess with the game engine and the AI and just make the game already

Great unique game. Sure, it has it's bugs and still... Exanima is almost done very made game with lots to discover. I saw other reviews stating the long duration of development, but I don't see relevance in those statements, Im afraid. Game is already deep and fun the way it is.

Buy it if you wish: exploring, funny physics, complex combat, sort of immersive sim, dark atmosphere, fencing.
Have a good luck on the arena and check out false edge and throwing techniques of fencing. Remember to not fight the camera and stay tuned for new updates.

It is a fun game for those who enjoy hardcore exploration of a world in an isometric perspective. The floors are huge and when I last played this it was quite fun exploring it and taking my time to see more of the world.

For $15 I would say it's worth it, but this comes with the caveat that it has been in early access for a decade at this point with extremely slow progress. At this rate it won't be properly done for another decade, but I think the current gameplay is good.

You basically have to find keys, use torches, avoid traps, fight enemies - loot, and avoid injuries and such as you go through various floors. It can be a better idea much of the time to run away or lure enemies to an advantageous location, and that sort of thing is greatly appreciated to me.

Endless early access. Keep in mind this was supposed to be some kinda tech demo for a Kickstarter MMO and they can't even finish this lol

Its kinda fun, but it quickly becomes repetitive and the longer you play it the more you wish it just had normal controls. The novelty of "physics" based combat wears off very quickly and the amount of hours played you would need to master it just isn't worth it. You could spend 1000 hours and still not be good or have any content left to excite you by the time you do master it. Alternatively you could just play a souls like game for far more content, better controls, and a much fairer challenge. Feels bad to die because your guys "physics" based sword clips through his torso and you can't swing/defend.

The arena mode is extremely repetitive and feels pointless. You slowly rank up and get access to better weapons and armor, but who cares? You fight the same humans, but they also get better equipment so its not as if you start to feel stronger as you rank up. You can fight an ogre, but you just get gold as a reward. Gold that you only can spend on new weapons and armor that you don't need. Tournaments just don't feel fair. You cannot heal between fights, but your opponents are always full health. So really its you versus 4 back to back master gladiators. Game should simulate the damage the npcs take during their matches, so they don't get such an unfair advantage in the finals.

The dungeon mode is better, but all the floors feel pretty samey after a while, just with "different" enemies. Most of the enemies are functionally the same, until you get a bit further in. Then you start fighting big enemies that rag doll you and its at this point the combat goes from tolerable to miserable. Sorry its just not fun to get repeatedly knocked to the floor with no ability to fight back. Enemies at this point may as well just one shot you because they aren't going to let you stand back up anyways, so why give the illusion of a chance to stand back up? Its pure misery. Also plenty of noob traps to soft lock your game. Thanks I really appreciate that cliff side path that leads to a lower platform that you can't climb back up from or progress further into. Really enjoyed learning not to do that on my next play through! You can't jump or climb, so be wary of getting yourself soft locked from falling into a waist high pit. Malicious level design that exists only to punish new players for simply not knowing any better. If that sounds appealing go ahead and buy this game.

In the current state of the game there's plenty of things to do, systems to improve with and master. Yes its take quite a bit of time for updates to come out, the games been in this developmental limbo for many years as we all know. Personally I'd say its easy worth the $15 price point (especially for those of us with large playtime's). Yes it sucks that there hasn't been a major update in over a year but review bombing isn't going to make an update magically appear out of Madoc's ass.

Still having fun. Combat never gets old. Gem of a game

Every year I start this game and do the torch test. Still cant pick it up. Will thumbs up the review when the game passes the torch test.

Physics based melee combat just hits different...

I think if I spent as much time playing it as they spent developing it, I might actually "git gud".

I keep seeing comments saying "Duhhhh no story!!! there's no game here!! they just talk about their engine!!111!!1"

It's not like it was described as a prelude to what they really want to build(sarcasm), and having watched this game for so long, it's genuinely insane the jump from what they had at the start to now. Sure it could be seen as almost development hell, but I still remember the update for the physics engine where walking on beams and movement in general was upgraded and if you played before and after you could FEEL the difference, so I know all the tweaks and changes they're making is doing SOMETHING.

When the Force update came out, players found out quickly you could just bypass entire sections by levitating an item to pull down a lever, skipping sections of the map. like I can't get over the breath of options given to you through just 2 out of SIX(6) thaum/magic trees. Want a gaggle of zombies henchman to throw at your enemies? You can!!! Possess, gaslight, and astral project your way through the dungeon! Don't care for that and rather just go head first? Force can do that, Empower your attacks or add magic armor to yourself, enemies getting too handsy? Force blast them away!

If they really didn't care about the players then they'd have never added Arena or any lore shit to the game. Like I can't stress enough that this game is supremely overtuned, how many other games are like this right now? NONE or at least none this well made. Like yeah i'm itching as much as anyone else for the full open world, but as of right now I enjoy going back to this every once inawhile and just going through the game cause it's truly a unique experience, and if it starts to feel to easy, there's always Hellmode mod, and their amazing team that really change and ramp up the difficulty.

I've ranted incoherently enough just know that you're going to buy a game with a high skill ceiling. I remember getting it and getting my ass beat because the controls for this game is just that different. But I learned eventually and I'm happy I did.