Oh, btw. That run from this morning was the first time I got a rune from a different character. In this case, when I crit with Mark’s basic attack, it would proc Lydia’s explosive crescendo attack. That was great fun, especially when I also had a relic that had a chance to cause explosions when an enemy died. I wish I could have kept that rune the entire run.
No official thread going on , so I’ll put this here.
It sounds like a great game. It’s a shame about the pixelation though. I probably can’t play it because of that, even if I get it. I just find that really hard to take.
FWIW, I hate the recent trend of pixel art games. Truly abominable. But a few of them, like this one, are really quite beautiful, imo. Maybe check out a gameplay video and see what you think?
Awesome review @tomchick I just wish my eyes could make out detail in pixel games. I just see blobs of pixels for the most part.
I’ve been wondering for the past 30 years if I was the only one who ever played it!
A lot of people point to Battle Toads, Ninja Gaiden, and Ghosts & Goblins, but I’d put forth Legacy of the Wizard as the most impossible NES game ever, possibly only beaten out by Cobra Triangle. I’m surprised the Angry Video Game nerd never covered either of them.
If it wasn’t for the ridiculous maze and excessive gold grinding, it could have been one of the best NES games. A dungeon crawl Super Mario Brothers 2.
I played almost six hours already (I have all the characters finally), and while I started liking it a lot at first, I feel it’s missing something.
I like the basic control scheme / combat, in fact I wish games like Diablo would play like this. I like how they have tried to mitigate the whole ‘attack while going backwards’ that potentially can exist in a game like this.
Still, I think it’s missing another layer of… something to make the action really shine and be a bit less repetitive after the first hours. The mage should have a pair of spells more?, and maybe the archer should have different ammo types to juggle, with spare ammo you can find in the dungeon, so you have a bit of resource management? Yes, I want a bit more of complexity. I also wish it had less melee enemies attacking you in a straight line and a few more enemies with more distinct behaviors.
There is a jump of difficulty between the three areas (worlds?), which in practical terms is translated to ‘just grind for a pair of hours in the previous area’ that rubs me in wrong way. The reality is this is an action roguelite with lots of permanent upgrades everywhere, and you have to roll with it.
The combat can be a slog sometimes with the ranged characters, sometimes I finish an area with 450 enemies killed, and depending of the character (archer for example) and your actual world and progression, you need to hit basic enemies 4 times to kill them. I know she deals less damage than other melee guys because precisely, she is a ranged fighter, but the pace of the game is hurt.
Glad you’re playing this, Turin, and I totally get your complaints, but a couple of things:
For me, the actual moment-to-moment gameplay is just as much about the temporary upgrades. The passives, the runes that modify abilities, whatever power you have slotted. These aren’t permanent, and they vary greatly. In fact, they can make any two runs with the same character class feel very different. For me, this is what the pacing is all about: either looking for an awesome combo, or getting an awesome combo and running with it.
Pay attention to the particulars of each character’s skill. You might already know this, but the archer does more damage if she’s standing still. There’s complexity in here, but it’s baked in instead of being something you tinker with.
-Tom
There are also things you probably don’t have unlocked yet, like runes that trigger abilities from other family members. It’s not complex, but there’s more going in than it initially appears.
Been looking out for this since Tom’s review and I see it’s on sale for the Switch. Has anyone tried it on the Switch (or both Switch and PC?) and can suggest if one platform is preferable? I’d normally get it on Steam but couch co-op would be easier on the Switch (if co-op is worthwhile here).
Only played on pc, sorry. I like it a lot. Not a ton of depth, but great value and fun.
I’m trying not to get distracted from Horizon Zero Dawn, but this got added to Game Pass today, and I’ve been very curious since I read Tom’s excellent review. I was a little apprehensive since I hate pixel art.
I just played up to the cutscene where you unlock the first dungeon. So far so good. I kind of like it. What’s weird about the art style is that it’s not so much the fact that it’s pixel art that’s bother me, it’s that some things are drawn as if it’s an overhead view, while most stuff is drawn as if it’s kind of an isometric view. I don’t know, it’s weird and makes me uncomfortable looking at it. Maybe it’s something I’ll get used to?
Anyway, I just wanted to look at it at least once. Back to H:ZD for now. I’ll be back.
I’m eager to try it also but Game Pass won’t let me install due to some mystery error. Oh, well. It always clears up after a day or two.
I noticed there was a Xbox (Beta) app update today, so I updated it before I launched Children of Morta. Do you have the latest version of the Beta app?
Yeah, I saw that too but it didn’t fix the problem. I’ve learned this stuff is on their end and it always goes away if I give it a little time.
I mean, are you kidding me this week?? A Plague Tale, Children of Morta, and Gris have been on my wishlist since I first read about them. Awesome.
I remember that sort of perspective, or maybe the split in style between the background and the characters, was one of the things that made me uncomfortable as well in Dungeons of the Endless. But it wasn’t an action game.
I got it working, played the intro chapter, and I agree! It’s a cool combination of familiar mechanics and a unique presentation. I like the family hook and the narrator is a good touch for storytelling. I just wish the characters had better names. I mean, Kevin?
Ohhh I loved the look of DotE!
This was an interesting read
Boy, I’d heard good things about Children of Morta, but I didn’t realize if had SO MUCH beautiful art and animation (and I’m only working on the first dungeon). I was ready to hew and cry when I saw some art that was pixelated and some that wasn’t. I’ll take either, but DON’T mix them! But it turns out that the pixel-world and painted world are one and the same, just seen at different zoom levels! Okay, then!
Anyway, started it on Game Pass today and I’m really enjoying it. I’m not into ARPGs for their own sake, but the unique characters, the perfect level of complexity, and the little fascinating surprises are more than enough to keep me engaged!