Grimoire - Released

[Ripper]

Does this count for Sapiens?

This is a good question. The Codex receives Grimoire like a sacrament, but what the Neanderthal holds in his heart for his homo sapiens thralls remains a mystery.

 

[luj1]

So why aren't you blobbing away your time in the precious Grimoire?

Let me apply the cooling agent onto that

 

[SirJames]

I can only imagine how sore your bottom must be, luj1

Still, 10% less sore than it could have been

I assume you're not answering my questions about stability because it would harm your claims?

 

[Kelefane]

Man, I watched some youtube plays on this game and it looks annoyingly slow and painful and I mean MORE then usual for this type of game. This is coming from someone who loves oldschool Arena, Daggerfall, Ultima 7, Ultima Underworlds and Might & Magic: Mandate of Heaven.

Am I off base here?

 

[Ripper]

Applying the "cooling agent" is one of Luj's favorite jobs.

 

[Pongo]

I totally failed my Will saving throw again. This is a common occurrence. So I bought it.

So far it works fine for me. As expected, the screen is small (there is "scale to fit" option that doesn't seem to work for me) with loads of black boundaries around the play area. There are a few annoying things, like pressing Esc doesn't seem to do anything (how hard would it be to hook that up to the menu screen...). But aside from that, it seems to work fine. I haven't encountered any game breaking bugs (albeit I've only played it for ten minutes) and it loaded up fine for me on Windows 10.

It weirdly starts you at "novice" difficulty without telling you, so I've bumped that up a bit. Not sure what the difference is between the difficulty levels though and I might regret it.

Very initial impression - its a bit clunky, but seems to be working ok.

 

[Arkadia7]

Pongo, maybe you can write up a full review eventually for RPG watch... I would read it just for curiosities sake (I'm not really interested in the game, but all the hype and controversy surrounding it has me curious, not gonna lie)

 

[Kelefane]

This is more like a $3.99 game. Not a $39.99 game. That price is highway robbery. This might have been a $39.99 game back in 1997, but not in this era.

So while I love games like this, I will not be touching it with a 10 foot pole until that price tag is reduced drastically. Its just not worth $39.99 in any shape of form.

Honestly, I think the game would have been met with more positivity if it was priced more accurately. As it stands, its being ripped to shreds by reviewers on Steam. I suspect the "OVERALL" review score will be "Mostly Negative" within a month.

 

[Pongo]

I'm definitely happy to keep posting impressions as I go along! Not sure about a review though. I think someone with a more detailed understanding of the Wizardry games is needed for that.

 

[SirJames]

I think someone with a more detailed understanding of the Wizardry games is needed for that.

Oh, I dunno. Maybe they'd just be more forgiving. Certainly would be two different perspectives.

I think its fair to review it on its own merits as a stand-alone game of 2017 rather than imagine nothing happened in the last 20 years but Wizardry.

Grimrock raised the bar already. Do you even auto-pickup-and-re-equip thrown weapons you walk over in Grimoire?

 

[NewDArt]

I'm assuming there's no real difference between this release and that superdemo from a few years back - in terms of how it plays, looks and the polish-level?

I found that quite underwhelming even given my low expectations, if a bit charming in an obscenely quirky way.

Meaning, it's worth - at the most - 10$ in a reasonably objective estimation.

If it's more than that, I might check it out on sale. I'll probably just check the scene for a taste, though.

But at this stage, my interest level is so low I don't even want to bother with those 4-5 clicks and 1 minute download time.

 

[Embolus]

Long story short - a Neanderthal that believes he is genetically superior to humans, and lives in a nuclear bunker, has been making this game since 1994. He has promised on many occasions over the years that it was finished and about to be released, to the point of absurdity. It's a rather shoddy and severely buggy WIzardry clone, but a funny cult has grown up around it, and they consider the coming of Grimoire will be a seminal moment in human history - an event they refer to as The Incline.

You probably didn't need to know that.

What I suggest is that you're right, and there's no way it's worth the asking price. If it's your sort of thing, get it at a bargain basement price if and when he gets it running properly, and when reviewers have confirmed it can even be completed.

Bahaha definitely more than I bargained for in the explanation, it's the premise for a goddamn movie

 

[Capt. Huggy Face]

I'm assuming there's no real difference between this release and that superdemo from a few years back - in terms of how it plays, looks and the polish-level?

Taken from one Steam review:

Description of Grimoire.exe in steam game local folder says:
Grimoire Demo Version
Copyright (C) 1996-2013

 

[NewDArt]

Taken from one Steam review:

Well, that doesn't necessarily say anything about the technical state of the game. He might just not have bothered to update the description since the demo release.

That said, it's not that I find that likely or anything

 

[Capt. Huggy Face]

Well, that doesn't necessarily say anything about the technical state of the game.

Point taken. The following two sentences from the same review:

And it really is a Demo. It cannot be called a finished product.

 

[NewDArt]

I trust (most) Watch opinions a hell of a lot more than random Steam reviews, though.

 

[bussinrounds]

Grimrock raised the bar already

Grimrock is a real time blobber like Dungeon Master, Eye of the Beholder.... not a turn/phase based cRPG in the same vein as Wizardry games, so not the best comparison there.

 

[Capt. Huggy Face]

Fair enough. I'm not going to buy the damn game, so I guess you're up, Pongo.

 

[NewDArt]

Personally, I found Legacy and The Quest more appealing than the superdemo of this game.

Also, they're priced appropriately if you want something akin to this archaic style of game.

The Quest is a single-character game, though - but it's not too dissimilar otherwise.

 

[Lucky Day]

I'm assuming there's no real difference between this release and that superdemo from a few years back - in terms of how it plays, looks and the polish-level?

I found that quite underwhelming even given my low expectations, if a bit charming in an obscenely quirky way.

Meaning, it's worth - at the most - 10$ in a reasonably objective estimation.

If it's more than that, I might check it out on sale. I'll probably just check the scene for a taste, though.

But at this stage, my interest level is so low I don't even want to bother with those 4-5 clicks and 1 minute download time.

An object's worth is exactly what someone is willing to pay for it.