Grimoire Started…
 

So I glanced at my phone and saw 3:15AM. Damn. Haven’t been that engrossed in a game in years. My thoughts: I finished the “starter” dungeon and most of the outdoor area before having to quit in elongated combat. The games biggest shortcoming is any encounter fighting a large group of high level creatures relative to your part. “NO PENETRATION” on damage rolls can take a 5 minute encounter to hours. If you win it’s great, tons of XP. If you lose or simply run out of time you’ll have to quit unfulfilled. Other than that I think the game is pretty impressive and engrossing. Solid exploration, great map, fun combat (with the exception of the above) and rewarding with the right mix of a party with good skill set variety. It’s worth investing a few hours experimenting with the UI mechanics. If you do that with the “quick start” party option I think you’ll find the game pretty rewarding.

Based on what I've heard, the problem is that the interesting content doesn't really last - and the majority of the game is supposed to be significantly less dense in terms of compelling experiences.

But let me know if that's wrong :)

I went into the game with extremely low expectations, and finished after maybe two weeks of play. For me, it never let up on the intrigue and exploration, as soon as I cleared one area I'd find one or two more to delve into. Considering all the nonsense printed about this game and the person that created it, the game itself turned out much better than I expected it would. This will be one that I replay many times again in the future.

I know early impressions can go south fast in these things but from what I'm seeing there is actually a really good game here. There is so much drama around it I agree with Carnifex that folks will just have to try it for themselves. Amidst all that drama over 20 years its clear Cleve was working pretty damn hard to actually deliver a game. The hurdle for this game is the undocumented UI. It took me hours to figure out how to properly identify objects, equip in combat, change party order in combat to create a more dynamic front line and cope with map annotations. It all makes sense now but there is a curve you have to "invest in". I don't know if content will wear thin or not and I'll certainly report back if I can ever get by those damn bandits :)

Well, I grew up playing dozens (if not hundreds) of RPGs with zero documentation (I pirated everything as a kid) - so that sort of thing can be part of a fun discovery process for me, if the game is actually worth playing :)

I've been meaning to check it out eventually.

Yes, the drama surrounding this game has made it exceedingly hard to figure out if it's truly worth my time.

In most cases, the exaggeration and hyperbole is relatively one-sided, like certain recent examples.

In this case, we have two sides hating on it for different reasons - and there's zero history of the developer in terms of other finished games to estimate quality from.

So….

But I'm glad to hear it seems worthwhile!

I admit I did have fun exploring the UI mechanics so I agree its part of the fun discovery. It seems to be similar to Wizardry 6 & 7 but with obvious upgrades. I haven't encountered any real interface bugs yet and things can get pretty complex with all the mouse actions interacting with items which is encouraging. So if you like the early Wizardry games I think its probably a non-brainer to try it. Their "mission" is to keep the essence of the Golden Age with significant graphics and usability upgrades. Considering what the early games look like I think they have delivered that.

A large part of that drama is 1) not about the game itself but about the developer 2) intentionally caused/fueled by that developer.

It is quite unique in that way, very much unlike other "heated" discussions about devs/games in recent times.

I seriously wonder how that affected sales. No way to find out, sadly. ;)

Cleve worked on those early Wizardry games, so yes, there are many similarities!!

Wow, it's up to Very Positive now on Steam.

Did Cleve code a Steam bot - or? ;)

My finger is itching to click purchase!

Sample size too small. 85% of 20 people …. then again i suppose if you fit the profile of those 20 people…

The entire sample size is quite small - less than 400 people. When 17 out of 20 people have a positive response right after a V2 patch - for such a tiny, tiny audience, then that's definitely enough to make me interested.

But I made the Steam bot comment for a reason. I wouldn't be surprised if it's some kind of scam.

Still, it's less than 9 euro….. ;)

Bought it ;)

I'll probably never really play it - but…. I have a soft spot for one-man developers, for some strange reason!

1. Music is beyond terrible.
2. Download size was extremely pleasant.
3. It's charming in a very, very quirky way.
4. Mouse movement is weird.
5. I kinda like it.

If any of the rpg's from the eighties or nineties were to your liking, you'll likely enjoy Grimoire. I was very skeptical when I first started playing, then quickly realized three to four hours had elapsed while I was simply learning the mechanics. After that, it only got better.

99% of RPGs from the 80s and 90s were to my liking. THEN :)

How could you know that? You'll probably never play it! :devil:

I said never REALLY play it ;)

Make sure you have room in your party for the fairy to join!

Wow did I just make short work of a certain group of bandits blocking my way. Fae Necromancer spawned Vampire Bats, Sage continuous Poison and 2 well placed fireballs. Havok. Cleared the first two dungeons and this game is still a blast. And I personally like the music.

Once you get a rhythm down, most opponents will almost just topple over for your squad. You'll run into a few that last longer, but truly the game and the enemies aren't difficult. I found that having a variety on my squad really enhanced both my skills for offensive and defensive capabilities.