Horizon's Gate - Review @ RPG Codex

RPG Codex Review: Horizon's Gate

[Review by CryptRat]

Released in 2015, Voidspire Tactics was a traditional CRPG inspired by games such as Ultima 7 and Final Fantasy Tactics. It allowed players to create their own party and explore a handcrafted, fully connected and highly interactive world, offering a deep character system with carefully designed tactical battles. For more details just read Jack Dandy's review. Using the same engine and taking a slightly different approach, 2017's Alvora Tactics took place in an ever-changing, partially procedurally generated dungeon accessible from a central hub. It allowed players to recruit two party members in addition to the four player-created ones and included five new classes.

Returning to a handcrafted approach, Horizon's Gate takes place in the same universe as the previous games. It is a universe with its own lore, history and inhabitants, ranging from standard humans to the faceless rasmens who wear masks. The game puts you in command of a crew of sailors traveling around an inhabited continent and the surrounding region. The world contains multiple towns, dungeons and natural areas. There's no passage between locations other than by sea and the only way to travel from one location to another is with a ship.

After choosing your race, name and appearance in a disappointing character creation sequence where you only create one character instead of the four of the previous games, the game starts with an introduction and tutorial where your ship is sunk by pirates. After regaining consciousness on a beach you reach the pirates' cove and discover that the high admiral of Dominio, your own country, was responsible for the crime, for some political and likely evil purpose. Stealing a basic ship from the pirates and seeking revenge, you escape. You are joined by Reeve, a crew member of your sunken ship, ancient admiral and war heroine of Dominio. From there, everything is up to you. The game's only objective is to assemble a fleet and crew so you can take your revenge and stop whatever the high admiral is up to.

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I greatly enjoyed my time playing Horizon's Gate, and if you enjoyed Voidspire Tactics or Alvora Tactics then there's little doubt that you will enjoy it as well. I can't say for sure whether you'll enjoy the sailing, trading and questing part of the game, but at the very least they shouldn't prevent you from enjoying it overall. The game shouldn't be mistaken for what it's not. Sure, there are several nations you can work with and lots of towns, but if you're looking for a well-developed story or branching dialogue then you should look elsewhere. However, if you're a fan of tactical combat and advanced party building then you'll like it a lot (and the entire series for that matter). If you also enjoy freeform exploration and high levels of interactivity then you'll love it.