While the combat sounds interesting, the actual animations completely undermine the experience. It is fair to say that you should not play the Age of Decadence expecting a pretty game, as you will be utterly disappointed. The characters move like wooden dolls, void of any fluid motion and realistic movement. It is a bore to watch, and you will be thankful when combat is eventually over, even though it will likely be because you have died.
The game's environments don't fare any better, consisting of horrid textures that would look bad in games 10 years ago, let alone today. Despite having all graphics options on max, the Age of Decadence was damn ugly and this really undermined the experience that Iron Tower Studio were aiming for. For every great piece of dialogue that immersed you in the well thought out narrative and lore, an unsightly visual would take you away from the experience.
Conclusion
The Age of Decadence does a lot right. The well crafted world, brought to life through excellent character dialogue and general writing, alongside the good use of choices to define your experience, prove a good lesson for even the more established role playing games on the market. The developers clearly spent a lot of time considering this approach. These quality aspects of the game would be most welcomed in the likes of the Elder Scrolls series, whose own implementation often comes across as immaterial and frivolous. However, the Age of Decadence can not stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its AAA brethren, whose visual style and quality completely outshine this RPG and prove to provide a more well rounded experience. If you enjoy a very traditional RPG that encourages you take things at a much slower pace, then this game is for you. However, if you want more action, stay well away.
