Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon - Before You Buy
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Date: 2025-05-31
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Comments and reviews: 20
devinsparks1523
I cannot stress enough how bad performance was for me on Xbox. I got it two days after launch, but there was such insane input lag any time I moved the camera that I got motion sickness. That’s never happened to me playing a game before. Tried disabling vsync and the screen tearing was abysmal. Turned it off after 20 minutes. Gave it a week and after a patch came out I tried it again yesterday. Performance still isn’t good. Still very noticeable screen tearing. But it is at least passable enough to play now. What I experienced in the 6 hours of playtime so far has left me pretty hopeful for this studio.
I agree that intro dungeon was ass, and the graphics/visual fidelity is bad. But I like basically everything else. I think the combat (other than the hitbox issue) is better than Bethesda games. The parry mechanic wasn’t mentioned in this video. Between the parry and dodge it makes for some pretty engaging combat, especially when facing groups.
I haven’t dove much into magic although I intend to since everyone seems to rave about it, and I do a 1h melee/off hand cast and can see that being true.
The writing is solid enough, but haven’t gotten deep enough in the story to really have a solid opinion yet. I like to explore so I just got to the first town. But what I do want to praise is the environmental storytelling.
What I hate most about the Oblivion remake is they didn’t add in any lore to dungeons. So they’re all empty and pointless. But there’s a lot of content through npc and even notes in dungeons I’ve experienced this far, let alone just props/bodies etc.
The tone of the game is exactly what I want so far. So it’s a solid 8/10 for me so far.
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I cannot stress enough how bad performance was for me on Xbox. I got it two days after launch, but there was such insane input lag any time I moved the camera that I got motion sickness. That’s never happened to me playing a game before. Tried disabling vsync and the screen tearing was abysmal. Turned it off after 20 minutes. Gave it a week and after a patch came out I tried it again yesterday. Performance still isn’t good. Still very noticeable screen tearing. But it is at least passable enough to play now. What I experienced in the 6 hours of playtime so far has left me pretty hopeful for this studio.
I agree that intro dungeon was ass, and the graphics/visual fidelity is bad. But I like basically everything else. I think the combat (other than the hitbox issue) is better than Bethesda games. The parry mechanic wasn’t mentioned in this video. Between the parry and dodge it makes for some pretty engaging combat, especially when facing groups.
I haven’t dove much into magic although I intend to since everyone seems to rave about it, and I do a 1h melee/off hand cast and can see that being true.
The writing is solid enough, but haven’t gotten deep enough in the story to really have a solid opinion yet. I like to explore so I just got to the first town. But what I do want to praise is the environmental storytelling.
What I hate most about the Oblivion remake is they didn’t add in any lore to dungeons. So they’re all empty and pointless. But there’s a lot of content through npc and even notes in dungeons I’ve experienced this far, let alone just props/bodies etc.
The tone of the game is exactly what I want so far. So it’s a solid 8/10 for me so far.
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Dregnel
Yeah this before you buy feels very much rushed even though it's 7 days after release. All the footage in this video is either from tutorial or from places that you can get in early, under 1 hour of gameplay.
I disagree on the combat, there's no mention of blocking or parrying nor that enemies sometimes feint their attack to throw you off. The skill tree also give very unique bonusses which would be known if you'd shown at least 2-3 nodes from at least single tree. That combined makes combat more fluid than most scrolls-likes. I don't remember you using words like stiff/clunky/unsatisfiyng when giving thoughts about oblivion remake so I don't know why you use them in a game with more in-combat options.
Mind you i love oblivion and skyrim but they have the generic stiff combat systems
There's no showcase of variety of different weapons or playstyles, even though it's mentioned. All of the weapon types (magic, one handed, two handed, shields) have gear you can use level 1. You've shown none of them other than you running with a dagger in one hand and nothing in the other or shooting basic arrows with a bow, while there is option of dual wielding anything that isn't two handed (two daggers, dagger and spear, dagger and spell, any combo you'd like)
Ps. : you can even dual wield shilds and bash enemies on the heads with them, soooooo
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Yeah this before you buy feels very much rushed even though it's 7 days after release. All the footage in this video is either from tutorial or from places that you can get in early, under 1 hour of gameplay.
I disagree on the combat, there's no mention of blocking or parrying nor that enemies sometimes feint their attack to throw you off. The skill tree also give very unique bonusses which would be known if you'd shown at least 2-3 nodes from at least single tree. That combined makes combat more fluid than most scrolls-likes. I don't remember you using words like stiff/clunky/unsatisfiyng when giving thoughts about oblivion remake so I don't know why you use them in a game with more in-combat options.
Mind you i love oblivion and skyrim but they have the generic stiff combat systems
There's no showcase of variety of different weapons or playstyles, even though it's mentioned. All of the weapon types (magic, one handed, two handed, shields) have gear you can use level 1. You've shown none of them other than you running with a dagger in one hand and nothing in the other or shooting basic arrows with a bow, while there is option of dual wielding anything that isn't two handed (two daggers, dagger and spear, dagger and spell, any combo you'd like)
Ps. : you can even dual wield shilds and bash enemies on the heads with them, soooooo
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BenjaminHaney-y4i
Youre the best Jake but my man. You play video games for a living. Good god. The combat is bad How can you tell You haven't opened your eyes once your entire playthrough. Seriously Im not even sure what you're trying to do half the time.
They're ten feet away from me. Time to spam my melee attack. Oh now theyre right on top of me. Time to switch to my bow. So these enemies explode So I should get up really close and use my dagger on them I mean I usually use my bow for close range combat but these enemies explode so I want to get REALLY close to them.
And everything thing you do takes SO LONG. I can practically see your brain trying to process what to do. Its like you decide to switch to a different weapon, 3 seconds goes by while you just stand there and get hit, you bring up the quick menu, another second or two goes by, you switch weapons, exit the menu, another couple seconds while you get hit and finally you start to actually react to the enemy again. I haven't played the game yet but I cant take your opinion ofnthe combat seriously after watching you play. Also I heard the magic system is one of the best weve had since Morrowind. Although if we cant jump 100 feet into the air, leviate, and rain down aoe fireballs on our foes then thats obviously not true.
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Youre the best Jake but my man. You play video games for a living. Good god. The combat is bad How can you tell You haven't opened your eyes once your entire playthrough. Seriously Im not even sure what you're trying to do half the time.
They're ten feet away from me. Time to spam my melee attack. Oh now theyre right on top of me. Time to switch to my bow. So these enemies explode So I should get up really close and use my dagger on them I mean I usually use my bow for close range combat but these enemies explode so I want to get REALLY close to them.
And everything thing you do takes SO LONG. I can practically see your brain trying to process what to do. Its like you decide to switch to a different weapon, 3 seconds goes by while you just stand there and get hit, you bring up the quick menu, another second or two goes by, you switch weapons, exit the menu, another couple seconds while you get hit and finally you start to actually react to the enemy again. I haven't played the game yet but I cant take your opinion ofnthe combat seriously after watching you play. Also I heard the magic system is one of the best weve had since Morrowind. Although if we cant jump 100 feet into the air, leviate, and rain down aoe fireballs on our foes then thats obviously not true.
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Bullshratnull
Take it from me fellow 30 yo’s who are OG Skyrim and fallout kids and then you morphed into loving FromSoft games later in life. Yeah you’re gonna love this game if you give it a chance. Gonna need to invest more than the 2 hour refund time on steam. However, the nostalgia is real. The exciting feeling of wonder you got from New Vegas, it there. The exploration, combing every corner of the map, and then you actually do get rewarded with some cool gear after trying to make that jump 300 times in the middle of nowhere.
Add in the dark lore and mature themes creates an addicting and immersive story, perfect for us 30 yo’s. I’m telling you, if you’re on the fence and decide to give tainted grail a chance. When you do, really dive in, be all in, forget guides for the first 5 hours. You’ll get that feeling that I obviously can’t describe worth a damn. But you’ll know the feeling I’m trying to describe when you feel it.
I’ve described a very niche’ person like myself, because Jake is right, you have to be the right person to like this game, but if you can relate to the description of myself at the beginning of this comment, you’ll like this game. I’ll lay my paycheck on it.
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Take it from me fellow 30 yo’s who are OG Skyrim and fallout kids and then you morphed into loving FromSoft games later in life. Yeah you’re gonna love this game if you give it a chance. Gonna need to invest more than the 2 hour refund time on steam. However, the nostalgia is real. The exciting feeling of wonder you got from New Vegas, it there. The exploration, combing every corner of the map, and then you actually do get rewarded with some cool gear after trying to make that jump 300 times in the middle of nowhere.
Add in the dark lore and mature themes creates an addicting and immersive story, perfect for us 30 yo’s. I’m telling you, if you’re on the fence and decide to give tainted grail a chance. When you do, really dive in, be all in, forget guides for the first 5 hours. You’ll get that feeling that I obviously can’t describe worth a damn. But you’ll know the feeling I’m trying to describe when you feel it.
I’ve described a very niche’ person like myself, because Jake is right, you have to be the right person to like this game, but if you can relate to the description of myself at the beginning of this comment, you’ll like this game. I’ll lay my paycheck on it.
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ShoulinCSS
This game has had me absorbed for 40 hours already and I'm only in the second area. The amount of builds I've thought up from the gear I've come across so far is on the level of an ARPG if not more. I personally love the combat and it's jank is just icing on top when you accept it for what it is (indie. You can get pretty deep in how you do things and swing your weapon as melee, and magic is just soooo satisfying with the right gear and build. If you are going to play this you NEED to experiment because it's far more complex than it seems on the surface. The setting also is like right up my alley and I honestly haven't played a game that's had me shaking with excitement at times like this since Asherons Call or original Morrowind. They knew their audience and delivered in spades in my opinion. I hope for more like this in the future!
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This game has had me absorbed for 40 hours already and I'm only in the second area. The amount of builds I've thought up from the gear I've come across so far is on the level of an ARPG if not more. I personally love the combat and it's jank is just icing on top when you accept it for what it is (indie. You can get pretty deep in how you do things and swing your weapon as melee, and magic is just soooo satisfying with the right gear and build. If you are going to play this you NEED to experiment because it's far more complex than it seems on the surface. The setting also is like right up my alley and I honestly haven't played a game that's had me shaking with excitement at times like this since Asherons Call or original Morrowind. They knew their audience and delivered in spades in my opinion. I hope for more like this in the future!
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beargguyz3
If you treat the game like it was made by a group of disabled children instead of treating it like a game made by a multi million dollar company.
For perspective, Obsidian and Awaken Realms have a similar number of employees and similar value as companies. Both have a history of using crowdfunding for games. The difference is one company is making polished, finished games and the other is making unfinished slop games that have been caught multiple times lying about the use of AI in development, even in games that were crowdfunded. Imagine funding a game only for them to prompt art and assets for it. Do not support Awaken Realms. They are not the future of the industry you should be rooting for, they are the future of slop gaming.
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If you treat the game like it was made by a group of disabled children instead of treating it like a game made by a multi million dollar company.
For perspective, Obsidian and Awaken Realms have a similar number of employees and similar value as companies. Both have a history of using crowdfunding for games. The difference is one company is making polished, finished games and the other is making unfinished slop games that have been caught multiple times lying about the use of AI in development, even in games that were crowdfunded. Imagine funding a game only for them to prompt art and assets for it. Do not support Awaken Realms. They are not the future of the industry you should be rooting for, they are the future of slop gaming.
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killertyger2889
from what i have tried on the demo 1st, the combat will take a little getting used to but when you are going into your inventory you can equip more than just 1 weapon. They give you a chance to try 4 different weapon combinations that will suit your needs unlike how traditional RPGS only give you the option of dual wielding, just 2 weapons, archery which takes up 2 hand slots and 2 handed weapons. You can do all these including sword and shield, this game from what i seen so far allows you to equip up to 8 weapons depending on your playstyle and you can change constantly instead of being stuck with 1 choice
they give you 4 slots for right-handed weapon and 4 slots for left-handed weapons, so having variety really helps out
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from what i have tried on the demo 1st, the combat will take a little getting used to but when you are going into your inventory you can equip more than just 1 weapon. They give you a chance to try 4 different weapon combinations that will suit your needs unlike how traditional RPGS only give you the option of dual wielding, just 2 weapons, archery which takes up 2 hand slots and 2 handed weapons. You can do all these including sword and shield, this game from what i seen so far allows you to equip up to 8 weapons depending on your playstyle and you can change constantly instead of being stuck with 1 choice
they give you 4 slots for right-handed weapon and 4 slots for left-handed weapons, so having variety really helps out
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gameranx
The graphics are decent, but the NPCs look a bit dated. My biggest gripe is using a controller on PCthe inventory menu is frustrating. The item detail card on the right covers other items, making it hard to navigate. Combat also feels slightly off. These games put so much into building huge worlds, then skimp on the combatit doesn't add up. It's tolerable, but could’ve been way better. Lastly, the character movement, especially while sprinting, feels weird. There’s a strange momentum or input lag when stopping instead of quick, responsive halts. You also can’t strafe while running, which might be why the sprinting is wierd and behaves as it does. These issues make me have to second guess if I want to play anymore.
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The graphics are decent, but the NPCs look a bit dated. My biggest gripe is using a controller on PCthe inventory menu is frustrating. The item detail card on the right covers other items, making it hard to navigate. Combat also feels slightly off. These games put so much into building huge worlds, then skimp on the combatit doesn't add up. It's tolerable, but could’ve been way better. Lastly, the character movement, especially while sprinting, feels weird. There’s a strange momentum or input lag when stopping instead of quick, responsive halts. You also can’t strafe while running, which might be why the sprinting is wierd and behaves as it does. These issues make me have to second guess if I want to play anymore.
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faustomenezes364
Hey Jake, honestly this review felt a little unfair compared to your Oblivion one. Combat here is way more fun, graphics feel better and performance wise you guys went pretty hard. I mean, it does have a lot of issues but again, on Oblivion you said there was some minor issues and I bought. However, until today, haven’t been able to play it because of the issues (bugs, crashes, stutters, etc. Played both on ps5 pro and feels a little unfair how you went on these two reviews. Especially comparing the size and budget of these two studios. Anyway, thanks for checking this one out and keep up the good work.
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Hey Jake, honestly this review felt a little unfair compared to your Oblivion one. Combat here is way more fun, graphics feel better and performance wise you guys went pretty hard. I mean, it does have a lot of issues but again, on Oblivion you said there was some minor issues and I bought. However, until today, haven’t been able to play it because of the issues (bugs, crashes, stutters, etc. Played both on ps5 pro and feels a little unfair how you went on these two reviews. Especially comparing the size and budget of these two studios. Anyway, thanks for checking this one out and keep up the good work.
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ursmeloman
short honest scoring of the game:
Game: 7. 5/10
pros: the world building - the music and sound - the sense of freedom - leveling and itemization - feels like elden ring skyrim (on a budget)
cons: the graphics - the lack of polish - side quests are mid - voice acting is hit or miss - story is a bit lackluster
all other aspects of the game not mentioned are meh. not great not terrible. Overall a great try from an indie dev, but far from the all time greats like the recent KCD2
Game is not that long, can be completed fully (with side stuff) in around 30 hours for a seasoned rpg player.
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short honest scoring of the game:
Game: 7. 5/10
pros: the world building - the music and sound - the sense of freedom - leveling and itemization - feels like elden ring skyrim (on a budget)
cons: the graphics - the lack of polish - side quests are mid - voice acting is hit or miss - story is a bit lackluster
all other aspects of the game not mentioned are meh. not great not terrible. Overall a great try from an indie dev, but far from the all time greats like the recent KCD2
Game is not that long, can be completed fully (with side stuff) in around 30 hours for a seasoned rpg player.
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Eli-qq7gn
I can not stress enough how amazing this game is. I bought it in early access and it quickly became one of my all time favorites. The combat is amazing and allows you to out skill your enemies. The story is in depth and every NPC is worth talking to. Even exploration in this game is so rewarding while avoiding being generic unlike most other games. The graphics aren't the most polished but combined with the motion blur and painted type ascetic you don't really notice because it is just so pretty still. This is an amazing game and I think most would like it, provided that you give it a real shot.
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I can not stress enough how amazing this game is. I bought it in early access and it quickly became one of my all time favorites. The combat is amazing and allows you to out skill your enemies. The story is in depth and every NPC is worth talking to. Even exploration in this game is so rewarding while avoiding being generic unlike most other games. The graphics aren't the most polished but combined with the motion blur and painted type ascetic you don't really notice because it is just so pretty still. This is an amazing game and I think most would like it, provided that you give it a real shot.
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Enzevil
Having a blast with this one. In the beginning I had to get used to the clunkiness, plus combat starts out quite basic. But once you push through and get used to it, plus unlock more perks, spells, and magic items, it becomes very fun. Especially magic really shines later when you get cooler spells, flat out even better than The Elder Scrolls in my opinion. Exploring the world, and stumbling upon cool locations and sidequests are the best part. Many of them are interesting, and written very well. Definitely worth it in my book. Was always wondering why there weren't almost any scrolls-likes.
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Having a blast with this one. In the beginning I had to get used to the clunkiness, plus combat starts out quite basic. But once you push through and get used to it, plus unlock more perks, spells, and magic items, it becomes very fun. Especially magic really shines later when you get cooler spells, flat out even better than The Elder Scrolls in my opinion. Exploring the world, and stumbling upon cool locations and sidequests are the best part. Many of them are interesting, and written very well. Definitely worth it in my book. Was always wondering why there weren't almost any scrolls-likes.
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gameranx
This is what Avowed shoul'd have been. I dont understand why people say that it has bad graphics. It looks and runs way better than Oblivion remaster. It actually has it's own style. Has more variety in weapons, enemies and lanscape itself. Even the story is more interesting. And I mean cmon. 30gb vs Oblivions 125gb. They actually took the time and optimise it. I can play it on high with my 2080 super. Where on oblivions low i get like 45 fps. :D This game destroys oblivion remaster by all means. All heil the developers. They did an amasing job.
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This is what Avowed shoul'd have been. I dont understand why people say that it has bad graphics. It looks and runs way better than Oblivion remaster. It actually has it's own style. Has more variety in weapons, enemies and lanscape itself. Even the story is more interesting. And I mean cmon. 30gb vs Oblivions 125gb. They actually took the time and optimise it. I can play it on high with my 2080 super. Where on oblivions low i get like 45 fps. :D This game destroys oblivion remaster by all means. All heil the developers. They did an amasing job.
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RigmorTalonbeard
I tried it and i think oblivion is better. This game is not worth spending money on. Its blowing up because people are being paid to review and advertise it well.
I might possibly consider it again if it becomes free on game pass and i become bored of every other game. but 80$ for this in 2025 is a waste of good money.
Avowed was thrown in the trash for the same reasons that this game seems to be popular and I just don't get it. The people who play this and like it, must just enjoy paying for heavily flawed games.
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I tried it and i think oblivion is better. This game is not worth spending money on. Its blowing up because people are being paid to review and advertise it well.
I might possibly consider it again if it becomes free on game pass and i become bored of every other game. but 80$ for this in 2025 is a waste of good money.
Avowed was thrown in the trash for the same reasons that this game seems to be popular and I just don't get it. The people who play this and like it, must just enjoy paying for heavily flawed games.
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FredBloggs-s8w
How can we make a Skyrim knock off look worth the money. I know, let's make all the atmosphere sort of hazy and out of focus, so that nobody will notice how shoddy the graphics are. That's a NO from me and a NO from him. Game creators are running out of ideas on how to winkle the last few coppers out of our pockets, but this is not the way to go. From what I've seen in this post, I'd have more fun by picking my nose. Remakes and regurgitated games are not worth the bother.
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How can we make a Skyrim knock off look worth the money. I know, let's make all the atmosphere sort of hazy and out of focus, so that nobody will notice how shoddy the graphics are. That's a NO from me and a NO from him. Game creators are running out of ideas on how to winkle the last few coppers out of our pockets, but this is not the way to go. From what I've seen in this post, I'd have more fun by picking my nose. Remakes and regurgitated games are not worth the bother.
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Acedia982
I found out about this game months ago i was itching for a rpg game like oblivion (this was also months before the remaster dropped) and happend across this game. Tried out the demo and loved it the jank was there no doubt but the game itself was amazing so i decided to follow and wait for the full release and i gotta say im very happy with it its still got issues but nothing thats made it unplayable and it very much scratches that itch for a scrolls like rpg.
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I found out about this game months ago i was itching for a rpg game like oblivion (this was also months before the remaster dropped) and happend across this game. Tried out the demo and loved it the jank was there no doubt but the game itself was amazing so i decided to follow and wait for the full release and i gotta say im very happy with it its still got issues but nothing thats made it unplayable and it very much scratches that itch for a scrolls like rpg.
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eliteheadhunter830
So I’m unsure if the previous games will come up but basically King Arthur was a God King like Jake said but at the end of his reign he believed that he could continue to be the King and ended up becoming some kind of mix between monster, necromancer and King, the Wyld (the fog) was spread everywhere and you could push it back using special torches, so I think this is set after defeating that King which promises to be interesting story wise.
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So I’m unsure if the previous games will come up but basically King Arthur was a God King like Jake said but at the end of his reign he believed that he could continue to be the King and ended up becoming some kind of mix between monster, necromancer and King, the Wyld (the fog) was spread everywhere and you could push it back using special torches, so I think this is set after defeating that King which promises to be interesting story wise.
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gameranx
Awaken Realms is most well known for their giant, sprawling board game RPGs that raise millions of dollars on crowd funding. They also run Kickstarter's top competitor for board games, Gamefound. It's actually a fairly big company as far as board game companies go, but they are just starting to get into video games as well. They've never been known for their solid gameplay, but excel when it comes to aesthetics, tone, and story.
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Awaken Realms is most well known for their giant, sprawling board game RPGs that raise millions of dollars on crowd funding. They also run Kickstarter's top competitor for board games, Gamefound. It's actually a fairly big company as far as board game companies go, but they are just starting to get into video games as well. They've never been known for their solid gameplay, but excel when it comes to aesthetics, tone, and story.
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cooperfitch1005
Calling the combat a drag is crazy. The combat is 100x better than any elder scrolls game and really brings that style to the next evolution. I also am quite a fan of the menu system. The graphics are not wow, but excellently rendered and still quite beautiful -- buoyed by the unique lore and styling of the King Arthur era. I've been completely blown away and one of the first times I've disagreed with you Jake!
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Calling the combat a drag is crazy. The combat is 100x better than any elder scrolls game and really brings that style to the next evolution. I also am quite a fan of the menu system. The graphics are not wow, but excellently rendered and still quite beautiful -- buoyed by the unique lore and styling of the King Arthur era. I've been completely blown away and one of the first times I've disagreed with you Jake!
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eetfukouijaaa
I picked this up on a whim, despite the jankiness, the world building and grim dark atmosphere sold me. Combat is serviceable. But I am sold. Very much scratched an itch I desperately had cos not many devs kinda want to go toe-to-toe with Elder Scrolls and understandably so. This is the best FPP we've had in a while. The world is just so interesting. Finally an Elder Scrolls game with proper blood and violence.
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I picked this up on a whim, despite the jankiness, the world building and grim dark atmosphere sold me. Combat is serviceable. But I am sold. Very much scratched an itch I desperately had cos not many devs kinda want to go toe-to-toe with Elder Scrolls and understandably so. This is the best FPP we've had in a while. The world is just so interesting. Finally an Elder Scrolls game with proper blood and violence.
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