I decided to try the Ardenfall demo, which is an Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind-inspired RPG, set in a fantasy world that can best be likened to Vvardenfell—strange wildlife and all. The oddity of the place, just like Morrowind, comes from the familiar, mixed with the unfamiliar—and while I’m not entirely sold on the visual style, it does play a huge part in its oddness. So, if you love to explore bizarre alien worlds with an oriental cultural flavor, this will feel tailor‑made for you.
Nothing personal, kid
I made a sneaky guy with light armor and katana as his primary form of defense and attack. However, Ardenfall is free-form without a class system, which means you can make any combination you want. Why not throw in some magic use with your heavily armored warrior? It’s all up to you! It’s a good system for a solo RPG like this, as becoming a bit of a jack of all trades usually comes with benefits—even though it would be a doomed build in most other RPGs.
The combat is reactive and real-time, meaning you will have to fight your own battles, relying on your survival with your gaming skill. Stats will of course be a factor still, as it still determines your damage, health and stamina, among many other things. I enjoyed the combat gameplay, and I think the game came through with the feeling of being a nimble assassin that kills with a thousand cuts, rather than one that crushes his enemies through raw strength. You see, that was my first kind of character, and the difference between the two is palpable, which is an excellent thing in a title like this—if you’re itching for a second go.
Exploration and quests
Another strong suit in the demo is the exploration and quests, which is as free-form as the character-leveling system. Vertical exploration is as important as diving into dungeons to discover useful loot. For example, you can find potions that make you light as a feather, which opens up serious exploration up in the sky and the “breakage” of quests. The main quest in the demo is to free a giant beast that is stuck in a tunnel, as it’s blocking your way and others. There are many ways to solve this conundrum, with one of them being just to bypass the damn thing by going over the tunnel. The true neutral way—screw the villagers, they will have to figure it out by themselves!
This is some seriously good stuff when it comes to player agency that is actually reflected on the people around you. Every quest done and action taken, seemingly will improve your standing, or lower it—depending on what you do, and who benefits. I, of course, became the hero of the village by freeing the beast peacefully. Sadly, it meant, no infinite tuna for everyone.
The only thing I disliked was the icon showing who and what spot you when sneaking, which I think removes all the tension and fun of skulking about. I hated it in the Elder Scrolls/Fallout games, and I hate it here, and to be honest, I don’t understand its inclusion in a system-heavy RPG like this. Hopefully, an option will be added to remove it in the future. All in all, though, I had a good time when playing Ardenfall and I already think of going back in to finish the demo as an evil wizard! On Steam, it says the release is set for 2026, but not much more info other than that.
Thanks for reading.
– Thomas
Tom's Gaming Vault 