Tag: Sword & Sorcery

Of Ash and Steel – Demo Impressions

It’s rare, but sometimes it happens. That rare stumble upon a game that both has a fantastic demo, and a release date not set in the far future of 2035. Of Ash and Steel is this game, and after giving it three hours, I couldn’t help but give it two thumbs up! It’s an old-school RPG in the form of Risen—and trust me, I did the test. I swung my sword at the back of my host as thanks for nursing me back from death, and he promptly kicked my ass. But see, he didn’t kill me, he just knocked me out, called me something foul and took my bow as compensation. If that isn’t old-school “living-world” mechanics, I don’t know what is!

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Sword Hero – Demo Impressions

Now, here we have a game with some serious potential, for everyone that loves the Gothic, and the Elder Scrolls series. The Sword Hero demo is rather short, as you are limited to five arena battles, with increasing difficulty depending on the foe. However, what is showcased here is nothing short of amazing. Especially if you enjoy heavy system based RPGs/action games. By that, I mean how stuff interacts with each other, primarily through a damn cool physics engine. Expect hilarious ragdoll slapstick, which is right up my alley. 

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Gothic 1 Remake – Xardas trailer

Alkimia Interactive released a very stylized Gothic 1 Remake trailer a couple of days ago, featuring the mage Xardas explaining the state of the colony. And it looks very good, with the narration doing a great job of inviting you into the world of Gothic. However, I’m in the middle when it comes to remakes and remasters, as for many of us, we already know the story, with the gameplay feeling like old hat. Four times out of five, it’s the exact same game, just “visually improved”. Yet, even that aspect can come off as questionable at times…

As it is, with this remake, I’m honestly hyped. The demo was great, and while I know the story, I can’t help but feel excited to experience the struggle of the penal colony once again. Much thanks to Alkimia Interactive taking the job seriously, which comes through in their video dev logs. I was hoping Gothic 1 Remake would come out this year, but sadly, it has been set for release in early 2026, So a while until then. In the meantime, check out the cool trailer below:

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Lessaria: Fantasy Kingdom Sim – Playtest Impressions

If you are missing a comfy game like Majesty 2 in your life, I got a treat for you. Lessaria: Fantasy Kingdom Sim is a spiritual successor to Majesty 2 coming out this year according to Steam. I was invited to playtest the game, where I tried out three campaign missions and an endless mode. My first impressions are very positive. It retains that cozy approach to gaming where you just feel relaxed (just like Majesty 2), due to its presentation and gameplay. Even the original narrator returns! However, even perfect weather comes with a few clouds of rain.

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The Temple of Elemental Evil (Rediscovered)

I have been playing the semi-forgotten party based D&D RPG Temple of Elemental Evil from 2003 with the mods Temple+ (engine fixes) and Circle of Eight (more engine fixes, + extra game content). The reason I mention the mods so early in the article, is that when I played Temple of Elemental Evil the first time, none of these mods existed. And Temple of Elemental Evil was not a stable game, at all, at release. However, it showed serious potential, which these excellent modders saw and started to work on. These mods are now, as I can see it: essential. Temple+ for the numerous fixes, and Circle of Eight for the additional quests, that makes the first part of the game much more enjoyable.

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