Operencia: The Stolen Sun

I initially played this through the Windows 10 store at launch. Despite preferring the real-time combat of games like Grimrock and Vaporum, this is a fantastic dungeon-crawler with tactical turn-based combat (requiring careful target prioritising if you don't want to be wiped quickly), plenty of character customisation, loot and gear, and most importantly, puzzles everywhere. They're not always required to complete the story but if you want the best loot, you're going to need to use your brain. The core gameplay sticks close to the classic dungeon crawler formula - bob around grid by grid, flick switches, loot chests, fight monsters, and ultimately tackle the boss of each lengthy act. There's very little pixel-hunting and it's more a case of solving standalone puzzles or linking initially unrelated objects/switches. As you progress and your party grows, you get new skills that open up new routes and unlock further secrets. If I have any qualms, it's that you'll need trudge around the early levels again after picking up items much, much later - something that'll annoy completionists wanting to clear out each chapter on the first go. Turn-based combat relies on syncing different skills, damage types, buffs and debuffs, and the turn-order is always visible so you can plan your actions accordingly. The opening hours can feel a little underwhelming until you unlock new abilities, but things really ramp up from the midway point. There's plenty of satisfaction when you set up a perfect sequence of moves that wraps up the fight in one or two turns. Shifting party members around is essential but thankfully everyone gains XP, in or out of combat. Finally, the game looks and sounds incredible, with decent writing and great voice acting. It's typical European-style fantasy, but the narration and party-banter occur often enough that it'll keep you informed and pushing forward. That this game comes from Zen Studios - of pinball fame - is both unexpected and incredible.

It really pains me to write this review. I really enjoyed this game, until its flaws definately killed it for me. First the good things, and the reasons why one should give this game a try : _ The art direction is pleasant. _ The game has a good flaw : fights, puzzles and exploration are well balanced. _ You can redistribute attribute points and skills whenever you want. Also what felt like a rather traditional dungeon crawler quickly became alive thanks to clever dialogues and excellent voice acting. I really felt attached to the characters... So why Did I endup quitting the game ? Well, first moving is this game is cumbersome. It's hard to describe, but the fact that this game is square by square and yet you can freely look in any direction with the mouse creates confusion. They should have either opted for a really free movement mechanics or a strictly traditional square by square movement. Second, everytime you enter a battle, the game shifts in a dedicated combat screen, like in a Final Fantasy game. Not only did this break the immersion for me, it also made impossible to plan ahead. You see a skeleton ahead ? Well, it could be 4 or 5 of them, or just 1, or even a skeleton and a spider. Oh, and there's no runaway option, as far as I can tell at least. But the biggest problem is the RNG and "taunt" system. Let me explain : when an ennemy taunts you, you cannot target another ennemy. Now imagine a boss fight, with a big HP sponge for a boss and 2 tanks that can taunt you : you will almost NEVER have an opportunity to hit the boss. Now imagine that even if you kill the 2 tanks, the boss can summon new ones at will. Now imagine that even if you manage to hit the boss, the RNG can screw you over and over by making your characters miss all the time. Now you can imagine why I decided to shut this game for good. And it pains me, because if it weren't for that damn RNG and that f*cking taunt system, it would have been my favourite dungeon crawl of the moment.

Disclaimer, I've played for about 3-4 hours hours. I'm at the boss of the Tomb of Reka. I like these rouge, dungeoncrawleresque games. This is no masterpeice, but what It does right, it really does right. The graphics look nice, the voiceacting is great, and exploration is fun. But then there are a few things that just make large parts of this game unbearable, and it's such a shame. -Really poor choice of starting companion. This feels like a joke. Your first companion is a mostly poisonbuilt ranger-ish type of character. He has access to some regular physical attacks to, but mostly poison. So here's the thing, 70-80% of all enemies you encounter the first 3-4 hours are either immune, or resisant to poison. Why on earth would this be the starting companion you get? He has one healing spell, and that's the only useful thing he does. -Limited amount of healing. So you heal by using firewood at campsites. You also use them for saving, and you can do that an unlimited amount. But you get so hesitant to use the resting option, because you don't know how much firewood you're going to get access to. You usually get into these questionable fight because you don't want to run back and "waste" a heal incase you need it for a boss. -The enemies are total douchebags. Here's 80% of all the encounters I've faced- 1. I try and kill one of the taunters on the first cycle but never succed, you are always like 1 or 2 hits away. 2. Now the second taunter will taunt you, and you cannot finish of the first one. 3. So now you have to focus on taking down the second taunter, who's now just going to sit there and block for 2 turns, and you're not going to be able tio kill it before....... 4. Now the first guy will taunt you, forcing you to waste most of your turn killing him, before you can kill the other taunter. 5. Now you can proceed to kill the rest. This is some of the worst combat I've ever played through in modern times.

Hi everyone, I have about 30 hours of playing this game so here is my short review. This game is amazing. Nice graphics and atmosphere, strong voices, funny story, challenging fights and the riddles which are quite logical, rewarding secrets, very good level design, nice music. Fights – lot of people is complaining about hard fights, I am playing on hard settings and fights are very well balanced. All skills and abilities points are fully redistributable with no penalty! If you are losing there is something wrong with your settings. Try to change it. Battlefield is divided into 3 lines and each skill is not the same efficient for each line. Secrets and puzzles – not extremely hard and logical. Rewarding loot. Some of the secrets from first levels you can be able to solve after receiving things from later levels. Do not spend hours and hours searching for each secret in each level. It would be waste of time. But have your eyes open and check every wall. I can recommend this dungeon, it is like from good old times in fresh graphic.