«Lead a party of relic hunters in an epic cRPG adventure set in a war-torn Guns N’ Sorcery world. Experiment with a tactical slo-mo and a modern combat system!». We’ll see what it’s about.
Story and Gameplay:
This time we found an action RPG developed by Event Horizon Limited. This one arrived with the promise of classic RPG mechanics, a unique world, and an interesting narrative. Will it meet the expectations of fans of this genre? We will see it below.
The story of this game unfolds in a world based on the coexistence between magic and science. Here, the lines between reality and fantasy become quite blurred, and at the center of this realm is the Order of Shadows, an ancient organization. This order, composed of magicians and scientists, has sought for centuries to unravel the darkest secrets of the universe. That said, at the center of their investigation is the Dark Envoy, a source of unrivaled power that promises to control the fundamental forces that shape reality. This ancestral relic becomes the engine that drives this epic narrative, triggering a series of events that take us through unknown lands, facing mythological creatures and deciding the fate of a world on the brink of complete chaos.
At the outset of this game, the player creates not one, but two characters, a change from the norm in most RPGs in this genre. These characters, Malakai and Kaela, are siblings who have fled from an ongoing war between factions referred to as ‘The Empire’ and ‘The League’. Now living as scavengers and treasure hunters, they strive to build a new life in a distant settlement, far removed from the relentless conflict consuming the world of Jäan. Let’s say you have four basic classes to choose from: Warrior, Ranger, Engineer, and the magical Adept. Each class offers three specializations to select later, effectively giving you 12 different class types, each with unique skill sets. By the end of the game, you can even have multiple specializations. This means that Malakai and Kaela can be any class, providing a high level of flexibility in character development, especially early on. Initially, you’ll only have these two characters for a considerable amount of time, so your choices in building them will significantly impact your strategy during the game’s early stages.
Throughout the adventure, six additional characters will join Malakai and Kaela, though most of them take a while to appear. These characters have predetermined classes, so it’s best to focus on those who complement your chosen builds for the siblings. You can form a party with up to four characters at a time, and fortunately, all characters gain EXP equally. This allows you to experiment with different party formations without worrying about EXP distribution. For it´s part, the game’s standout feature is theory-crafting various party builds and class/unit combinations. It’s incredibly varied and satisfying to assemble a well-coordinated team. Plus, you can respec skills at any time, encouraging experimentation without penalty.
Regarding the gameplay, we find a game that merges elements from several genres, but, like we said, It´s mainly framed within the RPG. For when attacks have to be distributed, it presents us with a tactical combat system in real time. The advantage is that it allows us to make strategic decisions during battles, being able to pause or slow down time. The other side of this coin is that the slowdown makes the fights last too long, which can erode our patience. On the other hand, the game presents us with an open world with a modest size, but one that invites exploration. The variety of biomes is adequate, with many nooks and hidden secrets to discover as we progress through the plot. The setting is also a strong point, fusing elements of fantasy and science fiction. This approach is not only reflected in the story, but also in the design of characters, creatures, and environments.
No less important is the decision-making system, which directly impacts the narrative and the development of the characters, providing multiple possible paths and endings. These choices are not limited to simple forks in the plot; They go further, affecting relationships with other characters, determining allies or enemies, and even shaping the fate of entire regions within the game world. In addition, decision making shapes the skill tree, influencing the available skills or the effectiveness of some of the branches of the tree. The aforementioned branches usually align with traditional roles, such as attack, defense and magic, but this game also incorporates some thematic branches, specific to the story and character background.
Beyond the updates that the game has received, we sometimes notice that the difficulty curve feels uneven at times. Some areas are quite simple, while others are extremely complicated, regardless of the difficulty we choose. On the other hand, the pause system, although it´s a valuable feature, can tempt us and end up abusing it. By pausing the game frequently, we can plan our moves calmly, affecting the pace of the game. And this not only diminishes the excitement of the fights, but also makes these phases last too long and can wear us out and bore us before our time.
Graphics and Sound:
Graphically, it´s an aesthetically very careful game. The modeling of the environment, the character designs (even in very detailed 3D in cinematics) and the effects of our powers feel very satisfying. The love and passion put into this game is very noticeable, and that is without taking into account the effort that the developers have put into bringing updates regarding the main complaints of the players.
Regarding the sound, the music completes the setting, adequately contributing to the immersion in this world of magic and technology. For it´s part, the sounds when performing an action (for example, an attack) are very well done, the same with respect to the voice acting.
Conclusions:
Dark Envoy offers a rich and flexible RPG experience with a unique blend of magic and science, a compelling narrative, and deep character development. While the tactical combat system and decision-making elements add strategic depth, some pacing issues and an uneven difficulty curve may detract from the overall experience. However, the strong graphical and auditing elements, along with continuous updates, highlight the developers’ dedication to delivering a polished and engaging game to the audience.
In summary, for fans of RPGs looking for a decent amount of character customization and a world with interesting potential, this game might be worth a try. Also, for newcomers to the world of this genre, it´s a bet that may not be for everyone, but still, we suggest giving it a try.
My Score is 8.0
Hen Games 