Grimshade Review
Welcome to the Grimshade Review. Talented Russian developer TaleRock, a team of 21 gaming specialists, is pleased to open up the world of Ree’fah and present Grimshade, a party-based, tactical adventure role-playing game. This eye catching and beautifully crafted turn-based RPG is available now by publisher, Asterion Games, on Steam for £15.99 | $19.99 | €16.99.
The Steam launch follows a successful Kickstarter campaign, and its completion heralds a unique twist of the RPG genre. I was really excited to do the Grimshade Review. Grimshade is stylish and fun and has a gripping storyline. I was so hooked my the buildup in the intro there were moments I forgot to keep speaking in the video above.
Every Picture Tells a Story
Grimshade tells the story of the company of heroes, by a twist of fate, involved in the cycle of events unfolding in the world of Ree’fah. Numerous dreadful monsters infest the forest around the city of Brann and the high walls can no longer protect its residents from the attacks. The menacing army of the neighbouring kingdom have suddenly landed on the outskirts of the city, wreaking havoc. There is no hope for salvation. The strength of the city defenders is failing, and the King and his loyal Champions have vanished.
Grimshade is a RPG driven by its story. And to be honest thats an essential ingredient in a RPG. Expect some challenging tactical battles at the beginning especially as you learn each characters abilities. For this Grimshade Review the fights were a steep learning curve. Tactics are in the context of each character having a certain way they attack This involves range and melee type attacks. Alister, for example, has a close range attack and a gun for long range. Tutorials come thick and fast as you unlock new characters. Some characters can avoid attacks and defend others while some can do neither and must be protected. It does make it tough for some characters to stay alive as you can see in the video above. To the point I reached in the video I struggled to get Kiba involved in the fight.
The fights did drag on a bit in some parts and you don’t exactly get to choose when to join a fight. For the purpose of this Grimshade Review I did all the fights as I would if I was not reviewing. I was also unsure of which items to pick up and whether they would be useful further down the line. This is a thinking person’s game. Strategy is required and its slower pace in comparison to say a Battle Royale game allows you to get into it more. When I try to play Fortnite some kid shoots me within seconds of me landing! No chance of that happening in this game however. Grimshade is the antithesis of a Battle Royale which is welcome!
Grimshade doesn’t drop the typical RPG stats and there is more focus on HP and tiredness. Bit like a beat ’em up! Gameplay is more exciting as a result and as mentioned the battles are tougher than you think they will be. You will lose many fights whilst you get the hang of it. Its also got LOOT! Forage and search everything you can. Its a staple for RPGs and Grimshade delivers on that front. If you feel like its like a game you played as a kid [obvs this is aimed at older playas] then that’s because it was inspired by JRPG of the 90s!
Action, Tactics, Weapons
A not to be missed or skipped tutorial will introduce the player to the seven unique cast members, along with their weapons and tactical skills. Each of the cast has five slots in which to equip different pieces of equipment, together with a unique ability; melee/ranged attacks, defensive boosts, utility or special boosts. Adjusting the equipment before the battle, and selecting the squad and the skill set for each hero you will use during the combat is just a small part of what is on offer. The intuitive nature of progression in Grimshade ensures a great level of ongoing immersion and consistent challenges.
Features:
- No meaningless grinding
- Fully narrated tutorial to set players on the right path
- A rich and varied artistic style
- A deep but understandable system of equipment-based skill and character role development
- A world brimming with discoveries and exciting adventure
- Seven special characters
- A game to master, not win
- 2D & 3D presentation
- Find, trade, or craft new equipment to improve your characters and make them versatile and adaptable
- Subtle tactical combat reinvention
- And much, much more to be discovered
Forge your own path, make decisions in numerous side activities or head out and explore the world. You’ll find new special equipment to expand your tool set, dive head first into the plot, and uncover facts about the world’s history and its inhabitants. Search far and wide and you’ll maybe even discover hidden Easter-eggs. Which so much to do, and many decisions ahead, you’ll develop relationships between heroes and unlock a variety of possible endings.
Sumptuous Visuals
PC games are all about image as much as anything else. The art and creativity, the colours are all gorgeous. I also really like the soundtrack and music. Its very much suited to the story genre of fantasy and companions. I also really like the animal characters like Charlie. Humans and animal based characters work together and they just look great, especially in the cut sequences.
“The team are delighted with the end result and we have adapted our gaming ideologies into what we believe is a very unique presentation, in both look and gameplay”. Max Zogheib – Lead Game Designer on Grimshade.
“For instance, by playing many RPG games, you can face two irritating dilemmas. An endless grinding is the first, as you need to improve stats and properly arm all your heroes. Then, when you have an ideal party which could easily defeat any enemy, the game grants you another character(s). They are weak, low-level, undressed and it’s easier to abandon them, rather than grind again. We’ve tried to find the solution for both problems, leaving out the EXP & STAT system. Our characters develop horizontally, expanding their variety of abilities and improving synergies between them. Each new hero you gain smoothly integrates into the gameplay. His skills will be vital in following encounters with enemies and bosses.”
So, will you play Grimshade? I loved it and will hope to post more videos of how I progress through the game. I’ll definitely be finishing playing it and as mentioned I was so hooked I didn’t really want to talk in the review! I highly recommend not skipping through the intro and tutorials. The opening sequence in the story is super cool and looks great and will hook you into wanting to play!
Grimshade is a game to master, not simply complete.
ScreenShots
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About TaleRock
Russian based TaleRock is a young, vibrant, international studio, working on PC and console games. Whilst Grimshade is their first game as a studio, many of the individual team members have extensive professional experience in the gaming industry and take mentoring younger team members very seriously.
About Asterion Games
Publisher of Mittelborg: the City of Mages and crowdfunded board game; Deus lo Vult, Asterion Games look for great indie games that stand out from the crowd and help them reach new markets across the globe
Before you go you may want to read and see our Battle Princess Madelyn Review