A Squire's Tale
- May 14, 2020
- Choice of Games
In "A Squire's Tale," a 150,000-word interactive fantasy novel, you play as a squire on a quest to rescue the prince of England and earn your knighthood. Your journey takes an unexpected turn when you encounter a magical market and are forced to confront the existence of faeries. Your choices in music, combat, and alliances will determine the outcome of your mission and the fate of the kingdom.
Reviews
- The game offers a charming knightly questing tone and style that appeals to fans of chivalric tales.
- There are moments of branching and diverse options that can enhance the storytelling experience.
- For those looking for a light read, the game provides an enjoyable, albeit shallow, narrative.
- The story is often confusing and lacks clear direction, leading to frustration with the choices presented.
- Many choices feel railroaded, resulting in a linear experience that doesn't allow for meaningful player agency.
- Character development and skill progression are limited, making interactions feel shallow and unsatisfying.
- story30 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story is characterized by a mix of engaging elements and frustrating limitations, with players expressing disappointment over the lack of impactful choices and a rushed conclusion. While some appreciate the romantic and chivalrous tone, many find the narrative confusing and unsatisfying, feeling that it doesn't fully deliver on the promise of a branching adventure. Overall, the story's structure and execution leave players divided, with a sense of missed potential in its development.
“Overall, while I found the story enjoyable, I wished there were more opportunities to branch off from the main narrative.”
“However, if you can forgive the plot being a bit forced and there being a bit less choices that really matter than some choice games, it was overall a good tale with a strong romantic chivalrous knight errant tone and style that I found very charming.”
“This story is kind of mysterious with the supernatural aspect, but it doesn't really explain it fully to you.”
“Didn't like this story at the end.”
“The story and ending were a bit forced.”
“The epilogue is just a quick summary of what happens to your character after their mission and it feels so rushed, makes me not even care about what happened to my own character.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *A Squire's Tale* follows familiar mechanics established by Choice of Games, offering a consistent experience for fans of the genre. While it may not introduce innovative gameplay elements, it effectively appeals to its established audience, particularly in digital markets outside of Steam.
“For anyone that's played any other game by Choice of Games, 'A Squire's Tale' doesn't break new ground gameplay-wise, at least for them.”
“This formula and these mechanics have served them well so far to attract a sizable audience, especially in digital markets besides Steam.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game is criticized for its slow skill progression, which feels ineffective in gameplay, as players encounter monsters that seem indifferent to musical abilities. This disconnect leaves players feeling frustrated with the music mechanics.
“In short, one's skills increase far too slowly to be of use, and despite being supposedly able to hone one's music, one often faces monsters that do not care about music.”