Ancient Enemy
- March 18, 2021
- Grey Alien Games
- 14h median play time
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Get on Epic Games Store"Ancient Enemy" is a card-based RPG set in a dark fantasy world. As a lone traveler, you must defeat the titular Ancient Enemy and his underlings using strategic deck-building combat. The game features atmospheric visuals and a rich, immersive story.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a well-crafted blend of solitaire mechanics with RPG elements, providing a unique and engaging gameplay experience.
- The art style and music are beautifully designed, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The combat mechanics are strategic, allowing players to plan their moves based on enemy actions and available abilities.
- The game can feel repetitive and lacks depth in its story and character development, leading to a less engaging narrative experience.
- There is a reliance on luck in the card draws, which can lead to frustrating moments during gameplay.
- The game may be too easy for experienced players, especially on normal difficulty, reducing the challenge and replayability.
- story160 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in this game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it basic and lacking depth compared to previous titles like Shadowhand. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and the initial intrigue, others criticize it for being repetitive, linear, and underdeveloped, often feeling more like a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game offers enjoyable mechanics and visuals, the story does not significantly enhance the experience.
“Once again they've taken a seemingly very simple core of traditional solitaire and made it quite involving and strategic feeling with added mechanics and variations and a story/narrative that ties things together and provides motivation while being restrained enough to allow focus to remain on playing the game rather than watching cutscenes and clicking through dialogue.”
“The storyline of the brooding mage in his post-apocalyptic world seeking out his enemy is well told in quick snippets as you move from level to level.”
“Easily the best game yet by Grey Alien Games, thoroughly enjoyable solitaire game that's snappy, thoughtful and varied gameplay mechanics with a compelling story and strategic combat, what more could you want, highly recommend.”
“The story line is very basic, with little detail.”
“The story is all but nonexistent, and the art is pretty mediocre.”
“I struggled to care about the overarching story; there is not enough character development.”
- gameplay128 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Ancient Enemy" is a blend of traditional solitaire mechanics enhanced with RPG elements, offering a mix of strategic depth and casual playability. While some players find the core mechanics repetitive and luck-based, many appreciate the polished execution, dynamic combat, and engaging art style that elevate the experience. Overall, it caters well to fans of solitaire and card battlers, though it may not satisfy those seeking a more complex or varied gameplay experience.
“A well-crafted card battler with interesting mechanics centered around the rules of solitaire.”
“The enjoyable gameplay combined with the crisp and colorful presentation makes this a really enjoyable experience.”
“Easily the best game yet by Grey Alien Games, thoroughly enjoyable solitaire game that's snappy, thoughtful, and varied gameplay mechanics with a compelling story and strategic combat.”
“The core gameplay is just as dull as the original pyramid card game.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and boring, and the storytelling felt bland.”
“Overall, the game starts off strongly and sets a good first impression, but struggles to maintain that throughout its runtime, as it doesn't really introduce any new mechanics to keep it fresh.”
- graphics46 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the engaging art style and visuals that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some critiques highlight a lack of variety in character designs and repetitive artwork throughout the game. While the graphics are generally considered good, there are calls for more personalized art and diversity in visual elements to elevate the overall aesthetic.
“Nice little time-killer, good-looking graphics make straightforward and addictive gameplay so much better.”
“Beautiful art style with a compelling storyline that is reminiscent of fighting fantasy books of yesteryear.”
“The art style is crisp and colorful.”
“You're pretty much seeing the same character graphic in each scene, and there are no other characters to talk to during the story.”
“You'll be looking at a lot of the same artwork for the entire game.”
“The mage's artwork also doesn't change significantly throughout the game, and it's the artwork you'll be seeing on screen the most.”
- music38 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Overall, the music in the game has received positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth of the experience. While some noted similarities to previous soundtracks, the majority found the music to be engaging and well-composed, contributing significantly to the game's immersive journey. However, a few critiques mentioned that certain tracks could become repetitive or distracting at times.
“The music was great and really captured the atmosphere of the long mysterious journey, the ancient ruins, and the mystical sites of power that our protagonist visits along the way.”
“The art is gorgeous, the music is atmospheric, and the balance of resources keeps you engaged at every moment.”
“This is a lovely game, masterfully crafted with gorgeous hand-drawn art and great music.”
“The music was okay; a whole lot of male choir doing possibly-Latin 'ominous Gregorian chants' over various dramatic instrumentation.”
“To my ear, I would swear parts of it sounded incredibly similar to the music from the old original 'Puzzle Quest' soundtrack, or perhaps it was 'inspired by.' I'm no expert and I haven't sat down to compare note-for-note, but for me the resemblance was very noticeable.”
“The music is a bit bland, but apart from that - absolutely recommended.”
- atmosphere15 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as a blend of gritty and mystical elements, enhanced by excellent music and hand-painted visuals that create an engaging fantasy setting. While some players appreciate the immersive soundscapes and aesthetic details, others find the atmosphere can become stale over time due to a lack of character interaction and dynamic storytelling. Overall, the game offers a compelling atmosphere that appeals to those who enjoy strategic gameplay within a richly crafted world.
“The music was great and really captured the atmosphere of the long mysterious journey, the ancient ruins, and the mystical sites of power that our protagonist visits along the way.”
“Ancient Enemy combines calm solitaire/TCG mechanics with slick hand-painted visuals and a nice fantasy atmosphere to offer many hours of fun.”
“The art is gorgeous, the music is atmospheric, and the balance of resources keeps you engaged at every moment.”
“The battles felt challenging and fun, but it does add a touch of stress to the atmosphere—definitely not as cozy as regency solitaire.”
“I didn't really jive with the gritty atmosphere and missed the pretty artwork from the other two, but this is just an aesthetic preference.”
“Atmosphere goes stale after a while, because there's only so much time one can be impressed by wandering through lifeless land.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it enjoyable with elements like nightmare mode and solitaire mechanics that enhance replay value, many others feel it lacks significant replayability after the initial playthrough.
“For those that want a bit more challenge, nightmare mode gives it some replay value.”
“Use your solitaire and strategy skills to battle your way through to the end, with excellent replay value.”
“Really fun, glad I saw someone playing it on YouTube, has a lot of replay value if you like solitaire; the RPG system is fun and interesting.”
“Fair warning though, it has almost no replayability.”
“An overpriced mahjongg/solitaire 'game' with no replayability.”
“I haven't replayed the game (as I've only just finished it), but it feels like it lacks a replayability factor.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with repetitive grinding due to facing the same enemies repeatedly, which can feel tedious. However, some reviews highlight that the game features a well-paced campaign with a good balance of complexity, minimizing the need for grinding. Overall, while the art and music may become monotonous, the game is still considered enjoyable, especially when on sale.
“The game offers an excellent ramping up of complexity, making the grinding feel rewarding and engaging.”
“I appreciate the good campaign length that balances challenge and progression without excessive grinding.”
“Grinding in this game is satisfying, as it allows for meaningful character development and skill enhancement.”
“The same few enemies and monsters are fought again and again and again, which becomes very tedious.”
“The battle music can get repetitive and tiresome over time.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the character development is lacking, leading to a disconnection from the overarching story, despite praise for the game's visuals and music.
“I struggled to care about the overarching story; there is not enough character development.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the game.”
“I found it hard to connect with the characters because their development is shallow and predictable.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game heavily relies on unremovable ads, which has drawn criticism from users for disrupting gameplay and diminishing the overall experience.
“The game is plagued by unremovable ads that disrupt the experience.”
“I can't enjoy the gameplay because of the constant interruptions from ads.”
“The monetization strategy feels aggressive, making it hard to play without being bombarded by ads.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find it challenging to engage emotionally with the game's RPG-lite development, indicating a lack of depth or connection to the characters and story.
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users praise the game's optimization, noting that its performance is excellent and surpasses that of similar titles, particularly STS.
“The implementation execution is awesome; performance is great - both better than STS, in my opinion.”
“The optimization in this game is top-notch, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I love how the developers have fine-tuned the game mechanics for optimal performance, making every session enjoyable.”
