AntharioN

About

AntharioN is a single player role playing game with a historical theme. It was developed by Orphic Software and was released on July 14, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"AntharioN is a single-player historical role playing game set in a sprawling, open-world continent with turn-based combat. Create a party of four from seven races, nine classes, and 15 skills, and experience an epic storyline with ultimate freedom and customization. With exceptional music and a vast world to explore, AntharioN offers outstanding gameplay."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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65%

Audience ScoreBased on 151 reviews

story11 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a nostalgic old-school RPG feel with polished graphics and engaging music.
Combat is turn-based and tactical, allowing for strategic gameplay with a variety of character builds.
The world is large and encourages exploration, with many hidden secrets and quests to discover.

Some aspects of the game feel unfinished, with repetitive environments and limited variety in skills and spells.
The user interface can be clunky, making navigation and inventory management cumbersome.
The story and writing are lackluster, failing to provide a compelling narrative to drive the gameplay.

story
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
72%
13%
The story in "Antharion" is generally perceived as weak and generic, relying heavily on tired RPG tropes such as starting as prisoners and facing a vague evil. Many players find the quests dull and repetitive, often consisting of typical fetch and kill tasks, which detracts from engagement with the narrative. While some appreciate the game's exploration and dungeon crawling elements, the overall writing and plot fail to captivate, leaving players feeling unmotivated to follow the main storyline.
- “The story feels like a fairly generic D&D story, but that is okay by me.”
- “The storyline is light, but enough to set a tone.”
- “I'm several hours in and I've barely touched anything related to the main story because the other quests and exploration are simply fun.”
- “The story feels very lightweight and relies on a lot of tired concepts - your party are prisoners, there is a kingdom at peace until your village is attacked, and there is a vague evil besetting the land.”
- “The storyline isn't anything special either, and overall, there is barely any plot or story, which is very pulpy and light-hearted.”
- “The story itself is pretty weak and thin; don't expect some phenomenal plot with twists or good writing.”
graphics
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the nostalgic, old-school aesthetic reminiscent of classic RPGs, while others find them simplistic and lacking in detail. The animations are generally described as minimal, and the user interface could use improvement, but some players enjoy the charming pixelated style. Overall, the graphics may appeal to fans of retro games, but those seeking modern visual sophistication may be disappointed.
- “It's very well polished, the graphics are clean, animations are snappy, and the music is a-tier with something strangely nostalgic about it.”
- “The graphics are quite enjoyable and I like pretty much everything about them except the character models themselves, which I kind of hate.”
- “There are tons of locations (caves, mines, wells, etc.) to explore off the beaten path of the main quest line, and the graphics are the best kind of pixelated charm.”
- “If its art style/graphics do not appeal to you, I cannot recommend it.”
- “However, do not expect graphics sophistication here; it looks like a cross between something Spiderweb Software makes and the Ultima series, but isometric: the graphics have a charming Windows 3.1 feel about them, so don't expect anything groundbreaking like Neverwinter Nights.”
- “The graphics are dated and might be a turnoff for some people.”
gameplay
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its nostalgic, old-school mechanics reminiscent of classic CRPGs, while others criticize it for being simplistic and unbalanced. Many noted that the combat and exploration can be enjoyable, but the lack of depth in mechanics and poor explanations of gameplay elements detract from the overall experience. Overall, it appeals to fans of retro RPGs but may disappoint those seeking modern gameplay complexity and polish.
- “If you are looking for a sleek modern game with smooth mechanics, high resolution graphics, and the latest and greatest features in gaming, this title is not for you; however, if you are looking for a fun and challenging nostalgia trip with hours of entertaining gameplay, you might want to give Antharion a try!”
- “Almost everything feels useful and rewarding, and having to balance the combat and non-combat skills across characters makes for very involving gameplay.”
- “But seriously - the music is nice, gameplay is intuitive, the UI is easy to work with, I've smirked quite a bit at the dialogue, and I can see myself playing this for quite some time!”
- “I felt like I've been repeating the first 2 hours of gameplay over and over.”
- “Disappointing gameplay dynamics that sort of punish you for leveling up, and force you into certain skills just to stay alive.”
- “All of the gameplay is awfully archaic.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
16%
13%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and nostalgic feel, with many reviewers noting it as a standout feature that enhances the overall atmosphere. While some found the ambient tracks fitting, others felt they didn't align perfectly with the game's setting, leading to instances where players preferred to listen to their own music. Overall, the soundtrack is described as enjoyable, varied, and effective in complementing the game's visuals and gameplay experience.
- “It's very well polished, the graphics are clean, animations are snappy, and the music is A-tier with something strangely nostalgic about it.”
- “Great music too.”
- “The music is enjoyable and one shouldn't have run right into combat because even the crabs can whoop you.”
- “There are no options available to set for the game such as resolution, windowing mode, music volume, or animation speed.”
- “Music does not really fit the setting.”
- “As for the music, it's some orchestral RPG type of stuff.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique charm, engaging music, and immersive world design reminiscent of classic titles like Ultima. Players appreciate the fulfilling exploration and the dynamic NPC schedules that enhance the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is great, the exploration is fun and fulfilling.”
- “The atmosphere is great and really fun.”
- “Been playing a bit and the atmosphere is great; the whole world reminds me of Ultima games, with NPCs that have a day and night schedule and all.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and boring, with one player comparing it unfavorably to grinding in vanilla World of Warcraft. Conversely, another player appreciates the lack of grinding, noting that finite resources eliminate the need for repetitive tasks, enhancing the overall enjoyment of exploration and challenge.
- “I find it challenging, fun to explore, and above all, no grinding!”
- “While the game isn't really bad, I can't really recommend this one due to the sheer boredom and tediousness of the gameplay.”
- “I'm back in vanilla World of Warcraft grinding boars.”
- “Money, enemies, and other resources are finite, which makes grinding or money/food-gathering impossible.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lackluster story and dialogues, leading to player disengagement and indifference towards the narrative.
- “The story and dialogues became so boring that I lost interest in reading them altogether.”
- “The emotional depth was lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I found the attempts at emotional moments to be unconvincing and flat.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
Character development in the game is perceived as limited and somewhat monotonous, with players noting that there are only a few viable skills to invest in for each archetype, leading to a lack of depth. While there are options for noncombat skills like persuasion, the overall system does not provide enough variety to keep players engaged.
- “Character development is fairly limited; for each character archetype, there are usually only one or two combat skills that are worth putting points into. However, there are some non-combat skills like persuasion that you can invest in as well.”
- “Long, slow burns can work great, but I need to have the allure of a nice story, awesome strategy and combat encounters, or fun character development, or well... anything else.”
- “Character development quickly becomes boring, because there are only enough points to invest in one or two categories.”
- “Character development is fairly limited; for each character archetype, there are usually only one or two combat skills that are worth investing points into, although there are some non-combat skills like persuasion that you can also invest in.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its witty and engaging dialogue, complemented by a mix of dark and intense adventures that keep the experience entertaining and fresh, rather than relying on typical fetch quests.
- “Not many fetch quests; instead, there are funny, dark, intense, and awesome adventures.”
- “The game is filled with hilarious dialogues that keep you entertained.”
- “The humor is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making every moment enjoyable.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the high replayability due to the diverse selection of races and skills, allowing for extensive experimentation and varied gameplay experiences.
- “There are a lot of races and skills to choose from, so there is a lot of room for experimentation and replay value.”
- “Each playthrough offers a unique experience, making you want to dive back in and explore different strategies.”
- “The branching storylines and multiple endings encourage you to replay the game to see all the possibilities.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game performs reliably without crashes, offering a smooth experience that, despite its lack of polish, remains engaging and enjoyable for players. Its old-school RPG charm contributes to its appeal, making it surprisingly fun to play.
- “The game runs smoothly and is weirdly enjoyable despite its relative lack of polish, in a sort of 'why the hell am I still playing' way... the answer is... because it's fun old-school RPG goodness!”
- “[Game Performance]: The game didn't crash one time while I was playing it.”