Arthurian Legends

About

"Arthurian Legends" is an action RPG set in a dark, magical version of ancient Britain. After the banishment of magic, a sinister darkness threatens Albion and its people. As the last practitioner of magic, you must fight against Saxon invaders, undead creatures, and possessed knights to save the land. Your journey will take you across various landscapes, where you'll face numerous challenges and uncover the true extent of the darkness threatening Albion.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 394 reviews

graphics32 positive mentions

optimization13 negative mentions

Engaging melee combat with a variety of weapons and spells that feel satisfying to use.
Well-designed levels filled with secrets and hidden areas that encourage exploration.
Nostalgic retro graphics and atmosphere reminiscent of classic 90s FPS games.

Performance issues with inconsistent frame rates, often dropping below 60 FPS.
Bugs related to saving and loading, including occasional crashes and quicksave corruption.
Clunky user interface and control binding options that can be confusing.

graphics
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
57%
4%
The graphics of the game evoke a nostalgic 90s aesthetic, blending medieval and renaissance art influences with a unique 2.5D style that appeals to fans of retro visuals. While some players appreciate the charming and detailed sprite work, others note performance issues and occasional graphical bugs that detract from the experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a highlight for those who enjoy old-school graphics, despite some inconsistencies in execution.
- “One of the things I most enjoyed was the developers' obvious love for medieval and renaissance art; there are always interesting paintings, tapestries, carvings, and sculptures from real life put into the game as sprites and part of the map that give it a great aesthetic.”
- “The medieval aesthetics are really well done, and the monster enemy models are fantastic and also fit the aesthetic of a good old-fashioned medieval adventure.”
- “The graphics are so authentic; when I first saw screenshots, I thought it was a classic build engine game I had somehow missed.”
- “For the 90s graphics, this is kinda bad.”
- “Was physically hard for me to look at the game's graphics; also, the gameplay itself was just annoying.”
- “I didn't encounter anything too egregious, but the visuals are kinda buggy, the HUD is kinda buggy, some of the geometry is kinda buggy, jumping is actually pretty buggy, and saving is buggy.”
gameplay
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
71%
4%
The gameplay is a blend of melee and ranged combat, heavily inspired by classic first-person shooters, with a variety of weapons, spells, and mechanics that keep the experience fresh and engaging. While some players appreciate the intricate level design and satisfying combat mechanics, others criticize the game's performance issues and repetitive enemy encounters. Overall, the game offers a nostalgic yet modern take on retro FPS gameplay, though opinions vary on its execution and depth.
- “I love the look of it, the gameplay, the variety of combat (with tons of weapons, items, and runes to use), the level design, the humor, and the amount of content it has for a really low price.”
- “The combat is satisfying and gritty with a few different mechanics to give it a level of skill, like blocking, shield bashing, etc. Multiple different types of weapons and spells keep the gameplay fresh.”
- “Surprisingly deep gameplay, great level design, and punishing combat.”
- “Was physically hard for me to look at the game's graphics, also the gameplay itself was just annoying.”
- “Enemies are spongy, and gameplay feels slow and floating; maybe it's a technical issue with performance or FPS, but it just doesn't feel good and crisp like a shooter should.”
- “The problem is that the game becomes utterly boring; it doesn't have a lot of character, the gameplay doesn't evolve throughout the game, you just get spongier versions of the first enemies, and the levels all blend together as there are no real set pieces or unique environments.”
optimization
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
64%
26%
Overall, the game's optimization has been a significant concern among players, with many reporting frequent frame rate drops, lag, and generally subpar performance. While recent patches have improved the situation, issues persist, leading to a choppy and unresponsive gameplay experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment. Despite these challenges, some players have noted that the game remains playable and enjoyable, particularly for those who can overlook the performance shortcomings.
- “Arthurian Legends is a good retro shooter, and the few issues I had with the game are well offset by its solid gameplay performance.”
- “After a troubled launch and weird performance issues, the game has been updated to a state where it runs at high framerates on AMD hardware, so I bought it again!”
- “Performance has already improved noticeably, and most other issues I noticed on release have already been addressed in little over a week.”
- “The main issue with this game is the performance.”
- “The options menu has a performance section, but no matter what you change, it doesn't affect anything.”
- “Game is suffering from FPS drops and generally subpar performance.”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
60%
9%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its fitting orchestral and medieval themes that enhance the atmosphere, while others find it generic and forgettable. Many players appreciate how the soundtrack complements the gameplay and level design, creating a sense of adventure, though a few note that some music loops can become repetitive during extended play. Overall, the music is generally seen as a positive aspect, contributing to the game's immersive experience.
- “The orchestral soundtrack is something I would describe in two words: majestic and dramatic.”
- “The soundtrack accompanying it is also quite subtle at times, though when the action calms down, it becomes prominent and isn't half-bad either, combining a sense of rollicking adventure with dark despair.”
- “This game is amazing, with satisfying modernized-doom engine combat and an incredible medieval soundtrack that perfectly captures the dark fantasy atmosphere.”
- “The music isn't anything to write home about, but the visual design is good and the levels are all well put together.”
- “The music I could take or leave, but it doesn't sound bad, just a tad generic.”
- “If I really wanted to nitpick, I'd say that music is rather generic and not exactly interesting and the game is missing a map feature.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
36%
14%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its rich, immersive design, combining dark fantasy elements with engaging level layouts and satisfying combat. Players appreciate the attention to detail in visuals and sound, which effectively evoke a medieval setting, while the balance of serious themes and humor adds depth to the experience. Despite some criticisms regarding repetitive stages, the overall ambiance and aesthetic are considered standout features that enhance gameplay.
- “I pretty much love everything about this game: the atmosphere, the level design, and the visceral combat.”
- “The dev seems to have pulled off the European medieval atmosphere perfectly.”
- “Chapter 3 picks up a little bit, with better level layout, atmosphere and pacing, but enemy distribution becomes an absolute pain.”
- “I really liked the way that the game looked, the individual assets of the game looked very nice, and I often caught myself just stopping to examine something stuck on a wall or sitting on a shelf. They were used in conjunction with the lighting to invoke different atmospheres effectively, such as the warmly lit interior of Arthur's house at the beginning of the game, or the cold and stark village at the start of chapter 2.”
- “The game balances between serious grim-dark visuals/atmosphere and Monty Python's Holy Grail-inspired jokes (there are literally the holy hand grenades in the game!).”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
71%
14%
The game's story is described as a typical dark fantasy narrative, loosely based on King Arthur, with minimal and world-based storytelling that is often overshadowed by its engaging combat and gameplay mechanics. While there are cutscenes and a brief manual to explain the plot, many players feel the story lacks depth and is not the primary focus of the experience. Overall, the narrative serves as a backdrop for the action, with additional modes and secrets providing more gameplay variety than story substance.
- “Besides tons of secrets and stuff to do, game modes and whatnot, the story and soundtrack are enjoyable and give the medieval feelings its due. I also loved how they based the entirety of the enemies' sprites on digitally reconstructed figures like in Doom (1993, for you young people).”
- “It has the story told to you during the cutscene, which is also located in 'the story so far' section you'd find in games like Duke Nukem 3D.”
- “It could use a bit more story/plot.”
- “You don't play this game for the story.”
- “The game tells a dark and bloody story of a... well... you know what?”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of tongue-in-cheek wit and nostalgic 90s references, creating a quirky and over-the-top atmosphere. Players appreciate the balance of gore and comedy, with absurd weaponry and a silly premise that evoke classic shooters. Overall, the humor enhances the gameplay experience, making it both entertaining and memorable.
- “The humor is incredibly tongue-in-cheek and certainly on-par with the shooters of the past.”
- “A challenging, chunky, well-designed and humorous 90's throwback shooter that belongs in the same conversations as Dusk and Ion Fury.”
- “Equal measure humorous and brutal that shares a spirit with the DOS classics.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
86%
The game exhibits several bugs, particularly with visuals, HUD, geometry, and saving/loading functions, though they are not overly disruptive to gameplay. While some users noted that leaving the game idle can cause it to freeze, the overall experience remains enjoyable due to the short level design. Despite its imperfections, it is considered a well-produced title for fans of classic hack and slash games.
- “A well-produced and relatively bug-free title coming from a single developer.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or major glitches.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it allows me to fully immerse myself in the experience.”
- “I didn't encounter anything too egregious, but the visuals are kind of buggy, the HUD is kind of buggy, some of the geometry is kind of buggy, jumping is actually pretty buggy, and saving is buggy.”
- “The saving and loading is occasionally a bit buggy, but the levels are all short and fun, so needing to replay one because of a bug isn't exactly torture.”
- “Also, if you leave the game idle too long, it freezes.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game offers significant replayability through its creative level design, various difficulty settings, and multiple modes, including a newgame+ mode and additional challenges like arena and horde modes. Players can enjoy hours of gameplay by exploring hard-to-find secrets, a diverse array of weapons and spells, and engaging with the minimal storytelling. Overall, the combination of these features ensures a rewarding experience that encourages repeated play.
- “Great replay value with different difficulties and modes, bonus levels, rewarding and hard-to-find secrets, a satisfying variety of weapons and spells, and perfectly minimal and world-based storytelling.”
- “Level design is highly creative, items are well-placed with brilliant purpose, there are plenty of environmental hazards to nimbly avoid, and there seems to be some real thought behind the replay value with the inclusion of a New Game+ mode (which adds a merchant).”
- “Also included in the package are two extra modes: arena and horde mode, giving quite a bit more replayability.”
- “Classic retro style with hours of replay value.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight a mixed emotional experience, with some players feeling overwhelmed by the chaotic aesthetics and clunky movement, while others express a sense of wonder and excitement from engaging with the game's unique mechanics and visuals. The emotional impact seems to vary significantly based on individual perceptions of the game's design and interaction.
- “Now thou shalt say, can it really be so, that a game can bestow thee such great sport, with the mere act of touching the rat, and to behold an axe smite on an enchanted parchment that has light?”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game, noting that the diverse weapon mechanics and satisfying feedback, along with various enemy death animations, prevent the experience from becoming repetitive or tedious. The gory visuals and interactive elements contribute to an engaging gameplay loop.
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I find the grinding mechanics to be overly repetitive, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
- “The amount of grinding required to progress is frustrating and feels like a chore rather than fun.”