Banquet for Fools
- September 30, 2024
- Hannah and Joseph Games
Get on Steam"Banquet for Fools" is a party-based open-world adventure game where players explore the island of Invimona with four generated companions. The Vollings, shunned by deities, must farm a lucrative spice, facing challenges such as investigating a mysterious disappearance. Each companion has unique dialogue choices based on their stats, deepening their bonds as the journey progresses.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a beautiful and unique art style reminiscent of claymation and dark fantasy, creating an immersive atmosphere.
- The combat system is engaging, combining real-time action with tactical pause mechanics, allowing for strategic gameplay.
- The developers are responsive and actively working on updates and bug fixes, showing a commitment to improving the game as it progresses through early access.
- The game is still in early access and has numerous bugs and technical issues that need to be addressed before it can be fully recommended.
- Some players find the combat mechanics and controls to be unintuitive and cumbersome, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- The lack of quality-of-life features, such as a quest log or detailed maps, can make navigation and understanding of the game world challenging for players.
- graphics21 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful and unique art style, reminiscent of claymation and stop-motion films like "Coraline" and "Kubo and the Two Strings." Many reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and atmosphere, noting that the art design significantly enhances the overall experience, making it a standout feature of the game. Despite some mixed opinions on gameplay mechanics, the distinctive aesthetic is consistently described as a major draw for players.
“Absolutely gorgeous art design and aesthetic.”
“The art style is incredibly unique.”
“Sits looked interesting (though in my opinion the art style was still bad as it was hard to make things out) and Mechajammer is one of the two games I've scored as a '2'.”
“Graphically, the game is mind-blowing.”
“Art style is similar to Dark Crystal, very unique.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its solid mechanics and fluid responsiveness, making it engaging and immersive, particularly for an action RPG. The unique art style and attention to detail enhance the overall experience, while the bizarre and captivating lore adds depth to the gameplay. Overall, players find the combination of mechanics, design, and music to create a memorable and enjoyable experience.
“Gameplay is crisp and fluid, feeling weighty and responsive, perfect for an action RPG.”
“Mechanics are solid and attention to detail is already impressive.”
“The design and lore are carrying a lot of weight, but mechanically it really does feel as engaging as any ARPG.”
“It's bizarre and unique in mostly all of its aspects: gameplay, lore, graphical style, music...”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its killer soundtrack and unique, immersive quality that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight its ability to evoke a mystical atmosphere, complementing the game's bizarre and distinctive art style and gameplay. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
“Killer soundtrack and art style.”
“The writing and music are unparalleled; it gives you a feeling of being in a mystical Icelandic saga.”
“Absolutely love the style and music; gameplay feels good.”
“It's bizarre and unique in mostly all of its aspects: gameplay, lore, graphical style, music...”
“Music is also appropriate so far.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its unique and immersive atmosphere, drawing comparisons to classic RPGs with its distinctive art style and graphics. Reviewers highlight the engaging and fun ambiance, noting that it effectively captures the essence of previous works by the developers. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that enhances the gaming experience.
“Very atmospheric game with a unique gaming experience.”
“Amazing game! It has a unique art style, and the graphics/atmosphere remind me of old school RPGs like Diablo 2 and even Icewind Dale. From what I've played so far, I got hooked fast. The game still needs work, but it has potential.”
“If you've played Joseph and Hannah's previous games, you know they convey atmosphere, and they deliver in spades here.”
- story5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its depth and uniqueness, drawing inspiration from various classic RPGs while offering a distinct experience. However, players may face a learning curve due to the absence of quest markers and the need to take personal notes, which adds to the immersive yet challenging narrative exploration.
“Like Mechajammer and Serpent in the Staglands before it, there is no quest log, map markers, or a compass pointing you in the right direction - you take notes (via a journal that you just... write in), pick up clues, and ask NPCs for directions.”
“The story and lore are in-depth and unique.”
“There's hints of games as diverse as Vagrant Story, Dungeon Siege, Dragon's Dogma, Icewind Dale, Darklands, and Nox in there, but it results in something not quite like anything else in the CRPG space.”
“Like Mechajammer and Serpent in the Staglands before it, there is no quest log, or map markers, or a compass pointing you in the right direction - you take notes (via a journal that you just... write in), pick up clues, and ask NPCs for directions.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report issues with stability, particularly noting bugs during character creation that hinder the experience and limit creative options. While some express hope for improvement during gameplay, the initial impression is that the stability could be better.
“I find it somewhat difficult, and the character creation is a little buggy and not as exciting as I usually like. I couldn't create the characters I really wanted or fantasized about, but I will see how it flows in-game.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as combat often devolves into a repetitive cycle of pausing, attacking, and running, leading to a lack of engagement and excitement.
“Combat becomes a repetitive pause-attack-unpause-run cycle, which is quite tedious, to be honest.”
“The grinding feels endless and lacks any real reward, making it a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
“I find myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which makes the game feel more like a job than a fun pastime.”
