Celestian Tales: Realms Beyond
- May 7, 2020
- Agate
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"Celestian Tales: Realms Beyond" is a hand-painted RPG set in a morally complex world. As a knight sworn to protect the heir of a noble house, you'll navigate intrigue and conflicting ideals in a tale without simple rights or wrongs. Nine years have passed since the previous game, making this a standalone entry for new players to explore.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful artwork and a charming art style reminiscent of classic RPGs.
- The story is engaging with well-written dialogues and mature character development.
- Combat is well-balanced, providing a fun and nostalgic RPG experience.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, glitches, and poor quality of life features, such as the absence of a journal or mini-map.
- Many players feel disappointed as the game does not live up to its predecessor, lacking polish and coherence.
- The user interface and overall gameplay mechanics are frustrating, with awkward controls and issues that hinder enjoyment.
- story20 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its depth, character development, and engaging plot twists that keep players invested. While some players express disappointment over the potential lack of a conclusion, others highlight the game's ability to present hard choices that significantly impact the narrative. Overall, the story is considered strong and compelling, particularly for RPG enthusiasts, though some gameplay mechanics may detract from the experience.
“The story line in Old North was good enough to keep you interested, but in Realms Beyond, it takes a darker, more realistic turn.”
“Unlike the previous game, Realms Beyond allows you to make the hard choices and then you see the effect that those choices have on the game's overall story; some that have a serious and direct bearing on how the story plays out.”
“The game tells a strong story about the dark side of politics and shows how cruel betrayal can be.”
“It doesn't look like they are going to finish the story, so why bother?”
“A lot of time you have to exit and re-enter an area to activate the storyline event to progress the story.”
“Feels so limiting even with its plot relevance.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful, hand-painted art style and watercolor accents that create memorable characters and environments. However, some players noted that while the visuals are appealing, they are accompanied by basic graphics and a lack of quality-of-life features that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the artwork is highlighted as a standout aspect, despite the gameplay and technical shortcomings.
“This game has an absolutely fantastic art style; the character portraits and environments are hand-painted with watercolor accents.”
“Beautiful artwork.”
“It's graphics are simple but pleasing to the eyes and have their own scattered amounts of detail and dedication.”
“While the gameplay in both games is simplistic and the same, the visuals, music, and depth of story are worlds apart.”
“-art style.”
“Dialogue is tedious and slow, graphics are basic but passable, but the real kicker is that basic quality of life features such as showing where you are on the map, a journal to track your quests, and an in-game bestiary so you can see what you're fighting - all these features are missing completely from the game which frankly makes enjoyment impossible.”
- music9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The music in the games is generally praised for its uniqueness and emotional depth, with standout tracks that blend classic fantasy and opera elements. While some reviews note that the music is not groundbreaking, it is described as hauntingly beautiful and fitting for the game's atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the gaming experience, enhancing the storytelling and visual artistry.
“Realms Beyond had a great title screen and opening music.”
“The songs are very unique and stand out from each other, and they all have a nice mix of both classic fantasy and opera.”
“The potential is all there; incredible writing, beautiful artistry, and great music.”
“The music is nothing to write home about, but it is nice and calm.”
“While the gameplay in both games is simplistic and the same, the visuals, music, and depth of story are worlds apart.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as simplistic yet enjoyable, lacking depth in mechanics like crafting, but still evokes a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the earlier Suikoden titles. While the core gameplay remains basic, it is complemented by strong visuals and music, setting it apart from similar games.
“The gameplay is basic but fun.”
“While the gameplay in both games is simplistic and the same, the visuals, music, and depth of story are worlds apart.”
“The crafting mechanic is too basic and does not offer much to the game.”
“It does not have the Suikoden 108 Stars of Destiny system, but from gameplay to storytelling, the game has that Suikoden feeling of the first two games.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to the difficulty in farming materials and the absence of essential quality-of-life features like a map, quest journal, and bestiary. The slow-paced dialogue and awkward controls further detract from the experience, making it challenging to enjoy the game despite its potential.
“Farming certain materials is very hard.”
“Dialogue is tedious and slow, graphics are basic but passable, but the real kicker is that basic quality of life features such as showing where you are on the map, a journal to track your quests, and an in-game bestiary to see what you're fighting - all these features are missing completely from the game, which frankly makes enjoyment impossible.”
“It's slow pace and tedious dialogue could be overlooked as a not-quite-on-target effort at world building, but the awkward keyboard controls that apparently can't be mapped to something less awkward, coupled with an excessively bouncy camera view in combat, undercuts the game's potential.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally well-received, with some characters, particularly Ylianee, noted for having compelling stories and significant growth throughout the narrative.
“Some characters have a pretty interesting story and character development.”
“Ylianee's character development is especially good.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a generally stable experience with no game-breaking bugs, but they do encounter minor issues such as character movement glitches and inconsistent frame rates, which detract from the overall performance compared to previous titles.
“The bugs are present; while I haven't encountered any game-breaking ones, issues like characters moving oddly, glitches, and hiccuping frame rates have plagued my experience, especially compared to Old North.”
“The game frequently crashes, making it nearly unplayable at times. I expected better stability from a title of this caliber.”
“I often experience severe lag and stuttering, which disrupts the gameplay and makes it frustrating to enjoy.”
