Get on Steam"Clans" is a hack-and-slash action game set in a once-beautiful land overrun by the Demon's minions. Your goal is to confront and destroy the Demon, locate the lost Crown of Peace, and complete nine quests across seven levels and five sublevels. Choose from four unique characters, each with distinct skills and abilities, and use swords, axes, magic, and explosive weaponry to fight for your clan and your world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique dark and moody atmosphere that some players find charming.
- It offers a casual experience with simple puzzles and exploration, making it suitable for players looking for a light-hearted game.
- Despite its flaws, some players appreciate the nostalgia and find it entertaining in a 'so bad it's good' way.
- The game is often criticized for being a poor Diablo clone, lacking depth in combat and character progression.
- Many players experience technical issues, including problems with launching the game and missing music due to CD checks.
- The gameplay is described as repetitive and frustrating, with disorienting maps and a lack of meaningful rewards for defeating enemies.
- music60 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the nostalgic use of CDDA tracks that allow the game disc to double as a music CD, while others criticize the lack of a proper soundtrack in the digital version. Many users find it cumbersome that the game requires an actual music CD to function properly, leading to frustration when playing the digital release. Overall, while the music can enhance the atmosphere, the implementation has left some players disappointed.
“Every screen here looks like a little fantasy diorama, there's a cute CDDA soundtrack and, the best of all, the game comes with its own unique pace.”
“Such a format allowed us to get both high-quality music in-game and a 'free' soundtrack CD as a bonus.”
“Also, Clans has really pleasant graphics and an amazing minimalistic rhythm-based soundtrack, which makes the game feel absolutely superb.”
“The game starts with an error message about needing to insert an imaginary game CD, and if you don't put a music CD in, the game will have no background music of any kind.”
“Seeing as how this is a digital copy, that is not possible to do, so you're just kind of left without music.”
“While it doesn't bother me personally as the music is probably awful, this may be a major turn-off for other players and doesn't start the 'epic adventure' out very well.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
Gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it repetitive and unsatisfying, likening it to a less enjoyable version of Diablo. While the game simplifies certain mechanics for a more casual experience, it can become tiresome quickly, despite offering challenging monsters and a recommendation for the elf class to enhance difficulty. Overall, the gameplay is criticized for poor writing and a lack of engaging story elements.
“It simplifies the gameplay to a more casual level, one where you don't have to spend 30 minutes picking weapons or armor and can immediately explore.”
“The monsters can definitely be challenging at times, but the dialogue and general gameplay is awesome in my opinion.”
“I really recommend the elf class, it ramps up the difficulty and changes the gameplay, because you really don’t have a lot of HP, and potions are rare, so suddenly every health point counts.”
“But the picture is repetitive and the gameplay is not satisfying.”
“Today, on launching the game, I was in the countryside and at least got to fight stuff and even received a quest, but the gameplay became quickly tiresome.”
“Badly written gameplay with poor story!”
- graphics16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with some praising the dark and moody aesthetics and the unique rendering of each room, while others criticize the overall visual design as bleak and strange. The pre-rendered isometric style is noted for its nostalgic charm, though it may not appeal to everyone, especially with the static, non-scrolling environments. Despite the criticisms, the use of filters like scanlines has been appreciated for enhancing the visual experience in this re-release.
“The best part of this game is the dark and moody aesthetics it has.”
“Also, Clans has really pleasant graphics (pre-rendered isometric games almost don't age) and an amazing minimalistic rhythm-based soundtrack, which makes the game feel absolutely superb.”
“Surprisingly, the graphics look nice because of the decent filter (scanlines), something that is rare nowadays when it comes to re-releases of old games.”
“This game has no options menu, no real story, bad graphics and overall appalling visual design.”
“Clans got slaughtered by the press, they hated the non-scrolling, square rooms with clearly marked exits and the static, pre-rendered graphics.”
“The graphics can be a bit bleak or bland, but every room is uniquely rendered which can make you really appreciate the work that was put in.”
- story14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The story is generally criticized for being thin and unimaginative, with many reviewers finding it poorly written and lacking depth. While some enjoy the puzzle-solving elements tied to the quests, the overall narrative fails to engage, leading to a tiresome gameplay experience. Players seeking a rich and immersive storyline are advised to look for alternatives.
“That's actually my favorite part of the story.”
“You will find quest items and solve different kinds of puzzles to move on; some of them are necessary to finish the game, while others are not.”
“The story is thin, unimaginative.”
“Badly written gameplay with a poor story!”
“If you're looking for a serious game where you can dive into a deep and intense storyline, look elsewhere.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game excels in creating a dark medieval fantasy atmosphere, often regarded as the best among its peers, particularly in the Diablo clone genre. Its effective use of music and sound effects enhances the immersive experience, contributing to a disturbing ambiance that complements the gameplay, despite some criticisms of combat mechanics. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as a significant strength of the game.
“In my opinion, it has the best dark medieval fantasy atmosphere of all the games ever.”
“The music and sound effects are brilliant, and you get the right atmosphere that some games simply cannot achieve.”
“The fact that there's no chance to avoid damage in melee combat only strengthens the disturbing atmosphere of clans.”
“All this makes combat feel a bit idiotic (especially in the early stages of the game), but at the same time, the fact that there's no chance to avoid damage in melee combat only strengthens the disturbing atmosphere of the clans.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its laughable voice acting and a plethora of amusing one-liners from characters, which contribute to an overall comedic experience. Players find the game surprisingly entertaining, especially given its low price, and appreciate the inclusion of a PDF manual that adds to the humor with useful hints and funny content. However, some aspects, like the simplicity of combat and puzzles, may detract from the overall enjoyment.
“The combat is very simple, pick fighter every time, the voice acting is laughable; actually, this game made me laugh quite a bit. Definitely one of the best games I bought for less than 30 cents.”
“Characters have a lot of funny one-liners; there are many puzzles, even if at the moment they are all really simple to solve and... *drumrolls*”
“There is also a PDF manual included with the game (from your Steam library page select clans then click 'manual'). Read it for some useful hints and funny bits.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Users highlight that the Baldur's Gate games offer strong replayability due to their use of separate areas, which enhances the overall gameplay experience. This design choice allows players to explore different paths and strategies, making each playthrough feel unique.
“The replay value in Baldur's Gate games is impressive, as they utilize separate areas in a more playable format.”
“Baldur's Gate games offer a high replay value due to their unique design and engaging gameplay.”
“The structure of Baldur's Gate allows for multiple playthroughs, making each experience feel fresh and exciting.”
“The replay value is quite low, as the game doesn't offer enough variety in its content to keep players engaged after the first playthrough.”
“Once you've completed the game, there isn't much incentive to go back, as the choices and outcomes feel limited.”
“The lack of meaningful differences in subsequent playthroughs makes it hard to justify replaying the game.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
User reviews on stability are mixed; while some players report a smooth experience with quick downloads and minimal bugs, others warn of significant issues and bugginess that can hinder gameplay. Overall, it appears that stability may vary widely among users.
“Don't even bother scouring the discussions around getting this game to work, because even if you do get it to work, I hear it's nothing but buggy.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that the game features predesigned, smaller locations, which significantly reduce the grinding experience compared to typical hack-and-slash titles that often rely on large, randomly generated dungeons.
“Forget big randomly generated dungeons; you have pre-designed places that are smaller but definitely less grindy than your average hack 'n' slash.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's fully voiced opening introduction effectively evokes a nostalgic atmosphere, generating excitement and emotional engagement for players. The quality of the voice acting enhances this retro feel, contributing to a positive emotional response.
“The opening introduction is fully voiced (and voiced quite well, I will add) and gives a very retro feel, which made me feel quite excited to play this game.”
