Dragon Chronicles: Black Tears
- July 14, 2024
- Nyou
- 5h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Dragon Chronicles: Black Tears," a turn-based RPG, players build their own decks of heroes and artifacts to complete missions and save the world from the Black Tears. With fast-paced, strategic combat and countless possible deck combinations, players must recruit, train heroes, and discover powerful artifacts to devise the ultimate strategy and overcome the unique challenges of each region. The game features an active turn-based combat system and a wide variety of heroes, artifacts, and imprint items to mix and match.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and engaging combat that is colorful and impactful.
- The gameplay loop is addictive, with a well-balanced progression system that keeps players invested.
- It offers a unique blend of strategic planning and character growth, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- The game is criticized for being derivative, closely resembling other titles like Darkest Dungeon and Slay the Spire without offering much originality.
- There are issues with balance and difficulty spikes, particularly in certain fights that can feel frustrating.
- The storytelling and character development are lacking, with heroes having minimal backstory and the main narrative being unconvincing.
- story28 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being disjointed and lacking depth, with heroes portrayed as one-dimensional and the narration failing to engage players. While some find the sparse narrative interesting, many agree that it feels more like a backdrop to gameplay rather than a compelling element, with repetitive quest lines and minimal character development. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a significant area for improvement, overshadowed by solid combat mechanics.
“What story is there is a bit sparse but I thought what was present was interesting.”
“Game / story was decent all the way through.”
“Plays like a mobile game, you get a lobby with buildings that unlock as you progress through the story - the buildings provide new ways to upgrade your units.”
“The main story is all over the place, heroes have no character or personalities, the narration is unconvincing, and the quest lines can be repetitive.”
“You can tell it was put through a translator, but the story is kind of dumb and doesn't matter anyway.”
“I think this is probably the area that could be improved the most since none of the heroes have much story.”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by an addictive loop that is smooth and easy to grasp, avoiding the grindiness often found in similar titles like Darkest Dungeon. Players appreciate the forgiving death mechanic that allows for strategic retries after failures, though some heroes lack unique synergies, which can leave them feeling underwhelming. Overall, the game encourages thoughtful party composition, resembling a turn-based RPG rather than a traditional deck-building experience.
“The gameplay is smooth and mostly easy to understand, and it largely avoids the grindiness of Darkest Dungeon.”
“Thankfully, the death mechanic is pretty forgiving, even after a party wipe, so you can easily redo the same fight and try a different strategy.”
“The gameplay is different compared to titles like Slay the Spire or Darkest Dungeon in that you need to think about what kind of composition you want your deck (or party) to be from the start and feels more like a turn-based RPG.”
“Heroes without massive synergy or unique powers (I think Vena suffers the most here since her gameplay is being a pseudo dodge tank that spreads the mark debuff) are left behind a bit.”
“Gameplay is just a Slay the Spire tower; rewards are just materials to upgrade units - artifacts are just another name for armor/weapon equipment - you can only equip one type of artifact (like a weapon) but the game will give you three different weapon artifacts that pretty much all do the same thing - 10% damage after you attack.”
“And the gameplay just feels like the mobile game gets boring very fast.”
- graphics23 mentions
- 74 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are consistently praised as stunning and gorgeous, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive art style and animations. While the visuals are a standout feature, some critics note that they alone do not compensate for other shortcomings in gameplay. Overall, the graphics receive high marks, often rated 10/10, but opinions vary on their ability to elevate the overall experience.
“The visuals in Dragon Chronicles: Black Tears are stunning, with every frame painted with a palette of emotions.”
“The encounters are fun and engaging, the combat is very fun, the graphics are outstanding.”
“Graphics and animations are very impressive!”
“Outside of combat and pretty graphics, there is really nothing else that recommends this game.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game features a significant amount of grinding, which may deter some players, especially those who prefer a more streamlined experience. While the gameplay is generally smooth and enjoyable, the grind can be extensive, with some players suggesting that adjustments to the pacing could enhance player retention. Overall, the grindiness is a notable aspect that could impact enjoyment for different audiences.
“This game has been converted from a mobile format to a standalone format and, while grindy, is still good.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“It's pretty grindy and I know it will not be for everyone; reducing some of the grind early on and then ramping it up will probably make people play it longer instead of abandoning it within 2 hours.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game currently suffers from poor balance and limited content, leading to a significant lack of replayability. Players are frustrated by the requirement to complete easier modes to unlock hard mode content, which offers little variation. While there is hope for future updates and additional characters, the current state leaves much to be desired in terms of replay value.
“It would be cool to get further on, with more playable characters to add to your squad; however, this will happen eventually as the game develops.”
“Horrible balance, lack of content, lack of replayability. The devs also locked multiple heroes and content in hard mode, but you need to finish a playthrough on easy/normal first, which is already a slog. Nothing changes in hard mode other than the locked content in it, and there is most likely a lack of post-launch support.”
“The main question at this early stage is the amount of replayability.”
“Horrible balance, lack of content, lack of replayability. The devs also locked multiple heroes and content in hard mode, but you need to finish a playthrough on easy/normal first, which is already a slog. Nothing changes in hard mode other than the locked content in it, and there is most likely a lack of post-launch support.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting and melancholic quality, effectively enhancing the somber atmosphere. Reviewers have rated it exceptionally high, with one even giving it a perfect score of 20/10.
“The music, haunting and melancholic, sets the perfect tone for the somber atmosphere of the game.”
“Music: 20/10”
“The music, haunting and melancholic, sets the perfect tone for the somber atmosphere of the game.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally viewed as shallow and mediocre, with players feeling that it lacks depth and engagement. While the combat mechanics are solid, the storytelling does not enhance the character arcs effectively, leaving some players unsatisfied.
“Otherwise, it's worth a try if you are into these kinds of games and can be satisfied with solid combat mixed with mediocre storytelling and shallow character development.”
- stability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a stable experience in the early access version, noting that the game is free of bugs and glitches, allowing for a smooth and enjoyable gameplay experience.
“It's challenging and requires strategic planning, but I've been playing the early access the past few days, and my game is bug-free, with no glitches or issues whatsoever.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a haunting and melancholic musical score that effectively enhances its somber tone, immersing players in a deeply emotional experience.
“The music, haunting and melancholic, sets the perfect tone for the somber atmosphere of the game.”
