Drova: Forsaken Kin

About

Drova is a pixel art role-playing game inspired by classic role-playing games. We want to create a challenging and interesting world and offer a well-rounded and consistent gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,028 reviews

story268 positive mentions

grinding26 negative mentions

Gorgeous pixel art that enhances the immersive experience.
Challenging but rewarding combat that encourages skill and strategy.
Engaging story and world-building with meaningful exploration and choices.

Combat can feel clunky and unbalanced, especially against multiple enemies.
Some quests and puzzles lack clear instructions, leading to confusion.
Limited character customization options and no respec system.

story
799 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
63%
3%
The story in "Drova" is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its engaging narrative and character development, reminiscent of classic RPGs like Gothic. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth in certain areas, with players feeling railroaded at times and expressing frustration over vague quest guidance and forced choices that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game offers meaningful exploration and decision-making, allowing players to shape their journey through a richly crafted world filled with secrets and emotional moments.
- “The story is absolutely solid and at a lot of times pretty beautiful, but that also depends on the way you decide to play the game.”
- “The main storyline of Drova is good enough to get the player hooked, and even when you are not doing the main quests, characters and stories of the side quests do not deviate far from the main storyline so you won’t feel disconnected.”
- “The story is compelling, the two sides aren't just 'the good guys' and 'the bad guys'.”
- “But my biggest issue is the story, which is what made me ultimately stop playing.”
- “The story is probably the weakest part; you're on hard guard rails the whole time. There are parts of the story that just don't make sense; one minute you're forced to be one type of person and character, and the next, the complete opposite.”
- “You might be forced to save a group, and then the next mission is to brutally murder them. Your character does not react, and you have no choice.”
gameplay
255 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
56%
1%
The gameplay in Drova is praised for its engaging and addictive mechanics, reminiscent of classic CRPGs like the Gothic series, while incorporating modern features that enhance exploration and combat. Players appreciate the challenging yet fair combat system, the absence of intrusive monetization, and the rewarding exploration that reveals a rich world filled with secrets. Despite some criticisms regarding the visuals and certain mechanics, the overall experience is described as immersive and enjoyable, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.
- “Difficult but fair and addictive combat mechanics.”
- “Game pretty much nails everything you would want from an old school, punishing CRPG, with some new age mechanics.”
- “Overall a really fun game, with an interesting world worth exploring and fun mechanics.”
- “The game is not demanding, but there are consistent framerate drops across the entire gameplay on Steam Deck OLED.”
- “The fight mechanics feel fuzzy and not impactful at all.”
- “Either the gameplay loop feels weird, or it's frustratingly difficult, or it just doesn't grab my attention for a number of reasons.”
graphics
219 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
57%
1%
The graphics of "Drova: Forsaken Kin" are characterized by charming pixel art that evokes nostalgia for classic RPGs, particularly appealing to fans of gothic aesthetics. While some players note that the visuals may not be cutting-edge, the consistent art style and attention to detail create an immersive experience that enhances gameplay and storytelling. Overall, those who appreciate pixel graphics and a gothic atmosphere will find the visuals engaging and well-suited to the game's themes.
- “The graphics of Drova are not top of the notch at first glance, but it successfully brings the audience a vivid world supported by detailed small animated objects like flies around corpses, birds casting shadows from the sky, and butterflies moving around.”
- “The pixel graphic style is very nice looking as well and the whole experience so far has been very immersive.”
- “Drova has excellent pixel graphics that evoke the older Fallout games and CRPGs but with an action combat twist.”
- “The graphics are subpar and all the characters look very similar; it's just boring to look at.”
- “At the beginning, I was quite skeptical because of the graphics.”
- “I was a bit miffed by the character creator, which wouldn't be much of a problem with the game's graphic design anyways since... well... the faces are not really detailed.”
atmosphere
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
32%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and cohesive design, characterized by a dark, gothic vibe that enhances exploration and storytelling. Players appreciate the attention to detail in sound design, environmental elements, and character interactions, which collectively create a gripping and believable world. While some reviews note minor shortcomings, the overall sentiment highlights a rich, engaging atmosphere that draws players into its challenging and beautifully crafted environment.
- “The atmosphere is dark and foreboding, and the music and sound highlight this to great effect.”
- “The atmosphere the game creates is extremely convincing and gripping.”
- “I think the atmosphere tries to be gritty but it falls a little flat.”
- “More ambient sounds could also enhance the atmosphere further.”
- “The atmosphere and exploration, especially, are immaculately done and put a lot of other big budget RPGs to shame.”
music
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
33%
8%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and immersion, particularly in a gothic setting. However, some players feel that the soundtrack lacks variety and can become repetitive over time, while others note that it doesn't fully meet the high expectations set by similar titles. Overall, the sound design complements the gameplay effectively, contributing to a captivating experience despite some minor criticisms.
- “The atmosphere is dark and foreboding, and the music and sound highlight this to great effect.”
- “The art style and music are absolutely charming with open-ended gameplay that actually makes you feel the weight of your actions and immerse you in the world.”
- “The musical score sets the mood beautifully.”
- “The only thing missing for me is more variety in the soundtrack - it gets a bit old after a while, and some of the tracks sound similar to each other.”
- “I guess the only thing I don't enjoy is the music; it doesn't live up to the gothic standards.”
- “The music could be a bit more upbeat to make the journey from place to place feel more enjoyable.”
grinding
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
10%
87%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious, requiring significant time investment to progress, especially in combat where enemies take numerous hits to defeat. Players often feel frustrated rather than accomplished after battles, as leveling up offers minimal improvements. While the story and quests are engaging, the overall grind detracts from the enjoyment, making it unsuitable for casual players.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “For starters, the game is too grindy. You will not get a decent weapon or gear probably until 1/3 of the game. Until then, you will have to settle with getting gear that's just barely slightly better than the one you had, which means you'll be doing very little damage and also taking a lot of damage. It takes a huge amount of hits to take down even the regular starting enemies in this game. For example, there are these creatures called rippers, which are dog/rat hybrids that populate about 30% of the world. They take about 12-16 hits to take down at your first levels but can still take you out in 4-5 hits. Leveling up doesn't seem to do much because only at level 10 did I finally feel that I was doing some considerable damage to them. Add to this that they always come in packs of 4-6, so every single encounter will take you about 10 to 15 minutes without cheesing the AI. The same is true for most enemies in this game; a lot of them come in groups and are able to take huge amounts of damage before going down.”
- “Hopefully you get the idea: every encounter in this game feels long and tedious. Whenever you win a battle, you don't feel like you used your wits and patience to come out on top like in a good Souls game. Rather than feeling accomplished after a tough battle, you feel frustrated mainly because it feels like you won just by pure luck.”
- “On top of that, the plot starts rolling very slowly and tediously, and the weapon variety is mediocre.”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying the hilarious side quests, quirky dialogue, and clever animations that enhance character emotions. While some feel that the abundance of humor can detract from immersion, many appreciate the engaging and varied comedic elements throughout the gameplay. However, the text-heavy nature of the game may not appeal to those who prefer more voice acting or less reading.
- “Talk to dozens of NPCs, complete hilarious side quests, follow the engaging main storyline.”
- “Allows you to explore a huge portion of the map from the start, only a few places are locked behind story progress. I spent like 80% of the game in chapter 1, even completing later parts of the main story without even knowing, which is mentioned and brushed off by your character in one sentence once you progress the story: 'Ah, I have already been there and did that thing, so yeah...' which was pretty funny.”
- “Interesting plot with quirky and funny dialogue.”
emotional
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have found the game to be an emotional journey, with many expressing that the story's compelling twists and heavy consequences evoke strong feelings, including sadness and nostalgia. The impactful ending and strategic gameplay contribute to an immersive experience that resonates deeply, often making players feel like children again as they explore and make significant choices. Overall, the game is described as an emotional roller coaster that leaves a lasting impression.
- “The whole project turned out surprisingly emotional, featuring unexpected twists and surprises in the plot and isn't afraid to involve heavy consequences to the world and its people, even though players are definitely getting hurt by that and won't enjoy it at first glance!”
- “These choices are not few and far between either, it was definitely an emotional roller coaster.”
- “The ending made me cry.”
stability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report a smooth experience with no performance drops, particularly on the Steam Deck, others have encountered numerous glitches and bugs that are still being addressed. Some users have noted that the game is largely bug-free at release, but technical issues persist for others, impacting the overall experience.
- “Runs great on the Steam Deck out of the box.”
- “I cringe that I have to mention it, but the game is pretty much bug free at release and I'm very pleasantly surprised by it.”
- “Runs great, not a demanding title but no performance drops for me on a mid PC.”
- “Lots of glitches and bugs that are still being patched as we speak.”
- “Drova is a fascinating game with compelling themes and worldbuilding, but the overpowered enemies and technical glitches in the game hold it back from being truly spectacular.”
- “Technical glitches make it hard to trade at the start.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
Overall, the game is well-optimized for most systems, with users reporting smooth performance on mid-range PCs and higher. However, there are notable issues with optimization for the Steam Deck, as it lacks proper control support, preventing some players from accessing the game on that platform.
- “Runs great, not a demanding title but no performance drops for me on a mid PC.”
- “Nice performance.”
- “Unfortunately, I couldn’t get this game on Steam yet due to it not being optimized for the Steam Deck controls.”
- “If you are playing on anything stronger than a Steam Deck, you wouldn’t meet any performance problems.”
- “Beautiful and gives space to your imagination, while ensuring zero performance issues.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
13%
The game features a classless character development system that is simple yet satisfying, requiring both player skill and character progression. While it lacks complex mechanics like stealth or branching skill trees, it offers an immersive RPG experience with engaging storytelling and concise dialogues, making the character development feel both straightforward and expansive.
- “It's immersive from the start, giving you a full RPG experience with a cool story, short but engaging dialogues, and 'simple yet wide' character development.”
- “Classless character development system, quite simple but satisfying.”
- “It requires both player skill and character development.”
- “There's not much in terms of stealth, stealing, or lockpicking gameplay. There are no classes and no branching skill trees for character development, but whatever - these aspects are made simple and they work just fine.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
13%
The game offers solid replayability due to its two main factions and diverse side quest outcomes, allowing players to experience the story from different perspectives. With a large map filled with secrets, quests, and various items to discover, players are encouraged to explore multiple playthroughs to fully appreciate the game's depth.
- “Replay value with 2 factions to choose from, good quests, weapons, magic, and armor to find in a big map with tons of caves, ruins, and locations to explore.”
- “It also adds an interesting replayability, since there are so many secrets that I know to exploit on a second run.”
- “This adds replayability as, although the main plot likely unfolds in a similar way, it's worth seeing the variation and how it unfolds from the opposite perspective.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
17%
67%
The game is praised for its lack of intrusive monetization practices, such as in-game shops, advertisements, or loot boxes, allowing players to focus on gameplay without distractions. Reviewers appreciate the straightforward progression system and immersive storytelling, contrasting it with their experiences in other games overloaded with microtransactions and grind. Overall, the absence of annoying monetization mechanics enhances the enjoyment of the game.
- “I was looking for a truly beautiful single-player game to dive into, especially after being burned out on microtransactions and the grind of Lost Ark.”
- “I'd had my fill of POE and was waiting for POE2, burned out on microtransactions and the grind of Lost Ark, and was looking for a truly beautiful single-player game to dive into.”
- “No in-game shop advertisement, loot box stuff, or annoying mechanics that you feel are just implemented to add dead in-game time. No overloading of the open world with dumb and useless items that you feel you have to get because they appear on a map. Just kill enemies, do quests, explore, level, progress, learn about characters and the world, and solve the issues at hand in good or evil ways and enjoy the game.”
- “Truly a shame because with a little bit of advertising, this game very much deserves more acclaim than it is getting (although what it is getting isn't bad at all).”