Elminage Original
- November 28, 2017
- Starfish-SD Inc
Get on Steam"Elminage Original" is a first-person dungeon crawler RPG set in a fantasy world. Players control a party of up to 30 characters, exploring labyrinthine dungeons and fighting monsters in turn-based battles. The game features a robust class system, character customization, and permadeath, adding depth and challenge to the exploration.
PC
Windows
Nintendo 3ds
PlayStation
Playstation Vita
PSP
Reviews
- Elminage Original is a solid homage to classic Wizardry-style dungeon crawlers, featuring a variety of classes, races, and a deep crafting system that enhances party-building.
- The game offers a nostalgic experience with beautiful 2D art and a cohesive production quality, making it visually appealing and enjoyable to play.
- It provides a challenging yet rewarding gameplay loop, allowing for strategic combat and exploration, with the ability to save mid-dungeon adding to its accessibility.
- The port suffers from a poor interface and clunky controls, making it frustrating to navigate menus and manage inventory, especially for new players.
- Many mechanics and attributes are poorly explained, leading to confusion and requiring external guides for a better understanding of the game.
- The game features significant RNG elements that can lead to frustrating experiences, such as characters becoming weaker upon leveling up and unpredictable difficulty spikes.
- graphics9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a blend of beautifully aged 2D art and basic 3D dungeon visuals, with the 2D elements receiving high praise for their detail and dark fantasy theme. While the 3D graphics may not impress, the nostalgic pixelated illustrations and high-resolution artwork for characters and items enhance the overall aesthetic experience. Players appreciate the controller support and quality of life features that complement the engaging visuals.
“The 2D art is gorgeous, and the art style has aged well from its original PSP version.”
“The artwork is very good, mostly realistic (rather than highly stylized and anime-like) and dark fantasy-themed.”
“There are so many enemy types, and each has really good and high-resolution artwork.”
“The 3D dungeon graphics are nothing special, but the 2D art is excellent; some of the monsters look genuinely terrifying.”
“It is difficult, unforgiving, and frustrating, but the reward is there for those who can handle the graphics.”
“Don't go in expecting AAA graphics, but it looks better than emulating it from PSP and the translation is better.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a blend of original mechanics that enhance party building, though some players note a lack of variety in dungeon design and certain mechanics that are poorly explained. While it retains the expected wizardry-like experience with quality-of-life improvements, players may need external resources to fully grasp the mechanics. Overall, those who enjoy experimenting with different classes and abilities will find the gameplay satisfying.
“Their original mechanics fit well along the existing ones and add a delicious complexity to building your party.”
“The gameplay is what you'd expect from a wizardry-like but with some quality of life improvements, like a minimap and repeat action commands during combat.”
“For people who enjoy playing around with different classes, different passive abilities, and game mechanics, you won't be disappointed.”
“I appreciate that each dungeon has its own look, but visual variety can't make up for gameplay uniformity.”
“There are many other mechanics that aren't explained.”
“You'll need either a knowledgeable friend, a wiki, or genre knowledge to figure out how the mechanics work.”
- story6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is engaging, featuring a straightforward main quest complemented by numerous optional quests that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the nostalgic visuals and the integration of classic RPG elements, which help to create a cohesive narrative that ties the gameplay together. While some players are still familiarizing themselves with the mechanics, the story provides enough motivation to keep them invested.
“It's got a variety of dungeon tilesets and a world map, and a story that threads things together enough for it to matter.”
“The main quest has a straightforward structure to it, and there are plenty of optional quests to do as well.”
“I feel like in today's games there is an over-reliance on things like quest markers and mini-maps showing you exactly where to go.”
“Still learning how to play; it kind of plays like Wizardry on PS2. The art style is really nice, but I haven't really done many of the quests yet.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it enjoyable and fitting for the combat and art, others feel the soundtrack is lacking but appreciate the option to import their own music. Overall, the music enhances the tactical experience, even if it doesn't stand out on its own.
“Great tactics and tough battles are complemented by great art and music.”
“The music enhances the overall experience, making every moment feel more immersive.”
“The soundtrack is incredibly catchy and keeps you engaged throughout the gameplay.”
“The soundtrack isn't that great, but you can import your own.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety throughout the game.”
“I found the background music to be quite bland and forgettable.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game, noting that it allows for farming enemies to earn gold, which enhances their overall enjoyment. The game's art style and controller compatibility are also highlighted positively, contributing to a fun learning experience as they explore its systems.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I find myself spending more time grinding for resources than actually enjoying the gameplay.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding takes away from the overall experience and makes it feel like a chore.”
