Fault: Elder Orb
- July 17, 2020
- Strange Matter Studios
- 27h median play time
Get on Steam"Fault: Elder Orb" is a 2D side-scrolling action RPG with a focus on fast-paced combat and exploration. Players control Selene, a young girl with the power to seal away the chaos causing earthquakes in her world. With a variety of weapons and abilities, players must battle their way through hordes of enemies and challenging boss battles in order to restore peace to their world. The game also features a unique art style and a mysterious storyline full of intriguing characters.
PC
Windows
Cloud
Reviews
- The game captures the nostalgia of Paragon, providing a familiar experience for fans.
- The developers are actively working on updates and improvements, showing commitment to the game's growth.
- Gameplay is fun and engaging, especially when played with friends.
- The community is highly toxic, often ridiculing new players and creating a hostile environment.
- Matchmaking is poor, frequently pairing new players with highly experienced ones, leading to frustrating experiences.
- The game is still in early access with numerous bugs, performance issues, and a lack of content, making it feel unfinished.
- gameplay252 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its resemblance to the original Paragon, but with significant issues such as slow pacing, clunky mechanics, and a lack of polish. While some find the core gameplay enjoyable and appreciate the nostalgic elements, others criticize it for being unresponsive and filled with bugs, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, there is potential for improvement, but the game currently feels rough and unfinished, requiring further development to reach its full potential.
“Runs great, good & enjoyable gameplay, although of course there is room for improvement.”
“The gameplay is very enjoyable and I'm excited to see where this game is at launch.”
“With the introduction of Fault, I feel back at home playing Paragon; what I love about this game is the gameplay, it’s got a simple yet deep item system which allows for unique playstyles.”
“Gameplay feels chunky and unresponsive.”
“The gameplay is terribly slow compared to Paragon, which towards the end did feel like it was getting faster.”
“The gameplay is slow, boring, and just lame.”
- graphics186 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over their quality and optimization. While some appreciate the aesthetic appeal and potential for improvement, others criticize the visuals as blurry, grainy, and reminiscent of older games, particularly in comparison to its predecessor, Paragon. Overall, there is a consensus that significant graphical enhancements are needed to meet player expectations and improve the gaming experience.
“Beautiful graphics.”
“The graphics are beautiful for an alpha-state game.”
“Graphics are amazing and represent the Unreal Engine.”
“I don't know why, but the game runs terrible for me and it doesn't matter if I change the graphics to low, medium, or high; it's generally quite blurry and laggy.”
“The graphics by far don't look anything like the videos and are nowhere near the graphics from the old Paragon.”
“The graphics are horrible... it runs horrible... the shop is horrible...”
- stability122 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of game-breaking glitches, freezing during critical moments, and overall poor performance. While some players acknowledge improvements over time, many still find it excessively buggy and unpolished, particularly in its early access state. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game requires significant optimization and bug fixes before it can be considered stable or enjoyable.
“Runs great, with good and enjoyable gameplay, although there is room for improvement.”
“For now, I can only recommend that Paragon enthusiasts save their wallets until the full, bug-free release of the game.”
“Everyone who is expecting a finished and bug-free game is out of their mind.”
“This game's concept is great, but the game itself sucks. Every time I get into a fight, the game freezes into massive chaos, and I lose 90% of the fights that I should win.”
“I wanted to like this game so much, but it's a buggy, broken mess that's unfixable without serious money this dev team doesn't have.”
“The game freezes during stun locks and group engagements (when it counts), and the classes are unbalanced as hell.”
- optimization114 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 36 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including frequent frame drops, stuttering, and crashes. While some updates have improved stability and performance, significant optimization work is still needed, particularly for lower-end systems and ultrawide monitors. Overall, players advise caution, as the game remains poorly optimized and may not be ready for a smooth gaming experience.
“But for people who are thinking about getting this game now, you are going to play it in its best possible version, especially since the most recent optimization update which helped a lot.”
“The latest optimization patch has really helped the frame rate to stay stable and make frame rate changes feel less noticeable. They have also made a lot of improvements to the map, item art, and other general stability, performance updates, and bug fixes which have made the game feel and play a lot nicer than it did before.”
“Developers seem to take it seriously and I'm confident they'll be addressing a lot of the optimization issues, improving sound and audio cues, etc.”
“Over 2 years of development for an unoptimized, poor copy-and-paste asset dump with nothing new to make this game stand out.”
“The game is still very early access and is poorly optimized, so you need to be aware of that going in.”
“The game is glitchy and bloated, very unoptimized and yet sold for real money.”
- monetization67 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 64 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers expressing frustration over aggressive microtransactions and high prices for content that feels unfinished or poorly executed. Players feel that the developers prioritize profit over quality, leading to a perception of exploitation, particularly among nostalgic fans of the original Paragon. Overall, the game's monetization strategy has left a negative impression, with calls for refunds and warnings against spending money on what is seen as an incomplete product.
“Other clones are free to play, all characters unlocked, and only in-game purchases are skin related.”
“These developers have spent more time creating DLC and in-game purchases (skins, etc.) that you can buy with real money than they have attempting to create a polished product for players.”
“It felt very bad so I dismissed it, then 1/2 year later I see they're planning an early access release, so I try it out and it plays the same; the only difference is the cosmetics and amount of microtransactions.”
“This game has been dead since day one since it was all just a cash grab and not much effort is being put in at all.”
“The audacity of charging for a game that only functions half the time is mind boggling to me, especially given the in-game monetization as well.”
“It's almost as if the past 7 months have been spent just trying to find ways to make the most profit out of this terrible build with as many microtransactions as possible instead of actually making a good game that gives justice to Paragon.”
- music49 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The reviews overwhelmingly highlight a significant absence of music in the game, with many players expressing that the lack of audio contributes to a dull and unengaging experience. While some mention that music was added to the menu, the in-game silence is frequently criticized, making gameplay feel awkward and lifeless. Overall, the consensus is that the game would greatly benefit from the inclusion of background music to enhance immersion and enjoyment.
“Grinding for mastery skins, coming up with new decks and strategies with my team, the music.”
“Music 10/10”
“For example, a theme while at the tower, different variants of music themes for the lanes, jungle, combat while in lanes, combat while in jungle, and end game music when an inhibitor is destroyed.”
“No music.”
“The game also has no music despite there being a setting to turn music up and down.”
“There's no music, no walking sounds, blank textures, a horrible UI, and a list of bugs.”
- grinding19 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, noting that significant time is required to unlock characters and skins, often leading to a tedious experience. While some find enjoyment in mastering game mechanics and farming, many feel that the grind detracts from overall fun, especially with half the character roster locked behind either extensive grinding or paywalls. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game has potential, the current grinding system may deter new players.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I'm still playing the game and I find it quite fun, but if the first few hours of the release experience have to be so tedious and awful, then I can't recommend this game, even if you eventually get to the 'good part.'”
“Also, half the character roster is locked behind a tedious grind which of course can be skipped by buying in-game currency.”
“You’ll be farming minions for 30 minutes before you can even think of ganking or chasing people.”
- story16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story starts strong, engaging players with unique locations and an intriguing premise, but it quickly loses momentum, leading to a rushed final arc and unsatisfying endings. While some players appreciate the initial hook and character integration, many express disappointment with the overall narrative depth and pacing, suggesting it may be better to wait for a sequel.
“The story hooks you right off the bat, and the way the gameplay is introduced is incredible.”
“The first third of the game is quite good, with the gameplay and freshness of everything, combined with the unique locations and interesting story, making it a great experience.”
“There are some minor variations on some of the heroes' abilities, and there's one original character whose story fits right in with the rest of the game's narrative, if not visual, aesthetic.”
“The final arc of the story and ending felt pretty rushed in my opinion, and the possible endings are some of the worst and lowest effort I have seen in a game.”
“By about the halfway point, I was tired of the gameplay and uninterested in the story, just rushing through to the end so I could be done with the game.”
“A movie with an open ending or a movie which totally missed out on a side story.”
- humor14 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- -14 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often derived from its numerous flaws and the toxic behavior of its community, leading players to find amusement in the chaos and absurdity of the situation. Many reviewers highlight the irony of the game's rushed development and lack of basic features, while others find the poor AI and uneven teams to be unintentionally funny. Overall, the humor appears to stem from a mix of frustration and the ability to laugh at the game's shortcomings.
“It's kinda funny, this is the most rushed game out of all the Paragon remakes coming, and it shows.”
“The AI is pretty bad, but in a way that is humorous and adds a challenge.”
“It has its problems, but honestly, I love laughing at them, and I hope the developers will keep working for better.”
“The humor in this game falls flat and feels forced.”
“The jokes are outdated and fail to land.”
“The attempts at humor are more cringeworthy than funny.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players express mixed feelings about the game's replayability, noting significant improvements since its release but still highlighting ongoing issues that affect enjoyment. While some veterans encourage participation in bug reporting to enhance the experience, others feel that the game currently competes unfavorably with other titles, limiting its replay value. Overall, there is hope for future enhancements that could increase its playability and replayability.
“Alright, let me start off by congratulating the devs of Fault for really doing an amazing job on making the game more playable!”
“Edit: The SMS team has made great improvements since release and the game is way more playable.”
“I'm just glad I only lost 14 minutes of my life. I don't think I could afford to lose any more than that, with all the other titles out this month alone that are playable, a little bit of shine to them, and they don't use re-took assets from folks and then try to ask for money from the customer for them.”
“I really hope the devs make it more playable and less prone to freezing.”
“It's still playable, and likely will become far more playable in the next few weeks.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting a bittersweet nostalgia for its impactful moments despite its eventual shutdown. While some find the experience wholesome and memorable, others recount frustration and disappointment due to technical issues, leading to a mixed emotional response overall.
“I played almost every day since release to its eventual (and heartbreaking) shut-down.”
“There's something wholesome about coming back to Paragon, truly one of the best games ever made.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its unique designs and the thoughtful direction taken by the developers at Strange Matter Studios, particularly under the guidance of Sylphin. The strong community involvement further enhances the character development process, suggesting a positive trajectory for the game's characters.
“The character designs are unique, with some standing out more than others.”
“The developers at Strange Matter Studios are taking our beloved game in a direction they feel is best. With Sylphin behind the wheel of character designs and SMS's massive community involvement, I personally feel they are on the right path.”
“The character designs are impressive and contribute significantly to the overall experience.”
“Character designs are unique, but some are more appealing than others.”
“The developers at Strange Matter Studios are taking our beloved game in a direction they believe is best, but the character development feels lacking.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is highly praised, with many users noting it as a worthy successor to the acclaimed predecessor, effectively capturing and enhancing the original's immersive qualities.
“An atmosphere worthy of direct succession to the paragon game.”
“The immersive environment draws you in and keeps you engaged.”
“Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, lacking the depth and immersion I expected.”
“Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere is flat and fails to engage the player.”
“The world feels empty and devoid of character, making it hard to get lost in the experience.”
