Garshasp: Temple of the Dragon
- September 24, 2012
- Dead Mage
Get on Steam"Garshasp: Temple of the Dragon" is an expansion pack to the original "Garshasp: The Monster Slayer" game, featuring the mighty hero Garshasp in a hack and slash adventure. The game is set in a cinematic fantasy world filled with creatures from Persian Mythology, and offers a deep combat system with various combo moves. The story is based on ancient mythology, taking place before the original game's events in the cursed lands of the temple of the dragon.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a fun combat engine and can be enjoyable if you overlook its flaws.
- Some players found the graphics to be decent and consistent throughout the game.
- The game offers a unique storyline inspired by mythology, which some players appreciated.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, crashes, and poor controls, making it frustrating to play.
- It is very short, with many players finishing it in under two hours, leading to a lack of value for money.
- The voice acting and writing are considered laughable and poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience.
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for their outdated quality, reminiscent of 2008 standards, with many reviewers noting laughable animations and poor cutscene execution. While some acknowledge a consistent style throughout the levels, the overall impression is that the visuals are subpar, with performance issues like low frame rates further detracting from the experience. Despite these shortcomings, a few players find the graphics acceptable within the context of the game's fun factor.
“Graphically, 'Temple of the Dragon' doesn't really impress; however, it features a style that I would call consistent throughout its levels.”
“Let's start with the positive: the graphics in the game are not bad and work well with the game.”
“It sort of feels like Dead Mage blew the entire budget on graphics at the expense of every other aspect of gameplay.”
“Buggy game, yes.. on rails, yes.. easy to jump to your death, yes!!.. but still scratches that fun tickle spot just right - if you can look past the 2008-style graphics and barely serviceable audio.”
“Everything I could say has been said: terrible controls, laughable animations with dated graphics, a camera that is actively fighting the player.”
“The cut scenes appear to be thrown together; graphics were crappy, dialogue was poorly written, and the voice acting was atrocious (almost sounds like the voices were computer generated as opposed to being voiced by a real human).”
- story8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing it as poorly executed and feeling unfinished, while others appreciate its simplicity and connection to mythology, likening it to more polished narratives like that of "Prince of Persia." Overall, the storyline is seen as a basic framework that supports the gameplay but lacks depth and engagement.
“Garshasp - a game with a solid storyline, like Prince of Persia, only inspired by actual mythology.”
“Combat is good, the platforming bits are good, and a decent storyline ties it all together.”
“Storywise, the game's premise is pretty simple: Garshasp and his brother are looking for a legendary mace that is hidden somewhere in a jungle, near the Temple of the Dragon.”
“The story and voice acting are utterly terrible.”
“Truthfully, I think this is an unfinished game - despite it having a beginning and an end, it's the bare minimum for qualifying as a 'story' (a really bad story) and being a 'game'.”
“Storywise, the game's premise is pretty simple: Garshasp and his brother are looking for a legendary mace that is hidden somewhere in a jungle, near the temple of the dragon.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay received mixed reviews, with some praising it as excellent, while others criticized it as bland and clunky, particularly when using a keyboard and mouse. However, players noted that the experience improves significantly with a controller. Overall, opinions on gameplay vary widely, with some finding it enjoyable and others deeming it awful.
“Excellent gameplay”
“I've played plenty of low-budget games that had incredible gameplay and imaginative stories (VVVVVV is one that comes to mind).”
“Gameplay is horrid.”
“The gameplay was bland; combat felt clunky with the keyboard and mouse, but improves with a controller.”
“The gameplay is... well, awful.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by bugs and design flaws, including issues with graphics and audio, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences such as falling to your death. Despite these stability concerns, some players find it enjoyable enough to overlook the problems, suggesting that a rework could elevate it significantly.
“The game is incredibly buggy, making it frustrating to play at times. The design glitches really detract from the overall experience.”
“There are numerous stability issues that need to be addressed. If the bugs were fixed, the game could potentially be something spectacular.”
“The game feels unstable, with frequent glitches and a tendency to crash, which significantly impacts gameplay.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its unintentionally comedic writing and cutscenes, with players highlighting moments like the absurdity of dialogue that contrasts serious situations with a lighthearted tone. However, the overall execution is marred by dull combat and uninspired level design, leading to a mixed reception of the game's comedic elements.
“The opening animation is comedy gold: 'Well, at least let's take a rest. I'm your brother. Can't you see I'm dying?!'”
“The humor in the game is spot-on, with witty dialogue and absurd situations that had me laughing out loud.”
“I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, with hilarious character interactions and over-the-top scenarios.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally stable, maintaining performance above 30 frames per second during non-action sequences; however, players have noted occasional drops in frame rate during intense moments, similar to issues found in "The Monster Slayer."
“Similar to 'The Monster Slayer', it still has points during the game where the performance will drop below 30 frames per second, but thankfully this occurs outside of action sequences.”
“The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even in complex scenarios.”
“I appreciate how the developers have focused on optimization, ensuring that the game runs well on a variety of systems.”
“Similar to 'The Monster Slayer', it still has points during the game where the performance drops below 30 frames per second, but thankfully this occurs mostly outside of action sequences.”
“The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame rate drops that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
“Despite some improvements, the game still struggles with optimization issues, resulting in stuttering and lag during critical moments.”
