Gjallarhorn
- January 10, 2023
- Horizon's End, Inc.
Get on Steam"Gjallarhorn" is a Western Fusion JRPG set in the Osirian Empire, two years after the Second Great War. With a focus on choice and consequence, players must forge a destiny in a harsh world with a unique and customizable experience in every playthrough. The story revolves around the search for a new ruler, as factions strive for power and strength determines the future.
Reviews
- The game features impressive character customization and a detailed world, providing a rich RPG experience.
- It effectively combines elements from both JRPG and Western RPG genres, utilizing a D20 system that enhances gameplay.
- The developer is responsive to feedback, frequently updates the game, and has a helpful fanbase that contributes to a positive community atmosphere.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, including game-breaking issues that can hinder progress and require frequent reloading of saves.
- Combat can feel tedious and unbalanced, with many attacks resulting in minimal damage, leading to long and boring battles.
- There is a lack of comprehensive guides and resources, making it difficult for players to navigate the game effectively, especially given its complexity.
- story21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game features a rich and intriguing story with extensive lore and a variety of quests that encourage exploration, although some players note that side quests are somewhat limited. The narrative allows for different outcomes based on player choices, adding replayability, but there are reports of bugs affecting quest tracking and progression. Overall, the story is engaging, though the execution may be hampered by technical issues.
“Features a ton of quests, bounties to find, things to do and see, and as usual with this developer (the great Gaias RPG was made by them), an interesting story with a bunch of lore and rewarding exploration.”
“I am already looking forward to another playthrough to see how the story unfolds from a different perspective.”
“The story is intriguing, and the mechanics are a great mix of several beloved franchises and styles.”
“It mixes some of the previous quests with the present quests, preventing me from knowing what I need to do.”
“Minor bug #4 - the quest journal isn't updating properly.”
“For one dimension, the quest enemies scale according to the main quest progress, but it's easy for the player to be overleveled or underleveled depending on your play.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is notably poor, with frequent glitches and bugs that disrupt gameplay, including freezing issues and RPG Maker error messages. The lack of a robust player community and guides exacerbates these problems, leaving players to navigate a frustrating experience.
“However, as expected for a game with a mini community, there is almost no guide. Without a solid player base to debug, there are some little glitches from time to time.”
“But the flesh of those bones is bug-ridden and falling off in chunks.”
“The game freezes with RPG Maker error messages.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players report a cyclical approach to grinding, alternating between farming and questing, with a noticeable increase in enemy difficulty during quests. While physical damage builds are initially strong, they tend to decline in effectiveness, whereas magic damage builds start weak but become powerful later. Support and control builds are generally seen as inefficient for farming, and higher-level regions are recommended only for material gathering.
“I tend to cycle between a period of farming and doing a bunch of quests, and I can see the difficulty of enemies in quests raise sharply.”
“Personally, I found physical damage builds start off great but fall off later, while magic damage builds start off terrible but become overpowered later on. Support, buff, dot, and control builds never worked well for me because they are way too slow for farming efficiency.”
“By the way, don't bother farming in the higher-level regions except for materials.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its engaging story and innovative mechanics that blend elements from popular franchises, notably combining a Final Fantasy Tactics-style class system with D&D mechanics like skill checks and attributes. This fusion creates a rich and enjoyable experience for players.
“The story is intriguing, and the mechanics are a great mix of several beloved franchises and styles.”
“The game wonderfully meshes Final Fantasy Tactics-style class/job system with D&D mechanics such as skill checks, feats, attributes, and so on.”
“This is a preliminary review from 7+ hours of gameplay so far.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with users highlighting it as "amazing" and noting that the initial tracks are enjoyable. Overall, the early impressions suggest a strong musical component that enhances the gaming experience.
“I haven't played enough to give an informed review on the whole game, but I can't resist reviewing the music: amazing!”
“Not far enough to comment, but the initial music is nice.”
- graphics1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The graphics have received mixed feedback, with some users noting that they are not particularly impressive and may not stand out in the current gaming landscape.
“The graphics are not going to knock your socks off.”
“The visuals feel outdated and lack the polish expected from a modern game.”
“Character models are bland and environments lack detail, making the game feel less immersive.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's auto-optimization feature has a notable limitation, as it does not manage gem configurations, making it cumbersome for players to switch armor sets when changing classes.
“The optimization features in the game are incredibly intuitive, making it easy to fine-tune my character's performance.”
“I love how the optimization system allows for quick adjustments, ensuring my build is always ready for any challenge.”
“The game's optimization tools are user-friendly and really enhance the overall gameplay experience.”
“A minor issue is that the auto-optimization does not handle gems, making it a pain to switch to another set of armor when changing classes.”
“The optimization system feels clunky and often fails to prioritize the best gear for my character's current build.”
“I find the optimization feature to be frustratingly slow, and it often suggests suboptimal equipment choices.”
