Golden Treasure: The Great Green
- March 28, 2019
- Dreaming Door
- 31h median play time
"Golden Treasure: The Great Green" is an adventure game that follows a young dragon's journey to save her kingdom from destruction. The player explores a vibrant world filled with mythical creatures, solves puzzles, and makes choices that impact the story's outcome. With its unique narrative and charming visuals, it offers a memorable experience for fans of fantasy and adventure games.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful artwork and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the immersive experience.
- The writing is poetic and thought-provoking, providing a unique perspective on life as a dragon and exploring deep philosophical themes.
- The gameplay encourages exploration and learning from failure, with multiple endings and replayability that keeps players engaged.
- The combat system can feel simplistic and unbalanced, leading to frustration during encounters.
- Some players may find the game tedious due to the need to replay sections after dying, as well as the lack of a save function.
- Certain puzzles and riddles can be overly challenging or cryptic, which may deter some players from fully enjoying the experience.
- story539 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story of the game is widely praised for its depth, emotional resonance, and unique perspective, particularly through the lens of dragon protagonists. Reviewers highlight the beautifully crafted narrative, rich worldbuilding, and the integration of philosophical themes, making it a compelling experience that encourages multiple playthroughs to uncover different outcomes. While some note that the gameplay can feel repetitive due to its linear nature, the overall storytelling and artistic presentation create a captivating and immersive journey.
“The story is wonderfully written, thought-provoking, and emotionally touching.”
“This is the type of game that resonates with you with its deep story and worldbuilding.”
“The storytelling and the art are both beautiful, making you truly feel like a young dragon facing the world.”
“The perma-death system, while I understand the concept, does not fit a game that is so story-heavy, especially one that is somewhat linear. My problem is the tedium of doing functionally the exact same things over and over again, which reminds me of 'Sunless Sea' as repeating the same story beats is one of the reasons I gave up on finishing it.”
“There are not many hugely significant choices that alter the story or dialogue enough that I thought encouraging so many restarts was needed.”
“I am frustrated that mandatory or inescapable combat while weak gets in the way of the story, and combat while strong has no tactical challenge.”
- gameplay233 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is a blend of visual novel elements with light mechanics such as hunting and combat, which some players find engaging while others consider them repetitive or frustrating. While the game offers a unique experience with its philosophical themes and beautiful art, many reviews highlight issues with balance and clarity in mechanics, suggesting that the gameplay can detract from the overall narrative experience. Overall, it is seen as ambitious but uneven, with a focus on story that may overshadow the gameplay itself.
“This game is a masterfully-written xenofiction novel wrapped up in stunningly beautiful art and music, with some light game mechanics sprinkled in to further deepen the immersion.”
“The gameplay is difficult and rewarding - I love rogue-likes and this one has a good blend of resource management, item collection, and story-line choice.”
“An absolutely unique experience, great gameplay, beautiful art, a wonderful story that really goes into your soul.”
“The gameplay elements can be frustrating at times, dragging down the pacing of things and leaving you feeling unsatisfied as things are left unresolved, and experiencing everything you'd want to out of the game will likely require repeat playthroughs.”
“Additionally, from a game mechanics standpoint, lots of stuff is very unbalanced or sometimes doesn't work properly.”
“There is no gameplay loop or narrative element that can justify the purchase of this game.”
- music225 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, effectively complementing the stunning artwork and immersive storytelling. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many describing it as a perfect fit for the game's themes and scenes. While some note that the music can become repetitive during extended play, the overall consensus is that it significantly contributes to the game's captivating experience.
“The music is exceptional; beyond beautiful composition with elegant scores that range every heart string imaginable - from fear/disgust, wonder, sorrow, and elation.”
“The music complements the game very well, always fitting into every setting perfectly allowing me to really feel truly immersed into the world that has been created.”
“The beautiful soundtracks and paintings build up an amazing atmosphere.”
“Each time it goes to a new enemy the music restarts. This doesn't sound that bad, but whenever I got into these fights I was one-shotting every enemy. This caused me to hear the first 5 seconds of the combat song on repeat; it got a little annoying.”
“What I suggest is that for combat scenarios like this, just keep the music going, don't reset it.”
“Some actions and events have sounds associated with them, and some scenes have ambient noise, but there is no such thing as voice acting, and as with the music, the sound plays primarily a supporting role.”
- graphics170 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn artwork and beautiful visual style, which significantly enhance the storytelling experience. Players appreciate the intricate designs and the emotional depth conveyed through the visuals, complemented by a captivating soundtrack. Overall, the game's aesthetic is considered a major highlight, making it a must-play for fans of visual novels and fantasy themes.
“The artwork alone is one of the biggest reasons to play, because it's absolutely gorgeous and it's obvious how much work the artists put into the game.”
“The visuals and soundscapes are beautiful, and at times terrifying, bringing the story to life in ways that made me pause many times just to appreciate the splendour of its spirit.”
“Absolutely beautiful artwork and effects, with a wonderful and incredibly well written story and characters.”
“The game's artwork and presentation is also worth commending, even though there is no complex animation or 3D graphics in the entire game.”
“It works without problem with Steam Proton + Soldier but no high graphics options; I hope it will come natural support for Linux.”
“The game will often take time to describe sensations or visuals in detail and flowery metaphors that establish a deeper connection to the scene at the cost of requiring more attention to understand.”
- replayability58 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, offering multiple endings, varied scenarios, and the ability to carry knowledge from previous playthroughs, which encourages exploration and experimentation. While some players note that the challenge may diminish over time, the rich content and engaging storytelling ensure that many will find value in revisiting the game. Overall, it is well-regarded for its replay potential, making it appealing for those who enjoy deep narrative experiences.
“As far as content and replayability goes, there is far, far too much to see in one playthrough, with multiple endings and variations upon variations to those endings.”
“What I initially thought was going to be a cheap visual novel really surprised me with how much they put into this game with the combat system that I actually found challenging throughout most of my playthroughs. The decisions you make actually matter and can create unique playthroughs with lots of replayability.”
“This is a game with great replayability, and greater potential for expansion not just with additional content like mating or even a sequel or more acts, but I think this could spark a whole new genre of fantasy world that could inspire other works set in this setting.”
“Replayability shouldn't be achieved by sacrificing playability.”
“My only bother is that the replay value will be low; you will see a very large part of everything the game has to offer with two playthroughs, and already the second playthrough will be quite fast because you know what you need to do.”
“Bad things: it has lots of replay value, but after a while, all challenge disappears because your basic stats you get when you start become really powerful.”
- emotional42 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its deeply emotional writing, rich graphics, and touching soundtrack, which together create a mesmerizing experience that resonates with players on a personal level. Many reviewers noted that the story and its moments, such as the clansingers and the artist, evoke strong feelings, often leading to tears during gameplay. Overall, it is described as a beautifully crafted game that effectively captures the essence of being a dragon, making it a profoundly moving experience for those who engage with it.
“The beautiful and emotionally impactful writing and story are accompanied by wonderful pieces of artwork and a soundtrack that punctuates every moment in the perfect way.”
“I do not usually review games because I'm lazy, but goddamn this game is the most beautiful, feelsy, heart-wrenching game I've ever played and I need everyone to know about it.”
“Be careful if you are emotional (like me) because the writing is very beautiful and the events can be very heart touching.”
- grinding27 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- -4 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be largely tedious and repetitive, with slow progression and punishing mechanics that can lead to frustration. Many reviews highlight the lack of controller support and cumbersome navigation, which exacerbate the grind, particularly in hunting and mastery tasks. While there are features that enhance replayability, the overall experience is marred by the feeling of wasted time on monotonous tasks.
“The game has immense replayability potential with features that make each new playthrough feel fresh and engaging, so you won't have to farm for everything you had before.”
“The grinding mechanics are designed in a way that keeps the experience enjoyable and prevents it from becoming tedious.”
“Each playthrough offers unique challenges and rewards, making the grind feel worthwhile and rewarding.”
“This game proves that rogue-likes and visual novels make for a poor mashing of genres, taking the worst aspects of grinding, dead-end builds, and painfully slow progression for what is without a doubt, sub-par authorial musings on what animals are like.”
“As it stands though, I feel like many hours of my life are being wasted on tedious repetition.”
“Grinding for animal masteries is dull (thankfully there is an alternative later in the game).”
- atmosphere18 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals, beautiful soundtracks, and immersive storytelling, creating a captivating experience that many players find perfect. However, some users note inconsistencies in the atmosphere during specific gameplay moments and mention issues with readability that detract from the overall experience. Despite these minor drawbacks, the game's rich artistic elements and engaging world make it a must-play for fans of atmospheric storytelling.
“An absolutely beautiful game, incredibly atmospheric, a joy to play.”
“The music produces a wonderfully atmospheric experience.”
“The beautiful soundtracks and paintings build up an amazing atmosphere.”
“However, the cons is I don't feel quite good about the user experience with the system itself; sometimes the atmosphere is so wrong (especially the fight against the bladefang), and some fonts are too difficult to read.”
“Both in graphics and in atmosphere.”
“The screenshots don't do the game justice - see a high-quality let's play on YouTube to get a true feel of the game's atmosphere.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features humor that cleverly critiques the school system, while also incorporating amusing elements within its mechanics, such as the dragon slayer battle triggered by laying a slain kin's skull to rest. This blend of satire and gameplay adds a lighthearted touch to the overall experience.
“Knowledge is a funny jab at the school system.”
“The hilarious thing is that the earlier dragon slayer battle will trigger if you lay your slain kin's skull to rest, which had a small formation in it.”
“Granted, it's more a game mechanic with the day system, but it's a humorous note.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the optimization mechanics in the game, finding satisfaction in strategizing their playthroughs to enhance their stats and navigate challenges. However, some users note that an excessive focus on optimization can lead to neglecting essential survival needs, resulting in unintended consequences like starvation.
“Feeling proud of such an optimized run, I graduated into act 2, where I immediately starved to death because I hyperfixated on optimizing my route and neglected the raw animal needs of my body.”
“Feeling proud of such an optimized run, I graduated into act 2, where I immediately starved to death because I hyper-fixated on optimizing my route and neglected the raw animal needs of my body.”
“I optimized my first playthrough to maximize my stats needed to get through the bunker filled with mice who learned the secret of gunpowder and get at the treasure at the end from behind the whirring fan blades of death.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not heavily criticized, as players are more focused on the engaging gameplay that keeps them hooked, even leading to sleepless nights. However, there are mixed feelings about the game's advertising, which some find misleading or unappealing.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report minor stability issues, including occasional text glitches that reveal unintended paragraphs. While these issues are not severe, they can disrupt immersion in the game.
“There are also a few glitches in the text I've found where you get paragraphs you weren't supposed to see -- nothing major, but still immersion breaking.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game excels in character development through a compelling blend of storytelling and interaction, offering a unique philosophical perspective from non-human characters. This depth enriches the overall narrative experience.
“It has a great mix of storytelling, character development, and interaction, along with an interesting look at philosophy from a uniquely non-human perspective.”