Grimlord

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 433 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Grimlord Game Cover
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"Grimlord is a single-player, story-driven VR RPG with a classic action twist, allowing for creative combat styles and improvisation. The game features a dedicated map with breathtaking views and a Souls-style exploration. Despite being very grinding and buggy, Grimlord values community feedback to improve the game."

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 433 reviews
gameplay19 positive mentions
stability13 negative mentions
  • The game captures the essence of Dark Souls in VR, providing an immersive and challenging experience.
  • Combat feels satisfying with a variety of weapons and a unique crafting system that allows for customization.
  • The level design is engaging, with shortcuts and hidden areas that encourage exploration.
  • The game currently lacks content, with only a few hours of gameplay available, leading to a feeling of being unfinished.
  • There are several bugs and performance issues, including hit detection problems and awkward weapon handling.
  • Enemy AI can be repetitive and predictable, making combat less challenging over time.
  • gameplay69 mentions

    The gameplay of this VR title is heavily inspired by the souls-like genre, featuring immersive combat mechanics, a variety of weapons, and challenging encounters that evoke the essence of Dark Souls. While many players appreciate the fluidity and intensity of the combat, some criticize the game for its clunky mechanics, lack of direction, and bugs that hinder the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game shows promise with its engaging gameplay loop and potential for future development.

    • “This game's fighting mechanics, adventuring, exploring - souls, Elden Ring-style premise (in VR, mind you) - is done really really well.”
    • “The combat mechanics in Grimlord are truly praiseworthy, with fluid and responsive controls that make battles feel intense and engaging.”
    • “Grimlord offers an immersive Dark Souls-like VR experience with commendable combat mechanics, stunning graphics, and a robust weapon crafting system.”
    • “Just go play Blade & Sorcery if you want good combat; progression doesn't make up for bad gameplay.”
    • “No direction or anything to the hub area, no explanation for any of the core gameplay mechanics, and to top it all off you can destroy your only weapon (with no way to get another one) in the first area, forcing you to restart the entire game.”
    • “The combat is fluid and great until you find that most enemies won't attack for a certain period after you strike a hit, so you can hack away until they die without having to engage with other mechanics.”
  • story53 mentions

    The game's story is generally viewed as a positive aspect, with many players appreciating its presence in a genre often lacking narrative depth. While some find the storyline engaging and immersive, others describe it as basic or generic, expressing a desire for more character interaction and depth. Overall, the game is recommended for those seeking a story-driven experience in VR, despite some critiques regarding its execution and pacing.

    • “The game looks beautiful and the scenery and story are well created.”
    • “Metalcat did an excellent job creating an interesting storyline, a large immersive environment to explore, and satisfying gameplay that seems easy at first, but becomes much more challenging when you have hordes of enemies coming at you and an archer sniping you from the high ground while you fend off five swordsmen on the floor.”
    • “This is a story-driven adventure, and we need more of these.”
    • “Not gonna lie, I expected more from this game when I got it: more weapon types, more paths to take, more customization, and a longer story.”
    • “Very basic story.”
    • “I seriously didn't want to hear about the herb dude talk about his life story when I just want to run straight into battle fighting against the undead.”
  • graphics33 mentions

    The graphics in the game have received largely positive feedback, with many users praising the stunning visuals, beautiful environments, and intriguing art style that enhance the immersive experience. While some noted that the graphics could use minor polishing, particularly in animations, the overall aesthetic and performance are considered impressive for a VR title, striking a good balance between visual fidelity and optimization. Comparisons to other successful VR games highlight its strong graphical presentation, making it a standout in the genre.

    • “The graphics are beautiful, and the scenery is wonderful.”
    • “The first impression is great, the graphics are great and everything is fluid and smooth.”
    • “Furthermore, the graphics in Grimlord are visually appealing, with a dark and atmospheric setting that complements the game's tone.”
    • “Gripe 1, the graphics aren't the greatest.”
    • “The game has decent graphics on PC VR (G2 Reverb, 2080 Ti) and solid mechanics.”
    • “It could do with some more aesthetic/flair as well as a damage boost, to early game at least.”
  • music18 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant lack of ambient music throughout the main gameplay, which detracts from the overall experience. While the music during boss fights is appreciated, it often feels familiar and forgettable, leading to a desire for more engaging background tracks in the areas between encounters. Overall, the sound design is praised, but the musical score is seen as a missed opportunity that could enhance the game's atmosphere.

    • “Love playing this game to music.”
    • “It's crazy how a little bit of music can change my experience with this game.”
    • “I think that it could definitely use background music for the areas between boss fights, but the ambiance that is there is decent.”
    • “Ambient music is basically non-existent, and the music I heard for the first boss fight sounded very familiar.”
    • “Lack of in-game music makes the slow walks a bit more dull than needed.”
    • “Overall, the sound design of the weapons and environments are nice, which is undercut by a lackluster musical score and underwhelming enemy sounds.”
  • optimization14 mentions

    Overall, user reviews on optimization are mixed; while some players report significant performance issues, including FPS drops and stuttering, others praise the game's ability to run smoothly on high settings and maintain good performance without sacrificing graphical quality. Notably, experiences vary widely depending on hardware and settings, with some users finding the game well-optimized, particularly in VR modes, while others struggle with performance even on capable systems.

    • “Performance was perfect on my 2060 on all high settings.”
    • “What's even more impressive is that the game manages to maintain good performance without sacrificing too much graphical fidelity, striking a perfect balance between aesthetics and optimization.”
    • “I'm getting solid 90 fps in 90 hz using res 300%, maybe I can go higher with res or fps - but this seems well optimized.”
    • “My biggest complaint overall, though, is that every hit causes massive FPS drops for me (mind you I have a good computer, was on low settings, and you can tell by one look that the game shouldn't be performance intensive).”
    • “Just like it was too hard to make the game run in SteamVR without constant stuttering and slowdown, I had to use the Oculus thing!”
    • “Even in the Oculus mode it ran like hot shit, 30 FPS max with constant stuttering.”
  • stability14 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and inconsistent mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While some users acknowledge these issues as typical for an early access title, many find them increasingly frustrating and even game-breaking. Despite these problems, the game's engaging combat and visuals have led some to remain optimistic about future improvements.

    • “This game is very much worth the money and, in my opinion, should be talked about more than it currently is. With its stunning visuals and incredible combat, plus the sheer amount of choices you can make in how you fight—from using just fists to wielding two shields—it truly is a well-put-together game that I can't wait for the full release of, and it's not too buggy.”
    • “But the actual game itself is so punishing, buggy, tiring, confusing, glitchy (enemies summoned into walls, standing so close they phase through your shield) and overall bad.”
    • “Really buggy in lots of aspects which start off as understandable, but gets progressively annoying and even game breaking.”
    • “Fairly buggy and inconsistent in the blocking part.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is heavily inspired by the Dark Souls series, featuring eerie environments, impressive boss designs, and a variety of weapons that enhance the immersive experience. Reviewers praise the visually appealing graphics and the effective use of lighting and color, although some suggest it could benefit from a bit more vibrancy. Overall, the atmosphere is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, making it particularly appealing to fans of the genre.

    • “It is a game that has a very similar vibe to the Dark Souls series, and it definitely delivers on that aspect with great boss design, a variety of weapons, eerie mobs, a great atmosphere, a crafting system, and many other things.”
    • “The developers have done an amazing job setting colors, lighting, atmosphere, structure, and enemy designs to match the essence of Dark Souls.”
    • “Furthermore, the graphics in Grimlord are visually appealing, with a dark and atmospheric setting that complements the game's tone.”
    • “Currently, I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for just combat, but it is by far the most developed world and atmosphere in this VR genre.”
    • “The atmosphere feels suitably Souls-like, though it could do with a bit more color, as Dark Souls 2 & 3 had pretty vibrant palettes, especially 2, and yet they felt like dying worlds. Even Dark Souls 1, which had decently muted colors, had a decently colorful palette and wasn't just gray.”
    • “Check, got the atmosphere, kind of a soul currency system, undead zombified-looking enemies.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Players express frustration with the grinding mechanics, describing them as tedious and overly time-consuming, particularly in sandbox and souls-like games. While some acknowledge that grinding can be rewarding for character progression, many find the experience unfulfilling and repetitive, with combat lacking excitement and magic mechanics feeling weak and cumbersome. Overall, the consensus leans towards grinding being a significant drawback in the gameplay experience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I've been up to my ears in sandbox games (not that those are bad, I assure you), but I have sand grinding out of my joints.”
    • “The grind isn't terrible for what is essentially a demo, but killing enemies is unrewarding and overtly grindy, even for a souls clone.”
    • “Which, even for a souls-like, feels way too grindy.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, often feeling frustration and sadness over losses, such as losing valuable items to challenging bosses. The gameplay encourages strategic thinking and engagement with enemies, enhancing the emotional stakes of each encounter. Overall, the game elicits a range of emotions, from tension to disappointment, while maintaining player interest throughout.

    • “Playing Grimlord made me feel like I could think in terms of the enemies in front of me and how best to deal with them, considering the situation instead of just the function.”
    • “There isn't a time I've encountered (except when I died, all enemies respawn if you die, loot doesn't, go collect your corpse) that made me feel bored.”
    • “Makes me want to cry because I lost 2000 matter to a dumb boss.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted as amusing yet can be frustrating, particularly during boss fights that feel awkward and janky. While some players had low expectations due to previous experiences, the humor still manages to shine through despite the game's shortcomings.

    • “The larger bosses feel funny and janky to fight because you just walk around them and slap their legs.”
    • “Funny, but frustrating.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    Reviewers highlight the game's significant depth and engaging mechanics, noting that it remains captivating with each playthrough. Many also emphasize its infinite replayability, particularly in multiplayer modes.

    • “Infinitely replayable in multiplayer mode.”
    • “It's a testament to the game's depth and replayability that it continues to captivate me with every run.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that the character development is significantly enhanced by charming character designs and strong voice acting, which contribute positively to the overall immersion in the game world.

    • “The voice acting and character designs really add a lot to the world.”
    • “The character designs are charming for the most part and well-voiced.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy has drawn criticism for its negative advertising tactics, where the game disparages competitors rather than focusing on its own merits.

    • “The monetization system feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “I can't enjoy the game without being constantly bombarded by ads and in-game purchases.”
    • “It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, making it frustrating for free-to-play users.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
4-6hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 11 analyzed playthroughs

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