Kingsblood
- June 21, 2023
- Icy Forge UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
"Kingsblood" is a single-player Role Playing Game with a good plot and game mechanics. As a mercenary, players fight against a tyrannical monarchy in a grimdark world, with autochess mechanics and a fully voiced campaign. Players assemble a powerful guild, manage party composition, and exploit enemy weaknesses in battles and dungeons, while exploring a medieval fantasy world and unlocking new quests and cities.
Reviews
- The game features deep RPG elements and a unique autochess gameplay style that allows for strategic party composition and synergies.
- The story is engaging, with fully voiced characters and a variety of character interactions that add depth to the gameplay.
- The developers show a lot of passion for the game, actively working on updates and fixes, which enhances the overall experience.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, including issues with item management and performance lag when inventory is overloaded.
- Micromanagement can be tedious, and the combat lacks control, leading to a repetitive gameplay experience.
- The UI and camera can be obstructive, and the affinity system is seen as overly complicated and frustrating by some players.
- story84 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring interesting narratives and passionate voice acting, with a notable emphasis on character backstories and interactions among the 50 recruitable companions. While some players appreciate the depth and detail in storytelling, others find the overall plot and character development lacking, describing it as somewhat cliché and unconvincing. Despite these criticisms, many players enjoy the engaging quest system and the evolving story, which keeps them invested in the gameplay experience.
“How much the developers love their game is apparent in the mind-boggling attention to detail, especially in writing. For example, there are 50 possible recruitable companions, each with a backstory, potential banter when in a party with specific characters, and their own unique outro piece of story.”
“What surprised me the most was the story, which is well-written and fully voice-acted (various quality but mostly good).”
“The storyline and voice acting, artwork, and overall atmosphere are superb, showcasing a lot of work put into the game's ambiance.”
“Bravo for putting more thought into your characters than some AAA games, but alas, that alone doesn't make up for the lackluster gameplay and unconvincing story.”
“Similarly, the RPG aspects feel more like a visual novel pasted on an idler number-go-up game; there's a story progression that technically fulfills the 'grimdark' part of the game (characters die in cutscenes but are otherwise immortal), and you can unlock nodes in the world in whatever order to explore, but there's not anything interesting about the character development either in the statistical or story aspects that I've seen.”
“I will admit, I was not invested in the story at all.”
- gameplay26 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the depth and variety offered by numerous characters and mechanics, while others find it repetitive and lacking in rewarding experiences. Despite the creative elements and nostalgic callbacks to classic battle mechanics, many feel that the overall execution falls short, particularly in terms of engagement and story. While there are fun aspects, such as autochess gameplay and character optimization, the gameplay experience may not satisfy those seeking a more compelling challenge.
“Loads of characters, lots of gear to play with, and really fun autochess gameplay.”
“It is a very original game, and though it does not have the best 3D graphics, the gameplay is very good.”
“No bugs that I noticed, a nice evolving story in the first hour of gameplay and a nice autobattler filled with good item/base building/skill progress.”
“However, when it comes to gameplay, it's like they threw everything and the kitchen sink into the mix – 40+ characters, identical skill trees, and a buffet of confusing elemental rock-paper-scissor buffs/nerfs.”
“Bravo for putting more thought into your characters than some AAA games, but alas, that alone doesn't make up for the lackluster gameplay and unconvincing story.”
“It's just that some game aspects don't work very well, and the gameplay can become repetitive.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered subpar, with low pixel quality and some users describing them as "kinda ugly." However, many reviewers appreciate the artwork and overall atmosphere, noting that the game's engaging gameplay and heart put into its design compensate for the visual shortcomings. The voice acting and art style also receive positive remarks, contributing to a charming experience despite the graphical limitations.
“The storyline, voice acting, artwork, and overall atmosphere are superb; lots of work has been put into the atmosphere of the game.”
“The artwork is good.”
“After 3 hours, I'm really enamored by the great visual art, art style, and simple yet engaging auto combat!”
“Personally, I did like the auto-combat, although it's almost impossible to match portraits to the heroes on screen due to the very low pixel graphics.”
“Couldn't care less about the kind of ugly graphics; the cliche (but earnest and in the end serviceable) fantasy story, funny amateurish voiceovers, or some quality of life imperfections when there's well-designed, fast-paced autochess strategy with so much heart poured into it.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be heavily marred by tedious micromanagement and a lack of quality of life features, which detracts from the overall experience. While there are deep mechanics to explore, the repetitive nature of managing inventory and battles often leads to frustration rather than enjoyment.
“Where the game is at its weakest is the tedious micromanagement, the battles lacking control and having bugs with the alchemy items, and the worst thing of all: lack of quality of life features for the inventory.”
“Just a lot of tedious micromanagement with little payoff.”
“Let's not forget the joy of dealing with tedious micromanagement.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is largely criticized for being uninspired, with players noting a lack of depth in both statistical growth and narrative progression. The RPG elements feel superficial, resembling a visual novel combined with a simplistic idle game, failing to engage players meaningfully in the characters' journeys. Overall, the character design and leveling mechanics do not meet expectations, leaving much to be desired.
“But the combat, animations, character design, and leveling up left much to be desired.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its amusing amateurish voiceovers and well-developed characters, which contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere despite some uneven quality. Players appreciate the comedic elements, finding them endearing and a charming complement to the engaging autochess strategy gameplay. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm to the experience, overshadowing other imperfections.
“The world and the characters are well fleshed out and the voice acting can be hilarious even if the quality is somewhat uneven.”
“Couldn't care less about the kind of ugly graphics, cliché (but earnest and in the end serviceable) fantasy story, funny amateurish voiceovers, or some quality of life imperfections when there's well-designed, fast-paced autochess strategy with so much heart poured into it.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users feel that the game has potential for enjoyment but currently requires further optimization to enhance the experience. Many suggest waiting for improvements, especially if players prefer easier modes or a more narrative-driven gameplay.
“This game will be a lot of fun once it is optimized.”
“I think this game will be good after some more optimization, but if, like me, you prefer to have an easy mode or a story mode, then you might want to wait awhile.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to be quite unstable, with multiple users highlighting significant bugs that affect gameplay.
“The game is incredibly buggy.”
“There are numerous bugs that ruin the experience.”
“The stability issues make it nearly unplayable.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's procedural quest generator as a key feature that significantly enhances its replayability, offering a fresh experience with each playthrough.
“The procedural quest generator offers fantastic replay value!”
“The procedural quest generator ensures that each playthrough feels fresh and engaging!”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting the superb storyline, voice acting, and artwork, indicating that significant effort has been invested in creating an immersive experience.
“The storyline, voice acting, artwork, and overall atmosphere are superb; a lot of work has been put into creating the game's atmosphere.”