Legends of Amberland: The Forgotten Crown
- July 31, 2019
- Silver Lemur Games
- 22h median play time
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Get on itch.io Store"Legends of Amberland: The Forgotten Crown" is a classic western RPG inspired by games from the 90s, offering a light, fairy tale-like experience. It aims to provide a nostalgic adventure that is heroic, humorous, and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time without excessive grinding. The game draws inspiration from titles such as Dungeon Master, Eye of The Beholder 2, Might & Magic 3-5, Crystals of Arborea, and the GoldBox series.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- Captures the essence of classic RPGs like Might & Magic, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the genre.
- Engaging turn-based combat with a variety of character classes and a large world to explore.
- User-friendly interface and quality of life features, such as fast travel and an auto-mapping system, enhance the gameplay experience.
- Combat can become repetitive and lacks depth, with many encounters feeling similar and not particularly challenging.
- Limited variety in quests and character classes, which may lead to a feeling of simplicity and lack of complexity.
- Graphics and sound design may not appeal to everyone, as they are reminiscent of older games and may feel outdated.
- story54 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is a straightforward and whimsical quest to find a magical artifact, featuring a mix of classic RPG elements and a light-hearted tone. While the narrative is simple and somewhat cliché, players appreciate the variety of quests and the engaging exploration of a vast world, though some find the quest management system cumbersome. Overall, the story provides a fun backdrop for gameplay, but those seeking a deep narrative may be disappointed.
“The game offers a vast world to explore, intriguing quests to undertake, and a captivating storyline that will keep you entertained for hours.”
“The story in the game is whimsical and more than a little silly from time to time, but never completely descends into the absurd.”
“I enjoyed the light-hearted story and use of humor.”
“The story line is very simple.”
“It's a typical 'find the stolen magical artifact' quest where you have to defeat a final evil guy who comes out of nowhere.”
“Same goes for the end of this game, the beginning is more expansive with exploration and different difficulty areas, but as you approach the end, it's just mash button/kill things easy; the story fizzles out.”
- graphics35 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple and pixelated, evoking a nostalgic, old-school aesthetic that appeals to fans of classic RPGs. While some players appreciate the charming art style and colorful environments, many express a desire for higher resolution and more detailed visuals, noting that the graphics can feel crude or primitive by modern standards. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose within the gameplay, though opinions vary widely based on personal taste and familiarity with retro styles.
“The graphics were classic pixel art yet colorful and enjoyable.”
“Thought I'd be turned off by the pixelated graphics, but found them pretty charming as I played the game.”
“I love the retro graphics, and enjoy the music/sounds as well.”
“I do like the art style, but I wish it was a little higher resolution to at least put it on par with even MM3 graphics.”
“The graphics are very crude and the dungeons feel empty.”
“In 2020, we shouldn't have graphics like the original MM1.”
- gameplay32 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of engaging mechanics and nostalgic charm, particularly for fans of old-school RPGs, with many appreciating the accessible interface and fluid gameplay. However, some players criticize the repetitive combat and lack of depth, suggesting that the game could benefit from additional features like ranged combat and more complex mechanics. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable exploration and a visually appealing experience, it may feel simplistic and grind-heavy to some.
“Lots of fun exploration, interesting mechanics, and visually appealing.”
“With its charming pixel art, engaging gameplay, and nostalgic feel, it's a must-play for fans of old-school RPGs.”
“The interface was easy to navigate and game mechanics were accessible and understandable.”
“The mechanics make for most encounters playing out exactly the same, and the combat doesn't feel anywhere near gratifying enough for that to be enjoyable.”
“Very primitive, stupid grinding gameplay.”
“Magic system that is just straight bad, bland mechanics, very average writing, and a lot of stuff that seems like the dev couldn't care less about make this game extremely bland, boring, and frustrating, as it definitely has a foundation that would offer it to be a lot better, given some time and effort.”
- music21 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many players praising its nostalgic quality and memorable melodies reminiscent of classic RPGs. While some noted moments of repetitiveness and occasional irritation, the overall atmosphere created by the soundtrack is considered excellent, enhancing the gaming experience. Many players appreciated the variety and ambiance of the music, often keeping it on throughout their playtime.
“The soundtrack is excellent whether trekking through a dangerous desert or exploring a dark castle.”
“It's one of the more memorable soundtracks I've heard in a game for some time, and reminded me of the atmospheric and catchy music that accompanied my quests in such classic RPGs as Might & Magic III-V and the latter Ultima games.”
“I usually turn off the music when I play games, but I loved it so much that I kept it on throughout the game.”
“I didn't have to turn Amberland’s music off, but it definitely registered as kind of irritating to me.”
“The music became a little repetitive at times and the sound effects could have used a little more work.”
“Graphics are very basic, sounds and music are decent.”
- grinding15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, reviews indicate a mixed experience with grinding in the game. While some players appreciate the lack of tedious grinding and find the gameplay enjoyable and fast-paced, others criticize certain aspects as clumsy and repetitive, particularly when navigating between screens or managing quest overload. The game seems to strike a balance, offering enough encounters to satisfy players who enjoy combat without overwhelming them with grind-heavy mechanics.
“It's not complicated and no tedious stuff, just enjoy the FPS dungeon crawler.”
“The gameplay isn't tedious.”
“The game prides itself on no level-scaling and no grinding, but don't worry... there seems to be plenty of encounters for even the most battle-addicted adventurers.”
“The game is not very difficult, but, according to the canons of the genre, it is sometimes exceptionally tedious (desert, swamps).”
“You have to go back and forth between screens, and doing this over and over again with a party of seven can get tedious.”
“Might and magic's dungeons might have been designed to annoy and infuriate, but these are just tedious.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the engaging music and nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic RPGs, others criticize it for lacking flair and polish, resulting in an overall uninspired experience.
“Is the full game as great as those old ones? No idea yet, but so far I'm enjoying the ride, atmosphere, and music.”
“It truly provides an atmosphere that the graphics aren't quite up to the task of delivering.”
“It's one of the more memorable soundtracks I've heard in a game for some time, reminding me of the atmospheric and catchy music that accompanied my quests in classic RPGs like Might & Magic III-V and the later Ultima games.”
“It truly provides the atmosphere that the graphics aren't quite up to the task of providing.”
“The game has no atmosphere, no flair, nothing.”
“No vision, innovation, flair, or atmosphere; annoying technical issues and on top of that: zero polish.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a light-hearted, fairy tale vibe, featuring charmingly goofy dialogue and dry wit that pays homage to its inspirations. However, some players feel that the writing lacks effort, resulting in humor that can come off as lazy and uninspired. Overall, the comedic elements are hit-or-miss, appealing to those who enjoy whimsical storytelling while leaving others wanting more.
“There are plenty of characters to interact with, and some of the dialogue shares the humor of the games that inspired it.”
“The dialogue in the game is goofy in a charming way with some nice dry humor.”
“I enjoyed the light-hearted story and use of humor.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Replayability in this game is mixed; while some players appreciate the varied classes and multiple difficulty levels that enhance replay value, others find the lack of a new game plus feature and overall short length limiting. For those seeking extensive replayability, it may be best to look elsewhere.
“There are several difficulties to play through, offering a decent amount of replayability.”
“There's no New Game Plus for replayability.”
“If you're looking for some kind of replayability, I'd strongly recommend avoiding this game.”
“Very nice old school RPG, short but with some replayability due to the varied classes.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is engaging and well-integrated with exploration, offering a balance between challenge and enjoyment without feeling like a grind. Players appreciate the variety of progression mechanics, including multiple equipment slots and a solid itemization system, although some feel they need more time to fully experience all aspects of character growth.
“Exploration and character development is addictive.”
“The game has great scope for exploration and character development while being challenging but not a time sink grind fest!”
“I haven't had enough time to fully experience character development, progression mechanics, builds, talents, and attributes, but there are a fair number of equipment slots (around 8 including accessories), and the itemization and loot seem decent so far.”
“Admittedly, I haven't had enough time to really experience character development, progression mechanics, builds, talents, attributes, etc. I will say there are a fair amount of equipment slots (~8 including accessories), and itemization/loot seems decent so far.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful choices that impact gameplay. I expected more depth in the progression system.”
“I found the character development to be quite linear, with little room for customization or unique builds. It feels like a missed opportunity.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is highly praised, offering a hardcore experience with extensive content and complex mechanics that encourage players to meticulously create and refine their party for challenging gameplay. Players can expect to invest significant time in optimizing their strategies to succeed in the tough environment.
“If you're looking for a hardcore experience that is comparable to, if not better than W7, this game provides hundreds of hours of content, tons of different mechanics, and deep rulesets. You can easily spend a whole day just creating the most optimized party possible, which is essential because the game is tough as nails.”
“The optimization options in this game are incredibly deep, allowing players to fine-tune their strategies and party compositions to tackle the challenging gameplay.”
“I love how the game encourages you to experiment with different builds and optimizations. It really rewards strategic thinking and planning.”
“The game is tough as nails, and you need to spend a whole day just creating the most optimized party possible.”
“While the game offers hundreds of hours of content and deep rulesets, the optimization aspect feels overwhelming and tedious.”
“The mechanics are complex, but the lack of clear guidance on optimization makes it frustrating to progress.”
