Malice & Greed
- March 22, 2021
- Xendra
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Malice & Greed" is a roguelike turn-based RPG with deckbuilder elements, inspired by Shin Megami Tensei & Persona. Force enemies to join your team and swap them during combat, or butcher them to steal skills. Fuse enemies together, sell unwanted allies for upgrades, and build powerful combos by abusing skill synergies. Each run offers new playstyles with mixable skills of 4 colors.
Reviews
- The game features a unique blend of mechanics inspired by Shin Megami Tensei and Slay the Spire, offering deep and strategic gameplay with a variety of skills and party-building options.
- The art style and music are highly praised, creating an engaging and immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The developer is actively updating the game and responding to community feedback, showing a commitment to improving the game and adding new content.
- The game feels unfinished and lacks a complete story, with many mechanics being poorly explained or confusing for players.
- There are significant issues with the user interface and visual feedback, making it difficult to understand certain gameplay elements and mechanics.
- The developer's focus on other projects has led to concerns about the game's future development and whether it will ever reach a fully polished state.
- gameplay37 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by dynamic decision-making and a blend of mechanics reminiscent of popular titles like Shin Megami Tensei and Slay the Spire, offering a unique roguelite experience with monster collection and deckbuilding elements. While the game features a variety of intriguing mechanics and a solid tutorial, some players find certain aspects confusing and the user experience lacking, particularly regarding visual clarity and the depth of the roguelite elements. Overall, the gameplay is engaging and rewarding, with potential for growth as the game develops, though it may require players to adapt to its complexity.
“A lot of the mechanics lead to more dynamic decision-making than in some similar games.”
“If you like roguelites, deckbuilders, and 'Pokemon'-like collecting monsters/enemies to use them in your team, unique mechanics and clever additions with permanent progression and progression carrying over from run to run - this is it!”
“It's a brilliant mechanic because it creates a delicious tension: play it safe and kill the powerful unit first, or risk killing it last to earn its power for yourself!”
“Overall, the corpse mechanic just feels like a weird, half-baked addition, but I haven't tried to do a build yet where I'm dying and reviving constantly, so I may just have a limited view of it.”
“There is no interesting story to follow, gameplay is a shallow version of SMT games, the 'rogue' part is weak for now (I can't feel motivated to get into another round of RNG shenanigans) and all random screw-ups are solved by another random option to spend some spins.”
“Poor contrasting colors between fonts and background images are common, and placeholder art is rampant, which can impact your ability to grasp a lot of gameplay elements (like what enemies you're facing) at a glance.”
- music22 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its energetic and metal-inspired soundtrack, which enhances the gameplay experience and makes battles feel epic. Reviewers appreciate the distinct aesthetic created by the combination of music and art, noting that the soundtrack remains engaging throughout extended play sessions. Overall, the music is described as a standout feature that complements the game's unique style and mechanics, with ongoing updates from the developers further enhancing its appeal.
“Great music and art design to accompany the gameplay, giving the experience a distinct setting and vibe.”
“The music makes every battle feel epic.”
“The best part of the game is also the grimy cyberpunk aesthetic with a brilliant soundtrack to boot.”
“Music isn't hugely my thing but none of it is bad, art hits a really good and unique niche.”
“Even the music is metal!”
“The music is very inspired by Shin Megami Tensei and I love it.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique blend of fantasy and cyberpunk aesthetics, drawing inspiration from titles like SMT4. While some players appreciate the budding art style and vibrant visuals, others express mixed feelings, anticipating improvements as the game develops. Overall, the combination of striking artwork and an engaging soundtrack contributes to a distinct and immersive experience.
“Purchased this game after seeing it in the future in games showcase and being extremely intrigued by the art style.”
“The art and music, along with visceral sound effects, absolutely bang, and add a very distinct aesthetic combination.”
“The best part of the game is also the grimy cyberpunk aesthetic with a brilliant soundtrack to boot.”
“I don't love the graphics.”
“The aesthetics (visuals and sound) borrow heavily from SMT4 in both theme and tone, which may or may not be your cup of tea.”
“The developers are active on Discord and have talked about a full modding tool being made one day as well as upgrading graphics (these things will likely be after the game comes out in full).”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is generally viewed as underdeveloped, with many users noting it feels like fanfiction inspired by the Digital Devil Saga RPG duology, mixed with elements from Nocturne and Persona 5. While the world is rich in style, the narrative lacks depth and focus, especially in its early access state, leaving players wanting a more engaging storyline. Overall, the story is considered a secondary element, overshadowed by gameplay mechanics that are perceived as shallow and unmotivating.
“More specifically, the story and gameplay act as a sort of fanfiction to the Digital Devil Saga RPG duology, but with some Nocturne and Persona 5 elements thrown in.”
“The world is very rich with style, and even though there is a lack of a full story due to early access, it still captivates the imagination.”
“The characters engage in a way that immerses you in a Shin Megami Tensei headspace, making you crave a deeper story.”
“There is no interesting story to follow; gameplay is a shallow version of many games. The 'rogue' part is weak for now, and I can't feel motivated to get into another round of RNG shenanigans, with all random screw-ups solved by another random option to spend some spins.”
“As of right now, the story is not a focal point.”
“Some cons: due to early access, there is a lack of a full story, though the world is very rich with style.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a gritty, cyberpunk vibe reminiscent of "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Mad Max," featuring sharp monster smack talk and dark comedic elements. This blend of humor, particularly in the context of the game's themes of violence and power, evokes comparisons to titles like "Lisa: The Painful." Overall, players appreciate the game's ability to balance humor with its darker themes.
“I can safely say the attitude of the game really gives it a great cyberpunk vibe that feels like Guardians of the Galaxy or Mad Max at times with its sense of gritty humor.”
“Monsters smack talk you pretty hard to often hilarious degrees. The entire 'butcher your monster for money or power' really sets a tone that I can only remember getting from Lisa: The Painful.”
“Dark humor and all.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its stacking difficulty mode and a variety of starter loadouts that significantly alter gameplay, encouraging players to experiment with different strategies and character builds.
“In terms of replayability, the game offers a stacking difficulty mode that is core to its gameplay loop, as well as several (around a dozen) starter loadouts that drastically change how your starting character functions.”
“Awesome game, high replay value.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is negatively impacted by the presence of placeholder elements, which detracts from the overall immersive experience.
“A lot of placeholder content really dampens the atmosphere.”
“The environment feels lifeless and lacks any real immersion.”
“The overall ambiance is flat and uninspired, making it hard to get invested.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 200 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game exhibits slight stability issues, with occasional bugs and unpredictable emergency events that can significantly impact gameplay.
“Slightly buggy because of EA.”
“Emergency events and boons on certain tiles can be vicious.”
