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Operencia: The Stolen Sun

Operencia: The Stolden Sun is a decent slice of adventuring fun that feels like a bit of a weird fit for the Switch but functions well on Nintendo’s console nevertheless, and often feels unique, though rarely essential.
76%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
grinding, character development
73% User Score Based on 606 reviews
Critic Score 79%Based on 21 reviews

Platforms

PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SPlaystation 4Playstation 4WindowsWindowsPlayStationPlayStationNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchVirtual RealityVirtual RealityPlayStation VRPlayStation VRCloudCloudXbox OneXbox OneNVIDIA GeForce NOWNVIDIA GeForce NOW

About

"Operencia: The Stolen Sun" is a turn-based RPG that brings a modern twist to classic dungeon-crawlers, set in a mythological fantasy world inspired by Central European folklore. The game features an old-school battle system and an immersive VR mode, where players must rescue the Sun King and restore light to the kingdom of Operencia. Explore hidden tombs, cursed castles, and other unique locations to save the land from perpetual darkness.

Operencia: The Stolen Sun screenshot
Operencia: The Stolen Sun screenshot
Operencia: The Stolen Sun screenshot
Operencia: The Stolen Sun screenshot
Operencia: The Stolen Sun screenshot
Operencia: The Stolen Sun screenshot
Operencia: The Stolen Sun screenshot
Operencia: The Stolen Sun screenshot
Operencia: The Stolen Sun screenshot
Operencia: The Stolen Sun screenshot
Operencia: The Stolen Sun screenshot

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 627 reviews
story118 positive mentions
grinding20 negative mentions

  • Beautiful graphics and art style that create an immersive atmosphere.
  • Engaging story and character interactions, with good voice acting.
  • Challenging puzzles and secrets that encourage exploration.
  • Combat can become tedious and unbalanced, especially with enemies that summon additional foes.
  • Lack of depth in character customization and skill trees, leading to repetitive gameplay.
  • Some puzzles are overly obscure or frustrating, requiring external guides to solve.
  • story
    324 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its foundation in Hungarian folklore and the engaging character interactions, often enhanced by good voice acting. However, some found the narrative to be generic or lacking depth, with pacing issues and a linear structure that detracted from the overall experience. While the storytelling is highlighted as a strong aspect, it is also critiqued for being overly simplistic or tedious at times, leading to a varied reception among players.

    • “The story is great, the characters are great (everything is voiced over), and the progression is well paced.”
    • “Surprisingly, this game has a great story and setting, based on folklore that is criminally under-explored in games and fantasy.”
    • “The story has much more emphasis than I expected and is decently well-told.”
    • “The main story is loosely cobbled together from over a dozen different myths and fairy tales, so don't expect too much of it, or of the companion characters who spend most of the time bickering instead of developing their personality or backstory.”
    • “To say that the story/dialog is lazy and poorly executed is being kind.”
    • “But don’t get your hopes up for a story-driven adventure centered on foreign folklore, because you might end up being disappointed by this missed opportunity.”
  • graphics
    178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style, immersive visuals, and high production values that create a captivating atmosphere. However, some players criticize the graphics as lacking in detail or being poorly implemented in VR, suggesting that while the aesthetic is appealing, it may not meet the expectations of those seeking cutting-edge visuals. Overall, the game is noted for its unique artistic design and colorful environments, making it visually engaging for a dungeon crawler.

    • “The graphics are beautiful and immersive.”
    • “Graphically it may be the most impressive first-person dungeon crawler I have played so far, great lighting, imaginative locations, it's like a dark fairytale.”
    • “The game has amazing graphics using the power of Unreal Engine and the gameplay is very addictive.”
    • “The grid-based movement is absolutely moronic.. the graphics are pathetic at best.. the story is uninspiring and then you find out you can only have one heal potion for the entire group.. it's just a very badly designed game!”
    • “I admit, that the graphics are not the best.”
    • “Beware: this is not a VR game, it's a regular game with poorly implemented VR support; you can't even fully see the interface and the graphics look pretty awful seen from up close.”
  • gameplay
    152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Operencia is a mix of traditional dungeon crawling elements, exploration, and puzzle-solving, but it suffers from unbalanced combat mechanics and linear progression, which can lead to frustrating encounters. While the game features unique character abilities and a visually appealing design, many players find the combat unsatisfying and the mechanics poorly explained, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the depth of skill play and the engaging quest lines, making for a varied gameplay experience.

    • “Gameplay is excellent, striking a nice balance between combat, exploration, puzzles, and party management.”
    • “I was blown away by the gameplay, smoothness, and quest lines, all whilst being hooked to my PC screen to continue playing.”
    • “Very impressed with many of the levels because they have their own fresh and unique look, so gameplay is constantly new on every level.”
    • “The mechanics for combat don't do this game any favors.”
    • “The game is extremely linear which wouldn't necessarily be a problem in itself but since there is no way to grind and level up your character, certain fights can be unwinnable as there is no way to do quests or gain XP even if you re-spec your characters (which is a silly game mechanic anyway).”
    • “However, by the time you reach the third main area in the game (the Deva Fortress), the difficulty seems to take a tremendous spike with some ridiculously tough opponents, and you then start really noticing how bad this game's combat mechanics are.”
  • music
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the immersive experience, with unique themes for different locations and a blend of Eastern European influences. While many players find the soundtrack beautiful and fitting, some note that it can be repetitive and not particularly memorable. Overall, the sound design, including ambient effects and voice acting, contributes significantly to the game's enchanting atmosphere.

    • “The music, artwork, characters, and their banter are all great.”
    • “The world is amazing to say the least, unique art style accompanied by great music, lore accurate as well.”
    • “The soundtrack helps to carry the mood of the game and the ambient work is phenomenal (from nature sounds in forests, to cracks and rumbles in caves and dungeons).”
    • “The music was bland and repetitive...”
    • “-the soundtrack didn't catch me.”
    • “While the soundtrack may have matched the atmosphere, the various sound effects and general ambience of the sound design pretty much made that atmosphere.”
  • atmosphere
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining stunning graphics, well-crafted sound design, and a compelling soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke classic RPG vibes and create a unique dungeon crawler atmosphere, enriched by engaging character interactions and storytelling. Many players appreciate the balance of excitement and tension in battles, contributing to a memorable and atmospheric gameplay experience.

    • “This game has an incredible atmosphere and story, interesting characters with great speech... basically it shows you what Legend of Grimrock could have been with a full story like this game!”
    • “It's stunning to look at and the atmosphere and sounds are perfect.”
    • “The graphics and music are impressively coherent and create a great atmosphere.”
    • “In fact, I hated exploring spider-infested caves because of how well it managed to capture that atmosphere.”
    • “While the soundtrack may have matched the atmosphere, the various sound effects and general ambience of the sound design pretty much made that atmosphere.”
    • “While the soundtrack may have matched the atmosphere, the various sound effects and general ambience of the sound design pretty much made that atmosphere.”
  • humor
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mix of sarcastic wit and engaging dialogue, often delivered through character interactions that feel genuine and lively. While some players found the humor to be hit-or-miss, with a blend of funny moments and less effective zingers, many appreciated the clever writing and voice acting that enhanced the comedic elements. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the storytelling, making it a notable aspect of the gameplay experience.

    • “The story is very unusual, but it feels alive and is fascinating... the graphics and music are great and let you dive into this world of fantasy... the humor is spot on... sarcastic, funny... a real blast!”
    • “And it is hilarious how party members comment on the actions of the protagonist.”
    • “Clever little dungeon crawler with some sarcastic British humor in the story.”
  • grinding
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the lack of traditional grinding, they criticize the combat for being slow and tedious, often leading to long battles of attrition. Many find the encounters repetitive and frustrating, with excessive enemy health making progress feel laborious. However, some players still enjoy the overall experience, particularly in VR, suggesting that the fun of exploration and puzzles can offset the grindy nature of combat.

    • “No grinding whatsoever, so things to discover and monsters to kill must be done in precise succession.”
    • “No grinding, you'll need to figure out how to proceed if you can't beat the boss.”
    • “Everything has way too much HP and will grind you down through slow, tedious battles of attrition.”
    • “Just long tedious grinds... absolutely boring and it's gotten to a point where I'm on my 5th battle or so having to wade through golems.”
    • “You don't have to play this way, but combat is so tediously long otherwise, I really wouldn't recommend that you do anything else.”
  • optimization
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback; while it boasts impressive graphics and solid performance—achieving 90 fps on a GTX 1080—players have noted issues with movement and a lack of clear explanations regarding gameplay mechanics. Some reviewers argue that the game's design choices undermine the potential for effective optimization, particularly in harder modes.

    • “The game has great graphics, great performance, the story is nice and entertaining, the voice acting is awesome, characters are likable, and enemies are well designed.”
    • “Even using a GTX 1080, I got solid 90 FPS with index resolution at 200%, so performance and image quality are really impressive.”
    • “The excuse of 'poor optimization' or teambuilding is invalid when the game does a terrible job of explaining anything and there is a hard mode for that type of optimization.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate a mixed reception regarding character development, with some players praising the extensive options available in games like Skyrim, while others criticize the lack of meaningful progression and exploration in dungeon crawlers. The consensus suggests that character development can feel shallow in fixed-battle scenarios, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “But as it is, it has no meaningful exploration, no meaningful combat tactics, and no meaningful character development.”
    • “If you want a game with nearly limitless character development options and hundreds of hours of non-linear content to explore, then go play Skyrim for the 20th time.”
    • “Lots of comments here and there, and a decent amount of character development.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game to be unexpectedly wholesome, with a strong emotional connection to its storytelling, particularly resonating with those familiar with the cultural narratives it draws from. The experience evokes nostalgia and warmth, reminiscent of cherished memories from the past.

    • “As a Hungarian, I can tell that they did a pretty good job telling these old stories, and they made me feel the same way, like when I first heard them decades ago.”
    • “Surprisingly wholesome dungeon crawler.”
    • “Very wholesome game.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, such as enemies counter-attacking unexpectedly and nullifying player actions. Many players express frustration over the game's performance, stating that it feels like a "buggy mess" compared to other titles. Overall, the stability issues significantly detract from the gaming experience.

    • “So anyway, I played this for the first time - and it's a buggy mess.”
    • “Plus there are glitches (from what I have read elsewhere) that allow for enemies to counter-attack and nullify your team's normal attack, so even when you ambush enemies in a battle, there are times when the enemies get to attack you literally 2 or 3 times in a row before you can attack again.”
    • “Not going to waste my time troubleshooting their garbage when they just plain work in every other game.”
  • replayability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Replayability in the game is limited due to its static nature and absence of randomized loot, which diminishes the incentive to explore different hero classes. The lack of variety in character creation and progression further reduces replay value, making it a strong narrative-driven experience but one that may not encourage multiple playthroughs.

    • “Replayability - while starting with another hero class might sound enticing, be aware that everything in the game is static and there is no randomized loot.”
    • “The lack of variety in character creation eliminates any replay value.”
    • “If Operencia had more depth when it comes to build variety and character progression, it would definitely be an absolute highlight. As it stands, it's a very good first-person dungeon crawler that focuses on story and characters, providing a great playthrough, but it lacks in replayability.”

Buy Operencia: The Stolen Sun

7h Median play time
9h Average play time
5-20h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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