Please The Gods
- July 17, 2019
- Surma Games
Get on Steam"Please the Gods" is an old-school fantasy RPG inspired by Finnish mythology, where you journey to find the legendary Sampo to save your starving family. Combat is based on dice rolls, with the ability to manipulate and destroy enemy dice. Survive in the harsh wilderness by hunting, fishing, and foraging, while earning the favor of pagan Gods like Ahti and Tapio by completing quests.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique setting based on Finnish mythology, which is rarely explored in video games.
- The artwork is beautiful and well-crafted, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The combat system, while simple, allows for some strategic decision-making through skill usage and dice manipulation.
- The game is overly reliant on RNG, leading to frustrating and often unfair combat situations.
- The overall gameplay is too simplistic, lacking depth in strategy, story, and event variety.
- The campaign is very short, with limited replay value and a lack of engaging content beyond the main quests.
- story24 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story is centered around a series of quests assigned by gods, where players must earn their favor to recover a significant item, drawing on Finnish mythology. While the backstory and themes are appreciated, many reviewers find the narrative simplistic and repetitive, with limited character development and a reliance on random events that can lead to frustrating gameplay. Overall, the story is seen as a decent backdrop for the combat but lacks depth and variety, making it feel short and somewhat uninspired.
“Great overall atmosphere with a mix of serene story and exciting battles!”
“Tranquil atmosphere and music leads to the excitement of the battle and heartwarming story.”
“I do believe that 'Please the Gods' can be a really amazing, Nordic mythology-themed, turn-based RPG with a pretty cool storyline and fantastic art.”
“The backstory for the protagonist's plight felt innocuous at best.”
“Story is nothing special and the whole game is quite short.”
“Back to the end of the quest you go having to play through the exact same content again with no suspense and no surprises.”
- gameplay19 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a simple turn-based combat system centered around dice rolling, with a skill tree and various attack/defense options that lack clear explanations of their effects. While the mechanics offer some depth and complexity, the randomness of dice rolls can lead to frustrating outcomes, and the overall design leans towards repetitive and unforgiving gameplay. Despite these issues, the game is noted for its interesting mechanics and engaging use of Finnish mythology, appealing particularly to fans of old-school RPGs and roguelikes.
“Pretty artwork, great usage of Finnish mythology, simple turn-based gameplay.”
“A true indie gem with compelling gameplay.”
“Gameplay consists of dice rolling and trying to manipulate the rolls in your favor by using different skills.”
“There are some sort of skill tree system and attack/defense options in combat, but they really don’t tell me anything about what they do or how they affect the gameplay.”
“Gameplay was unforgiving due to design-made restrictions.”
“Despite a limited look, a design approach geared towards repetitive gameplay and a hardcore nature, some complexity and depth in its combat shines through.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by well-crafted pixel art that effectively captures Finnish mythology, creating an enchanting atmosphere. While some reviews note a lack of color and depth, the overall visual presentation is praised for its crispness and attention to detail, making it appealing to fans of the genre. The combination of beautiful hand-drawn visuals and a decent soundtrack enhances the gaming experience, despite some criticisms regarding other aspects of the game.
“Pretty artwork, great usage of Finnish mythology, simple turn-based gameplay.”
“The artwork was well-drawn and set the platform for the rest of the experience.”
“The beautiful hand-drawn graphics bring to life interesting deities and creatures from the pages of Kalevala.”
“It is just a rough dice game with okay pixel visuals, dull sound effects and with zero tactics or statistics.”
“Graphic - maybe not very colorful, but as for pixel type it is very good.”
“I tell you, I've played a bunch of pixel art games, and over time (especially in the 2015+ era) it became a staple of indie devs that would get away with it by saying it referenced 'classic 80's art style'.”
- music11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its enchanting and tranquil qualities, effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere and complementing the mythological setting. While it may not be groundbreaking, the soundtrack is described as likable and well-suited to the game's genre, contributing positively to the combat experience and emotional storytelling. Overall, players appreciate the music for its ability to create a peaceful ambiance that elevates the gameplay.
“The music added to the ambience, enchanting in a way.”
“This game has a peaceful, almost enchanted atmosphere which is created by the tranquil music and beautiful graphics.”
“Music is brilliant!”
“Yet only the combat stood out, while the soundtrack and the artwork added only a little extra quality.”
“The music added to the ambience, but it felt somewhat lacking.”
“The music was very suited to the genre and world, but it didn't leave a lasting impression.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating due to the reliance on dice rolls and randomness, which can lead to unfair combat situations and tedious deaths. While managing resources during travels is engaging, the unpredictability of foraging encounters often results in repetitive and frustrating gameplay, as players may need to restart sections due to failed rolls.
“In combat, everything is based on dice rolls, luck, and randomness, which easily leads to unfair and tedious situations, like constantly taking damage from enemies while they dodge all your attacks.”
“Death becomes tedious quickly.”
“It gets really tedious to quit out and start a section over just because you happened to fail a roll for getting more food.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its enchanting and tranquil qualities, enhanced by beautiful graphics and soothing music. Reviewers note a compelling blend of serenity and excitement, creating a captivating backdrop for both the story and battles. Overall, the atmosphere contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience.
“This game has a peaceful, almost enchanted atmosphere created by the tranquil music and beautiful graphics.”
“Great overall atmosphere with a mix of a serene story and exciting battles!”
“The tranquil atmosphere and music lead to the excitement of the battle and a heartwarming story.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is notably short, with completion times around 2-3 hours, leading to a consensus that it offers minimal replay value.
“The game is extremely short; a lucky player can probably beat it in 2-3 hours, and there's practically no replay value.”
“Once you finish the main story, there's little incentive to play again since the choices don't significantly alter the outcome.”
“After completing the game, I found no reason to revisit it, as the lack of different endings makes replaying feel pointless.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively balances a tranquil atmosphere and soothing music with the excitement of battle, creating an emotional experience that is further enriched by a heartwarming story.
“The tranquil atmosphere and music enhance the excitement of the battle, creating a heartwarming story.”
“The emotional depth of the characters truly resonates, making every moment feel impactful.”
“I was moved to tears by the storyline; it beautifully captures the complexities of love and loss.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While the characters in "Please the Gods" are not poorly written or unlikable, the game's short length limits the depth of character development, resulting in a lack of focus on this aspect.
“The characters are not badly written or unlikable, but the game is so short that it doesn't allow for meaningful character development.”
“Character development feels rushed and superficial, leaving little room for players to connect with the characters.”
“While the characters have potential, the lack of depth in their development makes it hard to care about their journeys.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Please the Gods" is noted as entertaining and effectively woven into the gameplay, contributing to an enjoyable challenge for players.
“Please the Gods is entertaining, humorous, and provides a good challenge.”
“The witty dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud.”
“The game's humor is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making every moment enjoyable.”
