Pon Para and the Great Southern Labyrinth
- May 9, 2019
- Choice of Games
Get on SteamChosen by the gods, you must battle savage monsters, corrupt priests, and mad philosophers to save reality from the dark god of destruction!
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Reviews
- Excellent worldbuilding with a unique and engaging setting that immerses players in a rich fantasy world.
- The story features morally complex characters and a compelling narrative that keeps players invested.
- The game offers a lengthy experience with numerous choices and character development options, providing good value for time spent.
- The stat system can be confusing and lacks clarity, making character development feel like a gamble.
- Player agency is often limited, with many decisions leading to similar outcomes, reducing the impact of choices.
- Romantic subplots feel underdeveloped and often interrupted, leaving players frustrated with the lack of meaningful interactions.
- story20 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story of "Pon para and the great southern labyrinth" features strong worldbuilding and a compelling narrative filled with intriguing characters, though it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of player agency. While the plot draws comparisons to epic tales like "The Lord of the Rings," some players feel that the character development and romantic subplots are underwhelming and detract from the overall experience. Despite its engaging lore and elaborate setting, the story's length and perceived linearity may leave some players feeling frustrated rather than immersed.
“Good worldbuilding, an interesting story, and characters that felt believable, both in their humanity and inhumanity.”
“Pon Para and the Great Southern Labyrinth has a truly excellent engaging storyline full of wonderful characters, mystery, wonder, intrigue, plots, lore, battles, and magic.”
“I like that the setting is a fairly unique Greek mythology-inspired fantasy world with quite a bit of lore, many characters, and lots of backstory.”
“If you want to have a story that molds around the decisions you make and the character that you want to play, avoid this and play one of the literally dozens of superior entries into this genre.”
“At first, the author insinuates the importance and the potential for becoming your travel companion of this character, and then just like that he kills that character because 'that's how the story goes'. This kind of thing is becoming so cliché and infuriating that you wish you would never see it in any RPG games.”
“A good RPG game, especially a text-based one, needs to make you feel like you have a choice or at least the illusion of one; otherwise, it only serves to anger the players because we are supposed to be the heroes in charge of the story, not some puppets controlled by the whim of the author.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious yet engaging, as the adventures, while repetitive, offer intriguing experiences that keep them invested.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I find myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
“The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the overall experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development for companions is criticized for lacking depth in relationship-building, despite offering insight into their skills and allowing players to influence their abilities. Players feel that while they can understand the companions' capabilities, the emotional and relational growth is minimal.
“The character development for the companions is impressive; you learn a lot about their backgrounds and abilities, and you even have a say in how they develop their skills.”
“The depth of character development allows players to form meaningful connections with their companions, enhancing the overall narrative experience.”
“I appreciate how the game allows for personal growth in characters, giving players the opportunity to influence their skills and relationships.”
“Character development for the companions is equally off; you get to know a lot about what they do and what they are capable of. You even get to choose how they develop some of their skills, but you will get next to no relationship development with them.”
“The lack of meaningful character arcs makes it hard to feel invested in the story or the characters themselves.”
“While the game offers a variety of skills to choose from, the emotional depth of the characters is severely lacking, leaving interactions feeling flat and unengaging.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its playful interruptions during romantic pursuits, which initially elicits laughter but can become repetitive and frustrating after multiple occurrences.
“The humor in this game is spot-on, with clever writing that keeps you laughing throughout the adventure.”
“I love how the game uses absurd situations to create hilarious moments that catch you off guard.”
“The witty dialogue and playful banter between characters add a delightful layer of humor that makes the experience even more enjoyable.”
