Shalnor Legends: Sacred Lands

59%
Game Brain Score Based on 58 reviews
  • grinding
  • story
  • gameplay
Shalnor Legends: Sacred Lands Game Cover
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Shalnor Legends: Sacred Lands is a story-rich RPG/action-adventure game where players control the young Elf Rynna on her journey to prove herself to the goddess Illeria. Explore the Sacred Lands, solve puzzles, encounter other wanderers , and venture into dangerous dungeons filled with ancient horrors. Complete the trial set by Illeria to become her champion and uncover the secrets of the Sacred Lands.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

59%
Audience ScoreBased on 58 reviews
music2 positive mentions
grinding28 negative mentions
  • The game offers a nostalgic Zelda-like experience with fun puzzles and exploration.
  • The graphics and atmosphere evoke a classic 16-bit feel, appealing to fans of retro games.
  • The developer shows dedication and responsiveness to player feedback, indicating potential for future improvements.
  • The game suffers from excessive grinding for upgrades, making progression tedious and frustrating.
  • Puzzles and combat lack variety, leading to repetitive gameplay and uninspired boss encounters.
  • Technical issues such as crashes and sluggish movement detract from the overall experience.
  • grinding28 mentions

    The grinding in this game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, with players spending a significant amount of time farming gold and materials for upgrades. Many reviewers expressed a preference for a system that rewards players through gameplay achievements, such as completing dungeons, rather than relying on grinding, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a major flaw that hampers the experience.

    • “The worst part, by far, is the grinding.”
    • “Half the gameplay is simply grinding for gold and material items to make potions to upgrade your equipment.”
    • “My issue with the game is with the grinding for upgrades.”
  • story16 mentions

    The game's story is perceived as lacking depth and excitement, with dungeons offering minimal narrative significance and bosses feeling interchangeable. While the concept shows potential, the execution fails to deliver memorable storytelling or surprises, leaving players wanting more from the overall narrative experience.

    • “Like on paper this game should be good, bosses have different attacks, puzzles and traps have different layouts, exploration with a day/night cycle, good story concept, etc.”
    • “I completed every main quest but not all the side quests or grinding.”
    • “The game doesn't hold much surprise in terms of story, but it did well within its own limitations.”
    • “Each dungeon has little story to it, and no boss stands out over others as being significant either from a gameplay or storytelling standpoint.”
    • “I feel like this game has a lot of love, but all puzzle/trap rooms feel the same (due to looks and reused timings even though layout is different), combat isn't exciting (bosses feel the same except for the ghost boss), heroic mode should be available from the start, and the story isn't well built as a game story.”
  • gameplay16 mentions

    The gameplay of Shalnor Legends is reminiscent of classic Zelda titles, featuring 2D action, puzzles, and exploration, but is criticized for being less fluid and overly simplistic. Players can only upgrade to a bow and elemental arrows that lack significant differences, and the dungeons offer minimal storytelling and unremarkable bosses. While the game has decent graphics and a rewarding secret-discovery mechanic, many players express a desire for more meaningful upgrades tied to dungeon completion rather than resource grinding.

    • “Shalnor Legends is a simple labor of love with classic Zelda-esque gameplay.”
    • “As expected, the game is action/puzzle/exploration in 2D with decent graphics/audio and very fluid gameplay.”
    • “The game builds its mechanics through discovering secrets, and the player evolves at a rewarding pace.”
    • “Instead, the only upgrade you get is a bow and a couple of various elemental arrows that have virtually no real difference between them from a gameplay standpoint.”
    • “Each dungeon has little story to it, and no boss stands out over others as being significant either from a gameplay or storytelling standpoint.”
    • “The art style and general gameplay is clearly taken from Zelda, but much less fluid and dumbed down.”
  • graphics8 mentions

    The graphics evoke nostalgia, reminiscent of classic games with a darker tone, though they are described as less fluid and somewhat simplified compared to titles like The Legend of Zelda. While the 2D art style and overall aesthetic are decent, some players noted specific issues with sprite artwork, particularly during block-pushing animations. Overall, the visuals contribute to a fun and unique gameplay experience, despite some minor criticisms.

    • “The graphics remind me of many games I grew up playing, with a slight dark side feeling to them. Overall, I highly recommend it to others who would like to take on a challenge similar to A Link to the Past or the original Zelda, while having merits of its own that make it fun and unique.”
    • “As expected, the game is action/puzzle/exploration in 2D with decent graphics and audio, and very fluid gameplay.”
    • “The art style and general gameplay are clearly inspired by Zelda, providing a nostalgic yet distinct experience.”
    • “The art style and general gameplay is clearly taken from Zelda, but much less fluid and dumbed down.”
    • “The nitpick deals with the sprite artwork for the pushing of the blocks.”
    • “As expected, the game is action/puzzle/exploration in 2D with decent graphics/audio and very fluid gameplay.”
  • music4 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players find the soundtrack to be great, others describe it as bland and uninspiring, contributing to an overall sluggish gameplay experience.

    • “The soundtrack is great.”
    • “The soundtrack is great.”
    • “Movement is extremely sluggish and the music is pretty bland and uninspiring.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    While many users recognize the game’s potential for high replayability, frequent screen freezing issues significantly detract from the overall experience, impacting their enjoyment and willingness to replay.

    • “Replay value is one of my main criteria for a good game.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere is praised for its intriguing quality, enhanced by a minimalistic design that captivates players.

    • “I like the minimalistic approach; the atmosphere is really intriguing.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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