Siege of Avalon
- April 8, 2021
- Steffen Nyeland
"Siege of Avalon" is a fantasy real-time strategy game set in the mythical world of Avalon. Players build and manage their own kingdom, gathering resources, recruiting armies, and engaging in tactical battles against rival factions. The game features a rich storyline, strategic depth, and various unit and technology upgrades to enhance gameplay. For more information, please visit the Steam store page at .
Reviews
- The game offers a captivating story and immersive world-building, making it a nostalgic experience for fans of classic RPGs.
- The graphics and music are well-received, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The character progression system allows for diverse gameplay styles, with three distinct classes to choose from.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including inventory issues and crashes, which can significantly hinder the gameplay experience.
- Combat mechanics are clunky and can be frustrating, especially with poor AI for companions and unbalanced enemy encounters.
- The user interface is outdated and lacks essential features, making navigation and quest tracking cumbersome.
- story104 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its grandiose and dynamic narrative, which captivates players and enhances the immersive world-building. However, the quality of side quests often falls short, leading to a disjointed experience that contrasts with the main storyline. While the central plot is engaging and well-written, some players note issues with quest tracking and linearity, which may hinder replayability but still make it a worthwhile experience for fans of story-driven RPGs.
“The world building is impressive and detailed, the story and quests are interesting, and the characters are memorable.”
“The story unfolds at a decent pace as you play, and there's enough variety in the settings and enemies and situations you encounter, whether that's battling through a thick forest, exploring dark caves, or tramping through the remains of burnt-out villages, the game does just enough to keep you entertained for the 20-30 hour runtime.”
“Get it in any case if you're even remotely interested in lore-heavy storytelling and a worthwhile experience.”
“The grandiose and dynamic storytelling of the central narrative and its majestic impact on the world it constructs often clashes with the banality of the side quests that serve more to solidify and reinforce that overarching structure.”
“The absolute lack of party banter and the high proportion of characters outside the party who are captive to the fractious spirit of the main story makes it difficult to develop an empathetic attachment with specific personas in the game.”
“As I understand, there's a fair amount of divergence dependent on what class you take, but outside of that, it's all very linear, with the exception that there are a healthy dollop of side quests to complete, albeit in one way only.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as clunky and dated, with mechanics that feel over 20 years old, which may deter new players. While the game features interesting class distinctions and a strong narrative, the combat systems are often criticized for their simplicity and bugs, such as disappearing inventory and erratic character movement. Overall, it offers a mix of fun and frustration, appealing primarily to those who appreciate its storytelling and character depth despite its mechanical shortcomings.
“Great storytelling, simple gameplay... plain fun.”
“Interesting gameplay, through the 3 classes: fighter, scout, and mage.”
“With one of the best armor layering systems I've ever seen and 3 strong classes with distinct gameplay approaches.”
“Just one thing to note, the gameplay was dated even when it was released.”
“The battle mechanics, for example, are way too clunky.”
“Be wary that there is a lot of reading, and that the gameplay and combat systems are well over 20 years old now.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics are described as having a timeless charm, reminiscent of classic RPG art styles, particularly appealing to fans of older games. However, many reviews note that the visuals are outdated, with minimal improvements and some repetitive assets. Overall, while the graphics may not impress everyone, they complement the game's nostalgic feel and are not a significant barrier to enjoyment for those who appreciate the genre.
“The art style is fantastic.”
“I feel like I am exploring a breathing representation of the art style from all the covers of my once cherished AD&D 1st edition books.”
“It's an old game, but the graphics have that timeless charm that these types of games tend to have.”
“Otherwise there aren't really any improvements graphics-wise - lots of copy-paste, outdated assets from another era.”
“As for graphics, it's an old game, so don't expect much here.”
“If you like RPGs and have no problem reading a lot of text and don't mind the dated graphics, go for it!”
- music18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is well-crafted and atmospheric, with a nostalgic quality that resonates with players, despite having a limited selection of only eight tracks. Some users suggest turning the in-game music off to enjoy their own playlists, as the repetition can become noticeable over time. Additionally, there are occasional issues with sound cutting out, leading to moments of silence during gameplay.
“The music is also very well done.”
“The sound effects and music triggered a lot of good memories and I still remembered all of the secret rooms.”
“I can't speak to how enjoyable it would be for someone who hasn't, but I will say that you might want to turn the game music volume down to zero and play your own through a different app.”
“There is also this weird sound thing where ambience and music just randomly cut off and the game becomes dead silent.”
“You’ll be listening to the same music for a long time, but they’re surprisingly good atmospheric tracks that, for me at least, remain nostalgic.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- -7 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its vivid immersion and strong world-building, creating a lived-in feel that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the nostalgic music and the dark, rich storyline, which effectively conveys a sense of desperation and tension. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, making it a memorable addition to any RPG enthusiast's library.
“With its vivid immersion, striking atmosphere, and compelling language, this game will surround you much like a sha'ahoul, and ought to be in the library and in the back of the memory of any RPG aficionado.”
“World building and atmosphere are pretty good; the castle feels lived in.”
“Setting and atmosphere are spot-on for representing a desperate band of defenders in an elongated siege, which only appears to be going further downhill.”
“The setting and atmosphere effectively convey the sense of a desperate band of defenders in an elongated siege, which only seems to be deteriorating further.”
“The atmosphere fails to immerse players, leaving a sense of detachment from the game's world.”
“Despite the potential for a rich atmosphere, the execution feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to engage players.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates stable performance overall, but users report significant bugs and clunky mechanics that detract from the experience. Many players find the ending underwhelming and suggest that a guide is often necessary to navigate the game effectively.
“Unfortunately, SOA runs stable, but is still buggy as hell.”
“It is buggy, clunky, the ending is underwhelming, and you most likely would need a guide.”
“I still have it on DVD, but it's buggy.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability due to its linear quest structure and a lack of diverse classes, spells, and buffs typically found in advanced RPGs. Players may find some value in experimenting with different classes and their unique abilities, but overall, the options for replaying the game are quite restricted.
“I am of the opinion that you probably shouldn't count on the abundance of classes, spells, or buffs that you might normally anticipate from an advanced RPG, which sadly messes with the replayability rate quite a bit.”
“There's not a whole lot of replayability, besides trying the other classes and getting a feel for their special training and equipment, as the quests are generally linear.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the emotional depth of NPCs is generally lacking, with only a few characters showing significant emotional engagement through consistent interaction and cooperation.
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find grinding to be beneficial, particularly for accumulating training points, even if the rewards aren't always highly valuable. Farming is encouraged as a necessary part of progression in the game.
“I definitely recommend farming, not that there's insanely valuable equipment in each corner, but you'll definitely need those training points.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a decent amount of humor, providing players with light-hearted moments that enhance the overall experience.
“The game has a decent amount of humor that keeps the experience light and enjoyable.”
“I really appreciate the decent amount of humor sprinkled throughout the gameplay.”
“There's a decent amount of humor that adds a fun twist to the overall experience.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its strong optimization, with users reporting no significant issues such as texture problems, infinite loading screens, missing audio files, or performance lag. Overall, players have experienced a smooth and stable gameplay experience.