Skald: Against the Black Priory - the Prologue
- June 1, 2021
- High North Studios AS
- 5h median play time
Get on SteamYou drag yourself from the black tides, across the corpses of drowned men, and onto the unwelcoming, craggy shoreline. Gulls cry overhead and the stink of seaweed fills your nose. By some miracle you have made it to Idra. It will take all your skill to survive and unravel the eldritch mysteries of the Black Priory. Pray your sanity holds.About the Prologue ‘Skald: Against the Black Priory’ is an o…
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Skald: Against the Black Priory offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic RPGs like Ultima, enhanced with modern quality-of-life features and polished graphics.
- The writing and storytelling are engaging, creating a captivating atmosphere that draws players into its dark fantasy world.
- The game allows for interesting RPG mechanics and character development, providing players with meaningful choices and a sense of exploration.
- Some game mechanics are under-explained or unintuitive, leading to confusion during gameplay, particularly regarding health, healing, and inventory management.
- The user interface can be cumbersome, with issues like awkward inventory navigation and occasional bugs that disrupt the experience.
- While the retro aesthetic is appreciated, some players feel that it leans too heavily into outdated design choices, which may hinder overall gameplay enjoyment.
- story47 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of the game is widely praised for its captivating writing, intriguing plot, and engaging characters, creating a rich atmosphere that draws players in. While some elements may feel familiar, the narrative balances dark themes with immersive role-playing choices, leaving players eager for more. Overall, the storytelling is described as beautifully crafted, with a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic RPGs, promising a compelling experience as the game progresses.
“The writing is really good and the story so far is intriguing.”
“Superb writing, very captivating story.”
“The story captured me and the exploration was fun.”
“The glimpse we get of the story here isn't exactly groundbreaking stuff - a missing maiden with latent supernatural ability, horrors from the deep, townspeople driven to bloody madness - but it doesn't need to, and everything strikes the right dark fantasy balance of grim theatrics.”
“It's tough to balance that out with the doom and gloom world/story, but even if it's not something that improves in the full game, this will still be a massively impressive experience for those enticed by the RPG gameplay and storytelling.”
“Also, the meat of the game - the story - seems dark and slowly unfolding at just the right pace.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a nostalgic homage to early RPGs, blending EGA and C64 aesthetics with modern enhancements that create a visually engaging experience. While some players appreciate the retro style and detail in pixel art, others feel that the world graphics could benefit from more refinement, especially on larger screens. Overall, the visuals effectively complement the game's dark-fantasy atmosphere, appealing particularly to fans of classic gaming.
“The graphics are great, and quite nostalgic.”
“If you choose to try this game, you get an engaging dark-fantasy story, nice looking modernized pixel graphics, turn-based combat system and controls that are easy to learn, all this makes for an immersive atmosphere that will get you instantly hooked up until you finish it.”
“Skald is a stunningly beautiful game, and a testament to how much a good lighting engine can do for the aesthetics.”
“My only real complaint is that the world graphics need a lot of work.”
“I was too young to play them when they were current and in the present the low-fidelity graphics are, I must admit, a stumbling block I had to overcome.”
“Even the artwork is too retro - while I very much appreciate the aesthetic, it could just be a bit more detailed (especially when viewed on a large monitor).”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its interesting RPG mechanics and a blend of retro and modern elements, offering a rich experience with good quality of life features. However, some mechanics are under-explained and may feel counter-intuitive, requiring players to adjust to the design choices. Overall, the game promises an engaging experience with enjoyable writing, art, and a nostalgic yet polished gameplay style, appealing to fans of classic RPGs.
“Interesting RPG mechanics for a title of this scope.”
“A wonderfully evocative world, lovely art/writing, and fun mechanics.”
“It is obviously inspired by older games such as the first Wasteland, but has a lot of quality of life features that make gameplay smoother.”
“Some of the mechanics are under-explained or might seem a bit weird (or probably not fully thought through).”
“Suffice to say there's a lot of stuff that's not intuitive, and even counter-intuitive to the way retro games used to present such mechanics.”
“Retro-ness at the expense of gameplay.”
- music21 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its epic quality and nostalgic feel reminiscent of early D&D DOS RPGs and 90s synth music. It enhances the Lovecraftian atmosphere and complements the game's narrative and visuals, contributing significantly to the overall experience. While some minor audio adjustments were suggested, the soundtrack is generally considered a standout feature that elevates the gameplay.
“The music is epic, and I really like the weird Lovecraftian-fantasy setting.”
“Demo was awesome, and I love the dialog options and writing, the gameplay was nice and the soundtrack is fantastic and not one song over and over.”
“The great pixel art, evocative music, and fantastic writing brought together a great sense of foreboding dread.”
“Some works on the audio, like the music cutting off hard or some more specific sound adjustments to form it to my liking.”
“(Music up/down effects up/down instead of muting them whole)”
“Music's really well done and feels a lot like the MIDI or OPL synth music from the early to mid-nineties that some of us remember from that decade.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, effectively blending modernized pixel graphics with a dark-fantasy narrative that evokes nostalgia for early RPGs. Reviewers highlight the seamless grid movement, engaging music, and art design, all contributing to a thick, foreboding ambiance that enhances the overall experience. The combination of these elements creates a captivating environment that keeps players hooked throughout their journey.
“The music, art design, and general atmosphere of this game have been amazing.”
“If you choose to try this game, you get an engaging dark-fantasy story, nice looking modernized pixel graphics, turn-based combat system, and controls that are easy to learn; all this makes for an immersive atmosphere that will get you instantly hooked until you finish it.”
“Great atmosphere, style, and story.”
“The grid movement is seamless and fast, which makes getting around a breeze. Combat is turn-based and takes place on the map. The atmosphere is thick and foreboding, and the writing is a whole lot better than I expected it to be.”
“Because visuals work hand-in-hand with the atmosphere to sell you on this down-to-earth aesthetic the game is aiming for.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect enjoyable and not tedious, with the exception of some initial weight management issues that resolve quickly. The process of grinding for better gear is seen as a rewarding activity that adds to the gameplay experience.
“The only nitpick would be that managing weight was pretty tedious until I got a second character, but that happened pretty fast.”
“Grinding out a few kills to get the best armor gives me something to do.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is generally satisfactory, though some users feel that the cast could be more endearing to enhance emotional engagement.
“The character development is rich and engaging, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, with their backstories and motivations being explored in depth.”
“The growth of the characters is one of the highlights of the game, as their journeys are both compelling and emotionally resonant.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers express uncertainty about the game's replayability, suggesting that it may improve with future quality of life updates and gameplay enhancements. They are waiting for the final version to better assess its long-term play value.
“That said, I will hold my opinion of the final version to see if any quality of life UI or gameplay updates make the game more playable.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its smooth performance, reminiscent of classic SSI titles, while also delivering an engaging storyline.
“This reminds me of the old SSI classics, but it runs smoothly and has an exciting story so far.”
“The optimization in this game is impressive; everything feels responsive and well-tuned.”
“I love how the game maintains a steady frame rate even during intense action sequences.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The prologue of the game is reported to be quite buggy, leading some players to abandon it shortly after starting.
“That being said, this prologue is really buggy, and I gave up shortly after waking up on the shore.”
