SpellMaster: The Saga

About

SpellMaster: The Saga is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Spellbook Creations and was released on February 16, 2022. It received negative reviews from players.

In "SpellMaster: The Saga," you are a sorcerer thrust into a mysterious world, tasked with preventing the invasion of evil gods threatening Allyon. Explore a vast, open world filled with diverse creatures, non-linear progression, and a complex combat system based on weapon choice. Your actions and decisions will shape your journey in this immersive RPG.

Genres & Tags

Role Playing

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

37%

Audience ScoreBased on 294 reviews

story10 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game captures the Gothic vibe well, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the series.
Despite its clunkiness, the game shows potential with a unique combat system and a lovingly crafted world.
The developers are actively working on updates and improvements, indicating a commitment to enhancing the game over time.

The game is misleadingly marketed as a full release when it is actually in an early access state, with only a limited amount of content available.
Combat and controls are clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
There are numerous bugs and performance issues, including lack of graphical options and key remapping, which detract from the overall experience.

story
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
86%
6%
The story is described as short and underdeveloped, with most players completing it in about 6-10 hours, primarily consisting of a prologue filled with fetch quests and grinding. Many reviewers noted significant bugs and issues with quest progression, leading to frustration and a feeling that the narrative lacks depth and polish. While some found the premise interesting, the overall execution left much to be desired, especially given its early access status.
- “The story is interesting, but could use some polish from a writer.”
- “This game could be awesome; the story and all the areas to explore are cool.”
- “So I finished the story now, or better said the part of the story that is there, and it really is little to nothing.”
- “The story was really short as it's really just the prologue, and a lot of detail was put in, but that is where the positive side of this review comes to an end.”
- “Completing the main quest actually tells you they hope to provide more content soon; this is not a complete game.”
gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
86%
8%
The gameplay of this early access title draws comparisons to classic gothic RPGs, featuring a brutal world where players are not the all-powerful heroes they might expect. While the questing system and overall mechanics show potential, many players note issues such as clunky controls, a lack of building mechanics, and an ineffective parry system. Overall, the game offers a nostalgic experience with room for improvement, and players are encouraged to manage their expectations regarding its current state.
- “I like the gothic-like questing system and mechanics in general.”
- “It's got the feel, sound, and to a certain extent the gameplay of a gothic game.”
- “I just completed the first chapter of the game (and for now that's all there is) after about 6 hours of gameplay and I enjoyed it.”
- “Literally no building mechanics in this game... alright that's a mild lie as there is one quest where you put up four walls and a ceiling in a fixed location, but that is it.”
- “The parry mechanic is unusable though, as it seems to me that it doesn't work at all.”
- “First 10 minutes of playtime you got so many bugs and graphical issues... that you think: 'oh boy, I hope it gets better after 2 hours of gameplay, because I can't give it back to Steam.'”
graphics
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
70%
24%
The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many users citing poor optimization, limited graphical options, and frequent performance issues such as lag and frame rate drops. While some players appreciate the nostalgic "gothic" aesthetic, the overall consensus is that the graphics are subpar, reminiscent of older titles, and in need of significant improvements and customization options. Additionally, technical bugs and rendering problems further detract from the visual experience.
- “Playing the game after release really put me in that special 'gothic' feeling: a dangerous world full of monsters and secret places, presented with thoroughly high-quality graphics and a meaningful soundtrack.”
- “In case it wasn't clear, I'll say it one more time: old school gothic feel and gameplay but with somewhat better graphics.”
- “– technical issues (no crashes, no lost saves so far, I prefer quick save/load. FPS are ~45 in village center and 55-61 in the wilderness. I set graphics to high, no stuttering or CPU acting up. Intel i9, 32 GB RAM, GeForce RTX 2080 Super).”
- “The game is buggy and the graphics look terrible.”
- “Currently, the most taxing part of the game is its poor performance graphically.”
- “Constant stuttering, serious lack of graphics options, and the global illumination keeps switching from yellow tint to bright white for...reasons?”
optimization
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
70%
23%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering and a lack of graphical options. While some improvements have been noted since the initial release, significant optimization is still needed, and many feel the game should have been launched in early access due to its unpolished state. Overall, the current performance remains a major barrier to enjoyment, despite the potential for future enhancements.
- “Comparing the original release to the first patch, I notice an improvement in performance.”
- “This game had severe performance problems on release, but most of them seem to have been resolved between then and now.”
- “Performance-wise, I was doing pretty well despite having a modest CPU and GPU.”
- “This is an absolutely terrible low-budget indie game with some of the worst optimization issues I have ever seen.”
- “Overall, this game seemed very cheap and unpolished, and the poor optimization left me unable to enjoy it.”
- “Constant stuttering, serious lack of graphics options, and the global illumination keeps switching from yellow tint to bright white for...reasons?”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game currently suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous bugs, clunky combat mechanics, and graphical problems. Players have reported getting stuck in the environment, camera glitches, and freezing, which detracts from the overall experience. While there is potential for improvement, these stability concerns are prominent in its early access state.
- “The game is buggy and the graphics look terrible.”
- “Part of the map is buggy and you will get stuck walking or on a small object.”
- “I got the camera stuck inside the ceiling of a house, and it appears there is an issue where target lock is buggy and starts swinging the camera wildly even though I have not targeted an enemy.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the meaningful soundtrack that enhances the gothic atmosphere, others feel let down by the lack of voice acting and fluidity in sound design. Overall, the music is noted for its quality and ability to evoke a classic gothic feel, complementing the game's visuals and combat.
- “Playing the game after release really put me in that special 'gothic' feeling: a dangerous world full of monsters and secret places, presented with thoroughly high-quality graphics and a meaningful soundtrack.”
- “In my opinion, the environments are very pretty, the combat is fun, I love the addition of magic to combos, the animations are what I expect from the genre, and the writing is clever and well done, as is the music and sound effects.”
- “Wtf, that's the feeling you instantly get... no voice acting, sound/music is a real letdown from the start, then once you go to the moving and fighting part: never heard of the word fluidity!”
- “The music, battle system, and atmosphere remind me of old classic gothic.”
- “In my opinion, the environments are very pretty, the combat is fun, I love the addition of magic to combos, the animations are what I expect from the genre, and the writing is clever and well done, but the music and sound effects are lacking.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and annoying, with many noting that the combat system feels unresponsive. Despite these frustrations, some still appreciate the overall experience, drawing comparisons to the grindy nature of the original World of Warcraft, which managed to maintain its appeal.
- “Its combat system is kind of annoying and overall pretty tedious.”
- “I also found the combat to be tedious and unresponsive.”
- “In fact, the original WoW was particularly grindy and still played fantastically.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is reminiscent of classic Gothic titles, featuring a slow-paced RPG experience that sets it apart from modern games like Dark Souls and Skyrim. Reviewers appreciate the strong ambiance created by the music and user interface, particularly noting its effectiveness at the beginning of the game.
- “This is not Dark Souls, it's not Skyrim, it's a slow-paced atmospheric RPG that can't be compared to anything else but the original Gothic games.”
- “The user interface and the atmosphere at the beginning is good.”
- “The music, battle system, and atmosphere remind me of the old classic Gothic.”
- “The music, battle system, and atmosphere remind me of old classic gothic games.”
- “The music, battle system, and atmosphere remind me of old classic gothic games.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that it fails to deliver on its promises of building a magical academy, instead resembling typical "click-click-win" games. Players are advised to seek alternatives if they are looking for a more fulfilling experience.
- “It's a cash grab; go back to your 'click-click-win' games.”
- “If you want to build a magical academy with students that learn magic, then look elsewhere as this will not do it for you.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely criticized, with users finding it so poorly executed that it fails to elicit any laughter, instead being described as "atrociously bad." Overall, the game's attempts at humor are seen as ineffective and unenjoyable.