Spire of Sorcery
- October 21, 2021
- Charlie Oscar
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Spire of Sorcery is a single-player turn-based Role Playing game, taking about 10 hours to beat, which follows a party of mages on their journey across the world of Rund. The game boasts a complex spellcasting system and a dark fantasy story, developed in partnership with a veteran game designer. Please note that the current version is final, with no further updates planned."
Reviews
- The character generator is highly praised for its depth and uniqueness, allowing for diverse and interesting character creation.
- The game features engaging spellcasting mechanics that reward strategic planning and experimentation, making combat a complex puzzle.
- The art style and atmosphere of the game are well-received, contributing to a unique identity that stands out from other titles.
- The game has been abandoned by the developers, leading to a lack of updates and unfinished content, which has disappointed many players.
- The combat system and overall gameplay have been criticized as repetitive and lacking depth, failing to deliver on the original promises made during early access.
- Many players feel misled by the drastic changes from the original concept, resulting in a game that does not meet their expectations and feels generic.
- gameplay14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Spire of Sorcery" is characterized by engaging spell-casting mechanics that blend strategy and puzzle-solving, offering a unique experience despite its unfinished state. While the game features a limited number of chapters, it provides enough content for several hours of play and encourages replayability through its complex mechanics. However, players should be prepared for a steep learning curve and some bugs, as the developers continue to refine and expand the game.
“It's got some really engaging spell casting mechanics that are a combination of strategy and a bit of puzzle solving.”
“There are interesting mechanics that create complex strategies, and good art.”
“Their update notes say they leave the game for sale because it is good enough to play for a few hours and shows the mechanics they are developing further for the other game they are developing after abandoning this unfinished game.”
“By no means is this game easy to win or learn; it has lots of mechanics that take some understanding, but my curiosity to learn and attraction to building the spells and developing the characters will keep me enjoying my time with it.”
“Needs some polish around many edges and you might want to wait a bit because of bugs, but I was hooked by the demo and do like the gameplay loop.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is set in a dark fantasy world centered around mages, featuring four chapters crafted by a veteran game designer and a dedicated writer. While the narrative shows potential and the quests are engaging, players feel that the story lacks depth and integration within the gameplay, with a desire for more immersive elements and variety in quests and character backgrounds. Overall, there is a call for enhanced storytelling elements, such as voice narration and richer content, to elevate the experience.
“We partnered with a veteran game designer (with millions of copies of his previous games sold here on Steam) to develop a dark fantasy story-driven game about mages in the world of Rund – with a much more complex and scalable system for spellcasting, crafting, and exploration; and with a proper storyline (we have a full-time writer working on the project).”
“The story so far seems interesting, and the map travel/quests are also quite engaging.”
“Don't know what the devs are planning on release, but a good background story would be a huge game changer in my opinion.”
“Now I know that this game is mostly strategy, but there's an attempt right here so I must interfere... the story is not very infused with the game itself; I'd personally expect more passages that would draw me in.”
“It needs content (it's barebones now), variety (while characters are procedurally generated, they lack depth in background, themes for magic use, and special abilities that make them stand out), diversity (the main quest and side quests, even the revealed positions on the map, are the same every run) and settings to play with various sized groups, interaction with objects on the map, and give us at least some experimental crafting, alchemy, and spell setups instead of knowing everything beforehand since you first researched it.”
“The open world game map is also procedurally generated, but at this moment, it features the same chapters and side quests every new game you start.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their authentic and original artwork, featuring well-designed characters, opponents, and environments. The unique aesthetics, combined with a profound magic system, enhance the overall visual experience, complemented by great music.
“The authentic and original artwork in characters, opponents, and environments is still there.”
“The graphics are nice and well designed, and the music is great.”
“Unique aesthetics and a profound magic system.”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a stable experience with no glitches after extensive playtime, highlighting the game's well-executed mechanics and animations. However, there are concerns about the game's long-term development, suggesting it may take years to reach a complete state.
“I have played for 10 hours without encountering any glitches, but I anticipate it may take years for the game to reach a complete state based on the developers' previous pacing.”
“The game is very well executed, bug-free, animated, and rewarding to play, especially in the card game and fighting aspects.”
“I've put in 10 hours of playtime without encountering any glitches, but I suspect it will take years before the game reaches a complete state, given the developers' previous pacing.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I experienced multiple bugs that disrupted my gameplay, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its remarkable atmosphere, with many users noting that it possesses a unique soul that enhances the overall experience.
“The game had an amazing atmosphere; it truly had soul.”
“The immersive environment draws you in and makes you feel part of the world.”
“Every sound and visual detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Despite having a limited number of chapters, the game offers strong replayability due to its engaging and original gameplay, encouraging players to revisit the experience.
“The game currently has few chapters, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless, as these few chapters have replayability and present a good original gameplay experience.”
“Each playthrough offers new choices and outcomes, making it exciting to dive back in and explore different paths.”
“The variety of character builds and strategies keeps the gameplay fresh, encouraging multiple runs to fully experience everything the game has to offer.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious and often feel that most options available are ineffective in encounters, leading to frustration.
“But it's tedious to do, and pretty much all but one or two of your options will be obviously useless in any given encounter.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
“I find myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which really takes away from the enjoyment.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, complementing the well-designed graphics and enhancing the overall experience.
“The graphics are nice and well designed, and the music is great.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the character development system that emphasizes unique quirks and the ability to unlock new spells, enhancing the depth and personalization of their characters.
“The character development system is incredibly engaging, allowing players to explore unique quirks and unlock new spells that enhance gameplay.”
“I love how the character development allows for a diverse range of abilities, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“The depth of character customization and growth keeps me invested in my character's journey, as I unlock new skills and evolve their personality.”
