Swords and Sandals Classic Collection
- April 18, 2019
- Whiskeybarrel Studios
- 15h median play time
Get on Steam"Swords and Sandals Classic Collection" is a series of gladiator-themed turn-based fighting games. The collection includes several games from the Swords and Sandals series, offering battles, arena adventures, and character customization. Players create their own gladiator, train them in various skills, and fight against opponents in different arenas to become the ultimate champion.
Reviews
- The collection offers a nostalgic trip down memory lane for fans of the original flash games.
- Swords and Sandals II is highly praised for its engaging gameplay and character customization options.
- The developer continues to support the games with updates and bug fixes, enhancing the overall experience.
- The games are plagued with bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences.
- Many players find the combat system overly reliant on RNG, making it feel unbalanced and unfair.
- The lack of quality-of-life improvements and the need to restart the application to switch games can be inconvenient.
- gameplay49 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay in the "Swords and Sandals" series is characterized by a mix of engaging mechanics and frustrating elements, including game-breaking bugs, unbalanced builds, and excessive grinding. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and deep customization options, many find the repetitive nature and reliance on RNG mechanics tedious and at times unfair. Overall, the experience can be enjoyable, especially when expectations are managed, but it often suffers from significant design flaws that detract from the fun.
“With its engaging gameplay, deep customization options, and nostalgic charm, this collection is sure to keep you entertained for hours on end.”
“I love Crusader the most, but 3 and 4 are pretty fun due to the randomized items and 4 especially for the element of chance in the gameplay.”
“For a flash game most of us probably played for free on the browser a decade ago, it is surprisingly deep mechanically and an overall pretty decent RPG.”
“Swords and Sandals II: Emperor's Reign features game-breaking bugs, seemingly unending grinding, frustratingly unfair RNG mechanics, extreme imbalance between different builds, requires you to counter every single possible conceivable and inconceivable enemy type, and has a lot of other extra issues.”
“The gameplay, which I once found exciting, now feels tedious.”
“If I were to be honest, I would have to point out all of the critical flaws in these games, such as unbalanced and easily exploitable combat systems, a core gameplay loop hinging on mostly RNG and little strategy, clumsy art, awkward spelling mistakes, long grinds to scrape enough experience points together to progress, and not being able to switch whatever game you are playing without having to restart the entire application.”
- story36 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The "Swords and Sandals" series features a range of stories, from nostalgic arena battles to epic quests, though many reviews note that the narratives can be cliché and repetitive. While some entries, like "Swords and Sandals Crusaders," are praised for their charm and engaging gameplay, others, such as "Tavern Quests," suffer from bugs and lack of depth, leading to mixed opinions on their storytelling quality. Overall, the series offers a blend of fun and frustration, with varying levels of story engagement across different titles.
“From the arena battles of Swords and Sandals 1 to the epic quests of Swords and Sandals 2 and beyond, there's no shortage of adventures to embark on and foes to conquer.”
“Personally speaking, I don't know the story for all of the games, but the lore extends pretty deep.”
“Swords and Sandals Crusaders is my favorite for a while and still is after getting all achievements doing the campaign, though not having much variety but charming and most engaging story and a fun little map game with the best music in the classics. Love this game.”
“The gross-out one is basically just a reskinned S&S2 with an insufferable plot and visuals.”
“This game has no story.”
“Bad campaign, it's just bad, not even story-wise but the gameplay is really repetitive and gets boring.”
- stability34 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- -6 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The stability of the nostalgic games is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and game-breaking issues that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment in the nostalgia and occasional fun, the consensus is that these games remain significantly unpolished and often frustratingly janky, with many glitches persisting from earlier versions. Overall, players should be prepared for a buggy experience if they choose to revisit these titles.
“The game runs smoothly on my RTX 3090.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs; the stability is impressive.”
“The performance is consistent, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
“Characters get stuck, and there are game-breaking glitches that force you to restart.”
“This is going to be a read, so quickly - if you used to play old versions of these games and found them particularly buggy, and expect that buying the most modern versions will help - look no further, because you will never find it.”
“Not polished at all, and unfortunately it even ran better on Flash Player in some random browser, and it just feels rushed, full of glitches and forced.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the retro-inspired art style that evokes nostalgia, while others criticize the visuals as inconsistent and lacking polish, leading to a perception of low quality. Many users noted graphical glitches and a lack of detail in the art, with scores ranging from 3 to 10 out of 10, reflecting a wide disparity in opinions. Overall, while the graphics may charm some players, they fall short for others, detracting from the overall experience.
“The retro-inspired graphics add charm to the experience, immersing you in a world of gladiator combat and ancient intrigue.”
“Swords and Sandals 2 features a pleasing to the eye and matching art style.”
“Okay, I am happy now because this collection brings back the nostalgia of 2006. God, I miss that year! Thank you, Swords and Sandals; great graphics, story, I love it all.”
“I wasn't expecting state-of-the-art graphics, but these are just bad.”
“The new art style is just not very good and it has a hard time working with the overall budgetary restrictions of these games, creating some very trashy looking visuals that S&S 1 and 2 did not suffer from to the same degree.”
“Graphical glitches galore.”
- grinding17 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The "Swords and Sandals" series is widely criticized for its excessive grinding, with players noting that the gameplay becomes tedious and repetitive, especially in the later stages. Many reviews highlight the frustrating RNG mechanics and imbalances between character builds, making the grind feel even more punishing. While some players find enjoyment in the nostalgia and strategic elements, the overall consensus is that the games are overly grindy and often unpolished.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Swords and Sandals II: Emperor's Reign features game-breaking bugs, seemingly unending grinding, frustratingly unfair RNG mechanics, extreme imbalance between different builds, and requires you to counter every single possible conceivable and inconceivable enemy type.”
“The gameplay, which I once found exciting, now feels tedious.”
“Another downside: the grind becomes tedious mid to late game, but if you're an extremely casual player, with patience, power to you.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game is highly praised for its replayability, offering extensive content and depth through character customization and various play styles, such as melee, mage, and archer. Players appreciate the addition of fan mods and nostalgic elements, which enhance the overall experience and provide nearly infinite replay value. Overall, it stands out as one of the most enjoyable games in terms of replayability.
“It has a great amount of content, replayability, and depth to it.”
“The games in the collection have tons of replayability with its class and stat level-up customization, so you could have melee, mage, archer, bard, etc. playthroughs.”
“Flash games of Souls now with fan mods for extra replay value.”
“I love the replayability, the character building, and the universe.”
- music10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in "Swords and Sandals 3" is widely praised for its nostalgic and engaging soundtracks, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Players appreciate the memorable themes that evoke childhood memories and elevate the game's charm, with many noting that the music keeps them immersed and motivated throughout their journey. Despite some criticism regarding a lack of variety, the overall consensus is that the music is a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“Great soundtracks, awesome shredding.”
“The phenomenal music used in S&S 3 made me keep the volume up the entire time I was playing.”
“Best story, best music, and best characters/design.”
“Play this music if you beat the game.”
“With all their quirks, music, charm.”
“🔲 just filling noises/no music”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in these games is consistently described as playful and entertaining, providing hours of addictive fun. Players appreciate the comedic elements, such as absurd actions and nostalgic references, which enhance the overall enjoyment and create memorable experiences.
“It's playful, funny, and it never fails to entertain.”
“These games are also pretty funny and provide hours of addictive entertainment.”
“It's both funny and nostalgic.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for significant bugs and frame drops that hinder playability, while some users highlight the use of vector art as a means to enhance performance. Overall, the optimization experience appears to be inconsistent, with some praising its performance capabilities despite the issues.
“Vector art exported as images for increased performance.”
“This is peak gaming performance; no other game can provide what this game offers.”
“Has a lot of bugs and lack of optimization, which leads to frame drops and makes some things unplayable.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, reminiscing about nostalgic experiences from childhood that evoke strong feelings. Despite some frustrations with bugs and gameplay mechanics, the overall sentiment highlights a sense of warmth and fondness for the game's impact on their lives.
“Back in 2006, when I got back from preschool, I just played this game. Playing it again makes me emotional.”
“It's the most wholesome.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in "Swords and Sandals" is highlighted by its detailed and visually appealing character designs that evoke the essence of ancient Rome, complemented by vibrant colors and atmospheric arenas. Players appreciate the engaging gameplay and nostalgic elements, contributing to a fun and memorable experience.
“The character development in this game is incredibly immersive, allowing players to truly connect with their heroes as they evolve throughout the story.”
“The depth of character customization and growth makes each playthrough feel unique and personal.”
“I love how the characters grow and change based on the choices I make, adding a layer of strategy and emotional investment to the gameplay.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Swords and Sandals" is praised for its vivid representation of ancient Rome, featuring detailed character designs and vibrant colors that enhance the immersive experience within its atmospheric arenas.
“Visually, Swords and Sandals captures the essence of ancient Rome with its detailed character designs, atmospheric arenas, and vibrant colors.”
