Swords and Sandals Immortals
- March 9, 2023
- Whiskeybarrel Studios
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Play Store"Swords and Sandals Immortals" is a turn-based combat game set in a fantasy world, where players create and customize their gladiator to fight in arenas and complete quests. The game features a variety of weapons, armor, and skills to choose from, as well as a wide range of opponents to battle. With its immersive storyline and challenging gameplay, players can experience endless hours of entertainment.
Reviews
- Swords and Sandals Immortals captures the nostalgic essence of the original games while introducing modern graphics and gameplay mechanics.
- The game offers deep customization options for characters, allowing for a variety of builds and playstyles.
- The developer is responsive to community feedback and regularly updates the game, showing a commitment to improving the overall experience.
- The game suffers from balance issues, particularly with certain classes and bosses being overly difficult compared to others.
- There are numerous bugs and crashes, especially during combat and when navigating menus, which can disrupt gameplay.
- The 300-day timer mechanic can feel stressful and may detract from the enjoyment of exploring and leveling up your character.
- gameplay97 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Swords and Sandals: Immortals" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its addictive nature, diverse character builds, and innovative mechanics like the stress meter and world map. However, some players criticize the game for its unbalanced difficulty, reliance on exploiting mechanics, and technical issues such as bugs and crashes. Overall, while the game retains the charm of its predecessors, it also introduces new elements that enhance the experience, though some players feel it lacks the creativity and joy found in earlier titles.
“For experienced players, S&S Immortals expands and combines every good aspect from previous games, and also adds great and bold new mechanics.”
“The gameplay is addictive!”
“The gameplay merges more depth with speed pretty well.”
“The game is also littered with bugs, which made the gameplay even worse.”
“Hate to leave a negative review in a S&S simp, but it deserves it for its bugs and terribly flawed mechanics.”
“Now it's a guessing game, while the 300-timer ticks on trying to figure out basic game mechanics.”
- story38 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its depth and connection to previous titles in the series, while others find it lacking or poorly integrated. Many appreciate the lore and character development, noting that it adds charm and context to the gameplay, but some criticize it for being overshadowed by gameplay mechanics and bugs. Overall, the narrative is seen as a significant but not central element, with potential for improvement in future updates or expansions.
“Truly the best Swords and Sandals game in terms of content and story.”
“The amount of lore and storytelling was beyond my expectations!”
“Playing this game is such a dream, to see the story of the game evolving, along with its game design and fanbase.”
“This is a very poor attempt to mimic the game from way back, but they just ended up packing in a completely useless and out of place story, and by the end of the day it does not feel like the good old days, just a disappointment.”
“Personally, I do not believe it drives the story, and after the 300 days, your character will disappear in a huge big bang of gladiatorial combat with the starbound gladiator, where each ending (whether good or bad) is stopping your character's progression.”
“Weird story and adventure, fights that get dragged out because your 'chance to hit' in your levels doesn't feel like it helps at all, and a terrible menu system.”
- graphics38 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their vibrant and artistic design, successfully blending nostalgic elements with modern enhancements. Reviewers appreciate the unique art style that complements the gameplay, noting improvements in character models, animations, and overall visual quality compared to previous installments. While some critiques mention inconsistencies in art style and a flash-like appearance, the general consensus is that the graphics are a significant upgrade, maintaining the charm of the original while offering a more polished and engaging experience.
“Overall, the graphics are a massive improvement over anything you've seen in the series up to this point, and while it keeps the charm of the original style, also looks much more realistic and fleshed out than ever before.”
“New graphics that look vibrant and gorgeous.”
“This game has awesome music, an awesome art style, awesome gameplay, basically awesome everything.”
“The online mode should be better; it should have a better map, not some level-limited zones where there is no graphics.”
“The aesthetic of player/enemy models just don't match the NPCs you meet.”
“Some people might think the art style looks dated and samey, but I think it's progressed in all the right ways while staying true to the essence of the games; after all, it was never about the graphics, at least for me.”
- music34 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many praising its fitting integration into the game's world and its ability to evoke nostalgia. While some players found the soundtrack repetitive or less memorable compared to previous titles, others highlighted its variety and quality, noting that it enhances the overall experience. Overall, the music is seen as a significant improvement, contributing to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
“The music fits very well within this title's world.”
“Visuals are wonderfully artistically made and the soundtrack alone is worth the play.”
“This is surprisingly the best music that has been in the series, and truly gives an aura of authenticity to the classic gladiator style.”
“Main menu music and overall sound is somehow worse than older games.”
“Music is poor, repetitive, and annoying.”
“Game soundtracks suck but is otherwise a great game with good gameplay mechanics.”
- humor13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as quirky and cartoonish, with a blend of hilarious moments and strategic gameplay that keeps players engaged. While some fans miss the more grotesque elements of previous titles, the overall comedic tone remains strong, featuring amusing character builds and entertaining battles. Players appreciate the game's ability to balance fun and strategy, making for a lighthearted yet addictive experience.
“It's hilarious, it's fun, and it's surprisingly different from pretty much anything else I've ever found.”
“People reading this review who have likely not heard of the game before and want the brass tacks: this is a simple, yet fast and fun gladiatorial RPG made by an indie dev full of heart, with quirky, cartoonish humor.”
“Strategical turn-based action makes you use your brain while having hilarious moments.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often requiring significant time investment to progress. Many reviews highlight issues with AI behavior and difficulty spikes that exacerbate the grind, making battles feel frustrating rather than rewarding. While some players appreciate the character growth through grinding, they note that the experience can become monotonous and is hindered by excessive RNG elements.
“Game is ok, but kind of shallow and grindy.”
“Overall I made it by grinding...hard.”
“Personally, I find it grindy and repetitive and only enjoyable for 10-20 hours max.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it lacking due to the reliance on savescumming and a lack of unique experiences, others praise the diverse character builds and RPG mechanics that enhance replay value. Many users highlight the nostalgic elements and addictive gameplay, suggesting that the game offers significant replayability, especially for fans of the genre. Overall, opinions vary, but the potential for multiple playthroughs is noted by several reviewers.
“15 hour casual run and replayability for $13, hell yeah.”
“Awesome game, brings back nostalgia of the old swords and sandals legacy, while bringing in new, but welcomed changes that make the game super fun and replayable.”
“The game has races and classes, each with their own abilities, giving the game a ton of replayability.”
“There isn't any real replayability, because no matter what, you're savescumming for the perfect stats and perfect build.”
“Ultimately, there lacks substantial uniqueness to the overall experience, making its replayability completely irrelevant.”
“Not sure about the replayability of the game for me.”
- stability12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is reported to have a significant number of bugs and glitches, which can lead to frustrating experiences, such as soft locks in certain arenas. While players acknowledge that the developers are actively working to address these issues, the overall stability remains inconsistent, with some crashes and unbalanced elements noted. Despite these problems, many find the game enjoyable and addictive, especially considering its nostalgic roots.
“However, the game is pretty buggy for a released version.”
“The game has a fair share of bugs, but it's nothing critical. Some arenas with spikes are super buggy and can be annoying to complete (if you or the enemy are hit by the spikes, the game soft locks).”
“Overall, it was a very nostalgic yet buggy experience.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its nostalgic charm, evoking fond memories of early gaming experiences. Players appreciate the wholesome nature of the developer, which adds a heartwarming touch to the overall enjoyment, despite some imperfections in gameplay elements.
“It's not perfect, but it's a heartwarming throwback to the good old days of flash games and the fun we had in the early years of gaming.”
“Edit: the developer made me feel bad, lmao.”
“An immensely fun game with an extremely wholesome developer.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it features some AI issues and bugs that don't significantly impact gameplay, it is considered the best optimized entry in the franchise. Players anticipate improvements over time, especially since the game is currently in early access, with a technical performance rating of 5/10.
“Also the cleanest and best optimized one of the franchise, that's for sure.”
“Maybe improve the game's performance?”
“Technical performance: 5/10 (a substantial amount of AI issues and bugs, but these bugs are not too bad as to substantially hinder the gameplay.) This score will probably get better with time, as the game is in early access.”
