The Black Grimoire: Cursebreaker

93%
Game Brain Score Based on 187 reviews
  • story
  • grinding
  • graphics
The Black Grimoire: Cursebreaker Game Cover
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The Black Grimoire: Cursebreaker is a medieval fantasy RPG with a sprawling open world and old-school atmosphere. Gain powerful skills and items, complete quests with deep writing, and engage in strategic combat with numerous weapons and spells. Make permanent choices that affect gameplay and customize your player house in this social multiplayer adventure.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 187 reviews
story28 positive mentions
grinding37 negative mentions
  • The game captures the nostalgic feel of playing RuneScape, providing a fun and engaging single-player experience.
  • The writing for quests is humorous and enjoyable, making the gameplay more entertaining.
  • There is a lot of potential for future content and updates, with a dedicated development team actively working on improvements.
  • The inventory system is limited, making item management cumbersome and frustrating for players.
  • Some skills and crafting mechanics feel grindy and unbalanced, leading to a tedious gameplay experience.
  • The game is still in early access and lacks polish, with various bugs and optimization issues that need to be addressed.
  • story90 mentions

    The game's story is generally well-received, with many players finding it engaging and humorous, complemented by a variety of quests that enhance the experience. While some critiques mention a lack of depth in certain areas and the need for more content, the main storyline and side quests are described as enjoyable and immersive, reminiscent of classic RPGs like RuneScape. Overall, players appreciate the quest design and world-building, though they express a desire for further development and optimization.

    • “The intro story made me feel engaged with this character by setting up a falling kingdom in which I get murdered, following up with resurrection and subjugation to a necromancer.”
    • “Questlines and dialogs are well written, especially the main story feels quite unique.”
    • “The depth and breadth of this game is astounding - I actually find the story engaging and drawing one in.”
    • “The quests don't even have voice actors to read out the short story this game does have.”
    • “It's marketed as 'lore heavy' and 'story driven', which is kind of true for like the first 45 minutes, but as soon as you're past the opening segment (essentially the tutorial) the narrative takes a hard nosedive into the dirt and the game basically turns into an endless series of BS fetch quests.”
    • “The final fight of the story is cancer... skills getting spammed at you like it's an arcade game and all of them can legit one-tap you from 200 HP, and even if you spam hundreds of 90% reduction potions, you just can't get to him in melee range to stop him from healing... bad fight design killed the game for me.”
  • grinding39 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is polarizing among players, with some enjoying the extensive skill development and crafting opportunities, while others find it tedious and lacking in rewarding progression. Many reviews highlight the slow pace and repetitive nature of grinding, exacerbated by inventory management issues and the need for rare item drops, which can lead to frustration. Overall, while the game offers a wealth of content for grinding enthusiasts, it may deter those seeking a more streamlined experience.

    • “I kind of like a grindy game that isn't grindy in having to constantly kill mobs to get ahead.”
    • “I appreciate a game that offers a grindy experience without the need for repetitive mob killing.”
    • “The grind doesn't feel rewarding and it's missing a ton of 'quality of life' fixes that would make the game bearable, but in its current state it's just extremely slow and grindy for no real payoff.”
    • “Most of the game is just grinding mining or logging or fishing, left click and afk simulator.”
    • “This is a massive impairment to the gameplay enjoyment because game progression requires skill leveling, and skill leveling requires a good deal of grinding, and grinding requires traveling to/from the bank, and banks are kind of scarce in the world, similar again to RS.”
  • graphics22 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist and retro art style that evokes nostalgia, reminiscent of classic RPGs like RuneScape. While some players appreciate the charming and atmospheric visuals, others have noted performance issues and a lack of graphical polish. Overall, the aesthetic is generally well-received, with many finding it fitting for the game's casual and old-school vibe.

    • “There are things to like about it; the atmosphere is excellent with a very old school feel to the graphics and design.”
    • “Love the minimalist graphics, and the UI is easy to understand and navigate.”
    • “Given the beauty of the artwork and the impressive music, you will lose yourself in the world.”
    • “I wanted to play RuneScape without paying $10/month (I've essentially completed F2P), but Melvor Idle was too similar without any of the graphical components.”
    • “This game has serious memory leak issues... for a game that is not stunning at all with graphics, this should easily run smooth with the tech that's out there in 2020+.”
    • “Several people seemed to indicate graphical issues; I had one with my screen size, as you say, not using half the width real estate.”
  • gameplay21 mentions

    The gameplay is praised for its depth and engaging mechanics, reminiscent of old-school RuneScape, but without microtransactions or lag issues. Players appreciate the permanent choices that impact gameplay, the smooth mechanics, and the relaxing atmosphere, although some express frustration with forced skill leveling and respawn mechanics. Overall, the game offers a fun, casual experience with a focus on story and exploration, despite being in early access.

    • “The fact that there's no microtransactions in the game, but still manages to have relevant mechanics and captivating quests is just perfect.”
    • “Gameplay and story are refreshingly good, and I've never put graphics above them nor depth - this game has insane amounts of depth.”
    • “The game is crafted with the intention of mimicking old school RuneScape, while still providing a fresh experience with a few new and altered mechanics.”
    • “If you even learn at the 2nd town you need base 25 stats so you can't ignore skills you don't want to level up... forced gameplay that prohibits you from getting perks for your main style never feels good.”
    • “I love Runescape, or at least the concept of it, but I really dislike the way the game technically runs and the tick mechanic that is often abused in various ways to actually be able to win.”
    • “There's a ridiculous mechanic where everything respawns within about a minute.”
  • music10 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to set the tone and enhance the atmosphere, evoking nostalgia with its cozy, old-school design. However, some players note that the tracks can become repetitive and fall short of the standards set by classic titles like Old School RuneScape. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the experience, its limited variety may detract from long-term enjoyment.

    • “The music is absolutely amazing, the graphics are actually very good and will remind you of Valheim.”
    • “In the sound department, music does a good job setting the tone and atmosphere of a situation or area.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and gameplay is exactly what I have been looking for for years.”
    • “The music quickly gets repetitive and does not live up to the old school RuneScape standard.”
    • “Sound is decent, the ambient tracks are nice, but the music tracks are short and can get repetitive.”
    • “The music has enhanced the experience rather than taking away from it.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its excellent old-school feel, detailed map design, and immersive soundscapes that effectively set the tone for various situations. Players appreciate the combination of graphics, music, and gameplay, although some wish for options to customize environmental effects like rain. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that enhances the gaming experience.

    • “There are things to like about it; the atmosphere is excellent with a very old school feel to the graphics and design.”
    • “In the sound department, the music does a good job setting the tone and atmosphere of a situation or area.”
    • “The atmosphere, music, and gameplay is exactly what I have been looking for for years.”
    • “Game runs okay; I wish it was possible to turn off the rain, though, but I guess it's part of the atmosphere.”
    • “There is a lot to like about this game when it comes to the atmosphere.”
    • “I really like the game, the atmosphere, the map design, level of detail, and leveling system.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The game requires significant optimization, particularly during cutscenes, which are central to its storytelling, and suffers from issues like hitching and underutilization of GPU resources. While graphics and overall performance have improved since the demo, further enhancements are still needed for a smoother experience.

    • “Played the demo when it released, the developers have clearly been making a ton of progress, particularly with respect to optimization.”
    • “Graphics and overall performance are good.”
    • “This game needs serious optimization, especially during cutscenes, which are a key part of the storytelling. It could also benefit from a higher quality HUD and more feedback on certain interactions.”
    • “This game needs serious optimization, especially during cutscenes, which are a major storytelling element. It could also benefit from a higher quality HUD and more feedback on certain interactions.”
    • “There are significant problems, including frequent hitching and poor optimization—despite the CPU not bottlenecking the game, it only uses 40% of the GPU.”
    • “The developers have clearly been making a ton of progress, particularly with regard to optimization.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with minor glitches such as character clipping and occasional issues accessing buildings. While some users experience bugs, particularly in online play, the game runs well on Linux without modifications, and players remain engaged despite these issues.

    • “Runs great on Linux with no modifications from the user.”
    • “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
    • “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
    • “There are minor glitches: (1) seldom my character gets stuck somewhere, but you can teleport out; (2) buildings you can't go into because you clip through the stairs or are unable to climb something, or the character doesn't recognize the door.”
    • “A few bugs here and there; online works but occasionally buggy.”
    • “2 hours in and I'm invested in this game, but the stability issues are noticeable.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by clever quest writing that has elicited laughter from players on multiple occasions.

    • “The writing for the quests has made me laugh a few times.”
    • “The humor in the dialogue is spot on and adds a delightful twist to the gameplay.”
    • “I love how the game incorporates witty jokes and puns that keep the experience light-hearted.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, allowing players to enjoy engaging mechanics and captivating quests without the distraction of additional purchases.

    • “The fact that there's no microtransactions in the game, but it still manages to have relevant mechanics and captivating quests is just perfect.”
    • “I appreciate that the game offers a complete experience without pushing for additional purchases.”
    • “The monetization model is fair and allows players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend extra money.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game compelling, as the introductory story effectively engages them by depicting a tragic narrative of a fallen kingdom, personal betrayal, and the protagonist's resurrection under a necromancer's control. This setup fosters a strong connection to the character and their plight.

    • “The intro story made me feel engaged with this character by setting up a falling kingdom in which I get murdered, followed by resurrection and subjugation to a necromancer.”
    • “The emotional depth of the characters really drew me in, making their struggles and triumphs feel personal.”
    • “I was genuinely moved by the storyline; it tackled themes of loss and redemption in a way that resonated with me.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

14hMedian play time
19hAverage play time
3-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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