The Dwarves

The Dwarves is a high fantasy RPG with great sound design and cutscenes but which is dragged down by its combat mechanics and short length.

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In "The Dwarves," players lead a group of dwarves in a fantasy world, battling enemies using strategic real-time tactics. The game is based on the novel "The Dwarves" by Markus Heitz and features a rich story, diverse characters, and a unique world to explore. Players must manage resources, make decisions that affect the story, and engage in thrilling combat to succeed.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 907 reviews

story360 positive mentions

stability43 negative mentions

Engaging story that closely follows the source material, providing a rich narrative experience.
Strong voice acting and character development, making the characters feel alive and relatable.
Unique combat mechanics that combine real-time action with tactical pause, allowing for strategic gameplay.

Short gameplay length, typically around 7-10 hours, which feels insufficient for the price point.
Clunky camera controls and pathfinding issues that can lead to frustrating combat experiences.
Frequent bugs and technical issues, including crashes and unresponsive AI, detracting from overall enjoyment.

story
881 mentions
41 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of the game, based on Markus Heitz's "The Dwarves," is generally praised for its engaging narrative, compelling characters, and strong voice acting, though it is often described as short and somewhat predictable, typically taking around 8 to 10 hours to complete. While many players appreciate the depth and lore of the story, some express disappointment with its rushed ending and the lack of meaningful choices that impact the narrative. Overall, the game is recommended for those who prioritize storytelling over gameplay mechanics, as the latter is frequently criticized for being clunky and frustrating.
- “The story captivated me and I was interested in seeing more.”
- “The story is very compelling and the combat - while a smidge janky - feels adequately chaotic and wild.”
- “The story is rich and extremely immersive.”
- “Whatever you do, the story does not change.”
- “The story is still not good enough to wade through the quagmire of diarrhea that is the gameplay.”
- “There are some poor attempts to add some depth to the characters, but everything ends up very cheesy, the story is driven with no real sensible motives, and it all falls flat.”
gameplay
246 mentions
28 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the combat mechanics clunky, frustrating, and inconsistent, often detracting from the overall experience. While some enjoyed the unique mechanics and found the exploration engaging, others criticized the repetitive nature of combat and the presence of bugs that hindered gameplay. Overall, the game is seen as having potential but ultimately falls short due to its execution and technical issues.
- “The gameplay system is really fun.”
- “It's a great game with a reasonably unique style of gameplay and art direction.”
- “I enjoyed the gameplay very much.”
- “Loved this game overall but hated the overly-complicated and unintuitive combat mechanics.”
- “The story is still not good enough to wade through the quagmire of diarrhea that is the gameplay.”
- “The combat mechanics are clunky and require way too much micromanagement, and all in all the game is still somewhat buggy and seems unfinished.”
graphics
113 mentions
49 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals, particularly in cutscenes and character animations, while others note that some elements feel outdated or unpolished. The art style is generally appreciated for its attention to detail and suitability to the fantasy theme, though some players feel it leans towards a more cartoonish aesthetic. Overall, while the graphics are often described as attractive and engaging, they may not meet the high standards of a triple-A title.
- “The graphics are outstanding, ogre's death in particular is jaw dropping (and it made my PC fans sound like a jet engine).”
- “I think the role play side of things, the world and the characters are very well done and the graphics are truly gorgeous!”
- “The art style does the fantasy theme justice and never lets off.”
- “The combat system is horrible, the graphics are okay but nothing to write home about and the overall gaming experience made me quit.”
- “It looks like it's from that older generation of games where graphics were becoming more realistic, but were still tethered to the edge of the uncanny valley.”
- “There are a few elements that show this game is not a triple-A title, namely the repetitive (albeit decent) soundtrack and choice of art style, but this in no way breaks the game and could easily be fixed in a sequel.”
music
105 mentions
54 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised as its strongest aspect, featuring an epic soundtrack and exceptional voice acting that enhance the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the impressive orchestral compositions and the inclusion of a song by Blind Guardian, although some note a lack of variety in the tracks, leading to repetitiveness over time. Overall, while the gameplay may have its flaws, the music consistently elevates the game's atmosphere and emotional impact.
- “The music keeps your blood pumping when it needs to be, and brings you down when things get serious and/or somber.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing.”
- “The game stands: it's very pleasant to look at, the effort put into animations is enormous, classical quests make you nostalgic, the music and the mood are amazing, and the voice acting brilliant.”
- “The song at the end was… not my style.”
- “Deducting 0.5 points from my final score because the ending credits song wasn't at least twice as long.”
- “Not much variety in music.”
stability
45 mentions
4 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that can hinder gameplay, such as characters getting stuck or failing to respond. While some players find it enjoyable despite these problems, many express frustration over the game's unfinished feel and the impact of these technical issues on the overall experience. Overall, it appears to be less stable than expected, with a significant number of players reporting various technical difficulties.
- “It is well voiced with good cut scenes and great music and is mostly bug free.”
- “Game freezes and locks out save function in most areas.”
- “This game could have been a contender but it plays like it was rushed out the door long before any QA and follow-up was done, leaving it a buggy exercise in frustration.”
- “Oh and it's super buggy as well, characters just stop moving, ignore orders or get knocked over and stay knocked down, and the enemy AI is garbage.”
humor
35 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and wit, featuring quirky characters and engaging dialogue that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of dark themes with lighthearted moments, typical dwarvish humor, and clever references, making the narrative both entertaining and immersive. While some felt there could have been more comedic elements, the game's humor effectively keeps players engaged and adds depth to the gameplay.
- “I really recommend this, as it is a very fun experience full of typical dwarvish humor.”
- “The story is great; it has funny quirky characters and was surprisingly good at keeping you from being bored. I had a good time going through the game.”
- “Much better than it has any credit for being. I have read the books and enjoyed my time playing this. The character design and voices are stuck in my head, and each of them is easy to recognize and funny.”
replayability
26 mentions
12 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
31 % negative mentions
Overall, the game suffers from very low replayability due to its fixed storyline and short campaign length, with many players noting that once the story is completed, there is little incentive to replay. While some mention the potential for experimenting with different team combinations, the consensus is that the limited choices and on-rails design significantly diminish replay value. Many reviewers suggest purchasing the game at a discount primarily for its story, rather than for extended gameplay.
- “I think that the game's replayability lies in that there are different combinations of team members that you can experiment with per level.”
- “Skill trees (albeit minimalistic) add to the replayability of the game.”
- “I don't see a lot of replayability but I'll probably play it one more time through.”
- “At £35, this game is not cheap, but it really is quite dear when you consider that I beat the thing in less than 15 hours, which is pretty bad for a game with very limited replayability.”
- “Also the game is quite short and there is no replayability here whatsoever.”
- “I end by saying however that this game has very little replayability; once you know the story, all that is left to do is play on higher difficulties.”
grinding
20 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players consistently find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly during combat, which can become frustratingly long and unengaging. The inability to save manually during lengthy battles exacerbates the grind, making it feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable challenge. Overall, while some moments of unpredictability add excitement, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding detracts significantly from the overall experience.
- “Combat is tedious, annoying, and boring to engage in.”
- “Of course, incompetence wouldn't be complete without the devs deciding to forbid manual saves during the 30+ minutes long fights, just to make sure that the rebarbative bottlenecks cannot be overcome by grinding (over several sessions, to make them bearable).”
- “At first because of how much you keep dying, and then after a couple levels when that isn't a problem anymore, it's just tedious.”
character development
18 mentions
33 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking depth, with minimal customization options and limited progression, offering only a choice between two skills every other level. While the character designs and voice acting are praised for their charm and memorability, many players feel that the narrative suffers from plot holes and insufficient character arcs, particularly in the latter half of the game. Overall, the engaging story and character aesthetics are overshadowed by the shortcomings in character development.
- “Dwarves has a good storyline that kept me interested and engaged with character development.”
- “Much better than it has any credit for being. I have read the books and I have enjoyed my time playing this. The character design and voices are stuck in my head, and each of them is easy to recognize and funny. I literally cannot hear them speaking with any other voice.”
- “The character designs are quaint, possibly inspired by the author's description.”
- “There is no customization, almost no itemization (1 very limited item slot per character for a charm or potion), and very little character development (on average, a choice between 2 skills every other level).”
- “Then the second half hits and then the game is full of plot holes, obviously missing scenes and character development, and sloppy uninspired level design.”
- “No character development except for new skills.”
atmosphere
10 mentions
60 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its captivating atmosphere, characterized by a blend of gloom and a unique sense of humor that resonates throughout the experience. Reviewers highlight the strong storytelling and effective voice acting in both English and German, contributing to an immersive overall ambiance.
- “Great atmosphere and story, perfect speaker in English and German.”
- “Great atmosphere in this game.”
- “Perhaps it's the gloomy atmosphere, or a specific sense of humor present in both games, but the impression stayed from the very beginning to the very end.”
optimization
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with players noting decent graphics but experiencing performance issues, particularly in heavy scenes that require lowering quality settings. Some users encountered bugs and criticized the overall performance, suggesting it detracts from the experience, especially for those not deeply invested in the RPG genre.
- “The game looks appealing, but I don't know where the performance goes, judging by the minimal visual difference of the lower quality settings.”
- “+ decent graphics and performance.”
- “I stumbled upon a couple of bugs and very performance-heavy scenes which forced me to reload and turn the quality settings down.”
- “[useless AI, trial and error battles, performance issues]”
- “The dwarves is hard to recommend to any but the most diehard RPG fan, due to poor combat and terrible performance.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of engagement and frustration with the game's emotional depth, noting that while it evokes strong feelings reminiscent of epic fantasy like "Lord of the Rings," it often falters due to inconsistent character arcs and gameplay mechanics. The main character is generally well-received, but issues such as AI pathfinding and friendly fire detract from the overall emotional experience, leaving a sense of unrealized potential. Despite these shortcomings, the game manages to create moments of connection, though it struggles to maintain them consistently.
- “That made me feel engaged, and that is something, for example, Divinity 2 could not do for me!”
- “On the one hand, I had heavy LOTR feelings when ramming through those orc hordes; it made me feel like there was a lot of potential for this game, but that it somehow sunk into the depths of project hell and just needed to be finished.”
- “I liked the main character for the most part, except for the borderline emotional roller coaster that makes the character arc look weak sometimes.”