The Dwarves
- January 12, 2016
- KING Art
- 13h median play time
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.
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.
Reviews
- Engaging story that closely follows the source material, providing a rich narrative experience.
- Great voice acting and character design, bringing the dwarven characters to life.
- 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 crashes that disrupt gameplay, making it difficult to enjoy the overall experience.
- story437 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story, based on Markus Heitz's "The Dwarves," is generally praised for its engaging narrative, strong character development, and excellent voice acting, making it a highlight for many players. However, several reviews note that the story feels rushed, particularly towards the end, and lacks depth in side quests, leading to a somewhat linear experience. While the storytelling is compelling, some players feel that the gameplay mechanics detract from the overall experience, making it more of a narrative-driven game than a fully fleshed-out RPG.
“The story is very compelling and the combat - while a smidge janky - feels adequately chaotic and wild.”
“The story captivated me and I was interested in seeing more.”
“The story is rich and extremely immersive.”
“Whatever you do, the story does not change.”
“The story is quick and predictable, about 8 or so hours.”
“The story, the characters, the setting, the dialogue... all of it is terrible - all the way to the end.”
- gameplay119 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is highly polarizing, with many players finding the combat mechanics clunky, frustrating, and inconsistent, often detracting from the overall experience. While some appreciate the unique mechanics and engaging exploration, others criticize the repetitive nature and bugs that hinder enjoyment. Overall, the game offers a mix of fun and challenging moments, but many feel it falls short in delivering a polished gameplay experience.
“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 gameplay is somewhat inconsistent, with the overworld traveling being fun, leading in a true RPG format from event to event, some random, some quest related, while the combat gameplay itself is a bit of a mess, sometimes making you truly feel like a child of Vraccas, cutting down hordes of greenskins like a farmer scythes down frain, while other times you get vaporized by the elite sniper known as 'orc archers'.”
“The story is great, but the gameplay is bad.”
- graphics56 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive a mixed reception, with many praising the stunning visuals, attention to detail, and fluid animations, particularly in cutscenes and character interactions. However, some reviewers note that the graphics can feel dated or reminiscent of older titles, and there are occasional issues with performance and polish. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered attractive and well-executed, 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).”
“If you want a great, although vaguely stereotypical dwarven story with jaw-dropping visuals and crisp, clean voice acting, I'd recommend this game for you.”
“The graphics are crisp, and I ran into few issues with a mid-range PC.”
“The graphics are alright, but it definitely feels like it's going back to an older style.”
“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.”
“The combat system is horrible, the graphics are ok but nothing to write home about and the overall gaming experience made me quit.”
- music51 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 6 % 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 emotional depth and variety of the music, although some note a lack of diversity in the tracks, leading to repetitiveness over time. Overall, the soundtrack, including contributions from notable artists like Blind Guardian, significantly elevates the game's appeal despite criticisms of its gameplay.
“The soundtrack is really good; they did a great job with the music in the game.”
“The music keeps your blood pumping when it needs to be, and brings you down when things get serious and/or somber.”
“The art style is more than enjoyable and the soundtrack is just great.”
“The song at the end was… not my style.”
“I personally didn't get sick of it, but by the end I was getting kinda tired of hearing the same battle music for every encounter.”
“Not much variety in music.”
- stability21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- -10 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game has been widely criticized for its stability issues, with players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that hinder gameplay. Common problems include camera malfunctions, character movement issues, and freezing, which contribute to a frustrating experience. While some users acknowledge the game's potential and enjoyment, the overall consensus is that it feels unfinished and in need of significant quality assurance.
“It is well-voiced with good cut scenes and great music, and is mostly bug-free.”
“The game runs smoothly without any major glitches, providing a seamless experience.”
“I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; I haven't encountered any crashes or significant issues.”
“It is also buggy: 3 out of 10 times you load your game only to find the camera cannot be zoomed/rotated.”
“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.”
“Game freezes and locks out save function in most areas.”
- humor17 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and charm, featuring quirky characters and witty dialogue that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the balance of lighthearted moments amidst darker themes, with many noting the engaging quests and amusing interactions that keep the gameplay entertaining. While some felt there could have been more humor, the existing comedic elements, including clever references and character designs, contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“A great telling of the books, really funny and has some amazing moments.”
“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.”
- replayability13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 31 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its very low replayability, with many players noting that the fixed storyline and short campaign limit the incentive to replay. While some mention the potential for experimenting with different team combinations, the consensus is that once the story is completed, there is little reason to return, especially given the game's price relative to its content.
“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.”
“The price, amount of content and replayability just don't make sense.”
“All in all, it's a game that I'd suggest buying just for the story itself, and at a discount (I bought it for €10), as I feel that with its low replayability and on-rails campaign, it doesn't allow for many interesting playthroughs after the first, if not just to get all the achievements.”
“At £35, this game is not cheap, but it really is quite dear when you consider that I beat it in less than 15 hours, which is pretty bad for a game with very limited replayability.”
“The game is pretty short (finished it in 9 hours) and it has no real replayability - but I expected that going in based on the consensus from reviews.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly during lengthy combat sequences that lack manual save options. Many reviews highlight that while initial challenges can be engaging, they quickly devolve into monotonous tasks, making progression feel burdensome and frustrating. Overall, the grinding experience detracts from the enjoyment of the game, turning potentially fun encounters into tedious obligations.
“Combat is tedious, annoying, and boring to engage in.”
“Late missions become difficult and just tedious to complete even on very easy difficulty.”
“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).”
- character development9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally viewed as limited, with players noting a lack of deep progression and customization options. While the character designs and voice acting are praised for their charm and memorability, the overall development is minimal, primarily consisting of skill choices rather than meaningful growth or narrative depth. Many reviewers express disappointment in the absence of substantial character arcs, particularly in the latter parts of the game.
“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).”
“The character development of your friends is just off.”
“Then the second half hits and the game is full of plot holes, obviously missing scenes and character development, and sloppy uninspired level design.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its engaging and immersive qualities, characterized by a gloomy tone 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 the overall impactful 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.”
- emotional3 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, it ultimately falls short due to technical issues and inconsistent character development. The main character's emotional journey is seen as a roller coaster, leading to a sometimes weak character arc, and gameplay mechanics like friendly fire and AI pathfinding problems detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, there is a sense of potential that leaves players wanting more from the emotional narrative.
“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 Lord of the Rings 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.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are generally appealing, but players have reported performance issues, particularly in demanding scenes that may require lowering quality settings. Some users encountered bugs that disrupted gameplay, leading to reloads. Overall, while the visuals are decent, the optimization leaves room for improvement.
“The game features decent graphics and performance.”
“The game looks appealing, but I don't know where the performance goes, judging by the minimal visual difference of the lower quality settings.”
“I stumbled upon a couple of bugs and very performance-heavy scenes which forced me to reload and turn the quality settings down.”
Critic Reviews
The Dwarves PC Review
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.
75%The Dwarves Review – When a Big Heart Just Isn’t Enough
The Dwarves is a role-playing game that fails to reach its full potential. Its interesting battle concepts are marred by a mediocre execution, very limited RPG mechanics, and just too many technical issues on PlayStation 4. Despite this, the game still managed to be somewhat enjoyable thanks to the gripping yet not too original story, and charming characters. Due to gameplay and technical shortcomings, however, only die hard high fantasy fans may find some enjoyment in The Dwarves. Everyone else would do better in looking elsewhere.
63%The Dwarves Review - Sobering Up
While The Dwarves is an excellent story-based experience, the gameplay surrounding it serves to quickly sour most of the enjoyment that can be found, and most fans would be better off rereading the books.
45%