The Great Gaias
- June 22, 2018
- Horizon's End, Inc.
- 21h median play time
Get on Steam"The Great Gaias: Horizon's End" is a real-time strategy game set in a vibrant, fantasy world. Players must gather resources, build their armies, and engage in tactical battles to expand their kingdom. With a focus on exploration and diplomacy, players must navigate a rich, living world filled with diverse cultures and landscapes. However, beware the awakening ancient giants that roam the land.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a rich and engaging story with well-developed characters and numerous plot twists that keep players invested.
- The combat system is strategic and challenging, with a variety of characters and skills that allow for diverse party compositions and tactics.
- The game offers extensive exploration, crafting, and optional content, providing players with a substantial amount of gameplay and replayability.
- The game can be grindy at times, requiring players to spend significant time leveling up characters and gathering resources.
- Some players have reported balance issues, particularly with certain boss fights being overly difficult or reliant on RNG, leading to frustration.
- There are occasional bugs and grammatical errors in the text, which can detract from the overall experience.
- story102 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players praising its depth, character development, and engaging plot twists, likening it to classic RPGs and D&D campaigns. While some find it compelling and immersive, others criticize it for being trope-heavy and lacking originality, with a few noting pacing issues and a need for better character interactions. Overall, the narrative is seen as a strong point, though opinions vary on its execution and freshness.
“The story is deeply immersive.”
“The main story is interesting and engaging, with well-written dialogue.”
“The story is dark and pulls no punches.”
“Combat is basic, story is amateur hour stuff, world isn't interesting, cliche after cliche, unoriginal characters.”
“Next up, story: you're in for a fairly barebones plot with heavy D&D inspiration, and a host of characters, most of whom are fairly forgettable.”
“A few nonsensical plot holes including plot shields and plot deaths.”
- gameplay32 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Great Gaias" is generally well-received, characterized by solid mechanics typical of JRPGs, engaging challenges, and a variety of unique features, including town building and tactical combat. While some players noted issues with character variety and clunky mechanics, the overall experience is immersive and rewarding, with many praising its depth and the balance of difficulty. The game promises extensive playtime, making it a worthwhile investment for fans of the genre.
“Fortunately, the gameplay is great, too.”
“"The Great Gaias" is an exceptional, immersive RPG with excellent visuals, captivating storytelling, and engaging gameplay.”
“The gameplay is smooth and starts to present challenge and tactical ability for the player.”
“Too many characters, too strongly influenced (optically and mechanically) by WRPGs, too difficult (according to early players) - I had avoided games for less.”
“A few other nitpicks come to mind, like the clunky party member change mechanic, the improvable mob enemy variety, the fact that most of the hidden items are composed of random loot, and a few orthographical/grammatical errors in the otherwise superb script, but that's it.”
“City building mechanic is very archaic and another grind to make even a single one.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is frequently described as grindy, particularly due to its extensive crafting system and the need to manage multiple characters, which can significantly extend playtime from a potential 20 hours to 40-60 hours. Players note that grinding is often necessary to progress, especially for obtaining key items and leveling up to tackle challenging boss fights, leading to a repetitive experience that some find tedious. While grinding can help mitigate difficulty, it may detract from the overall enjoyment of the game, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge.
“First off, this game is grindy; and when I say grindy, I mean grindy.”
“If I hadn't had to grind, this game would have been super quick as well: if I was just playing the actual story, it would most probably only be about a 20-hour game; with grinding, before you reach the end, you're looking at 40-60 hours if you're going to be skipping the super boss (which is also the actual final boss, so don't expect a satisfying story/ending if you do that!).”
“All of these issues don't make the game unplayable or more challenging, they make it boring, as it means grinding, like Dragon Warrior I grinding.”
- music13 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its memorable design and fitting integration into the world, with some reviewers calling the soundtrack a masterpiece that rivals iconic titles like Final Fantasy 6. While there are standout tracks that resonate strongly, some players feel that the overall soundtrack lacks truly catchy songs that leave a lasting impression. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the experience significantly.
“The music design is very memorable and fits the world very well.”
“The soundtrack for this game is produced by two of the most talented composers I’ve listened to in gaming.”
“This soundtrack is a must-own masterpiece, and rivals that of Final Fantasy 6, and I don’t say that lightly.”
“No really catchy songs that you will remember forever, however.”
“Decent soundtrack.”
“Soundtrack: 6 most of the time, 9 in a few places (character screen, frosthammer, final boss); sewer theme reminds me of a Final Fantasy track, cannot put my finger on which.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of "the great gaias" receive mixed reviews, with praise for its custom art style and immersive visuals, but criticism for outdated 1990s graphics and a lack of animation in enemy sprites. While the game features unique graphic tiles for different areas, some users noted inconsistencies in graphic representation, particularly with weapon designs. Overall, the graphics are rated around 6/10, indicating room for improvement despite their artistic appeal.
“The 'Great Gaias' is an exceptional, immersive RPG with excellent visuals, captivating storytelling, and engaging gameplay.”
“Great art style.”
“All areas are custom made, with separate graphic tiles.”
“Cons: platform puzzles, horrible quest tracking, too limited open world, 1990s graphics, frequent crashes”
“Not enough graphic variance in different weapons.”
“Graphic placement is however somewhat odd, and enemy sprites are usually not animated in combat.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its extensive content and polished experience, contributing to high replayability. Players can enjoy multiple playthroughs without feeling repetitive.
“It offers hours of content, replayability, and a polished gaming experience.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Initial reviews indicate that the game experiences some minor glitches, suggesting that stability may be an issue at launch.
“When I first got the game, there were a few glitches here and there.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development is highly praised, especially given the extensive roster of over 16 playable characters, allowing for diverse and engaging growth throughout the game.
“The character development is great, considering that there are 16+ playable characters.”
“Each character has a unique backstory that adds depth to the overall narrative.”
“I love how the choices I make influence the growth and relationships of the characters.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While some players find the exposition overwhelming due to its rapid delivery of names and details, the game's rich world-building and interactions with NPCs and the environment effectively convey emotional depth, making the narrative's twists and turns resonate significantly.
“The world is fleshed out meticulously through interacting with NPCs and the environment, giving real emotional weight to each twist and turn.”
“There are moments in the game that truly tug at your heartstrings, making you feel deeply connected to the characters and their journeys.”
“The emotional depth of the story is enhanced by the beautifully crafted dialogue and the impactful choices you make throughout the game.”
