The Guild Gold Edition
- September 9, 2014
- 4HEAD Studios
"The Guild Gold Edition" is a medieval-themed life simulation game set in the year 1400. You play as a 13-year-old leaving home to learn a trade and build your own business in a town of your choice. Navigate the challenges and opportunities of the era, from epidemics and thieves to prosperous trade routes, as you strive to become a successful merchant. The game offers multiple paths to success, allowing you to choose between an honest craft or a dubious profession.
Reviews
- The game offers a deep and immersive experience with a unique blend of roleplaying, strategy, and historical elements, making it a standout title in its genre.
- Players appreciate the variety of professions and choices available, allowing for diverse gameplay experiences and replayability.
- Despite its age, many find the game addictive and engaging, often losing track of time while playing.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and crashes, particularly on modern systems, leading to frustrating experiences and lost progress.
- Graphics and user interface are outdated, which can detract from the overall enjoyment and accessibility for new players.
- The tutorial is often criticized for being unhelpful, leaving players confused about key mechanics and how to progress in the game.
- graphics49 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, reflecting its age since its release in 2002. While some players find the visuals charming and timeless, many others note significant issues such as bugs, crashes, and poor performance on modern hardware. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics may not hold up to contemporary standards, the game's core experience remains enjoyable for those willing to overlook its visual shortcomings.
“The graphics are so old, but unlike some games where the times have caught up to it and it doesn't hit well in the current modern times, this game, with all its age, is still timeless. There are only a handful of games that are literally timeless, where it's still so good even when everything else is already so modernized and has way better graphics, and this is one of those games.”
“It is a great game with great visuals (for the time and still nice nowadays), nice gameplay, realistic occupations, history, and more.”
“The graphics don't hold up anymore, but are still charming.”
“The graphics are really outdated, but underneath lies a brilliant experience.”
“Keep in mind this game was released in 2002, so don’t expect anything special in terms of visuals.”
“It is quite old, so the graphics - especially the character animations - are almost painful to look at, while the buildings are still more or less okay.”
- gameplay29 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its innovative and diverse mechanics, offering a unique experience that immerses players in realistic occupations and historical contexts. However, the tutorial is criticized for being overly detailed yet lacking in essential information, and many players report frustrating bugs and crashes that detract from the overall enjoyment. While the game can be complex and may take time to master, it ultimately provides a rewarding experience for those willing to invest the effort.
“The innovative gameplay is a testament to the creators' dedication.”
“A standout aspect of this title is its diverse gameplay mechanics.”
“The mechanics and possibilities it has to offer are amazing!”
“The tutorial is both slow, boring, and overexplains what it covers, while at the same time neglecting to cover a lot of key game mechanics.”
“The game is a diamond regarding gameplay and the idea behind it, but the bugs and crashes make it tedious and unfun to play, often forcing you to redo a lot or completely give up your game because of a corrupted save.”
“The mechanics are awful.”
- stability14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of glitches, crashes, and performance issues, particularly in multiplayer modes. Players have noted that tutorials are also problematic, often featuring unresponsive pop-up boxes. While some enjoy the gameplay despite these issues, the overall consensus is that the game suffers from significant bugs that detract from the experience.
“So full of glitches and multiplayer is a no-go.”
“The game does have some bugs and weird glitches which made me not want to continue playing the game, and no mods or patches that fix them.”
“Glitches lots, doesn't play smoothly and you'll spend more time googling ways to get around glitches than actually playing.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's story is deeply rooted in historical accuracy, enhancing character depth and providing a rich narrative experience. Players can shape their own stories through roleplaying and strategic choices, although some quests may feel unfulfilling upon completion. Overall, it offers a unique blend of personal storytelling and historical context, allowing for a dynamic exploration of character and dynasty-building.
“Its roleplaying qualities are not only deep but are rooted in historical accuracy, giving a fresh layer of depth to the characters and storylines.”
“It’s a beautiful blend of storytelling, strategy, and the unpredictability of human interactions set against a rich historical backdrop.”
“There is more time to enjoy the story of your character and the lore.”
“Story does not have to end with death.”
“When you finish a quest, nothing happens as if you never finished it.”
“It is a game that I've played since I was 4 and it released in my birth year. It shaped me as a gamer and video game enthusiast, but while this game isn't the greatest story-driven game, the character you build and the story you create yourself while expanding into one of the biggest 'dynasties' not just financially but also through diplomacy.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting slow performance, frequent crashes, and poor frame rates, even on modern PCs. While the gameplay itself is praised, the overall experience is marred by these technical issues, making it difficult for players to enjoy the game as intended.
“Everything runs smoothly asf.”
“Though the game is very good, unfortunately it does not run smoothly on a modern PC.”
“The game runs slowly.”
“Keeps crashing, poor optimization.”
“The frame rate is very slow even for high game performance.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its extensive content, featuring over 30 assignments and 11 occupations, which allows for varied playthroughs. The interdependent attributes within the guild system further enhance this aspect, ensuring that no two playthroughs are identical.
“This game has a high replayability value, with over 30 assignments and 11 occupations to choose from.”
“The guild system requires you to consider attributes that are all interconnected, adding to the replayability because no playthrough can be the same.”
“There is a good amount of replayability value.”
“This game has a high replayability value; there are over 30 assignments and 11 occupations you can choose from.”
“With the guild, you need to take into account attributes that are all reliant on one another. This also adds replayability to a game like The Guild because no one playthrough can be the same.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its moody and immersive quality, enhancing the overall experience with medieval themes and soft textures. While some players find it enjoyable and fitting, others feel it can detract from gameplay efficiency. Overall, it receives mixed reviews, with a notable appreciation for the intro track.
“But this game, from the amazing UI to the great music and game design, is just fun to play even after 20 years.”
“It is moody and immersive, with plenty of shadows, medieval music, and soft texturing.”
“The music is moody and immersive, with plenty of shadows and medieval themes, but it drags out the efficiency of management somewhat.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is initially engaging and charming, contributing to its lively atmosphere; however, it tends to lose its appeal after extended playtime, particularly around the 30-hour mark.
“Has a lot of character and charm to it, and the occasional understated humor keeps it lively.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized as relaxed, making it ideal for casual gameplay and providing a comfortable environment for players.
“A relaxed atmosphere that is great for casual play.”