The Way of Kings: Escape the Shattered Plains
- March 2, 2018
- Arcturus Studios Inc
Get on Steam"The Way of Kings: Escape the Shattered Plains" is a first-person action adventure game set in the world of Brandon Sanderson's epic fantasy series. As Arcturus, a lighteyes soldier, you must navigate the treacherous Shattered Plains, solve puzzles, and battle enemies to escape and uncover the truth behind a mysterious tower. With stunning visuals and a rich, immersive world, this game offers a unique and challenging experience for fans of the books and newcomers alike.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Visually stunning with high production value, capturing the essence of the Stormlight Archive.
- Great experience for fans of the series, allowing them to see beloved characters and settings in VR.
- Fun interactions and immersive elements that resonate well with the source material.
- Extremely short gameplay, averaging around 15-20 minutes, making it feel more like a demo than a full game.
- Numerous bugs and technical issues that disrupt the experience, including combat mechanics and motion sickness.
- High price point that does not reflect the limited content, leading many to feel it should be free or significantly cheaper.
- story9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The story in the game is appreciated for its visualization of the source material, particularly for fans of the books, but it suffers from notable deviations that detract from the overall experience. While the world-building and scenery are praised, the narrative feels simplistic and lacks depth, leaving players wanting more engagement with the storyline. Overall, the game offers a brief adventure that may not fully satisfy those seeking a rich narrative experience.
“Let me say this much: I am actually a fan of the books, and this was a cool way to visualize the story.”
“The models, interaction, storyline, and audio feel like a triple-A game.”
“Escape the Shattered Plains follows a simple storyline featuring Kaladin and Syl - and it thrives on the scenery and world-building (the features that define the Stormlight Archive).”
“I can ignore some of the deviations from the original story to help inform the player what is happening, but there is nothing here.”
“Escape the shattered plains follows a simple storyline featuring Kaladin and Syl - and it thrives on the scenery and world-building (the features that define the Stormlight Archive).”
“Based on that, I would have expected a 10.99 story-based adventure/experience to clock in at around an hour or so worth of gameplay.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for being too short and not offering enough value for its price, with some players completing it in as little as 20 minutes. While the fairy guide adds an immersive element, overall, the experience is deemed lacking compared to similar titles. Additionally, there are notable issues with character movement that detract from the overall enjoyment.
“Makes you feel immersed into the gameplay.”
“Your fairy guide, Syl, is a really cool gameplay device to get you going up to speed.”
“Based on that, I would have expected a story-based adventure/experience to clock in at around an hour or so worth of gameplay.”
“The problems with gameplay are too, well, problematic for it to be worth playing.”
“That being said, I'm sad to say it's only about 20 minutes of gameplay, and that's if you mess up a few times along the way like I did.”
“Of gameplay and watching men run in the air instead of on the ground like they are supposed to.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game offers a brief experience of around 20-30 minutes, which users feel lacks significant replay value despite its impressive visuals and enjoyable interactions with the world. Overall, while it effectively captures the essence of the source material, its short duration limits the incentive for repeated playthroughs.
“All 20-30 minutes of gameplay, in my opinion, doesn't have replay value.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
“The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying the game feel tedious and uninteresting.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for frequent bugs, particularly during combat, where players encounter numerous glitches, especially with throwable objects like rocks.
“The combat is incredibly buggy.”
“There are so many glitches with the rocks you throw at the AI.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Despite meeting or exceeding the system requirements, users report that the game does not run smoothly, indicating significant optimization issues.
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game to be enjoyable and resilient, even in the face of minor bugs that do not significantly detract from the overall experience.
“The humor in this game is absolutely spot-on, with clever writing that keeps you laughing throughout.”
“I love how the game uses absurd situations to create hilarious moments that catch you off guard.”
“The witty dialogue and playful character interactions make every scene a joy to experience.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its fidelity to the source material, particularly in the depiction of chasms, while the integration of stormlight powers enhances the immersive experience.
“Once I was done gawking at the ungloved hand of this game's Cortana, I found the atmosphere of the chasms to be pretty true to the books, and the stormlight powers easy to use.”
“Once I was done gawking at the ungloved hand of this game's Cortana, I found the atmosphere of the chasms to be pretty true to the books, but the overall experience felt lacking.”
