Thorne - Death Merchants | Game Brain

About

"Thorne - Death Merchants" is an episodic RPG centered around the infamous mercenary, Thorne, who has been falsely accused of a crime. Set in a dark and corrupt world, players must navigate Hollow Lake, uncovering the truth behind Thorne's arrest while battling magical creatures and making moral choices. The game features a variety of character progression options and encourages players to evaluate the intentions of the ambiguous characters they encounter.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+18

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 122 reviews

story50 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features an engaging and well-paced storyline with interesting characters, particularly the protagonist 'The Crow'.
The real-time combat system is a refreshing change from traditional turn-based mechanics, making battles feel more dynamic and immersive.
The pixel art graphics and atmospheric music contribute to a dark fantasy setting that enhances the overall experience.

The game is relatively short, taking only about 2-4 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
There are numerous spelling and grammatical errors throughout the dialogue, which can detract from immersion.
The combat system can feel clunky at times, with issues related to hit detection and character movement, making battles frustrating.

story
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
2%
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring engaging narratives and interesting characters, particularly the protagonist, Thorne, whose journey unfolds through flashbacks as he recounts his past to a jailer. While some players note the story's brevity and occasional generic elements, many appreciate the depth and emotional impact of the plot, alongside the inclusion of side quests that enhance the overall experience. Despite minor issues with writing quality, the story is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, leaving players eager for future installments.
- “The story in this game is actually decent, if short.”
- “The story was engaging and well written, in my opinion.”
- “The game's strength lies in the story and the characters, especially Thorne; looking forward to his next adventures.”
- “This RPG Maker asset flip is mostly generic, with a badly written story where you start out as a prisoner and then become a great hero.”
- “While the story/lore has some potential, it suffers from low budget production.”
- “The story itself is a strange one, with a bunch of twists and turns, but I thought towards the end it had some potential to pick up and become interesting, only to abruptly end.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
53%
9%
The gameplay of "Thorne: Death Merchants" features unique mechanics, particularly in its real-time combat system, which sets it apart from typical RPG Maker titles. While the controls could be more responsive and the balance is lacking, players appreciate the interesting quests and the integration of RPG elements, despite some being deemed superfluous. Overall, the game offers a short but engaging adventure with a decent learning curve and enjoyable soundtracks.
- “Some quests/events can be experienced before certain obligatory quests, some might require revisiting certain places, but all in all they add up to the gameplay and to understanding what happens in the location of the adventure.”
- “The story was alright, the graphics were nice, but what put this game in my excellent category was its gameplay mechanics, getting new throwable items and being able to fight in real time rather than turn-based made this an awesome RPG Maker game and a must-have!”
- “The game has some really unique mechanics to fighting and looting that other games like this don't even touch on.”
- “The gameplay is simple and convenient.”
- “Still, while the game has various different stats for your character such as strength and agility, the game doesn’t tell you what these do and how they affect your gameplay.”
- “If all you want is a cool story, and you're willing to slog through mediocre gameplay for it, I don't know, maybe try Thorne.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
38%
12%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its atmospheric qualities and how well it complements the gameplay and story. While some describe the soundtrack as merely okay or mediocre, others highlight its uniqueness and ability to enhance the gaming experience. Overall, the music is generally considered pleasant and fitting, contributing positively to the game's ambiance.
- “The music: the creator's choices were unique and complemented the gaming experience very beautifully.”
- “The soundtrack is great and fits the game well.”
- “This is an action RPG in the classic style that has been beautifully done, featuring a great story, game mechanics with an easy learning curve, interesting characters all around, excellent supporting music, and gorgeous graphics.”
- “Meh mood music, better than bad that's for sure.”
- “- music is okay (for the most part, though auto settings have it turned up way too loud)”
- “+/- mediocre music throughout.”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
33%
13%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the pixel art style and atmospheric design that balances seriousness and cuteness. While some players appreciate the detailed and lush visuals, others criticize the limitations of the RPG Maker engine, particularly in fullscreen mode and lack of HD support. Overall, the graphics are considered above average for an RPG Maker title, appealing to fans of retro aesthetics but potentially disappointing for those seeking modern, high-definition visuals.
- “Graphically, I thought it looked better than I'd expect from an RPG Maker game.”
- “+ excellent atmosphere with nice, simple graphics which find an interesting balance between serious and cute.”
- “Graphics/art ---- very detailed, lush, and superbly done ---- show a lot of attention to detail that indicates a considerable amount of care went into this one.”
- “As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
- “Fans of full-screen, 3D, full-immersion, 'modern graphics' games will not be impressed, however.”
- “There are no cutscenes and the only piece of full artwork is the main title screen which shows Thorne in chains.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
43%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its excellent balance of serious and cute elements, enhanced by simple yet effective graphics and atmospheric mist and lighting effects. The music contributes significantly to the dark ambiance, providing a refreshing contrast to typical fantasy games, while the well-written story and character further deepen the immersive experience. Overall, players appreciate the game's ability to create a compelling and engaging atmosphere.
- “Excellent atmosphere with nice, simple graphics that find an interesting balance between serious and cute.”
- “Nice, simple atmospheric mist and lighting effects.”
- “The story (and the hero) is well written, and the overall atmosphere feels quite dark.”
- “The story and the hero are well written, but the overall atmosphere feels quite dark.”
- “The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, making it hard to immerse myself in the world.”
- “Despite the interesting premise, the atmosphere feels flat and uninspired.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for being above average for RPG Maker titles, featuring adult themes and swearing that enhance the dialogue. Players found themselves laughing and emotionally engaged, particularly with the well-crafted script and exciting interactions that contribute to an interesting plot. Overall, the humor is a standout aspect that complements the game's narrative.
- “The script was a bit better than the standard RPG Maker fare; I even found myself laughing a few times and feeling very moved by the conclusion of the story.”
- “The dialogue doesn't pull punches - adult humor and swear words are common.”
- “Dialogues are exciting and include a portion of humor.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate that the game avoids a grindy experience, with side quests enhancing gameplay length and exploration without the repetitive grind often found in other titles.
- “The side quests add to the length and allow us to explore a little more without the grinding feeling.”
- “It's not a grindy game, which I was worried about.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game has been criticized for lacking replayability, with users noting that it offers little incentive to play through again.
- “There is no replay value as a result.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices means that replaying the game feels pointless.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
200%
300%
The game's optimization allows players to adjust their gear to suit their play style, but options are limited due to the game's length, making it feasible to progress effectively with a few optimized gear choices.
- “The optimization system allows for a tailored experience, letting players fine-tune their builds to maximize efficiency and effectiveness in gameplay.”
- “I love how the game encourages experimentation with different gear setups, making optimization a rewarding part of the experience.”
- “You have the ability to change your gear to fit your play style; however, there aren’t many options due to the length of the game, and you can get by pretty well with just using the optimized gear choices.”
- “The lack of diverse optimization options makes the gameplay feel repetitive and limits creativity in character builds.”
- “While the game allows for some level of optimization, the limited gear variety means most players will end up using the same few setups.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the thoughtful character design and the cohesive world-building, noting that it evokes a grim fantasy atmosphere reminiscent of "The Witcher."
- “You can see that real effort and thought went into character design and a coherent world that reminds me of a grim fantasy setting in the style of The Witcher.”