Thorne - Death Merchants | Game Brain

About

Thorne - Death Merchants is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Thorne Games and was released on March 25, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"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

+18

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 124 reviews

story48 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Engaging storyline with interesting characters, particularly the protagonist 'The Crow', which draws players into the dark fantasy world.
Real-time combat system adds a refreshing twist to the gameplay, making battles feel more dynamic and interactive compared to traditional turn-based systems.
The game features a good amount of exploration with hidden items and side quests, rewarding players for their curiosity and thoroughness.

The game is relatively short, taking only about 2-4 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
Combat can feel clunky and unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating moments during battles, especially when surrounded by enemies.
There are numerous spelling and grammatical errors throughout the dialogue, which can detract from the overall immersion and quality of the storytelling.

story
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
62%
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 while imprisoned. While some players noted the story's brevity and occasional generic elements, many appreciated the depth and emotional impact of the plot, alongside the inclusion of side quests that enhance the overall experience. Overall, the storytelling is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, with potential for further development in future episodes.
- “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 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.”
- “But I was surprised by the story being all it was, which was a bit generic sadly, and I know this is probably partially the fault of the translation, but it comes off as quite cringe-worthy at certain key moments.”
gameplay
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
55%
10%
The gameplay of "Thorne: Death Merchants" features unique mechanics, particularly in its real-time combat system, which sets it apart from typical RPG Maker games. While the controls could be more responsive and the balance is lacking, players appreciate the engaging story and the innovative fighting and looting mechanics. Overall, the gameplay is described as simple yet enjoyable, making it a worthwhile experience for those who prioritize narrative over extensive gameplay depth.
- “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
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
40%
12%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric qualities and unique choices that enhance the gaming experience, while others find it mediocre or merely okay. Overall, the soundtrack is described as fitting and pleasant, contributing positively to the game's ambiance without being overly intrusive. Despite some criticisms regarding volume levels and occasional technical issues, many players appreciate the music's role in creating an engaging atmosphere.
- “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 some praising the pixel art style and atmospheric design that balances seriousness and cuteness, while others criticize the limitations of the RPG Maker engine, particularly in fullscreen mode and lack of HD support. Many players appreciate the attention to detail and the overall aesthetic, noting that it surpasses typical RPG Maker projects, though fans of modern, high-definition graphics may find it lacking. Overall, the visuals are described as charming and well-executed for a 2D game, contributing positively to the gameplay experience.
- “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%
14%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its excellent balance of serious and cute elements, enhanced by simple yet effective graphics, mist, and lighting effects. The atmospheric music contributes to a dark tone that stands out from typical fantasy games, while the well-written story and character further enrich 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.”
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 at various points and appreciated the engaging and humorous exchanges throughout the story, which also contributed to an emotionally impactful conclusion.
- “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 dialogues are exciting and include a portion of humor.”
- “Also included is nice music, an interesting plot, and a share of humor.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for lacking replayability, with users noting that it offers little incentive to play again after the initial experience.
- “There is no replay value as a result.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices means the game feels the same on every playthrough.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
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 possible to succeed 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 overall strategy.”
- “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 optimization system feels limited and doesn't encourage experimentation, as the best gear choices are often obvious and straightforward.”
- “While the game allows for some customization, the lack of diverse optimization options makes it feel like a missed opportunity for deeper gameplay.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate that the game avoids a grindy experience, alleviating initial concerns. The inclusion of side quests enhances gameplay length while allowing for exploration without the tediousness often associated with grinding.
- “The side quests add to the length and allow us to explore a little more without the grinding feeling.”
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." This attention to detail enhances the overall character development within the game.
- “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.”

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6h Median play time

16h Average play time

4-50h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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Thorne - Death Merchants is a role playing game.

Thorne - Death Merchants is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 16 hours playing Thorne - Death Merchants.

Thorne - Death Merchants was released on March 25, 2016.

Thorne - Death Merchants was developed by Thorne Games.

Thorne - Death Merchants has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Thorne - Death Merchants is a single player game.

Similar games include Labyronia RPG, Skyborn, Sins Of The Demon RPG, Ocean's Heart, The Chosen RPG and others.

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