Together in Battle
- April 24, 2023
- Sinister Design
Get on Steam"Together in Battle" is a strategy RPG and team management game set in the island kingdom of Dese, where you recruit and manage charming characters for the gladiatorial games while uncovering a sinister conspiracy. Maintain your team's morale and relationships by keeping them fed, trained, and happy to avoid depression and desertion, while fostering closeness for special combat skills and nicknames. Your decisions will impact the fate of Dese and the lives of your team.
Reviews
- The game features deep tactical gameplay with a robust combat engine that allows for a variety of strategies and battlefield manipulation.
- The procedural generation of characters and their personalities adds significant replayability and depth to the game.
- The developer is dedicated to regular updates and improvements, showing a commitment to refining the game based on player feedback.
- The economic system can feel unbalanced, making it difficult to manage resources and keep your team adequately equipped and healthy.
- There are several bugs and technical issues that can disrupt gameplay, including freezing during battles and problems with status effects.
- The difficulty spikes between levels can be jarring, with easy mode being too simple and medium mode being excessively challenging.
- gameplay11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its repetitive yet satisfying mechanics, featuring strategic elements, RNG mechanics, and diverse combat systems reminiscent of titles like "Into the Breach" and "Final Fantasy Tactics." Players appreciate the solid gameplay loops and the integration of morale and happiness systems, which enhance character interactions. Overall, despite some graphical shortcomings, the gameplay is highly praised and recommended for its engaging mechanics and depth.
“Tons of strategy, RNG mechanics, and skills on each character.”
“The gameplay loops are really solid and satisfying.”
“Together in battle has similar battle mechanics to FFT, where you move on a grid-based map having a specific amount of movement while using magic, skills, and abilities the unit might possess.”
“Together in battle has similar battle mechanics to FFT, where you move on a grid-based map with a specific amount of movement while using magic, skills, and abilities that the unit might possess.”
“On top of the battle mechanics, the game has a morale and happiness system where your party members will try to get to know each other from the past or in current situations.”
“It feels like the game was always destined to be made, given that it reuses many of the core mechanics and ideas from the Telepath series, and recontextualizes them within the framework of a roguelite.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story in the game is engaging, blending tactical gameplay with a narrative centered around training a resistance against a slaveholding society. While players appreciate the hand-crafted plot maps and events, there is a desire for more content and deeper storyline development to enhance the overall experience. Despite its strengths, some feel the plot lacks urgency and depth, often feeling like a backdrop to the tactical gameplay.
“Tactics Ogre/FFT meets Darkest Dungeon with a surprisingly good story; what's not to like?”
“I've completed all the available storyline branches so far, and nothing has ever felt impossible, and I played on Challenging+, the penultimate difficulty outside of Brutal.”
“However, there are hand-crafted plot maps and events, which are a breath of fresh air.”
“All it needs is more content, more random events, more storyline, and maybe a handful of extra abilities for the classes that exist.”
“You're engaged in all this fighting because you're training a resistance to a slaveholding society, but unless this plot kicks into much higher gear later on, you're mainly gladiators in an arena.”
“There are a couple of campaign events, but the game is not quest driven like BB.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are intentionally retro, reflecting an old-school aesthetic that complements its gameplay without attempting to impress with modern visuals. While some players may find the graphics unengaging, they effectively support the overall experience.
“The graphics are retro-inspired and aren't trying to do anything fancy.”
“The game has an old-school aesthetic that complements its mentality, encouraging players to experiment after a brief tutorial on the controls.”
“While the graphics and setting didn't initially captivate me, they effectively support the gameplay.”
“The game is old school both graphically and in mentality, and after a brief tutorial to cover the fundamentals of controls, you're supposed to experiment to figure out what works.”
“The graphics are retro-ish and aren't trying to do anything fancy.”
“Graphics and setting didn't grip me, but they support the gameplay appropriately.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's high replayability due to its randomly generated team builder, which adds depth and variety, ensuring long-term engagement. Overall, the game is considered to have solid replay value.
“The randomly generated team builder gives it a ton of replayability and enough depth to keep you engaged for a long time.”
“The game already feels like it has decent replayability.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, with many users highlighting the excellence of the soundtrack.
“The soundtrack is absolutely excellent.”
“The music perfectly complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.”
“I love how the soundtrack evolves with the game's narrative, making each moment feel more impactful.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the absence of tedious grinding typically found in similar games, allowing for the crafting of unique units without the frustration often associated with resource gathering and leveling.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to enjoy the overall experience.”
“I find myself spending more time grinding for resources than actually playing the game.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding takes away from the excitement and immersion of the gameplay.”
