Ultimate ADOM: Caverns of Chaos
- August 25, 2021
- Krzysztof Dycha
- 26h median play time
Get on SteamUltimate ADOM: Caverns of Chaos is the official sequel to the classic ADOM roguelike game, offering modern gameplay with endless procedurally generated dungeons, monsters, and crafting. The Save the World Edition includes a soundtrack, wallpapers, and supports cancer research, donating 10% of proceeds to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Join the fight against corruption and cancer with this replayable dungeon-crawler.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game has a lot of potential and could become a great roguelike experience with further development.
- The graphics, music, and art direction are well done, providing an engaging atmosphere.
- The gameplay mechanics, such as grafting and character customization, show promise and add depth to the experience.
- The game feels unfinished and is riddled with bugs, leading to a frustrating experience.
- Many features from the original ADOM are missing, making the game feel shallow and lacking in content.
- The developers appear to have abandoned the game, with no updates or communication since its release.
- gameplay48 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of depth and numerous bugs that hinder the experience. While some mechanics show promise and the graphics are praised, the overall execution is marred by incomplete systems, frustrating controls, and a lack of engaging content, leading to a repetitive and often unchallenging experience. Despite these issues, there are glimpses of potential in the game's design, suggesting that future updates could improve the gameplay significantly.
“The accessibility of the various control schemes, neat tutorial, and clear explanations around skill choices make this game much more beginner-friendly, while also allowing for more optimized gameplay.”
“The gameplay is fine, the usual blend of unforgiving rogue-style mechanics you'll find in a game of the genre and story from the ancient domains game world.”
“Gameplay is still pretty bare bones, but it shows a lot of promise.”
“Game mechanics and stats (charisma) that have no function, non-existent quests, an empty dungeon with no NPCs outside of the first couple of floors, and a difficulty level that makes the game yawn-inducing.”
“The current version is rife with bugs, and many mechanics are just outright broken or missing from the game.”
“Repeatedly dying, spending more time rummaging through my bags than exploring, not knowing what all that crap even is, being unable to feel any kind of accomplishment or progression, not being able to immerse myself in a character/run for more than a few minutes at a time, not having any framework for understanding any of the game's mechanics or explanation of what to expect, not knowing if this is all as intended - it's not fun.”
- graphics39 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art direction, character design, and visual quality, while others criticize the presence of glitches and a lack of polish. Some players appreciate the modern graphical overhaul of classic roguelikes, noting that it enhances the experience, but others feel that the graphics do not compensate for gameplay shortcomings. Despite the aesthetic appeal, there are concerns about the game's overall execution and whether it can maintain player interest.
“On a positive note, the graphics, music, art direction, and particularly the UI are top notch.”
“Great to see a refreshed version with nice graphics and classic mechanics.”
“The graphics are lovingly designed and (as far as I understand) of high quality for the genre.”
“What a let down, it's a graphical version of Nethack and not even as good as that really.”
“The problem with this idea is that the existing fan base wasn't looking for easier, and for the vast majority of new players, this is harder than its cutesy graphics make it out to be.”
“There are super obnoxious 'achievement' popups, which coupled with the graphics make it feel like a mobile game.”
- stability29 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and unfinished features leading to a frustrating experience for players. Many users describe it as "buggy," "abandonware," and "incomplete," with frequent crashes and a lack of developer communication exacerbating the issues. While some players have encountered only minor visual glitches, the overall consensus is that the game is currently in a poor state and not recommended for play.
“Simple, fun, and runs great!”
“This game is abandonware, buggy, and without a whole lot of content.”
“It's currently very much a buggy mess of half-fleshed out ideas.”
“It crashes, freezes, fails at basic math, is janky as hell and has an absolute ton of incomplete or broken features.”
- story27 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal or nonexistent, with many players noting a lack of quests and narrative depth. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and potential for storytelling, the overall consensus is that the game feels more like a repetitive dungeon-crawling experience than a cohesive narrative journey. Players express disappointment over unfinished quests and a simplistic approach to storytelling, leading to a raw and unengaging experience.
“It has been a joy to discover the many different ways that I can interact with different magics, the environment, and story.”
“The overall atmosphere, story, crafting, and skill tree complexity, along with the countless different types of monsters you will face, are amazing.”
“The execution of ADOM: Caverns of Chaos definitely nails the landing; just from the few story hooks I've gotten, I'm really looking forward to seeing where things develop.”
“This game has no story.”
“Only a dungeon without story... kill and loot and die... rinse and repeat... ad nauseam.”
“There's no quests or story to navigate right now, so you're in for a very raw experience.”
- optimization11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is severely lacking, with numerous performance issues, crashes, and soft-locks reported by users. Despite some improvements in overall stability, inventory performance has declined, and the game struggles to run smoothly even on capable hardware. Many players express frustration over its unfinished state and inadequate optimization, particularly given its lengthy development period.
“Overall performance and stability have improved somewhat.”
“There could be some serious optimization done to square this away.”
“The overall performance is the main disadvantage of the last versions.”
“Game is unfinished, has performance issues and is abandoned.”
“Prone to soft-locks or just crashing due to optimization issues.”
“Nice isometric-hybrid, of sorts, but so poorly optimized that slowdown and crashes are inevitable for any level of hardware.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience alongside sound effects. While some users noted technical issues like choppiness in the main menu, the soundtrack remains a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's ambiance. Overall, the audio elements are considered fun and engaging, with potential for improvement in future updates.
“On a positive note, the graphics, music, art direction, and particularly the UI are top notch.”
“+ catchy and moody soundtrack”
“I am really in love with the music, which brings an incredible amount of atmosphere to the game - complemented, of course, by the sound effects.”
“I got to get into the main menu, where I'm greeted by a 1 fps choppiness and music.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling like a mindless chore focused on farming resources rather than engaging gameplay. Despite efforts to strategize and prepare, many report a lack of meaningful rewards, leading to repetitive deaths and a sense of futility in their grinding efforts. Overall, the experience is described as a monotonous grind that detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
“Tedious.”
“Breaking down items for experience and health points seems tedious.”
“No matter how much care and thought I put into preparation, they're just going to die in some boring random way, and no amount of care will make any difference at all - you're just going to die, over and over, really quickly, before anything interesting happens.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits a high replayability value, with players finding it enjoyable and fun despite its current faults and unfinished state. While some users appreciate the ease of learning the game mechanics, they also note that unexpected challenges can arise, adding to the replay experience. However, concerns about bugs and missing content from the original game may affect long-term replayability for some players.
“Certainly worth the wait for future updates, but even at the current level, it has a high replayability value.”
“But regardless of all its current faults, this game is really good, really fun, and very replayable. The basic mechanics are easy to learn, but don't mistake this game for being too easy, as it can unexpectedly challenge you.”
“However, this game feels vastly unfinished and is filled with bugs, lacking much of the content that made the original ADOM so wonderful and replayable.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
“The limited variety in gameplay mechanics leads to a repetitive experience.”
- humor6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it fresh and hilarious, contributing to an enjoyable experience. While some critiques mention a lack of depth compared to previous titles, the comedic elements and chaotic gameplay are highlighted as standout features that enhance the overall fun.
“My favorite game is Rogue's Tale, but that will have to rest for a while since this is fresh and funny. At first, I tried speed running the game, but now I take my time to make sure I can get a good score at least :)”
“Can't even be mad at it because it was hilarious.”
“The game is fun, funny, and amazing for the immense range of abilities and spells.”
“Calling this 'ultimate' when it's utterly threadbare compared to the original is an unfunny joke.”
“The attempts at humor feel forced and fall flat, making the experience more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
“I expected clever wit, but instead, I was met with tired clichés that just didn't land.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of Ultimate ADOM has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with reviewers feeling that the game lacks originality and depth compared to its predecessor. Many suggest that it seems designed primarily to capitalize on the established franchise rather than to offer a meaningful gaming experience.
“Ultimate ADOM is an insipid and toothless reboot to the franchise that accomplishes nothing and makes you think that this was little more than a cash grab meant to reel in the mobile game market using an established and beloved IP.”
“If you are even the slightest bit interested in this game, turn your sights to the original ADOM instead because, at the moment, this game feels like just a very polished cash grab, to be honest.”
“The original ADOM was a roguelike classic; unfortunately, this game is related in name only and appears to have been a low-effort cash grab.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive storytelling, diverse monster encounters, and intricate crafting and skill systems. The music and sound effects significantly enhance the overall experience, contributing to a captivating and engaging environment.
“The overall atmosphere, story, crafting, skill tree complexity, and countless different types of monsters you will face are amazing.”
“I really love the music, which brings an incredible amount of atmosphere to the game - complemented, of course, by the sound effects.”
