Vengeful Rites
- July 28, 2021
- Deep Dive Interactive
- 16h median play time
Get on SteamIn Vengeful Rites, navigate a dark fantasy world as a fallen angel seeking retribution. Solve puzzles, battle enemies, and make moral choices that impact the story. With hand-drawn visuals and a haunting soundtrack, this atmospheric action-adventure game offers a rich narrative experience centered on redemption and revenge.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The combat mechanics are engaging and require skill, with satisfying swordplay and a fun magic system that uses intuitive gestures.
- The game offers a charming and colorful world reminiscent of classic RPGs, with enjoyable puzzles and exploration elements.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and actively update the game, showing a commitment to improving the player experience.
- The graphics are simplistic and may not appeal to everyone, potentially detracting from the overall experience.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as the spell-casting menu and climbing controls, can feel clunky and may disrupt immersion.
- The game can suffer from balance issues, particularly in boss fights, where some encounters may feel overly difficult compared to regular enemies.
- gameplay198 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its depth and variety, featuring engaging combat mechanics, clever puzzles reminiscent of classic Zelda games, and a well-implemented magic system that utilizes gesture controls. Players appreciate the intuitive controls tailored for VR, the satisfying swordplay, and the balance between exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving, despite some criticisms regarding graphics and occasional control issues. Overall, the game offers a captivating and immersive experience, with many players noting its potential for future updates and expansions.
“The gameplay is actually really fun, and there are some really cool Legend of Zelda-like puzzles to solve with the powers you get throughout the game.”
“The gameplay feels natural and is well-suited to VR.”
“The combat is engaging, the boss fights are pretty epic and have some unique mechanics, the magic is well implemented, there is a progression system with perks and random boons or accessories you can find, and plenty of loot to go around.”
“Oh, the game has multiple flaws, such as rudimentary graphics, bad voice acting, wonky controls, balance issues, trap choices, obscure mechanics, frustrating segments, and repetitive, look-alike areas.”
“It's jack of all trades, master of none when it comes to gameplay mechanics, but the more I've played, the more I liked it as a whole.”
“The climbing mechanics are a chore.”
- graphics172 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple, cartoonish, and reminiscent of older titles, which may deter some players but do not detract significantly from the overall experience. While many reviewers acknowledge the low graphical fidelity and basic art style, they emphasize that the engaging gameplay and mechanics more than compensate for these visual shortcomings. Overall, the visuals are seen as an acquired taste, with some players appreciating the charm and immersive qualities despite their simplicity.
“The graphics are fantastic as well, it feels like you're in a toonish world like Wind Waker.”
“Don't let the cartoonish visuals fool you, because this game offers solid gameplay and a good lengthy adventure.”
“It's definitely not perfect, but if you can look past the relatively simple graphical style you're in for a real treat.”
“I tried really hard to like this game and disregard the poor graphics and clash in art style because it's an indie dev, but the game is just way too bad.”
“I respect what the devs have done and tried to do with this game, and that they're an indie studio, but I just can't move beyond the incredibly poor and amateur aesthetic and art style of the game.”
“It's not even the low graphics; there are games that look fine like Rec Room while also being low poly, but the overall design just seems beginner level and that extends to the visuals of the UI as well.”
- story80 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as simple and somewhat generic, revolving around a classic revenge plot, but it is well-executed with charming voice acting and a quirky tone that keeps players engaged. While the narrative may not be deeply complex, it effectively complements the gameplay, which includes puzzles and combat, making it enjoyable despite its shortcomings. Overall, the story serves as a solid foundation for the immersive VR experience, though some players feel it lacks depth and could benefit from more intricate storytelling elements.
“The story is nicely written.”
“An excellent, thought-out, classic RPG story adventure brought to life in VR.”
“Vengeful Rites is an exceptional 'made-for-VR' single-player campaign title that takes us back to the golden age of well-crafted classic games that created within us a sense of fun and discovery that resulted from the mixing of story, characters, and player progression.”
“The gameplay is amazing, while the story is quite lacking; it doesn't matter as the puzzles keep you guessing and the combat keeps you immersed, always trying to do better and wield your spells and weapons to outdo the enemies.”
“The story is a pretty simple get the evil guy who murdered your mentor, with voice acting by one of the devs, but it's done well and manages to be charming and earnest.”
“This game's weaknesses are the story and the graphics.”
- stability16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with smooth performance at 120Hz and minimal game-breaking glitches reported. However, users have encountered some bugs, particularly in the tutorial and during specific interactions, such as climbing and swordplay mechanics. While there are occasional frame drops and minor issues, the game is still considered enjoyable and well-crafted for VR.
“The game looks and runs great as well.”
“Runs great at 120Hz, i7 8700k, GTX 1080, 32GB; a few frame drops here and there, but nothing too bad.”
“The game looks and runs great as well.”
“The tutorial was very buggy and climbing the first ladder I kept clipping through the wall and then getting stuck, so I had to restart. I also couldn't pull my sword off of my side after I had it there, as the hands simply would not interact with it, but they would interact with everything else.”
“I have played through to the end of chapter 2, which is the end at the moment, and although a little buggy, it has been a lot of fun.”
“The main aspects of the game are all quite fine and promising, such as the combat system, though swordplay is a bit buggy for both parry and hit detection.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is generally well-received, with players appreciating the funny NPCs and clever dialogue, despite some noting that the voice acting lacks professionalism. Many reviews highlight the humor as a strong point, complementing the fun puzzles and overall game design, making it a delightful experience for fans of RPGs.
“This game has good humor, fun puzzles, and what the small team undertook they accomplished well!”
“I can 100% guarantee you'll enjoy it if you like RPGs, good game design, or hilarious humor.”
“There is just the right amount of humor and it is on point.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly praised for its optimization, running exceptionally smoothly even at high refresh rates like 120Hz. Players appreciate both its performance and its beautiful art style, making it one of the most optimized games they have experienced.
“The game is well optimized (running this at 120Hz on the Index) and has a very appealing art style.”
“First of all, let's talk about performance; this game runs so incredibly smooth it has to be one of the most optimized games I've ever played.”
“The game is still beautiful due to the art performance.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its well-crafted, retro vibe that effectively transports players into a fantasy realm. However, some reviewers feel that the addition of more interactive elements, such as townsfolk and animals, could enhance the overall immersion.
“I feel like I can honestly comment that this is fantastic - the atmosphere, even as simple or old-school as it is, is really fantastic.”
“Some townsfolk in the few residential areas, a cow or two, and some chickens would go a long way towards adding a missing atmosphere.”
“The environments have a nice retro vibe and a surprising amount of atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is well-crafted and I truly feel like I'm being transported into a fantasy realm.”
- music6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects in the game are consistently praised for their quality, contributing to an overall charming experience. Reviewers highlight the well-executed score as a standout feature that enhances the gameplay.
“Gorgeous sound effects and music.”
“The music and sound effects were well done.”
“Great game, great mechanics, lots of charm, great music score.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers around 20 to 30 hours of gameplay, depending on player skill, and features notable replayability through various equipment options, skill tree paths, and character builds, encouraging players to explore different strategies in subsequent playthroughs.
“The story is about 20 hours of on-rails gaming, though if you have problems navigating or with the puzzles, that could stretch to 30 hours. Plus, it's got some replayability with a variety of equipment and different skill tree paths.”
“There's even some replay value in trying out different character builds.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively challenging, particularly during boss battles that are prolonged and frustrating. The constant engagement in group battles, where players are bombarded with projectiles while managing multiple enemies, adds to the tediousness of the grinding experience.
“Boss battles are insanely difficult and tediously drag on, and you are constantly faced with group battles where you are being shot at with magic projectiles and arrows while having to engage other enemies in sword battles.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express strong emotional responses to the game's conclusion, with many wishing they could experience it anew, highlighting the profound impact it had on them.
“I was emotional that it ended, and I wish I could erase it from my memory and start fresh again.”
