Vengeful Rites
- July 28, 2021
- Deep Dive Interactive
- 16h median play time
In 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.
Reviews
- The combat mechanics are engaging and require skill, with satisfying swordplay and a fun magic system that uses intuitive gestures.
- The game features a charming art style reminiscent of classic RPGs, providing an immersive experience despite its simplicity.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and actively update the game, showing a commitment to improving the overall experience.
- The graphics are basic and may not appeal to players looking for high-fidelity visuals, which could detract from the overall experience.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as the boss fights and enemy AI, can feel unbalanced, leading to frustrating encounters.
- The game currently lacks a more robust story and character development, making it feel somewhat empty in terms of narrative depth.
- gameplay99 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its engaging mechanics, including intuitive combat, a well-implemented magic system, and clever puzzles reminiscent of classic Zelda games. Players appreciate the depth and variety of gameplay elements, such as stealth, crafting, and exploration, despite some criticisms regarding graphics and occasional control issues. Overall, the game offers a fun and immersive experience, particularly in VR, with a well-paced progression that keeps players captivated for many hours.
“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 and controls are tailored perfectly for VR, so much so that I prefer playing this game more than Skyrim, despite the big gap in graphics quality.”
“The combat is engaging, the boss fights are pretty epic and have some unique mechanics, the magic is well implemented, and there is a progression system with perks 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.”
“The climbing mechanics are a chore.”
“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.”
- graphics86 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 gameplay experience. While many reviewers acknowledge the low graphical fidelity and basic art style, they emphasize that the engaging mechanics and immersive gameplay more than compensate for these visual shortcomings. Overall, the visuals are seen as an acquired taste, with some players appreciating the charm and consistency of the art style despite its amateurish appearance.
“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.”
“The game world itself is nicely fleshed out, really nice graphics which fit the style of the game perfectly.”
“It's a shame that the graphics/art style might put people off this game, but it is really worth buying and playing despite not 'looking' like it.”
“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.”
“Initially, my biggest complaint is that the graphics are pretty weak.”
- story40 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as simple and somewhat generic, focusing on a classic revenge plot with a charming execution and decent voice acting. While it may lack complexity, it effectively supports the gameplay, which includes puzzles and combat, and is engaging enough to keep players entertained throughout the experience. Overall, the narrative is seen as a solid foundation that complements the game's mechanics, despite some critiques of its shallowness.
“The story is nicely written.”
“An excellent, thought-out, classic RPG story adventure brought to life in VR.”
“The story is a simple but time-honored plot that fills the player with a reason to exist and fight in this world.”
“The story is pretty simple: get the evil guy who murdered your mentor. It features voice acting by one of the devs, which is done well and manages to be charming and earnest.”
“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.”
“The storytelling aspect is standard fare for an RPG, but it kept me entertained throughout - and the voice acting is pretty good as well.”
- stability8 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. However, users have reported some bugs, particularly in the tutorial and during specific interactions, such as climbing and swordplay, which can detract from the experience. Despite these issues, the game is still considered enjoyable and well-crafted for VR.
“The game looks and runs great as well.”
“Runs great at 120Hz on an i7 8700k, GTX 1080, and 32GB RAM. There are a few frame drops here and there, but nothing too bad.”
“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.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the funny voice acting and amusing NPCs. Many reviews highlight the effective blend of humor with engaging puzzles and game mechanics, making it a delightful experience for fans of RPGs and comedic elements. Overall, the humor is described as well-executed and enjoyable, contributing positively to the game's appeal.
“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.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly praised for its optimization, running smoothly even at high refresh rates like 120Hz, and is considered one of the most optimized titles by users. Its appealing art style further enhances the overall experience.
“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.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its fantastic and well-crafted retro vibe, effectively transporting players into a fantasy realm. However, some reviewers feel that the addition of more interactive elements, like 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.”
“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.”
“Some townsfolk in the few residential areas, a cow or two, and some chickens would go a long way towards adding a missing atmosphere.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music and sound effects in the game are highly praised, with reviewers highlighting their quality and charm. The score is described as gorgeous, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
“Gorgeous sound effects and music.”
“The music and sound effects were well done.”
“Great game, great mechanics, lots of charm, great music score.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers around 20 hours of linear gameplay, potentially extending to 30 hours for those struggling with navigation or puzzles. It features replayability through various equipment options, skill tree paths, and the opportunity to experiment with different character builds.
“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.”
“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. It has some replayability with a variety of equipment and different skill tree paths.”
“There's even some replay value in trying out different character builds.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating, as boss battles are excessively challenging and prolonged, compounded by the need to manage multiple enemies simultaneously, including those attacking from a distance with magic and arrows.
“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.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, feeling a sense of loss upon its conclusion and a desire to relive the experience anew, highlighting its impactful storytelling and immersive narrative.
“I was emotional that it ended, and I wish I could erase it from my memory and start fresh again.”