This one kind of flew under the radar for me back when it came out but with all the hype surrounding the sequel, it seemed like a great time to play the first game ($30 USD).
Definitely have never played an RPG quite like it. It’s extremely difficult for me so far but not in a rage-inducing way, more like I keep dying because I’m playing it like Skyrim. It feels like a slow burn type of game, where the more time I invest in my character, the stronger he’ll become and the more enjoyable the game will be.
Anyone else playing the first game right around now?
Started it a month and a half ago and really enjoyed it!
The combat was real tough at the start, but i felt training with Bernard helped both myself and Henry.
The saving mechanic was an interesting one. It became fun having while sleeping, so more courageous for an adventure first thing in the morning. Quite scary getting back to a bed at night after a full day. Though embracing alchemy made all that moot.
Those dang impassable bushes!
How did alchemy help with that? I haven’t gotten into alchemy just yet. I felt the same about combat as welll, though, it’s so hard at first but even after only training a little bit, I’m noticing it feeling a lot easier both because I’m getting used to the controls and because Henry is getting stronger. It’s a very satisfying progression. Same with lock picking as well. I hated the system at first but now that I’m getting better, it’s becoming easier and way more fun.
I’m interested in the setting and the slower, more organic progression. But I’ve read so many of putting reviews. Like gear that breaks down after a couple uses. Limited saves because it’s linked to some ressource. It all sounds more tedious than fun and immersive. And as an adult with responsabilities I just don’t have the time for tedium anymore. I get enough of that at work. I’d love for someone to contradict me tho!
It is not as bad if you approach it with open mind. I’m the person who quicksaves twice before hitting “save and exit” so it definitely took effort but the saves are not that bad. It is definitely more tedious at start, later you have enough resources to use the Saviour Shnaps (the item that lets you save whenever) more. Game also saves when you sleep so you just need to go to sleep when able and it’s alright. I don’t remember gear breaking tbh but you probably do have to do some maintenance on i to keep using it.
As OP says, it is very slow burn and can be difficult at start because the combat can be a bit janky, due to it being very different to what you may be used to - uses direcional inputs in a similar way as For Honor does, but has more directions. So you have to get used to thay but also your character is literal peasant who knows shit (you even have to learn to read) so it takes time for both you and your character to get decent at stuff. But I found it worth it.
There is a mod that allows for unlimited saving without the need to use Saviour Schnapps to save. When the game was first release the only way to save was by sleeping in certain beds, after quest progress and by manually saving using Saviour Schapps. They later added a quit and save option which I think should’ve been in the game since the beginning. Because back then I’d often lose progress when I didn’t have Saviour Schnapps or the ingredients to make them, and I didn’t have a bed nearby. So that kind of ruined the experience for me. With the Unlimited Saves mod, though, you can save anytime you want just like in other games.
Gear doesn’t break that often, and you can buy repair kits that have X uses and you can use those to repair your gear anytime. :)
The gear gets hurt during fights but even at my low level 7 I can go sharpen my sword again and I’ve enough coins to fix whatever got damaged in the last ambush. It’s not ridiculous either. Only my chest and helmet were really damaged. But yes, it’s all very slow paced.
I just make sure to go to bed and it saves without costing anything. Plus Henry does get tired, and the roads are more dangerous at night
Yeah I game it too many tries to be played as it meant… It is a waste of fuckig time.
The saving mode makes it playable but i found out about it too late.
New game kept this system like
Jfc
Yeah I picked it up last month, I’m finally getting the hang of combat, or Henry is getting better at it.
I really enjoy all the little things too. Riding out of town exploring etc, then coming back filthy covered in blood, go to a bath house get cleaned up. Mend my clothes and repeat
Yeah I picked it up last month, I’m finally getting the hang of combat, or Henry is getting better at it.
It’s both. They actually made a pretty neat system, where you get warnings to attack/block earlier at higher levels. So as your real-life skill improves, the games also makes it easier for you, meaning you get a double whammy of improvement.
I love games like this where you start useless and become a god of war
I have had this game for ages and only played a bit at the beginning. I like that it is very detailed and has a lot of historic context. I think the Devs spent a lot of time trying to make it really close to how things were looking back then. I am personally not a big fan of the story, which in my opinion is a bit dull and uninspiring, but I like the fact that you are first complete noob, that can die by pretty much everything in the game and you slowly build your skills and become more skilled.
There are also things I don’t like. The whole combat system is very clumsy, the unlocking doesn’t work with a controller and since I am playing it on a SD, I needed to install some auto cheat to be able to break into chests. Saving is also quite frustrating, at least at the beginning. Herbalism also doesn’t work too well and is clumsy. Overall I would say it is 7.5/10 game, definitely worth the try but not a must.
Giving it a replay on realistic mode, it’s good fun! I like not fast traveling, and having to figure out where you are by actually reading the map is fun.
It has its jank, and the silly macho-vibes suck, but it’s a really interesting and unique game. Try to lean into its oddities, they actually work quite well when you give them a chance. The saviour schnapps saving system is not that punishing, but it does mean you either have to commit your early economy to saving/stealing schnapps or accept that you will fail quests and die in combat without being able to quickly reload a recent save.
Ultimately, I enjoy games that force me to take failure seriously, but that’s a matter of taste. It does make riding through the woods pretty intense with the threat of getting ambushed.
I’ve always loved the Middle Ages as a preferred setting and I found this game to be incredibly awesome. I installed the save game mod pretty quickly and got very far in the game. I found the combat a bit frustrating and mostly just cheesed it by spamming thrust, which worked ok until some big battles toward the end where I got stuck and gave up.
I would like to revisit and finish it before buying #2 when it goes on sale but I’ve tried a dozen times and can’t get past that battle. Any tips besides loading an earlier save and getting stronger? I might just watch a let’s play from that point but I would like to finish the game myself.
Try to use the combat skills you’ve unlocked instead of spamming thrust.
General combat advice:
- Train your battle skills with Bernard(?) at the training ground. Both to get some XP and to learn some important moves other than spamming thrust.
- Master stroke (?) is a really useful riposte move which will make things a lot easier.
- In general, avoid taking on more than one opponent until you’re well-armored
- Use the right weapon, ideally a type you’ve both trained with and which is effective against your type of foe, e.g. warhammer for armoured foes.
Had given up on it two years ago and with the release of the second decided to revisit. The combat is clunky as fuck, but I really do enjoy the heart of the game, for lack of a better word.
I just wish it crashed less T_T No real saves and constant full freeze with hard reboots is not fun.
Which should tell you how much I do enjoy what I get to play that I’ve sunk about thirty hours so far. Getting my first horse and hunting game in the woods to feed the sick, being ambushed by a gang of three brigands and their dog to fend them off, barely. Stumbling upon a burnt hut in the woods and discovering a treasure… The sense of discovery and exploration is spot on. Losing all that because fuck knows what, not so much.
