REVIEW : Reverie Knights Tactics (XBOX Series X)
Reverie Knights Tactics is an isometric tactical role-playing game set in a fantasy environment and heavily influenced by traditional position games. Reverie Knights Tactics is an attractive, hand-drawn, turn-based strategy game with ethical quandaries to make, but does it live up to its fantasy ambitions? Reverie Knights, strengthening the lineup of turn-based strategy RPGs, published a prologue edition of its first session in July 2021, to mixed reviews. While neither perfect or the peak of the genre, the end result has a lot of things going for it. Although some of the systems were a little light, I thoroughly liked my time planning through its puzzle-like combat.
The plot of Reverie Knights Tactics isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s solid and has lots of personality. It’s a word that can apply to so much of Reverie Knights Tactics, from its gameplay to its aesthetics — rock-solid and full of character – and it’s not meant as a backhanded compliment. Before we get into the meat of the matter, it’s important to note that the characters and universe of Reverie Knights Tactics are based on Marcelo Cassaro’s writings. Indeed, this individual is the author of the “Dungeon Crawler” series of books, as well as Tormenta in general. In the latter, you can accompany Aurora, Brigandine, and Fren on their quest to reclaim Lenórienn, a forgotten kingdom in the realm of Arton. As you may have guessed, the scenario in the title is nearly identical. Lenórienn was a beautiful city, but it was created on the backs of many sacrifices. Goblins seeking vengeance launched a violent assault to seize possession of the elves’ capital. Many years have gone since then, and a squad has been dispatched to reclaim control of Lenórienn. But, after a period of silence, Aurora, the title’s protagonist, will be chosen to look into the matter with the squad, which includes her father among its members. It may appear to be a heavy, dull tale, but Reverie Knights Tactics focuses more on its characters, and this is where it shines.
Brigandine is a happy-go-lucky heroine who is always hungry, whereas Fern, your elf guide, is another one of those icy characters who warms up as the story progresses. They’re very likeable, and the plot provides plenty of opportunities for them to converse and debate about. It’s always a small pleasure to spend time with the folks in Reverie Knights Tactics. There’s also a rudimentary morality system in place, as you may choose whether to be ‘obedient’ or ‘chaotic’ in dialogue. It’s not all one-way traffic, either; your decisions lead you along a few distinct routes, with different characters reacting to you depending on current alignment. We chose ‘obedient,’ which, thankfully, did not imply that we were ‘good.’ We had to make some tough decisions that put the mission first.
You’ll meet a variety of personalities in the form of your company and traveling companions during the duration of your about 10 hour adventure. Brigandine is a fearless yet stoic warrior who enjoys nothing more than eating. Fren, a hot-headed, scornful, yet sympathetic Elf, and another character whose identity I will not reveal. There are a few others in your camp who will eventually join the ranks, such as the chef, who can create healing goods, the pirate captain, who can open bomb possibilities, and Bharratt, who we’ll return to later. The plot is very straightforward, with the first hour establishing the war’s and the world’s contexts. Characters are introduced early, and most will have evident characteristics that don’t change too much as the story unfolds. Along the way, you’ll encounter a variety of dialogue and choice possibilities, some of which have no consequences and others which come under the morality system. Each choice piles into either chaos or order . Your choices will influence how characters react to you, how specific scenarios play out, and even how the game ends. The dialogues are well-written and enjoyable to read. Each character’s spirit is quite easy to understand, not to add that they are all unique. One of the characters, for example, usually speaks in the 3rd person since he represents one of the gods directly. Surprising at first, this just adds to the universe’s and the topics addressed in this adventure’s profundity. We just don’t like how long it takes, which is only about 6-7 hours. We’re hungry for more! Furthermore, many discussions will go so far as to provide options that will have an impact. The choices made will influence a chaos or order gauge. Despite what their name suggests, there’s more to them than meets the eye.
Despite their name, there was nothing inherently moral or immoral about them; rather, it’s the severity or prudence of Aurora’s reactions. As a result, some sentences will be altered as a result of what happened chosen, while other scenarios will be entirely different. However, the most intriguing aspect is most likely the talents gained, which will vary depending on the affiliation of the characters. Finally, certain side tasks are available, and they add to the scenario, so they are highly encouraged, if the crew holds together.
Reverie Knights Tactics touts stunning hand-drawn visuals throughout, and it mostly delivers on that promise. You’ll be attracted by the use of intensely contrasted and dark colours. The designs of the characters and enemies are imaginative and detailed, and some of the most powerful spells and team assaults are lethally thrilling. However, the globe map you navigate about can appear a little too simplistic, since the way you travel from location to location over a stationary landscape can feel quite mobile-like. Some of the animations aren’t quite as sharp or fluid as the general art style, which is a shame because it stands out against such beautiful levels. It’s a curiously mixed bag, because the visuals have some very amazing art direction and ingenuity, but it also feels as though some shortcuts were cut in spots that detract from the overall aesthetic.
When you play on normal, your health and mana do not regenerate after each fight, posing the interesting choice of gathering resources in the combat arena and recovering before finishing a fight, or risking your chances in the next skirmish. In Reverie Knights Tactics, we struggle to make the fighting sound particularly fancy, but what it does, it does very well. For one thing, everything is quite clear. Everything is presented . the main, clear, and random, from the enemy’ attack and movement ranges to the expected harm from your own assaults. Before you make a move, you know exactly what will happen. Each level has an excellent objective system in which you can earn more ‘cogni’ , if you meet a few conditions, forcing you to mix up your playstyles. Without them, it would be far too easy to fall into a rut. There’s also a clever team-up mechanic that allows you to combine your attacks in a sort of Mortal Kombat-style fatality sequence, minus the gore.
On the other hand, there’s a nagging sense of repetition throughout the proceedings. The backgrounds may change but there’s no getting around how bland they all are, and there’s only so many ways you can present a level. In terms of tactics, Reverie Knights Tactics is too conservative: you only receive four characters, and those cast members will appear in every scenario except the first few. Each character has only a dozen skills to pick from, and rising up is purely a matter of choosing between Attack, Finesse, and Defense. Reverie Knights Tactics might have made controlling your squad much more challenging and fascinating with a little more care and emphasis. Reverie Knights Tactics provides a good foundation for this, but it lacks that additional level of detail that encourages exploration and individuality. Each character gains experience points, which you can use to improve Strength (damage output), Dexterity (critical/glance chance), and Defense . In reality, each upgrade amounted to something of a minor modifier boost. As my heroes’ stockpiles grew and their gear improved, I focused only on Might to expedite combat and eliminate the need for more serious decision-making. While levelling up, you’ll receive new alternative talents, spells, and abilities. Some are interestingly linked to your chaotic and disorder rank, providing unique possibilities based on how you’ve ethically aligned yourself. Several of the later skills are ridiculously powerful and actually increase your sensation of threat, which is fantastic. However, I didn’t need to use the majority of them because my tried-and-true setups had already found to be successful. I tried a few different approaches, but they were all less effective, and the results were the same. Reverie Knights Tactics, on the other hand, breeds goodwill. There is always more to drive you forward in this game, from its appealing people to its pulpy epic plot, from its simple action to its colourful visuals. You might complain about the lack of glitz and glam that would set it apart from other turn-based video games, but hey, there’s a teaser for a sequel, so perhaps Reverie Knights Tactics 2 will provide.
