Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms - isometric action RPG with dynamic overworld

[Mr. Magniloquent]

My little review of the game:

Spoiler

TL;DR: You really have to like how the combat plays and accept the fact the game is closer to Diablo/Sacred with Dark Souls combat than Baldur's Gate in terms of how RPG-y it is. Otherwise you can end up being disappointed.

Some minor annoyances (minor for me, the might be a deal breaker for someone else, so I am listing them below):

- If you want to hear the Narrator you're forced to enable music.

- The quest log not having all the informations you need, meaning you can end up not being able to finish the quest if you don't pay attention to what NPC is saying or forgot it after returning to the game a week later.

- The other Champions are immortal and will harass you non-stop when you get all the Crystals. They aren't that difficult to defeat, but having to kill them over and over is annoying as they ressurect after 3 days. You can get rid of that by picking the solo campaign (the rewards from defeating the other Champions are not really worth worrying over).

- The hidden repair equipment button in the crafting tab(!). I didn't feel the need to craft anything (most stuff I found or got from quests is better anyways), which is why it took me so long to find out there is an option to repair equipment outside of crafting benches in the dungeon locations.

- Sometimes (mostly during intermissions when you enter a location for the first time, but this is true for some "lore" NPCs as well) the exchanges are too verbose. I like the idea of giving the player the feel of what a given location is, but they are trying too hard to provide information to the player at the expense of making the whole exchange believeable. The result is that these scenes sound artificial/fake, like a poorly executed play.

- In case of larger enemies it can be hard to judge the distances, and they can attack VERY fast (trolls, for example), which can hurt a lot.

- You have to go to the inn to manage your inventory. Considering you can't get attacked in a city/town/village I find the need to go to the inn just to unload my inventory or change my items to be a needless busywork.

- The AI companions can be helpful/useful, but I found them to be more of a distraction for enemies than something I am grateful for. In short; don't expect them to play tactically.

Things I like:

- The combat. There is plenty of playstyles that change how you approach the fights. There are also many skills, weapons and armours to pick from. It can also be quite demanding, even on the beginner difficulty (you have to win the game in order to unlock a harder mode).

- The world. It feels like a combination of Tolkien's traditional high fantasy with some elements from the Game of Thrones and for all its fault with the writing, it gives the world some sense of history and cultural identity, even if the delivery does not always land.

- Vorastel the Dice Game. This one is quite neatly executed, allowing for some strategy in a game consisting of - essentially - random dice rolling. It is also a nice way to make some money, outside of raiding the dungeons.

- The visuals are fantastic. The game gives me the Sacred vibes in 3D and the loading times are nigh-instant (although I have also a very strong PC, so your milage may vary).

- I adore the tabletop-y map. It is a joy to simply look at. It also has some nice functions that help you find locations (atlas of locations, I think it's called).

All in all I have a blast playing this game. It is really hard to put down once I start playing, because doing "just one more quest" or "just one more location" is quite addictive and I enjoy the combat wholesale.

I'm writing a review of this myself. I am in general agreement, though I think you like it better than I do. I enjoy the combat, art, and music but I dislike everything else. I guess I am also OK with how they did character development. I really want to like this game, and to some extent I do, but it's not one I will recommend except at a steep bargain.

 

[Harthwain]

I am in general agreement, though I think you like it better than I do. I enjoy the combat, art, and music but I dislike everything else. I guess I am also OK with how they did character development. I really want to like this game, and to some extent I do, but it's not one I will recommend except at a steep bargain.

Perfectly reasonable position. I think Alaloth is one of these games you hate or love and it is really easy to do either, depending on your personal taste.

I have to add one note about the crafting - for the entire game I had a problem with finding a decent two-handed sword. Now I realized you can craft weapons that can range from green through blue to purple AND you can throw in more fancy materials, so there could be more potential there than I originally thought. I will have to fiddle with this next weekend.

 

[Lhynn]

Is this shit getting any updates in the future?

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

I got around to beating this game tonight. The final boss was annoying. It took me two attempts, but that's not to say it was interesting. "Teleports behind you" meme. I have completed an overwhelming majority of this game, but my opinion hasn't really changed. Boo. I really wanted to like it, and there are aspects of which I do, but it is an identity crisis wrapped in amateurism. There are some solid bones here, but they build the wrong thing on them. This should have been a Diablo successor. A tight atmospheric dungeon crawler with challenging but fair combat. Instead it's an overambitious mess.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

I'm almost finished writing my review to submit for approval. In the course of gathering screenshots, I found myself softening several of the criticisms I had of the game. This game is still a victim of meandering scope creep, but I'll be revising my final draft to be a bit less harsh about it.

 

[cyborgboy95]

Free updates, massive content updates, books, comics, collectibles and more!

Hello Champions!

First and foremost, happy new year! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season. After a short break, we're back and ready to embark on a fresh chapter. This year is a bit of a restart for the team, as we bid farewell to a couple of longtime members and welcome some new faces. To those leaving, we send our heartfelt thanks and best wishes for the future. To those joining us, welcome aboard! We’re still a small, dedicated team, and there’s a ton on our plate, but we’re ready for the challenge. Before diving into our plans for 2025, that's something to say about the release.

As you all know, our 1.0 launch didn’t go exactly as planned. Initially set for the end of October, we had to postpone by a month to address some last-minute issues [on Steam side]. It was a hectic period, but we made it through. Launching as an indie team with a shoestring marketing budget, we relied heavily on organic growth, press, and support from our community. We didn’t have major streamers or even our own live streams during launch, but that’s the reality of being a small team. Still, we’re proud of what we achieved. Around 20k players joined us on launch day on Twitch, and we saw incredibly strong performance on GOG, thanks to their fantastic marketing support and a prominent homepage feature. While sales numbers were slightly below our expectations, they were strong enough to keep us moving forward. From the very beginning, we knew this would be a marathon, not a sprint, and now, we’re gearing up for the next big steps with our 2025 roadmap. We’ve got an exciting year ahead with a mix of free content updates, lore expansions, and unique collectibles. Here’s what you can expect!

WYRMWOOD AND OTHER FREE CONTENT UPDATES

The first major free update of the year, Wyrmwood, introduces a new area steeped in mystery and danger. The enchanted forest of Wyrmwood serves as the gateway to Vorrak'Tol, a savage island whose name means "Land of Fire and Claws" in the orcish tongue. Vorrak'Tol is an uncharted territory under the watchful eyes of the Talons, as its turbulent waters render it inaccessible by conventional means. The island is home to a massive dragon and a ferocious race of dragonkind that pose a grave threat to anyone daring to set foot on its shores. This update also brings a new boss area to the continent, where the Brak'Shak clan leader, Vrax, rallies his forces to threaten the southern lands.

Wyrmwood is just the beginning, be ready to see many new areas popping-up on the world map. New kingdoms? Who knows...

After the release of Wyrmwood, we’re excited to announce that Polish and Turkish localizations will be added to the game, following our ongoing work on tools and official localization that began in late 2024. This is just the beginning, our next steps will focus on Russian and Chinese localization, which will require a significant amount of work, but we're committed to expanding the reach of Alaloth.
Additionally, we’re introducing a brand-new samurai-inspired weapon and armor set, perfect for those who love to wield the blade. Get ready to take on your enemies with a powerful Nodachi and slice through them in epic fashion!

All of this and more will be coming your way starting in February, stay tuned for more updates!

THE TALES AND THE TEMPEST

We’re thrilled to share more about Alaloth: Tales, a series of books delving into the rich lore of Plamen. The first four titles, Black Sun, Tears of Heresy, The Dragon Bane, and Seas of Sand, explore the lives of legendary characters such as Volkar, Tornir, Vanril, and Dojhmarin. These stories unravel the histories of the great houses and clans, the epic battles, and the myths shaping the world of Alaloth. Whether you’ve met these characters in your adventures or simply heard their names whispered in tales, the series offers an immersive journey into the heart of Plamen’s past. The books will be available soon digitally both on Amazon and Steam.

You know how much we care about the world lore and the consistency of the world of Plamen. Tales is just the beginning of a serie of content dedicated to the world of Alaloth

As for The Tempest, our standalone comic book introducing the world of Plamen is already available in both digital and physical formats[www.amazon.it]. We’ve recently reclaimed the publishing rights and have begun translating the volume into EFIGS, with additional languages to follow. Soon, the physical edition will be hitting bookstores worldwide, allowing even more fans to discover the vibrant lore of Plamen. Details to follow.

CHANTS OF HEROES

Finally, we’re thrilled to announce Alaloth; Chants of Heroes, an amazing limited-edition vinyl. With nearly five hours of in-house music created for Alaloth, this exclusive vinyl includes a selection of the best tracks from our OST, carefully curated for real collectors. We’ve partnered with Southbound Press to make this happen, and preorders are already live on their website[www.southboundpress.it], with worldwide shipping available.

Collectors beware, be fast to reserve your numbered copy of Chants of Heroes. Only 500 available at launch!

WORKING ON THE FIRST MASSIVE DLC, CONSOLES ON THEIR WAY IN 2025

On top of all the exciting things already mentioned, we’re putting things together to announce the very first DLC for Alaloth. While we’re eager to share more, we’ve decided to hold off on the announcement for now because we’re still weighing our options on the best approach. We’re considering whether to release a massive DLC or divide it into a couple of smaller updates [but still huge], each with a lower price point. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this! This decision is also directly tied to the upcoming console version of the game, which is in the works and set for release later this year. So, for now, just sit back, enjoy the free updates, and stay tuned for more details as we continue to shape the future of Alaloth.

As usual,
thanks for the support and share the love!

Alberto

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