Codex Review RPG Codex Review: Grimoire: Heralds of the Winged Exemplar

[Mynon]

They don't even like great games like Pillars of Eternity.

Um, you even tried to read that PoE retrospective?

 

[Grauken]

Surprisingly brutal review.

This is the Codex. They don't even like great games like Pillars of Eternity. Why should a shit game be given a pass ?

The review isn't especially brutal, it mentions the flaws but at the same time goes just as much into the things that make Grimoire work or why it can be quite fun to play initially

 

[Cleveland Mark Blakemore]

I also think that it's this belief that has prompted a review now as a finished game rather than a work in progress, and that's the only issue I have with the review. While Cleve is still working on it (and he clearly is) it should have been a first look not a final review, no matter whether the game is available to buy or not.

Why? No other developer had this treatment. No one looked at Mass Effect: Andromeda and went "the game have several bugs and animation issues, so we'll hold our review".

All of this is a Wizardry staple. Running into mobs of casters that murderise you in one turn with spellspam is part of the package. Being just as likely to run into said casters as into giant rats is part of the package as well.

Take Wiz 7 and the "greater wilds"/"brombadian bay" area in the southwest corner of the map - the encounter table for that one includes starter-zone-tier glow moths and vampire rooks, a little tougher glow/luna mothras and zoids, still a bit tougher vampire vultures and bantari, much tougher thraxes, and finally stuff like 5 mobs of 8 turbothraxes that all spit aoe acid or godzylli and rexx that stomp your balls for 400 damage and breathe fireballs.

It's a question of scale. You're mentioning a specific area - I'm talking about the entire world after you leave the super demo area.

From that point on I barely used my Cleric to heal during combat because it was useless - either the monster were so harmless that the damage wasn't deadly and I could just attack OR the monster was so deadly that it killed in one hit, making healing useless - better to attack and be sure I would kill it quickly.

Moreover, unlike Wizardry, these weren't actually powerful monsters we're talking about - many will die with a single melee attack. But they always kill with one hit. Look:

That's Olaf, a Lv 9 giant berserk you can recruit later in the game. He has a huge HP pool, very high stats and was wearing my best armor. But there wasn't even a damage roll - the attack just killed him instantly. Not a critical, not a special skill - that's the basic attack of Trog Warriors. That's the insta-kill crap I'm talking about, that SEVERAL enemies have.

In Wizardry there's a real sense of progression as you level up, you can go back and faceroll all those encounters that gave you trouble earlier on. That's one of the joys of games with no level scalling. But in Grimoire my party 30hs in was dying to flowers just like my party was after 80hs.

FelipePepe, manboons are not learning animals. Where are all your persist spells for this area? You should have 9 different orbs floating in the viewport and you should keep them refreshed, knowing this is a very dangerous area.

As for these troglodytes, are you aware there about three different ways to completely avoid combat with the heavier encounters here altogether?

Yes, if you charge around this area on Progress Quest punching buttons, these trogs will make hamburger out of you quickly. Those impaler spears are designed to kill newbs and Brazilians very quickly down here.

I don't think after 40 hours you should know this little about what you are doing. Grimoire is not an anime grinder. It takes brainpower to play. The insta-kill is a classic part of Wizardry and many other RPGs which you claim to be familiar with ... but I don't think you are. You are like a popamole in sheep's clothing, creeping about in the game going guize I'm totally hardcore wiz player ... but your amazement that your candy ass is getting waxed down here doesn't make any sense. This is a very dangerous area. You cannot popamole through it.

Try thinking a bit about all the options available in the game other than just charging around and crying mascara tears because your like totally maxed out giant got killed by a spear. Thrown and everything. FelipePepe, Grimoire is not for amateurs. If anything, what I meant by unbalanced was simple - there are exploits in the game that even enable people like you to win it. You're right. I need to fix those immediately because amateurs and millennial crybabies should not last ten seconds in the Saltwyrm Caves. The trogs are guarding one of the tablets down here and they have standing orders to kill Brazilians twice. The only way you should be going through this area is with persistent spells floating around like Armorplate, Magic Screen and Missile Screen ... ready to be jumped at any moment. Did you discover how to make the trog army stand aside and let you pass?

 

[Mynon]

FelipePepe, manboons are not learning animals. Where are all your persist spells for this area? You should have 9 different orbs floating in the viewport and you should keep them refreshed, knowing this is a very dangerous area.

As for these troglodytes, are you aware there about three different ways to completely avoid combat with the heavier encounters here altogether?

Yes, if you charge around this area on Progress Quest punching buttons, these trogs will make hamburger out of you quickly. Those impaler spears are designed to kill newbs and Brazilians very quickly down here.

I don't think after 40 hours you should know this little about what you are doing. Grimoire is not an anime grinder. It takes brainpower to play. The insta-kill is a classic part of Wizardry and many other RPGs which you claim to be familiar with ... but I don't think you are. You are like a popamole in sheep's clothing, creeping about in the game going guize I'm totally hardcore wiz player ... but your amazement that your candy ass is getting waxed down here doesn't make any sense. This is a very dangerous area. You cannot popamole through it.

Try thinking a bit about all the options available in the game other than just charging around and crying mascara tears because your like totally maxed out giant got killed by a spear. Thrown and everything. FelipePepe, Grimoire is not for amateurs. If anything, what I meant by unbalanced was simple - there are exploits in the game that even enable people like you to win it. You're right. I need to fix those immediately because amateurs and millennial crybabies should not last ten seconds in the Saltwyrm Caves. The trogs are guarding one of the tablets down here and they have standing orders to kill Brazilians twice. The only way you should be going through this area is with persistent spells floating around like Armorplate, Magic Screen and Missile Screen ... ready to be jumped at any moment. Did you discover how to make the trog army stand aside and let you pass?

I rate this post "Butthurt"...

 

[Darth Roxor]

 

[Cleveland Mark Blakemore]

FelipePepe, manboons are not learning animals. Where are all your persist spells for this area? You should have 9 different orbs floating in the viewport and you should keep them refreshed, knowing this is a very dangerous area.

As for these troglodytes, are you aware there about three different ways to completely avoid combat with the heavier encounters here altogether?

Yes, if you charge around this area on Progress Quest punching buttons, these trogs will make hamburger out of you quickly. Those impaler spears are designed to kill newbs and Brazilians very quickly down here.

I don't think after 40 hours you should know this little about what you are doing. Grimoire is not an anime grinder. It takes brainpower to play. The insta-kill is a classic part of Wizardry and many other RPGs which you claim to be familiar with ... but I don't think you are. You are like a popamole in sheep's clothing, creeping about in the game going guize I'm totally hardcore wiz player ... but your amazement that your candy ass is getting waxed down here doesn't make any sense. This is a very dangerous area. You cannot popamole through it.

Try thinking a bit about all the options available in the game other than just charging around and crying mascara tears because your like totally maxed out giant got killed by a spear. Thrown and everything. FelipePepe, Grimoire is not for amateurs. If anything, what I meant by unbalanced was simple - there are exploits in the game that even enable people like you to win it. You're right. I need to fix those immediately because amateurs and millennial crybabies should not last ten seconds in the Saltwyrm Caves. The trogs are guarding one of the tablets down here and they have standing orders to kill Brazilians twice. The only way you should be going through this area is with persistent spells floating around like Armorplate, Magic Screen and Missile Screen ... ready to be jumped at any moment. Did you discover how to make the trog army stand aside and let you pass?

I rate this post "Butthurt"...

Sorry, is the purpose of the game to accommodate people who do not learn as they play? Because I never designed Grimoire for people who just want to punch buttons and collect cheevos. FelipePepe is crying because his favorite giant got killed by a spear. Well, that happens when you charge around inside a foggy cave with trogs hurling spears at you from all directions. Try throwing up missile shield or armorplate.

I don't believe FelipePepe has ever played any Wizardry game in his life. Or most blobbers, for that matter.

One of the most rewarding things about Wizardry games is entering an area your entire party just got wiped out in and realising once you learned the proper tactic it was not that hard at all. It only seemed like it when you were charging around in an autistic spasm swinging your standard weapon at everything without even pausing for strategy.

 

[Mynon]

FelipePepe, manboons are not learning animals. Where are all your persist spells for this area? You should have 9 different orbs floating in the viewport and you should keep them refreshed, knowing this is a very dangerous area.

As for these troglodytes, are you aware there about three different ways to completely avoid combat with the heavier encounters here altogether?

Yes, if you charge around this area on Progress Quest punching buttons, these trogs will make hamburger out of you quickly. Those impaler spears are designed to kill newbs and Brazilians very quickly down here.

I don't think after 40 hours you should know this little about what you are doing. Grimoire is not an anime grinder. It takes brainpower to play. The insta-kill is a classic part of Wizardry and many other RPGs which you claim to be familiar with ... but I don't think you are. You are like a popamole in sheep's clothing, creeping about in the game going guize I'm totally hardcore wiz player ... but your amazement that your candy ass is getting waxed down here doesn't make any sense. This is a very dangerous area. You cannot popamole through it.

Try thinking a bit about all the options available in the game other than just charging around and crying mascara tears because your like totally maxed out giant got killed by a spear. Thrown and everything. FelipePepe, Grimoire is not for amateurs. If anything, what I meant by unbalanced was simple - there are exploits in the game that even enable people like you to win it. You're right. I need to fix those immediately because amateurs and millennial crybabies should not last ten seconds in the Saltwyrm Caves. The trogs are guarding one of the tablets down here and they have standing orders to kill Brazilians twice. The only way you should be going through this area is with persistent spells floating around like Armorplate, Magic Screen and Missile Screen ... ready to be jumped at any moment. Did you discover how to make the trog army stand aside and let you pass?

I rate this post "Butthurt"...

Sorry, is the purpose of the game to accommodate people who do not learn as they play? Because I never designed Grimoire for people who just want to punch buttons and collect cheevos. FelipePepe is crying because his favorite giant got killed by a spear. Well, that happens when you charge around inside a foggy cave with trogs hurling spears at you from all directions. Try throwing up missile shield or armorplate.

I don't believe FelipePepe has ever played any Wizardry game in his life. Or most blobbers, for that matter.

You haven't designed it for people who wand well-designed and tightly balanced games of any sort either, going by his review and comments...

As for the personal attack on him at the end, anyone who followed his posting on this forum to any extent can see it for BS.

 

[Somberlain]

#JeSuisGoldenBaby

 

[Cleveland Mark Blakemore]

FelipePepe, manboons are not learning animals. Where are all your persist spells for this area? You should have 9 different orbs floating in the viewport and you should keep them refreshed, knowing this is a very dangerous area.

As for these troglodytes, are you aware there about three different ways to completely avoid combat with the heavier encounters here altogether?

Yes, if you charge around this area on Progress Quest punching buttons, these trogs will make hamburger out of you quickly. Those impaler spears are designed to kill newbs and Brazilians very quickly down here.

I don't think after 40 hours you should know this little about what you are doing. Grimoire is not an anime grinder. It takes brainpower to play. The insta-kill is a classic part of Wizardry and many other RPGs which you claim to be familiar with ... but I don't think you are. You are like a popamole in sheep's clothing, creeping about in the game going guize I'm totally hardcore wiz player ... but your amazement that your candy ass is getting waxed down here doesn't make any sense. This is a very dangerous area. You cannot popamole through it.

Try thinking a bit about all the options available in the game other than just charging around and crying mascara tears because your like totally maxed out giant got killed by a spear. Thrown and everything. FelipePepe, Grimoire is not for amateurs. If anything, what I meant by unbalanced was simple - there are exploits in the game that even enable people like you to win it. You're right. I need to fix those immediately because amateurs and millennial crybabies should not last ten seconds in the Saltwyrm Caves. The trogs are guarding one of the tablets down here and they have standing orders to kill Brazilians twice. The only way you should be going through this area is with persistent spells floating around like Armorplate, Magic Screen and Missile Screen ... ready to be jumped at any moment. Did you discover how to make the trog army stand aside and let you pass?

I rate this post "Butthurt"...

Sorry, is the purpose of the game to accommodate people who do not learn as they play? Because I never designed Grimoire for people who just want to punch buttons and collect cheevos. FelipePepe is crying because his favorite giant got killed by a spear. Well, that happens when you charge around inside a foggy cave with trogs hurling spears at you from all directions. Try throwing up missile shield or armorplate.

I don't believe FelipePepe has ever played any Wizardry game in his life. Or most blobbers, for that matter.

You haven't designed it for people who wand well-designed and tightly balanced games of any sort either, going by his review and comments...

As for the personal attack on him at the end, anyone who followed his posting on this forum to any extent can see it for BS.

Alright, well I can see you love him. I still don't believe he has much if any experience with Wizardry or any really hard turn-based games before. A lot of this is pretty standard for the classics. Much of this zeitgeist was gathered by looking at the way Wiz 7 played and trying to duplicate aspects of it. Appears this is the first time FelipePepe has seen something like this judging by his comments.

 

[Diggfinger]

FelipePepe, manboons are not learning animals. Where are all your persist spells for this area? You should have 9 different orbs floating in the viewport and you should keep them refreshed, knowing this is a very dangerous area.
?

Hi Cleve,

I'm really interested in trying the game:
a) any plans to release it on GOG?
b) will existing bugs/quirks still be addressed in future patches?

Regards,
Digg

 

[Decado]

It is almost never a good idea to start arguing with a critic over points critical of your art (that goes for anything: music, prose, etc).

 

[Lord Andre]

The review is a joke. Like we've pointed out, felipepe bungled through the game without even bothering to try and understand the game mechanics and then rushed to the forums to preach because "the customer has a right to know" and similar self masturbatory derp.

The only agreeable information is that the upper part of the experience table needs to be toned down a bit something Cleve said he'd do.

It's telling that his favorite parts are the tutorial puzzles because a child could figure them out.

 

[Bumvelcrow]

Why? No other developer had this treatment. No one looked at Mass Effect: Andromeda and went "the game have several bugs and animation issues, so we'll hold our review".

What, hold your precious Codex review? We surely can't have that. I called your review good and fair, but apparently I didn't genuflect sufficiently in your direction. Why so butthurt? I foolishly thought you could put aside your personal animosity towards Cleve and provide a balanced commentary but now you're lurking around the comments picking fights we people who don't agree with you.

 

[Mynon]

I still don't believe he has much if any experience with Wizardry or any really hard turn-based games before. A lot of this is pretty standard for the classics. Much of this zeitgeist was gathered by looking at the way Wiz 7 played and trying to duplicate aspects of it. Appears this is the first time FelipePepe has seen something like this judging by his comments.

He kinda wrote a book on classic cRPGs... as you well know.
Lies and personal attacks wont reflect well on you.

 

[Bruma Hobo]

Should I wait for the neutral-positive review? Or I'm being too optimistic?

 

[Mynon]

The review is a joke. Like we've pointed out, felipepe bungled through the game without even bothering to try and understand the game mechanics and then rushed to the forums to preach because "the customer has a right to know" and similar self masturbatory derp.

The only agreeable information is that the upper part of the experience table needs to be toned down a bit something Cleve said he'd do.

It's telling that his favorite parts are the tutorial puzzles because a child could figure them out.

I rate this post "Butthurt"...

Should I wait for the neutral-positive review? Or I'm being too optimistic?

Knowing Cleve and the chances of this game receiving the drastic changes it solely needs anytime soon, this review is as "positive" as you'll get in the next 20 or so years.

 

[taxalot]

It's hilarious that Cleve still tries to pretend his game is a sort of intelligence test whereas it's just a fucking blobber.

 

[Ellef]

It's hilarious that Cleve still tries to pretend his game is a sort of intelligence test whereas it's just a fucking blobber.

It's not coming out.

 

[Infinitron]

What, hold your precious Codex review? We surely can't have that. I called your review good and fair, but apparently I didn't genuflect sufficiently in your direction. Why so butthurt? I foolishly thought you could put aside your personal animosity towards Cleve and provide a balanced commentary but now you're lurking around the comments picking fights we people who don't agree with you.

Do you really not see why a decade-long veteran of the Codex, who has become a respected contributor and invested more effort than anybody else in learning about and chronicling the CRPG genre, would be a bit upset about this bizarre circle jerk/flash mob of edgy nobodies who are accusing him of being a hack? Not just disagreeing with him, not arguing respectfully or even disrespectfully, but outright discounting his words? All in service of a whackjob like Cleve? When his review isn't even that negative? WTF is this? Burning Bridges is right, the newfags are getting out of hand.

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

Knowing Cleve and the chances of this game receiving the drastic changes it solely needs anytime soon, this review is as "positive" as you'll get in the next 20 or so years.

Have you tried the superdemo Mynon? It's free.

 

[Mynon]

It's hilarious that Cleve still tries to pretend his game is a sort of intelligence test whereas it's just a fucking blobber.

And not a particularly unique or well-made one, by any stretch of imaginations...
I mean, it's not as if Japanese have been producing these games by fucking hundreds in the last two decades, speedily and without any drama, with most of them being better blobbers. Obviously, we are so starved that we must restrain from criticizing any half-finished amateurish mess.

 

[Bumvelcrow]

Do you really not see why a decade-long veteran of the Codex, who has become a respected contributor and invested more effort than anybody else in learning about and chronicling the CRPG genre, would be a bit upset about this bizarre circle jerk/flash mob of edgy nobodies who are accusing him of being a hack?

Yes, I can see that very clearly. But this would be a good time to take a step back and let the flurry of shit blow over, not wade in swinging. FP is being sucked into doing exactly what Cleve is doing whereas the obvious path to take to gain some credit would be the moral high ground. FP is a highly respected contributor, but this is not his finest hour, nor indeed anyone's.

 

[Ellef]

What, hold your precious Codex review? We surely can't have that. I called your review good and fair, but apparently I didn't genuflect sufficiently in your direction. Why so butthurt? I foolishly thought you could put aside your personal animosity towards Cleve and provide a balanced commentary but now you're lurking around the comments picking fights we people who don't agree with you.

Do you really not see why a decade-long veteran of the Codex, who has become a respected contributor and invested more effort than anybody else in learning about and chronicling the CRPG genre, would be a bit upset about this bizarre circle jerk/flash mob of edgy nobodies who are accusing him of being a hack? Not just disagreeing with him, not arguing respectfully or even disrespectfully, but outright discounting his words? All in service of a whackjob like Cleve? When his review isn't even that negative? WTF is this? Burning Bridges is right, the newfags are getting out of hand.

Nobody cares about your cliques and sacred cows. If you find yourself agreeing with Burning Bridges, you should probably second guess yourself.

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

Do you really not see why a decade-long veteran of the Codex, who has become a respected contributor and invested more effort than anybody else in learning about and chronicling the CRPG genre, would be a bit upset about this bizarre circle jerk/flash mob of edgy nobodies who are accusing him of being a hack? Not just disagreeing with him, not arguing respectfully or even disrespectfully, but outright discounting his words? All in service of a whackjob like Cleve? When his review isn't even that negative? WTF is this?

Not that different to some of the reception Roxor received for calling PoE 'mediocre' though, looking back

 

[Mynon]

What, hold your precious Codex review? We surely can't have that. I called your review good and fair, but apparently I didn't genuflect sufficiently in your direction. Why so butthurt? I foolishly thought you could put aside your personal animosity towards Cleve and provide a balanced commentary but now you're lurking around the comments picking fights we people who don't agree with you.

Do you really not see why a decade-long veteran of the Codex, who has become a respected contributor and invested more effort than anybody else in learning about and chronicling the CRPG genre, would be a bit upset about this bizarre circle jerk/flash mob of edgy nobodies who are accusing him of being a hack? Not just disagreeing with him, not arguing respectfully or even disrespectfully, but outright discounting his words? All in service of a whackjob like Cleve? When his review isn't even that negative? WTF is this? Burning Bridges is right, the newfags are getting out of hand.

Nobody cares about your cliques and sacred cows. If you find yourself agreeing with Burning Bridges, you should probably second guess yourself.

Both Burning Bridges and Felipe are extremely knowledgeable and have contributed greatly to this community (unlike you), not to mention that they have been around for far longer than you (and rest of your fellow right-wing edgelords with post-Gamergate registration dates) or myself.
Infinitron and BB are right, something is to be done about behavior on this forum if this community is to survive.