Stoneshard İnceleme (MassDemons)
NOTICE: The game is still in early access and this review is being written on the Rags to Riches release. There will be an update to this review once it’s fully out of early access.
One more thing. It was very difficult to make a review of this game due to development being hit by world events. Thankfully, despite everything, the devs pushed through and delivered on their goal and are striving to finish the game. It is extremely heartwarming to see.
Introduction
Stone Shard is a roguelike turn-based survival game. There is a demo of it and I highly advise playing it before jumping into the core game, since it is more unforgiving if you are ill-prepared. Each death you learn bit by bit how to improve. I advise against turning on perma death on your first playthrough.
Gameplay
The world of Stone Shard tells you outright “YOU ARE NOT A HERO. YOU WILL DIE LIKE ANY OTHER POOR SOUL”. The game can be harsh, it’s extremely important to inspect your enemies, read what’s in front of you and plan well. For this reason, do NOT ENABLE PERMADEATH. Your first playthrough will be tough but once you get out of the early game and into mid-game, you will begin to thrive.
You can never go wrong with experimentation. How you build is up to you. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, try again or something different. The game encourages hybrid builds but you can stick to one or two skill trees.
Caravan is another core part of the game. It’s your mobile base. You have your crafting station and storage. There is more but I don’t want to spoil anything. The other main focus of the game is combat. Even though everything you do (mostly) takes 1 turn. Every move, action and attack matters. Misclicking can be heavily punished. Ensure you are careful about what you do next.
Story
A lot of the story can be experienced in the demo. Final story is not finished / unreleased until the devs said they want full gameplay added before adding the final story. We barely know what will happen next. Right now we have but a slight glimpse of the bigger picture. You are Verren, you wake up in a jail cell with one of your co-workers dead. A vampire taunts you and him. It’s time to get out and save anyone else that survived. You are introduced to the world slowly. Things look grim but we push on. With the remnants of your squad, you push through until you encounter the enemy leader, which results in a bloody battle.
Verren comes out victorious but so many questions are left unanswered. The remaining squad deserts Verren due to what they witness. Followed by a contract that almost led them all to their deaths. Verren now seeks the contractor. However, he needs help. This is where the story truly begins. I’m leaving out details as the story can change at any moment in development but this is the basic summary of it. A lot is happening and there are books and notes to read about the world. You are encouraged to read it by the game as it gives exp.
Graphics / UI
Stone Shard is a pixel art game and it’s amazing! I always blame it for making me hungry when I look at the food in-game. To me, it’s that good and nice to look at. The skill animations are always nice to see. Especially high-level ones. My only issue is the devs have a very set-in-stone vision of UI and it’s difficult to make suggestions about the UI. The suggestion was about adding a block power bar (if you are playing shield) in between health and energy. It’s very uncomfortable to keep having to look in your character sheet how much you have and when you need to activate some of your skills.
Things I would like to see in the future
A lot in the future is planned and I’m looking forward to it. There are some things I would still wish for (even if planned already) :
A lot more skills being used for dialogue. So, say, if you take “First Aid” skill. This skill can show up as an option in dialogue and give unique options. It is confirmed but when I first saw it, it felt what skills I picked mattered even more.
Different points of interest. Right now we have camps, hunting grounds and unique special areas. Maybe something like a refugee camp where you can trade with odd chaps or talk to them.
Different traits you can obtain other than the starting ones.
More throwable items (other than potions and weapons).
Closing Note
Stone Shard once again, is a tough game to get into but once you know what is ahead of you, you’ll know what to expect and how to handle the problem. It’s not a game for everyone. It’s very unique. With how it handles turn-based combat. There is still a lot for the game to offer and I’m looking forward to it. To be part of helping the devs was very nice. I wish the team the best of luck in finishing Stone Shard.
Credit for helping with grammar and spelling: Arch Geneforger and Rat.