Goblin Stone Review (Marxmann)
Rogue-like? Chore-like!
UPDATED REVIEW: I haven't played the game since I posted this review which was a good 4 or 5 days ago. During that time I have now realized what is "wrong" with this game. And it is not that the goblins are unmemorable and basicly just clones of each other with different genes/stats ,
It is not that the base building aspect is buggy, lacks depth,creativity or innovation like the fact that having goblins in the base will be just that, goblins doing nothing in the base and NOT "One goblin will defend or be the lookout, this goblin will do blacksmithing, this one will clean etc." is such a missed opportunity.
NO, IT IS THE FACT THAT THIS GAME IS BEING TAGGED AS ROGUE-LIKE. What is the most important thing when playing Rogue-like games? It is the randomness of each game and encounter and all the things/upgrades/loots you get and it becomes a dopamine hit and release that you keep playing. It becomes a 'one-more'... until next thing you know its been 12 hours and the sun is almost back up. Don't get me wrong Goblin Stone does have rogue-like aspects to the game but it does so differently than most game. But do keep in mind that this game is also a turn-based RPG so to be honest it can do away with the whole Rogue-Like mission maps and it'd still be the same game. Repetetive and boring and here is why:
The upgrades you get are not permanent but all the deaths are. What makes a Rogue-like? It is the crazy upgrades you get that last until you face off with the final boss or you die and you start over again getting probably different set of crazy upgrades or whatever the gimmick of that rogue-like is.
In Goblin Stone Rogue-like upgrades only lasts for the duration of the mission and any good loot you get while in that mission is also only usable until that mission. Also you don't die a lot but your characters do. And I think some degree of attachment to your character is necessary specially for the RPG aspect of it. After I unlocked the next 3 rows of genes I've become desensitized with losing goblins and it just feels ehh.
So you find yourself playing this game with a bunch of characters you know won't be there the next day while getting upgrades you know won't be there 30 minutes later when you clear the Map. I usually don't care for grinding but this whole set up just really makes it feel like a big chore.
So there you have it why I can not recommend this game. Try if you must for the Story and the gameplay itself is not bad, I actually like the turn base mechanics of this game but like I mentioned it doesn't get any deeper or better 40 hours later.
Old review:
Follow the lives of 2 goblins as they build a base or until they die in the first hour or so (don't get attached to any of them) and gather more goblins, so that you can grind mats grow your base by going on adventures/missions with a party of 6. You will then have a routine of:
- start a mission to collect mats, to make base upgrades/class upgrades and increase goblin limits by killing off or retiring veteran goblins, to make room for more goblins so you can get more upgrades to build a bigger base, to get better, younger, gen z goblins by killing more goblins so you can build a bigger base to house more goblins, you get the point.
Started out fun and fresh during intro until it wasn't.
The game wants you to fall in love with your favorite goblins, or so they say but the game makes it hard to feel attached to any of them as you literally have to farm their souls, either thru death or forced early retirement to increase you base level and unlock more action skills.
At first I wanted to keep all my goblins as long as I can but this is pointless because pretty much all the goblins are the same per generation (per batch/set of genes you unlock). Once you get to the breeding part of the game which is an hour or 2 into it, you will find out that even when you grind for the next 3 hours for mats to max out your goblin capacity, there still isn't enough room for everyone or for more! Soon I find myself killing or retiring the very same minions I tried preserving because 1) that is how you upgrade your main HQ, 2) to make room to breed more gen z gobs because 3) all the goblins you have at the present will always be inferior to the next group you will get simply because you unlock more genes and better traits as you progress.
This game turned the missions/roguelike aspect and base building into a grind fest and is very limiting when it comes to collecting and breeding goblins.
This game have a lot of potential. It isn't a bad game, just a flawed one.
I would still recommend people to play this game but just make sure that when you do, don't fall for the sunk cost fallacy.