Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Wishlist Wednesday: Druidstone - The Secret of the Menhir Forest


In this weekly feature, I share game titles from my various gaming wishlists. I share screenshots and video from the developer, talk about my expectations, and generally just ramble about why the title made it onto my list in the first place. This week's choice is Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest by Ctrl Alt Ninja.



THE STATS

Name: Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest
Developer: Ctrl Alt Ninja
Publisher: Ctrl Alt Ninja
Release Date: May 15, 2019
Genres: Tactical role-playing
Wishlist Location: GOG.com



MEDIA FROM DRUIDSTONE-GAME.COM










(Newsletter subscribers click here to view embedded video.)


WHY I WANT IT

This is a game lovingly crafted by a small team that has 100% personal investment in the success of the game (they literally took out a loan from the bank to cover expenses to finish the game, so they literally have to pay that back personally no matter how the game fares). That means they really care about quality and fixing any bugs that may pop up. Larger developers or publishers are more likely to tell customers to "just deal with it" because they're still going to make a killing in sales, so the smaller team aspect of this game's production immediately raises the bar for standards.

If you didn't know, the programmer/game designer/writer for Druidstone, Petri Häkkinen, is best known as the designer and programmer of the Legend of Grimrock games. Admittedly, I had a poor go of it when I tried Legend of Grimrock II at my husband's suggestion during a past Extra Life marathon, but I didn't think there was anything inherently wrong with the game. I was just really bad at it and not in a puzzle-solving mood in the middle of a 24-hour charity marathon. That said, the media offered by the indie company to promote this game is stunning -- and if you read my blog at all, you know I love me some eye candy in games.

I have a 50% satisfaction rate going with tactical RPGs, but it isn't deterring me from wanting this game in the slightest. The gameplay reminds me a bit of Pillars of Eternity (that's a huge compliment from me) crossed with a little Diablo, a pinch of King's Bounty, and some elements of Endless Legend and even Transistor with how the tactical element is implemented. Despite some of those similarities, it looks like its own unique game with some intriguing story and music. And did I mention how pretty it is? [Insert grabby hands here.]


If that isn't enough to pique your interest, then this probably isn't your genre -- and that's okay! Check back next week for another title and let me know what you think of my selection!

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