Describing this because the indie Skyrim sounds reductionist and virtually disrespectful. The issue is, that’s sort of precisely what The Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is, so describe it as indie Skyrim I shall, and with nice enthusiasm! So, to trim down a protracted evaluate and prevent a while, for those who’ve been craving one other Skyrim journey however maybe with a barely darker tone (and about the identical stage of bugs) then look no additional, adventurer, in your quest ends right here. For the remainder of you who’re maybe apprehensive about taking an arrow to the knee, learn on and see if Tainted Grail and its darkish model of Arthurian lore is for you.
Obtainable On: Xbox, PlayStation, PC
Reviewed On: PC
Developed By: Awaken Realms
Printed By: Awaken RealmsEvaluation code offered by the writer.
In traditional Elder Scrolls trend, you start the sport locked up in an underground jail and with seemingly no reminiscence of the way you go there, elevating some critical inquiries to the legitimacy of the costs. No worries, although, as a result of it takes about 2 minutes for a mysterious determine to return alongside and assist bust you of the jail which seems to be run by a bunch of loopy clergymen who’re looking for the remedy to a plague. Jeez, we actually can’t escape Covid, can we.
Anyway, it seems that like Harry Potter carting a horcrux round in his head, you’ve received a few of King Arthur’s soul embedded in your noggin – though not like the younger Grasp Potter, you will have the flexibility to change into an truly competent wizard on this sport.
After all, issues are a tad sophisticated. The rescuer isn’t truly eager on having King Arthur again, vaguely hinting that it isn’t the primary time that the legendary king has returned. Killing you doesn’t do away with it, although, so for now you’ll go together with the King’s plans to gather the remnants of his soul so he can come again to the land of the residing and repair the dominion he labored so exhausting to create, as a result of Avalon (Britain, actually) has gone down the shitter. Are we certain this isn’t only a documentary?
Tonally, Tainted Grail likes to hop between a darkish, murky fantasy world the place a lot of the selections and characters exist inside an ethical gray space, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Actually, the sport even references the traditional film fairly a number of instances. Whereas the primary questline offers in bleakness, historic gods, giants and long-dead Kings who could nor is probably not the correct selection for fixing Kamelot and its relationship with the assorted clans, most of the side-quests enterprise into the bizarre, great and wacky, similar to an undead chef who actually likes bitter herring and cheese. Even writing that felt essentially fallacious.
The primary act may be very robust. It shortly establishes the crumbling Kamelot (sure, it’s spelt with a Okay – someone has been enjoying an excessive amount of Mortal Kombat), the divide amongst the individuals of Kamelot and the rocky relationship with the native clans. No doubt, the world, its lore and its writing are the strongest elements of Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, though the wonderful art-style is correct up there too. Though not technically spectacular – one take a look at the facial animations tells you that – that is nonetheless a ceaselessly very fairly sport to have a look at, and options some badass visible moments.
Whereas selections and penalties aren’t a large a part of the sport – certainly, most dialogue choices and selections lead you to the identical place – you do get facet with sure parts if you wish to. And in-between all of the grimdark fantasy stuff, there’s loads of humorous, bizarre quests to seek out as properly.
The music additionally must get a point out, as a result of the Polish builders are channelling some critical Witcher 3 vibes right here. Slavic folks devices are put to wonderful use, creating an fascinating distinction between the sport’s Polish origins and its Arthurian setting.
The sport does appear to get rougher the additional in you go, although. The second map featured a number of extra glitches and bugged quests, and the third and closing zone simply felt…properly, a bit of unfinished. The quests drag on, the primary story bogs down, and there are extra bugs to deal with. It’s like once you begin a brand new pastime or challenge and also you’re super-enthusiastic and throw all the things into it, however by a number of days later the preliminary novelty has worn off and also you’re simply making an attempt to get it completed. I extremely doubt that’s the case with the builders, however that’s what it looks like once you’re experiencing it in real-time.
Once more, we discover some Elder Scrolls – notably Skyrim – similarities in the way you stage up. Simply doing issues will bump up stats like sneaking, athletics and magic, and can present XP towards levelling up. When you open up the talent tree you’ll discover loads of branches to discover throughout a number of tabs, and also you’re free to combine and match them. You may run round with a sword in a single hand and magic within the different, or perhaps you wish to be a stealthy archer who can summon creatures? Like most RPGs, the upgrades usually boil all the way down to share will increase, however there’s room for some good builds and some of the skills are extra memorable than simply buffing well being by a few p.c.
Personally, I went down the virtually pure magic route, choosing a construct revolving round summoning minions to assist me in fight whereas wielding a workers in a single hand and hurling lighting bolts with the opposite. By chucking some factors into the correct talent timber, my workers was boosting spell energy so long as it was geared up. My minions reserved a piece of my mana bar for themselves, but in addition boosted my regeneration, so offered I didn’t spam spells like Harry Potter abusing the shit out of Expelliarmus then I used to be fantastic. Magic actually does really feel like the place the sport’s fight is at its greatest – spell choice isn’t big, however they really feel satisfying to make use of, and by utilizing the preset loadouts you may simply swap between spells shortly. One construct in particuilar emphasises this concept by augmenting spell energy for those who combine and match mana prices.
The place’s the enjoyable in sticking with only one playstyle, although, proper? So utilizing a respec potion I modified issues up and have become a battle-mage, wielding flames in a single hand and a sword within the different like I used to be freaking Gandalf combating the Balrog. Ultimately, I swapped out for a pure melee construct as properly.
Let’s speak in regards to the melee fight, as a result of for those who’re going to spend hours smacking issues within the face, it had higher really feel good. Fortunately, Tainted Grail doesn’t disappoint right here: each sword swing and hammer blow lands with a satisfying crunch, and taking successful your self looks like getting walloped by a sack of bricks. There’s an actual sense of weight to each alternate, which does wonders for immersion and helps conceal the truth that that is simply the usual first-person system of one-button assaults and a stamina meter.
That stated, the parry system isn’t for the faint of coronary heart. The window for a profitable parry is about as beneficiant as a dragon with a toothache, so except you’ve received lightning reflexes, you’ll in all probability rely extra on blocking and dodging. Each are completely serviceable, however there’s a sure thrill to nailing that good parry—proper earlier than you inevitably get flattened by one thing a lot larger and meaner than you. And consider me, that may occur, as a result of Tainted Grail doesn’t hassle scaling enemies to your stage. Typically you’ll stroll into a brand new area feeling like a hero, solely to get demolished by a random wandering monstrosity who clearly didn’t get the memo about truthful fights. Worse, every new map appears to hit the reset button on enemy toughness, turning even primary foes into shameless harm sponges till you’ve finished sufficient side-questing and grinding to catch up. It’s a little bit of a momentum killer, however when you’re again in your toes, the meaty fight and excessive stakes do make each hard-fought victory really feel genuinely earned.
Total, this method feels higher than Skyrim, and doubtless on par with the latest Oblivion Remastered, which upgraded its fight system a bit of over the 2006 unique. Actually, I’d say it’s additionally alongside the identical traces as Avowed from earlier this yr, particularly in how one can combine up magic and melee, if that’s your magically-infused jam.
Talking of getting in a jam, I actually want this was one space Tainted Grail hadn’t tried to emulate Bethesda. There’s a variety of bugs and glitches to deal with, and whereas it wasn’t unplayable, I bumped into a number of side-quests I couldn’t full. I additionally had points with enemies getting caught in terrain, operating round in circles or simply freezing in place. This got here to a head within the closing mission, the place I encountered a number of giants getting trapped in bizarre locations. I additionally skilled fairly a number of crashes, audio bugs and far, way more.
The excellent news is that the builders are working exhausting on sharpening the sport, so even now it’s in a greater state than it was at launch.
In Conclusion…
Tainted Grail’s best strengths are additionally its most important weaknesses. By channeling the spirit of recent Elder Scrolls video games, it delivers a fascinating sense of journey and a darkly enchanting world stuffed with morally advanced tales and quirky humour. Nevertheless, this heavy reliance on acquainted formulation means it usually feels caught within the shadow of its inspirations. In 2025, the sport’s modest enhancements over classics like Oblivion and Skyrim could make it appear extra like a nostalgic throwback than a daring step ahead. Nevertheless, that is likely to be precisely what you’re on the lookout for.
Should you’re keen to embrace its old-school allure and overlook some dated design selections, Tainted Grail gives a rewarding RPG expertise in a captivating setting. Come for the darkish fantasy, stick round for the sprint of Monty Python weirdness and all of the enjoyable adventures you wind up experiencing once you step off the overwhelmed path.
