Artifact Adventure (PC) Review

Before this RPG can begin in earnest, the player must first form a party. There are six classes, and it's possible to create any combination of them. The catch is that classes can't be changed after the game begins, so choose wisely. Without further ado, it's time to introduce the heroes of this tale. Mike is a warrior, so he likes heavy weapons and heavier armour. The Explorer, Chuck hails from the wildest of Wests. He can use most weapons and knows a thing or two about spells, but give him a rifle and he can really let loose on some varmints.

Texas is a monk, so naturally his guns are always locked and loaded. Unfortunately, monks are pretty ineffective in this game. They can't use magic, and their damage pales in comparison to the average warrior. It's probably a better idea to go with a bow-wielding Hermit or a Dreamer. Dreamers can wield literally any piece of equipment, although they're not all that great at it. Finally, Dutch the Shaman is a spell-casting machine. Expect him to make use of the bulk of the Artifacts the party discovers.

In keeping with the title, there are many Artifacts scattered throughout the realm. They confer unique abilities or spells to the party member that decides to obtain them. It's very important that these unique finds are collected by heroes that can actually use them. A talent for summoning lightning is wasted on a warrior, because they don't receive any magic points upon level-up. Once an Artifact is acquired, it can't be swapped between party members. This gets to be pretty annoying, especially if the player finishes a dungeon, but isn't paying attention to who is grabbing the Artifact.

As with most early RPGs, starting out can be pretty rough. Grinding random battles for necessary experience and gold might be a requirement for getting over the initial hump. Thankfully, battles move at a rapid pace. Typically, the strategy for most encounters will consist of swinging weapons and liberal spell casting. Outside of inns, methods for recovering hit points are few and far between, but any party member that levels up gets their health and magic replenished, which is a nice gesture. There is one thing to keep in mind however. The world is very open-ended. It's easy to wander into the wrong area and get crushed by vastly superior forces.

The townspeople tend to be a little bland. Their purpose is usually to provide clues as to what to do next, or quests to complete for additional experience and rare items. There's a distinct lack of flavour dialogue and hardly a shred of world building. Still, what the civilians lack in personality, they make up for in quests that are intriguing and fun to pursue. Though the environments are spartan in appearance, quite a bit of care went into making sure each questline has a purpose.

A number of quests have multiple solutions, some requiring violence, others diplomacy. There will be times where the heroes must make decisions that have serious repercussions, although their effects are never felt in the short term. After the heroes have saved the country from the Swamp King, or ran off with their tails between their legs, the player is treated to an ending. The fates of those the party decided to help or hinder will be told in a manner similar to the Fallout series. This aspect is especially cool, and adds a lot of replay value to the relatively short adventure.

This RPG isn't going to wow players with diabolical dungeons or a bevy of creative monsters. Most locations are just linear paths with a handful of short detours that lead to treasure. They do the job, but aren't memorable. Reskins are a very common theme when it comes to the enemies. Expect to see goblins, thugs, and skeleton warriors that all look eerily similar to one another. These aspects aren't really the focus of the game, but they're still disappointing.