One of the developers, James Wragg, has released some smaller titles in this style that been fantastic, pretty excited to see how those ideas have been translated into a much larger scope!
'Dread Delusion' Has Launched into Early Access | PS1-Inspired Open World Fantasy Horror RPG
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One of the developers, James Wragg, has released some smaller titles in this style that been fantastic, pretty excited to see how those ideas have been translated into a much larger scope!
Oh this looks really cool. normally not a fan of first person rpgs, but the PSOne aesthetic works for me.
$20 for EA might be too much for me rn but I like what I see. Will keep an eye out as more gets added.
If anything this reminds me to get back into Northern Journey. Its not an rpg, more metroidvania, but does the first person dark fantasy thing pretty well. Huge world to explore too.
store.steampowered.com
If anything this reminds me to get back into Northern Journey. Its not an rpg, more metroidvania, but does the first person dark fantasy thing pretty well. Huge world to explore too.
Northern Journey on Steam
A norwegian happysad game set in a northern land! Adventure through a beautiful and very varied wilderness. Dive, fly, use ziplines and find different weapons to aid your journey to reach the cold mountains and below. Encounter over 50 unique bosses and enemy types!
Not a fan of the horror element but damn I do love this low poly, low res texture but detailed environments, animations and high draw distance look that is becoming increasingly popular among indie developer. I hope it sticks around.
OP
OP
I picked this up and have now made it through all the content available (I think). I'm not sure I would recommend it at this point (it's quite buggy), but it's at least a good preview of what is to come. I do wonder how long the game will be when finished. I had fully maxed out two of four skills and was halfway through a third by the end of my playthrough which was around 6 hours.
Combat feels a lot like King's Field which is going to be an issue for some people. Every fight is the same; move in to bait the attack, step back to dodge, move in and swing. It doesn't bother me much, but I don't play these kind of games for the combat. You could also use magic to fight, but I preferred saving my mp for utility spells.
Outside of combat, I liked pretty much everything else. The world is unique and fun to explore with lots of secrets and a decent variety of quests. There are some seemingly massive choices you can make which should have pretty wide-ranging effects on the world. I just hope the choices you make ultimately pay off. For as important as some of them seem, it would be a bit of a disappointment if there aren't repercussions beyond just being mentioned by some random npcs.
Doubt I play anymore before release, but I'm definitely looking forward to playing the final product.
Combat feels a lot like King's Field which is going to be an issue for some people. Every fight is the same; move in to bait the attack, step back to dodge, move in and swing. It doesn't bother me much, but I don't play these kind of games for the combat. You could also use magic to fight, but I preferred saving my mp for utility spells.
Outside of combat, I liked pretty much everything else. The world is unique and fun to explore with lots of secrets and a decent variety of quests. There are some seemingly massive choices you can make which should have pretty wide-ranging effects on the world. I just hope the choices you make ultimately pay off. For as important as some of them seem, it would be a bit of a disappointment if there aren't repercussions beyond just being mentioned by some random npcs.
Doubt I play anymore before release, but I'm definitely looking forward to playing the final product.
yo i just got this game and it rules. of course it's going for a morrowind riff, but also i love the music
Game left early access today!
Has anyone been keeping up with the updates and changes?
View: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1574240/Dread_Delusion/
Has anyone been keeping up with the updates and changes?
View: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1574240/Dread_Delusion/
To you. I think this look and aesthetic is very cool, even beyond nostalgia. It implies depth without providing it. Your brain is forced to work with the game to fill in details and discern form. It's why horror/spooky games work so well with the style.. the lack of clean form, plus the rudimentary texture work and often janky animation plays with your expectations and is uncanny in a way that leaves you off guard. I think it can be mentally engaging in a very specific way that is harder or impossible for clean, modern graphics to accomplish.
Anyways, I've had this on my wishlist for awhile.. looks really neat.
Hah I just bought this like two days ago after having it on my wishlist for a long ass time.
Wow this looks incredible. There was some fun whiplash of seeing the stuff in the OP going "wow that looks awesome, but dang it's early access" and then scrolling down and seeing it released.
Gonna have to look at some reviews but super interested in picking this up if the game is halfway good.
PS1 was before my time, but I find the old-looking graphics charming. I think there can be appeal to them even removed from nostalgia since I have none.
Gonna have to look at some reviews but super interested in picking this up if the game is halfway good.
PS1 was before my time, but I find the old-looking graphics charming. I think there can be appeal to them even removed from nostalgia since I have none.
Old school From Software vibes from this. Looks like my jam, will have to pick it up, good reviews on Steam.
Oh yeah, for sure. I was around for PSX and had one, though N64 was more my jam at the time.... Slightly different, "smoother" low poly aesthetic there. Even so, when I look back I really wish I had used my PSX more for some of those gritty, crunchy looking games that are sort of awe inspiring when viewed through the lens of art bottled by technological limitation. So I won't lie that there is a nostalgia element involved with recreating or mimicking those limitations, but as a functional style it's definitely also got its own merits and charm, as you mentioned.
In a way I think it's partially appealing to me because it's a nice contrast to how graphically and visually dense games have become. I have nothing against the Horizon games for example, not going after them, but they're incredibly visually busy game. Gorgeous, but there's SO much detail that it can be borderline overwhelming.
Low poly and simplistic is almost in conversation with it where it goes the extreme other end and puts itself at contrast with modern gaming in a way that benefits it.
Huh I don't remember saying this, I like pre rendered backgrounds ps1 games, I don't like ps1 graphics that look like syphon filter for example
Between this and Lunacid I love that some developers have honed in on their King's Field and Shadow Tower aesthetics and atmosphere. People fixate on Souls' games mechanics and way of doing lore but for me, the vibes are the next best thing.
From what I played a year ago it was fairly linear experience.
Word. There's something so appealing and entrancing about the worlds From Software created back then (and nowadays, of course). Such a weird, hypnotic and immersive vibe to their PS1/PS2 games.
You've become a changed man
You now look at your past self with contempt
lol I also have a comment in this thread that I don't remember typing either.
Okay so I just played an hour of this. Fun and really interesting so far! I'm super lost, but I think that's on purpose. The UI is a little clumsy on a gamepad but not too bad.
I can't tell if starting as a mage was a bad idea since I don't think I have any spells. I'm doing fine enough in melee that it doesn't feel limiting, so hopefully I can get a spell soon.
I did laugh when some NPC was like "there's a town south" I leave the fortress ready to go find that town and... I have no idea what direction south is! It's fun to be tossed into this surreal and weird world and not really know what's happening or what anything is.
I can't tell if starting as a mage was a bad idea since I don't think I have any spells. I'm doing fine enough in melee that it doesn't feel limiting, so hopefully I can get a spell soon.
I did laugh when some NPC was like "there's a town south" I leave the fortress ready to go find that town and... I have no idea what direction south is! It's fun to be tossed into this surreal and weird world and not really know what's happening or what anything is.
Finally! It's been on my wishlist ever since it was released in early access, unfortunately May is pretty packed for me especially with GoT and Hellblade 2.
Yes! They both look awesome with those classic KF/STA vibes.
I'm not a port begger, but it does make me a little sad gems like these are PC only (haven't played a game on a PC in maybe 10 years, unless it was for work but that's more like a dev kit built situation )
This is the craziest month for indies I'm interested in since… probably ever?
Already bought Little Kitty and Animal Well. Probably jumping on Crow Country once I finish Withering Rooms. And now this. I can't keep up!
Anyway, game looks really cool aesthetically and has been in my wishlist for a while. It's published by Dread XP, which has put out a lot of weird, inventive stuff, from the Dread X collections to My Friendly Neighborhood. Keeping my eye on them in the future.
Already bought Little Kitty and Animal Well. Probably jumping on Crow Country once I finish Withering Rooms. And now this. I can't keep up!
Anyway, game looks really cool aesthetically and has been in my wishlist for a while. It's published by Dread XP, which has put out a lot of weird, inventive stuff, from the Dread X collections to My Friendly Neighborhood. Keeping my eye on them in the future.
Let me introduce you to a little (actually quite large) device called the Steam Deck.
Seriously, as a lifelong console player, the Deck has finally solved my longing for PC-exclusive indies.
Man... The performance on Steam Deck is freaking rough. Something is screwy with how this game handles distant stuff on-screen that makes the CPU choke.
Besides that, really hoping I can stick with this one. I like the style of the new cinematics they added, very distinct.
Besides that, really hoping I can stick with this one. I like the style of the new cinematics they added, very distinct.
But I use my switch daily and theres just no room for more in my life alas I feel the choice has been made, no one's loss but mine
Wow, damn, that's a bummer. And it was Deck verified too.
At least that gives me an excuse to hold off for a bit.
Got this after reading through the thread. Hadn't heard of it until yesterday's thread bump.
The atmosphere and vibes are excellent, as expected, weird/strange/surreal (but not really horror). Did not expect the worldbuilding and lore and dialogue to be this interesting, though. There's a lot of writing (much of it optional) to go along with the engaging exploration, and it enhances the vibes, looked forward to exhausting the dialogue trees of every character I met. Looking at reviews now, and they seem to be in agreement:
For all this – the bugs, the clunky combat, the harsh color palette – I've been mesmerized by Dread Delusion. It's a game with some shockingly good writing, from its incidental one-off dialogues to its broader themes of fascination with old ways and old gods. A malformed figure I find in a hollow tree will grant me a sacred mask that the goblins wear, but only if I can embrace my own wretchedness... While I remain impressed by Dread Delusion's seamless fusion of fantasy, science fiction, and cosmic horror, it's the humanity packed into the text boxes that will stay with me for the long run. I was particularly struck by...
Dread Delusion review – a bumpy but fascinating new RPG
Elder gods and steampunk airships cross the skies in Dread Delusion, but is there a beating heart in this throwback to the PS1 era?www.pcgamesn.com
I struggle to remember the last time I felt so compelled to explore the fringes of a game map. Dread Delusion draws from the likes of Morrowind and Dark Souls to create its dark-fantasy sprawl but to recall a similar case of wanderlust... I'd have to go further back, to the physical poster that came packaged with my copy of New World Computing's Might & Magic 2. Reverberating with a melancholy vibe, populated with memorable, multi-layered characters, and rife with intrigue, Dread Delusion remains one of the most fascinating open-world settings I have visited in a while...
The writing and questlines often throw you for a loop in Dread Delusion, and it's the title's best feature. Numerous side quests litter the Oneric Isles, which are loaded with charm and excellent character writing. I travelled down a road until I stumbled upon a castle. This whole area has its own lore and storyline... Lovely Hellplace's focus on 'not every RPG needs to be combat-centric' is a breath of fresh air, and having to use my own thinking to literally do everything is an awesome experience. Character writing has been given great care, and the lore of the world is immense and satisfying to learn...
Dread Delusion (PC) Review - CGMagazine
Dread Delusion is a fun romp in a fleshed-out world, definitely worth undertaking for the meagre price of admission.www.cgmagonline.com
The game's enemies and environments are phenomenally strange and interesting to look at, further building upon the strong setting Dread Delusion has going for it. Dread Delusion's story and setting are special, dark, uncomfortable, and odd, and I really enjoy it... While I wasn't always keen on the game's character writing (I feel some characters are written a little too predictably or tropey,) I found myself deeply engaged with the game's story and the stories of its many side quests...
Dread Delusion Review - Classically Strange - Try Hard Guides
Dread Delusion is an homage to old-school RPGs, and it feels right at home among the best of them.tryhardguides.com
That is pretty disappointing to hear. 'Cause this was intriguing. Will wait a bit and see if shit gets ironed out with patches. For now, added to wishlist.
I was having such a hard time deciding between this or Withering Rooms, so kind of in the same boat where I'm glad I have an excuse to wait for an update for this one.
Echoing others, the Deck performance is really weird. It can hit 60fps then just starts to tank when you look around. Which would lead me to believe it possibly *could* be improved with a patch. Ultimately I ended up streaming it to my Deck and that obviously works well as my Desktop can handle the game just fine.
As for the game itself, I've gotten up to the first main town and so far I'm rather enjoying the writing and style it's going for. I'm looking forward to actually digging into the world a bit more.
As for the game itself, I've gotten up to the first main town and so far I'm rather enjoying the writing and style it's going for. I'm looking forward to actually digging into the world a bit more.
I thought it ran pretty well on the deck when I played it in early access, did it get worse or do I just have a bad memory?
Looking forward to jumping back into this either way. Despite encountering some pretty big quest bugs I had a blast playing through all the content in early access.
Looking forward to jumping back into this either way. Despite encountering some pretty big quest bugs I had a blast playing through all the content in early access.
I keep forgetting I have this. when I played it in EA the performance was so iffy I couldn't keep on with it, but early access - buy the ticket, take the ride
I'll reinstall it tonight on desktop. doesn't seem like something I'd enjoy on Deck, even if performance isn't an issue
I'll reinstall it tonight on desktop. doesn't seem like something I'd enjoy on Deck, even if performance isn't an issue
The game's combat can best be described as "serviceable", but I've been deeply impressed with the games lore, worldbuilding, and general writing.