Operencia: The Stolen Sun |OT| Pinball Wizards

[Dancrane212]

​

Platform(s): Xbox One, PC (Win 10 and Epic Store)
Release Date: March 29th, 2019
Genre: DRPG
Price: $29.99 USD
Player(s): 1
Format: Digital
Developer/Publisher: Zen Studios
Size: 11.51 GB

What is Operencia: The Stolen Sun?
"Zen Studios' modern homage to classic first-person dungeon-crawlers takes you to the land of Operencia, an unconventional fantasy world inspired by a faraway land referenced in countless Central European folktales."

What's a DRPG?
A Dungeon-crawling RPG is a role playing game centered around combat and the exploration of dungeons and other hostile environments.

Character building?
Operencia lets you build a character from one of three classes: warrior, hunter and mage. From there you are given free reign to customize the character build (ranged warrior or close range hunter) to your liking.

Do I create the other 6 members of my party?
No, the other characters who will join you are predetermined and have their own characteristics and banter.

So it's just combat?
There are also puzzles in Operencia to change up the pace from regular combat.

Auto-map?
Yes, the game automatically fills in a map as you explore. This can be disabled if you prefer along with limiting saves and adding permadeath to your playthrough.

Play Anywhere?
Yes. Buying the game on the Windows 10 store or the Xbox One Marketplace will unlock Operencia on both platforms. Achievements and save data between the two versions are also compatible with each other.

Game Pass support?
Yes. If you are an active member of Xbox Game Pass you will be able to play Operencia (on Win10 or XB1) as apart of that service.

Xbox One X enhancements?
Yes.

When is the Steam release?
The Steam version of Operencia will launch in 2020.

Metacritic (Xbox) - 83

Gamespot 8/10
https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/operencia-the-stolen-sun-review-a-journey-far-far-/1900-6417111/
Operencia tells a wonderful story derived from Central European folklore, mythology, and history, and it does so with unwavering confidence in its makeup. Companion characters are funny, and the banter between them makes for a fun experience that's not without its heartfelt moments. In terms of combat, the strategizing is so engaging that you'll likely end up charging rat warriors headfirst instead of hopelessly attempting to avoid bumping into them. Best of all, though, this world is so stunning that you'll just look at the trees, the water, the rocks--everything. It's a shame that some of the puzzle solutions are needlessly frustrating and present significant obstacles in getting through the story, but aside from that Operencia provides a truly special experience.

The Xbox Hub 4/5
http://www.thexboxhub.com/operencia-the-stolen-sun-review/
Operencia: The Stolen Sun is wildly ambitious for Zen Studios and for their first RPG it is incredibly impressive. It's filled with passion and the team clearly love the genre. It does not get everything right, but if this is evidence of more to come, I can't wait to see what the studio can do next.
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Official Site
Epic Store
Xbox One/Windows 10
Steam​

 

[Mullet2000]

Oh damn, I didn't realize there was a Windows store version that worked with gamepass! Wonderful, I'd much rather play this on PC.

 

[Dancrane212]

Oh damn, I didn't realize there was a Windows store version that worked with gamepass! Wonderful, I'd much rather play this on PC.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, nice for folk to have the option.

 

[sredgrin]

Hoping this turns out well

 

[piratepwnsninja]

Really looking forward to this. Been itching for a dungeon crawler.

 

[Aeana]

I watched the first hour of the game, and it's absolutely beautiful. But the writing and VA are absolutely atrocious. That's a bit of a bummer, but that's not what I'm caring about primarily in a dungeon crawler, so hopefully all of the rest will be good.

EDIT: I have to take this back, because the VA is honestly really great after the intro.

 

[Dancrane212]

I watched the first hour of the game, and it's absolutely beautiful. But the writing and VA are absolutely atrocious. That's a bit of a bummer, but that's not what I'm caring about primarily in a dungeon crawler, so hopefully all of the rest will be good.

Click to shrink...

Hourly the combat and map design nails it.

 

[chrisdm]

This is a beautiful OT. Awesome job!

P.S. Just as a quick correction, the release date is actually this Friday, March 29th!

 

[HellBlazer]

Why "Pinball Wizards"? I thought it was that weird-ass pinball action-RPG announced on the Nindies showcase, at first.

 

[Cliff Steele]

Why "Pinball Wizards"? I thought it was that weird-ass pinball action-RPG announced on the Nindies showcase, at first.

Click to shrink...

Because it's made by Zen Studios. Known for Pinball FX.

 

[mclem]

Intrigued, I didn't know this was coming out, and I loved Grimrock. Will keep an eye open - in particular, I'd love to hear how the puzzle content stacks up against Grimrock.

 

[Rhaknar]

on the xbox store it says it's out on March 29th, is that a EU thing or is the OT date wrong?

 

[HellBlazer]

Because it's made by Zen Studios. Known for Pinball FX.

Click to shrink...

Aaah, right. Thanks.

 

[flyinj]

This is out today? Awesome! Can't wait to get home and fire it up.

 

[ghoulie]

on the xbox store it says it's out on March 29th, is that a EU thing or is the OT date wrong?

Click to shrink...

Official website says it will be released the 29th

 

[Dyashen]

Yup, gonna try this out on game pass along with Vampyr. Great that it's also part of Play Anywhere.

Great job on the OT btw!

 

[Dancrane212]

This is a beautiful OT. Awesome job!

P.S. Just as a quick correction, the release date is actually this Friday, March 29th!

Click to shrink...

Yeah, just fixed it. Whoops!

Taking to one of the devs at PAX they mentioned the game has an auto equip for characters so that's a relief.

 

[Rhaknar]

Official website says it will be released the 29th

Click to shrink...

yeah thought so. fix the OT OP :p

nvm you already did duh!

 

[Sinatar]

Any word on what time this goes live tomorrow?

 

[Dancrane212]

yeah thought so. fix the OT OP :p

nvm you already did duh!

Click to shrink...

I'm going to blame that one on travel fatigue. :)

 

[sredgrin]

Looks like it's up on EGS.

If I'm understanding the Windows Store right it should be up in an hour on Xbox / Windows store. Fingers crossed for it not losing it's Play Anywhere / Game Pass status at the last minute.

 

[crazillo]

Any first impressions on this game?

 

[eXistor]

Looks pretty fun, I'm always up for na good dungeon crawler. Does anyone know if this is more like Grimrock or Bard's Tale IV? Grimrock 2 is one of my all-time favorites (I also really liked M&MX that year) but I played Bard's Tale IV for a few hours and couldn't get into it at all, it almost felt like a completely different kind of game to me.

 

[RedSparrows]

Downloading naoooooo, hurrah!

 

[piratepwnsninja]

Does anyone know if, by chance, the saves work between the Windows 10 Store version and the Xbox version? This will answer whether I start playing it at work over lunch break or not.

 

[Dancrane212]

Does anyone know if, by chance, the saves work between the Windows 10 Store version and the Xbox version? This will answer whether I start playing it at work over lunch break or not.

Click to shrink...

It should, yes.

 

[Minsc]

Looks pretty neat, hope impressions are good. I do think it would help if the title was more informative, like "Pinball Wizards by day, Dungeon Crawlers by night," I had no clue it was a dungeon crawler until I clicked the thread, but pinball drew me in so I guess it worked.

 

[flyinj]

Put an hour in. It is an extremely polished blobber so far. It is like a combination of M&MX's free look 3D implementation of grid based movement and the later Japanese Wizardrys.

It also has a really comprehensive encyclopedia that unlocks very verbose entries into the lore and world which is awesome. Unfortunately it tries to be "funny" at times, which can be a bit hit and miss, so they poochied it up a bit. The rest of the prose is great though.

Very positive initial impressions.

 

[statham]

Downloading now on the Windows store. Gotta love GP/Play Anywhere combo.

 

[mjc]

Whoa this is out on Game Pass too?

 

[Deleted member 21003]

Whoa this is out on Game Pass too?

Click to shrink...

Yup.

 

[jorgejjvr]

cant wait to try it on gamepass

 

[Deleted member 21003]

So far seems super solid. Seems a bit stuttery in the resolution mode on the Xbox One X when you move the camera around though.

Looks pretty fun, I'm always up for na good dungeon crawler. Does anyone know if this is more like Grimrock or Bard's Tale IV? Grimrock 2 is one of my all-time favorites (I also really liked M&MX that year) but I played Bard's Tale IV for a few hours and couldn't get into it at all, it almost felt like a completely different kind of game to me.

Click to shrink...

Combat is turn based.

 

[wrhwk]

Does anyone know if, by chance, the saves work between the Windows 10 Store version and the Xbox version? This will answer whether I start playing it at work over lunch break or not.

Click to shrink...

Just tried it, it does.

 

[flyinj]

Seems like there is going to be a lot of loot as well.

One very annoying thing is for some inexplicable reason they let you use the dpad for every menu and UI interaction but force you to use the analog stick to pick a target in combat.

 

[flyinj]

Also, it seems like setting it for limited campfire use is the way to play. You can still save anytime at a campfire, but you need to find wood to fully recover health and Mana.

 

[flyinj]

Can someone who found a secret in the first dungeon tell me what it is? I'm almost done with it, and haven't found a single one. Not sure what I should be looking for...

 

[sredgrin]

Can someone who found a secret in the first dungeon tell me what it is? I'm almost done with it, and haven't found a single one. Not sure what I should be looking for...

Click to shrink...

Found 3.

One was a very obvious big button somewhere in the middle I think

Another is once you get the vial of light, go explore a little around the king's room and you'll get a 4th symbol that unlocks the rune door you passed earlier.

Can't remember the other one offhand.

 

[xir]

congrats chris baker!!!

 

[flyinj]

Found 3.

One was a very obvious big button somewhere in the middle I think

Another is once you get the vial of light, go explore a little around the king's room and you'll get a 4th symbol that unlocks the rune door you passed earlier.

Can't remember the other one offhand.

Click to shrink...

Hah those are the only I found as well.

 

[Schopenhauer]

I played through this a few weeks ago. I am confused because it had been playable on the epic store since the 12th for me but I guess no one talking about it makes sense now.

Some impressions: 20 - 30 hours long depending on how long it takes to figure out the puzzles and how much time you take to find all of the secret stuff.
You make your own character with the rest of the party being recruited through the story. You have three classes to choose from, Warrior, Archer/Hybrid Mage or Mage.
Exploration is a mix of Might and Magic 10 and Legend of Grimrock 2, definitely more of the former with some Grimrock style movement puzzles.
The gameplay was a lot like Might and Magic 10, with the big difference being that combat takes place on a separate screen with front, middle and back rows so no facing multiple enemy sets at once.
The game is pretty easy overall. I had one party member die in a couple of fights and got wiped once on a secret boss due to a fight gimmick but that is it.
As has been mentioned the VA is pretty bad and the script is well lets say unique. There is plenty of party banter, which is rare in this kind of game though and the characters themselves aren't bad.
The enemies have some interesting designs and cool animations, but some of the animations are overly long and cant be sped up.
I thought it was a solid game if you are cool with a casual dungeon crawling experience.

Biggest thing that irritated me about the game is that locked chest keys can be used in any dungeon, there are items needed to progress through the story in said chests and if you miss a key (they are small) you cannot progress. I ended up in a situation where I must have missed a key and opened one of two locked chests, it was the wrong one. After scouring the area for a way to progress to no avail I decided to reload and open up the other locked chest and the item I needed was in there. Not great a great design choice.

Can someone who found a secret in the first dungeon tell me what it is? I'm almost done with it, and haven't found a single one. Not sure what I should be looking for...

Click to shrink...

Look out for fuzzy looking textures on walls. That is a sign that you can pass through but is not always noticeable until you are right on top of it. Also might want to go back through and check everything out once you have used every switch in the level. A few wont be discoverable until you have found items in other dungeons.

 

[SuikerBrood]

Downloaded it with Game Pass on my PC tonight. Let's see if it's something I like.

 

[flyinj]

A good tip for movement-

You can use the shoulder buttons to quick turn, and it remembers the last click when moving forward so you can pac man around corners.

 

[flyinj]

I played through this a few weeks ago. I am confused because it had been playable on the epic store since the 12th for me but I guess no one talking about it makes sense now.

Some impressions: 20 - 30 hours long depending on how long it takes to figure out the puzzles and how much time you take to find all of the secret stuff.
You make your own character with the rest of the party being recruited through the story. You have three classes to choose from, Warrior, Archer/Hybrid Mage or Mage.
Exploration is a mix of Might and Magic 10 and Legend of Grimrock 2, definitely more of the former with some Grimrock style movement puzzles.
The gameplay was a lot like Might and Magic 10, with the big difference being that combat takes place on a separate screen with front, middle and back rows so no facing multiple enemy sets at once.
The game is pretty easy overall. I had one party member die in a couple of fights and got wiped once on a secret boss due to a fight gimmick but that is it.
As has been mentioned the VA is pretty bad and the script is well lets say unique. There is plenty of party banter, which is rare in this kind of game though and the characters themselves aren't bad.
The enemies have some interesting designs and cool animations, but some of the animations are overly long and cant be sped up.
I thought it was a solid game if you are cool with a casual dungeon crawling experience.

Biggest thing that irritated me about the game is that locked chest keys can be used in any dungeon, there are items needed to progress through the story in said chests and if you miss a key (they are small) you cannot progress. I ended up in a situation where I must have missed a key and opened one of two locked chests, it was the wrong one. After scouring the area for a way to progress to no avail I decided to reload and open up the other locked chest and the item I needed was in there. Not great a great design choice.


Look out for fuzzy looking textures on walls. That is a sign that you can pass through but is not always noticeable until you are right on top of it. Also might want to go back through and check everything out once you have used every switch in the level. A few wont be discoverable until you have found items in other dungeons.

Click to shrink...

Where do you live? It was definitely locked until this morning for me.

 

[TheIlliterati]

I hope this scratches my need for more Grimlock. I somehow doubt it has the same extent of puzzles though.

 

[Schopenhauer]

Where do you live? It was definitely locked until this morning for me.

Click to shrink...

The US. Yeah, guess it was some kind of weird glitch. Pre-ordered it on the 11th and it was ready to download on the 12th.

I hope this scratches my need for more Grimlock. I somehow doubt it has the same extent of puzzles though.

Click to shrink...

Not even close. There are a couple of movement based puzzles and the environments are kind of similar to a degree but otherwise it plays and feels very different.

 

[Rhaknar]

wow I'm absolutely loving this, but apparently I suck at finding shit lol.

I won't even get into the secrets I'm missing in the first dungeon (I only have 1/8), but stuff Im also missing before I leave (I havent inserted the last rune yet):

- the statue head
- the last weight
- the rune for that one door midway through

I also have a chest key I havent used. Anyone got any clue where these are?

edit: found the weight, behind a secret/invisible wall, and the rune but both just lead to chests with loot. I'm 5/8 in secrets now, can't find anything else, still no statue head :/

 

[Ricker]

Started this also this afternoon and it's pretty good...I chose resolution on the 1X and it looks great,chose everything on normal and its pretty easy so far but I know these types of games can escalade fast in difficulty depending on the classes or stuff you choose...I went with the Ranged character.Voice acting is uneven but bearable,I hope it keeps up.

 

[Rhaknar]

Biggest thing that irritated me about the game is that locked chest keys can be used in any dungeon, there are items needed to progress through the story in said chests and if you miss a key (they are small) you cannot progress. I ended up in a situation where I must have missed a key and opened one of two locked chests, it was the wrong one. After scouring the area for a way to progress to no avail I decided to reload and open up the other locked chest and the item I needed was in there. Not great a great design choice.

Click to shrink...

ended up moving on from the first dungeon with 5/8 secrets, oh well.

loving the game so far (my first dungeon crawler, the genre has always been a bit boring for me with it's static enemies and lack of...flair, but both the enemies here, and the spell effects are quite good, also it's super colorful which I love), but this comment worries me, especially since I cant tell which chests need keys, I just opened one in the woods and it used a key :/

 

[flyinj]

I played through this a few weeks ago. I am confused because it had been playable on the epic store since the 12th for me but I guess no one talking about it makes sense now.

Some impressions: 20 - 30 hours long depending on how long it takes to figure out the puzzles and how much time you take to find all of the secret stuff.
You make your own character with the rest of the party being recruited through the story. You have three classes to choose from, Warrior, Archer/Hybrid Mage or Mage.
Exploration is a mix of Might and Magic 10 and Legend of Grimrock 2, definitely more of the former with some Grimrock style movement puzzles.
The gameplay was a lot like Might and Magic 10, with the big difference being that combat takes place on a separate screen with front, middle and back rows so no facing multiple enemy sets at once.
The game is pretty easy overall. I had one party member die in a couple of fights and got wiped once on a secret boss due to a fight gimmick but that is it.
As has been mentioned the VA is pretty bad and the script is well lets say unique. There is plenty of party banter, which is rare in this kind of game though and the characters themselves aren't bad.
The enemies have some interesting designs and cool animations, but some of the animations are overly long and cant be sped up.
I thought it was a solid game if you are cool with a casual dungeon crawling experience.

Biggest thing that irritated me about the game is that locked chest keys can be used in any dungeon, there are items needed to progress through the story in said chests and if you miss a key (they are small) you cannot progress. I ended up in a situation where I must have missed a key and opened one of two locked chests, it was the wrong one. After scouring the area for a way to progress to no avail I decided to reload and open up the other locked chest and the item I needed was in there. Not great a great design choice.


Look out for fuzzy looking textures on walls. That is a sign that you can pass through but is not always noticeable until you are right on top of it. Also might want to go back through and check everything out once you have used every switch in the level. A few wont be discoverable until you have found items in other dungeons.

Click to shrink...

Holy crap at allowing you to lose a key and hard gating progression. For such a polished experience so far it's crazy they would fuck up so blatantly.

Can you tell me where that happened without spoiling too much so I can avoid it?