- DEVELOPER: Seed by Seed
- PUBLISHER: Armor Games Studios
- PLATFORMS: PC
- GENRE: Tabletop RPG / Adventure
- RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2024
- STARTING PRICE: 24,50 €
- REVIEWED VERSION: PC
Baladins, developed by Seed by Seed, takes players on an addictive, choose-your-own-roleplaying adventure in the chaotic, fantastical land of Gatherac. Here, you play as one of the members of the titular guild, the Baladins, on a mission to save the land and their hometown’s peace festival from an evil time dragon named Colobra. This adventure takes you through various towns and kingdoms as you endeavor to break the six-week time loop that the dragon has trapped you in. You might be surprised how beautiful the world looks like, with much details showcasing how well crafted this game is. However, I’m still questioning the replayability of this game after spending 10 hours playing it and whether the singleplayer is actually viable or not.
The Premise, Gameplay and Characters
Each Baladin is named after their associated class, such as Bard, Cook, Pyro, Luxomancer, or Dancer. Each class has a high stat in a particular skill that will be helpful as you progress through a new loop. The game’s skill system is similar to those found in other RPGs, where higher skill numbers increase your chances of succeeding in random encounters or securing “good” endings to quests. In fact, each character is rather unique, bringing different playstyles to focus on. Besides that, you’re able to always choose different ones with each loop, so you’re not stuck with one character forever. As much as I liked that approach, it left me hanging with the fact I might never be able to fully reveal the potential of my character, especially since you lose most of your items with each loop.
Baladins offers a variety of skills beyond the standard strength and knowledge, including destruction, creativity, and finesse. Destruction can cause chaos in encounters or quests, creativity can solve issues with innovative ideas, and finesse can be used for stealth-based actions. This variety allows for multiple approaches to challenges and keeps the gameplay fresh. Performing actions such as traveling, training skills, talking to characters, or completing skill-based challenges takes action or traveling points. You get six turns for each loop, each representing a week in-game until Colobra’s arrival ends the loop. This turn-based system requires strategic planning and resource management to maximize progress within the time constraints. However, it does take some time to fully master the game, as each playthrough requires certain tasks to be completed and randomly exploring the world isn’t always helpful. This is where singleplayer suffers a lot, since actions points are used to do everything in the game.
Also, visiting various town squares and caravans allows you to buy potions that increase your action or traveling points or temporarily boost skills. This is crucial for completing quests, gathering information, or delaying Colobra’s arrival. But it felt like it was never enough. Yes, there is a lot to discover inside the game, which I personally found enjoyable, however, everything felt rather tedious after some time and too much on the plate can be stressfull. Skill checks, performed by rolling three-sided dice, add an element of chance and risk to the gameplay. In most cases, I was always getting the positive income, was it my luck or just the game being kind to me, I’ll never know. As well, most quests in Baladins have multiple endings, encouraging you to explore all possibilities across different loops. Some quests may have bad endings where characters face misfortune, while others have good endings. It does keep the game engaging, but as stated, you probably won’t be that hooked or motivated to uncover all potential outcomes.
Multiplayer and Solo gameplay
Here is my biggest problem with the game. As known, it supports co-op multiplayer, where players can share items and provide bonuses to each other’s rolls. However, the multiplayer features lack depth and strategic complexity. The game in fact is designed to shine in a multiplayer setting. With more players, the experience becomes more enjoyable and balanced. However, when multiplayer isn’t an option, the game feels heavily skewed. Despite claiming to support 1 to 4 players, solo players face significant disadvantages. Steam Remote Play is unavailable, local co-op is limited, and solo players must use as many controllers as characters they wish to control. This means that to play with the same level of fairness as a group of four, a solo player would need four separate controllers, making the game less accessible. I will never understand why multiplayer games like this don’t have Steam Remote Play…
Solo players can’t achieve even half of what a full group can, given the limited movement, fewer actions, and the need to prioritize completing quests alone. This results in a stressful rush, whereas multiple players can summon others or teleport to each other’s locations. Four sets of skill points and feet to travel the board always outperform one, and the game offers no compensation for solo players.
Ending thoughts
Baladins features a colorful, storybook-like art style with characters that resemble paper cutouts. This charming aesthetic, combined with fun music, creates an inviting and whimsical atmosphere that sets Baladins apart from more traditional RPGs. The game’s visual style and character designs contribute to its unique charm, making it visually appealing and easy to recognize in a crowded genre. Additionally, the game’s humor shines through in character interactions and dialogue, providing light-hearted moments even as you face the looming threat of Colobra.
In conclusion, Baladins is a charming, addictive, and strategically rich RPG that offers a unique take on the time-loop mechanic. Its whimsical art style, engaging humor, and deep gameplay make it a standout title in the RPG genre, despite some minor flaws. Whether you’re playing solo or with friends, Baladins promises a delightful adventure.
Review copy provided by the publisher
3.6
English (UK) 
Hrvatski