Roadwarden is a retro-RPG that’s been made with a whole lot of care. Primarily text-based, it’s a narrative of exploration, survival, and thriller wrapped in a low-fantasy blanket. With its detailed writing, it makes an attempt to place you within the well-worn boots of a lone adventurer in a wierd, forbidding world. It’s a narrative that succeeds, however it’s hobbled by the restrictions of the Swap interface.
You play as a Roadwarden, and your job is to safe the savage roads of a peninsula for vacationers and merchants. With solely your horse and expertise (extra on that in a bit), you begin exploring, discovering what few settlements stay (and the stays of those who don’t), preventing beasties, and encountering the bizarre and unusual artifacts that dot the land (“Oh, a large tree, partially submerged in entrance of a stone altar? This deserves consideration…”)
The setup of the sport gives you flexibility and replayability. You may select your class (Scholar, Mage, or Warrior) and varied beginning perks, in addition to your background and motivation, which can provide you bonuses to interactions all through the sport. The service provider’s guild has despatched you, however what’s your actual purpose for exploring? What do you hope to achieve? Are you an altruist who seeks to assist the human colonies join, or… one thing else?
When you begin on the street, the primary motion of the sport is about exploration and worldbuilding. Set in a Darkish-Ages-esque kingdom of magic and monsters, you’ll encounter the people who eke out a dwelling by no matter means they’ll. Dialogue is generally decision-tree primarily based; you see the checklist of matters you’ll be able to ask, and more often than not you’ll get a inventory reply. Generally folks will refuse to reply questions till they belief you extra otherwise you provide one thing they need in return, however your tone also can have an effect on these relationships. Do you wish to make a joke or take a sterner tone, leaning in your authority? These choices will matter as a result of whereas there’s a whole lot of exploration to be accomplished in Roadwarden, and also you’ll come again to the principle settlements repeatedly, unlocking data that wasn’t obtainable earlier than. If you happen to survive, that’s.
As a result of an enormous part of Roadwarden is survival—not simply survival in fight, however the day-to-day problem of maintaining your thoughts and physique collectively whereas dwelling in that world. You haven’t simply your well being to fret about, and the situation of your armor and weapons, but additionally your nourishment (don’t starve to loss of life) and your cleanliness. Illnesses can kill, positive, however failing to wash (with cleaning soap, a consumable useful resource) can have an effect on your interactions.
The tone of Roadwarden is so extremely sturdy. The textual content (and there’s a whole lot of textual content) spells out not solely what you’re coping with, however the really feel of being there: physique language, smells, the vibe of the bizarre, burnt-out fields you’re compelled to wander. As well as, the nearly-monochrome pixel artwork that accompanies the phrases actually provides an oomph! to all of it. You come throughout a destroyed settlement, however a fog of conflict solely reveals the a part of the city that you simply’ve chosen to discover. Do you go round or by way of? It smells horrible, your abdomen is popping (are you getting sick?) and the solar is getting decrease within the sky.
That’s one other facet of the sport to maintain monitor of: time. Positive, your job is to tame the roads, however don’t be silly sufficient to suppose you’ll be able to spend the night time outside. You may journey from city to city through the daylight, however ensure you discover a secure spot to remain at night time. And there’s one other ticking clock; you solely have 40 days to discover earlier than you should return to the service provider’s guild and provides your report (and clear up no matter different agendas you will have).
All of that is extremely immersive for a recreation with such a minimalist presentation, however the greatest drawback is that it runs into its best foe: the Nintendo Swap interface. Roadwarden has a whole lot of data to maintain monitor of: your entire stats, your gear, the time of day, the map, the dialogue, and your on-screen choices. And determining the way to spotlight the factor you wish to do is a freaking ache. You should use the left stick to maneuver concerning the display screen to what you’re making an attempt to pick out, however in case you’re not utilizing the left D-pad, you’re a idiot.
It’s extremely irritating to be at a vital choice level and at last make your alternative, solely (backside heart) to seek out that the sport is anxious that you simply don’t bear in mind what your character identify is or your class (higher left). Why are you telling me my armor is half-gone (which I can see on the center proper) once I’m making an attempt to inform the service provider the gossip I found? And don’t even get me began on making an attempt to maneuver out of a location and into a brand new, unexplored space on the map.
One other large drawback is that on my series-one Swap, the picks continuously simply don’t register. I’ve it highlighted, I hit the A button and…nothing. The opposite problem, after all, is that Roadwarden is a text-based recreation, and for my Previous Man Eyes, taking part in it on the change display screen is a recipe for complications and eyestrain. Docked must be the way in which to go.
Additionally, you’ll wish to preserve a pocket book helpful. Roadwarden is a recreation of particulars and names. The textual content will daring names and ideas which can be necessary (and retains them in an in-game journal you’ll be able to seek advice from), however there’s a lot data that you simply’ll want your individual, real-world sources to maintain monitor of what’s necessary to be used within the dialogue timber the place you’ll be able to kind in your individual actions and matters (one other space during which the Swap interface isn’t very best).
That being mentioned, Roadwarden’s contained world gives a whole lot of leisure to those that take the time to discover (and re-explore) each nook and cranny.
