Elminage Gothic - A Fluent Video Review

[Deleted User]

Hey everybody! In this video I do a mini-review of the dungeon-crawler RPG, Elminage Gothic. I also show off some gameplay, so I hope the video is not too boring.

***Please read the description!***

Hello everyone! In today's video, I take a look at the hardcore dungeon-crawler RPG, Elminage Gothic, and give my thoughts and opinions on the game in the form of an "off the top my head" review! It is unscripted (and it probably shows!), but I hope it gives you guys an idea of what to expect from the game, as well as giving you my official Fluent opinion on it!

I also play the game while talking, which is a compromise between capturing raw game footage and talking over it. Let me know what you think of this technique and if I should continue it for future reviews!

I hope you all enjoy and you find the video informative as well as entertaining.

Thanks for watching, and please LIKE/COMMENT/SHARE/SUBSCRIBE for more great RPG video game coverage! It's all I do!

If you *really* want to support me and what I do on this channel, then please take a look at my Patreon page - http://www.patreon.com/fluent - Every donation means so much and shows me you care about these classic and great RPGs! Help me help you with higher quality vids and better equipment to use!

For now, ciao!

More information.

 

[Deleted User]

First comment! :lol:

I hope some of you find these types of reviews informational and entertaining, but again, I'm open to more constructive criticism and suggestions going forward.

I'm listening to you all and I will work on making the videos more exciting by adding gameplay footage and trying to edit my videos more going forward, as well as possibly adding an outline/script to read from.

But I do hope that these sort of "off the cuff" videos have some value with you guys as well. I enjoy just turning the mic on and talking about games. They may not make the most "OMGZORZZ AWESUM!!!" videos, but maybe they are worth a view nonetheless.

Enjoy!

 

[wolfsrain]

Thanks for the review, Fluent. I grabbed the game at the GOG's launch for 5 euro (was a 50% discount for a couple of days). My reason to get this was a rather simple one: some vids reminded me of the early M&M and Wizardry games (which were mostly dungeon crawlers). And i couldn't resist to the epic and the dark feeling that this game emanated. Due to me being busy with some couple of games from my backlog (Xenonauts and the new XCOM), this game went to the...backlog. I know, it sounds stupid

So, i guess, i will actually install it and start playing. Wouldn't be the first time when i play more games, depending on the day's mood (sometimes i grab a fast action game, sometimes, something slow like a Civ game, depends heavily of how i feel at the time when i decide to start playing).

As for the review, try recording some of the cinematics you come across (this review needed something to blow the monotonous mood that sets due to the rather reprtitive gameplay. Also showing some of the harder battles where you can take advantage of the skills and spells it's usually a good idea. It shows that the game also has challenging moments, not only easy battles (not true, as you were higher level than the monsters in those sections, but not too many people pay enough attention).

Congrats for another review and let's hope that you will bring more.

 

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the feedback, wolfsrain! Appreciate it.

I will take your words and pay closer attention to which gameplay I show next time. Honestly, talking while playing is distracting and hard for me to do, so next time I will take the route of recording some actual good footage and talking over it.

 

[Emerwyn]

I grabbed this game from GOG.com and after a couple of hours I think I'm giving up on playing it.

It's not a bad game per se, but I can't get over the inventory/equipment management (and by that I mean, the *inexistant* inventory/equipment management). It's not hardcore and it's not oldschool, it's just flat out annoying and burdening to deal with.

Also, the random battle pop up isn't my cup of tea. Tends to become tedious and dull after a while. I could have lived with that though, but not with the extremelly flawed inventory and item management design.

A shame, because I really love these oldschool dungeon crawlers when done right (ie, like HMMX:Legacy did).

 

[Deleted User]

Eh, after a few hours you're barely scratching the surface.

The inventory/equipment management works great once you get the hang of it. You're still green around the gills after a few hours, so you'd have to play more and move items around more to get a better feel for it.

I don't consider it a flaw, it's just an old-school type design.

There are also a few skills you could use to help the inventory management, such as the skill that passes off treasure items to all the members in your group. Or the skill that sends extra items back to the Alchemy Warehouse automatically.

The battles haven't really gotten dull for me, and the random encounters actually clear out the dungeon, as long as you don't leave and come back, as far as I'm aware.

The tougher battles are interesting, which unfortunately I didn't show off in the video.

To each their own, though.

 

[Black Rune]

Wow! Another Fluent review!
When do you sleep? If you sleep at all?

Anyway, good review, again sir. You did well.
While I found the game look very good and interesting, perhaps, it is to old-school for me. Or, at the moment I would not have the patience to play this kind of a game.
That darn new and young inpatient generation!
But, in the future might try it.
Thanks for a another great video. Tetragrammaton bless you.

 

[Emerwyn]

I might give it another go next weekend, but I really hate having to spend so much time between dungeons dealing with items, and much more having to return to town prematurely because the party ran out of bag space.

A simple option to see your inventory mid-adventure or pass items between party members at any time out of combat would have been enough. Oh well.

 

[Deleted User]

Emerwyn, I understand what you mean, and I thought some of the same things. However, I started to learn that one is not meant to hoard everything in this game. Some items should just be discarded if you don't have enough bag space. Heck, even armor may be sacrificed in some cases if you want to carry more. This is a design decision that adds other emergent elements, not a flaw (IMO, of course!).

You *can* pass items freely among party members, though. Simply select an item and click "Hand Over", then select the character you want to give it to. It's a little slow at first, but once you get the hang of it, you can fly through those menus and commands at the speed of light! :lol:

You can also see your inventory by going to Character Status in the camp screen, and selecting the character. Perhaps you simply missed some of this functionality in your first try with the game.

 

[Deleted User]

Black Rune, I do sleep, a lot actually! Hah! Lately though, I've had so much passion and time to devote to gaming and making videos, that I just love to pump them out when I can. I'll have to think about the timing in the future, though. Perhaps give the first review a few days to breathe before releasing the next one!

Thanks for your comments!

 

[Black Rune]

You just keep pumping dem gameplays!

I do enjoy your videos.
It would be awesome to see you one day doing exclusive previews of some new indie RPG's and AAA RPG's.

 

[Deleted User]

Aww, thanks man! I hope I can do that, too.

 

[Emerwyn]

Alright, you convinced me, I'll try to be more patient when I get some time to play next weekend. Now you're responsible for my frustration if it comes to that.

 

[wolfsrain]

Alright, you convinced me, I'll try to be more patient when I get some time to play next weekend. Now you're responsible for my frustration if it comes to that.

Don't worry! It's a game that grows on you. As i had a lot of experience with the old dungeon crawlers, this came to me naturally. For someone less experienced, it's cumbersome, but after that...You might be in for a real treat.

 

[Deleted User]

Don't worry! It's a game that grows on you. As i had a lot of experience with the old dungeon crawlers, this came to me naturally. For someone less experienced, it's cumbersome, but after that…You might be in for a real treat.

Yep! My thoughts as well.

 

[Deleted User]

Alright, you convinced me, I'll try to be more patient when I get some time to play next weekend. Now you're responsible for my frustration if it comes to that.

I hope I'm responsible for your joy, too, when you realize that it's an awesome dungeon-crawler.

 

[Deleted User]

Friendly Reminder!

Don't snooze on this game, people, especially if you are a fan of challenging dungeon-crawler RPGs! For $9.99 this game is well worth the asking price.

Go, go play it! Hurry! :lol:

 

[Farflame]

Fluent, you sound like professional youtuber. Maybe you could voice act young Emhyr I saw in other video… well, Emhyr in his youth more likely.

Cool videos, thanks.

 

[Deleted User]

Farflame, thanks so much for the compliment! That is awesome and makes me feel great. Thank you.

 

[Deleted User]

Bumping for people who possibly missed this.