The Last Spell Review
Strategy RPGs and roguelikes. We don't often see the combination together because they're both inherently complex and rely on several systems to work. Roguelikes rely on procedural generation, permadeath, and generous randomization, while SRPGs rely on turn-based hex- or grid-based movement, robust customization, and carefully considered weighing of pros and cons by evaluating the landscape and enemies. To combine these two styles authentically would be a feat bordering on impossible. Surely, even attempting to scale this mountain would require extraordinary balance and mastering the art of game design.
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As fun and impressive as The Last Spell is, I almost feel like it's aged me. I am the type of person who goes in for long, heavy board games, loves to lose so that I can go again bolder and wiser, and relishes gnawing on two or more game-changing possibilities. Yet, I turned away from The Last Spell more than once because I couldn't bear the idea of going through the stress again. In the right mood, The Last Spell is a gift and treasure. Still, you must not only be the kind of person who wants the densest strategy RPG experience ever created, but you also need to be in the mood to weigh twenty or so variables with each action, lest the house of cards you've constructed topple down.
Score: 83/100
