Shores Unknown - Hands On @ TBL

The Turn Based Lovers checked out Shores Unknown:

Shores Unknown – Hands-on

“A cold rain began to fall,
and the blurred street-lamps looked ghastly in the dripping mist.”
- Oscar Wilde

Usually I don’t write preview or review of some sort, simply because it’s not in my chords, but sometimes comes up a game that is able to immediately catch my attention for some reason (the gameplay, the art style or even the setting). Shores Unknown is, indeed, one of them.
Almost a year ago I wrote a “First Impression” based on a limited demo version, but, since then, Shores Unknown has come a long way, so I decided to update my impression about it.

What follows are my thoughts about the game and its new contents…

TELLING STORIES

First thing first, let’s talk about the story and the setting of the game.
Everything takes place in a fantasy world ruled by the Crown with the help of its military arm: the Inquisition. Being on the wrong side of the law, in “Shores Unknown”, is not pleasant, also considering that, in addition to these fearsome forces and to a perpetual war, every single human being has to face the MURK.
What is the Murk, are you wondering? Well, have you ever read the Stephen King’s short-story called The Mist? Ok, try to think of something like that, literally a wall of fog which conceal dark creatures and from which nobody has ever retuned.
In the mi(d)st of this inhospitable world, we will play as the leader of a mercenary company who will have to venture through the Murk, involved in some kind of conspiracy and in search of truth.
As you will have understood, the story, at this stage, is still partially shrouded in mystery, but it already shows very good ideas, supported by characters always nice, well-defined and, abobe all, quite ironic.
Obviously, the importance of the story directly affect the gameplay. The game is heavily story-driven and this is not necessary a drawback. It’s clear that in this game every single inch of the maps is hand-drawn, so if you, just like me, are not an elector of the P.G.P. (Procedurally Generated Party), then, well, Shores Unknown is simply a game that you cannot miss.
Mind you, that story-driven doesn’t necessary mean “no space for player’s choices”. I know that many games promise the same feature, but in Shores Unknown the impact of some decisions on the story can be REALLY important.

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