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http://3rd-strike.com/the-age-of-decadence-preview/
The Age of Decadence – Preview
September 20, 2015 - Drydwen - No Comments
Good: traveling system, large skilltrees, non-linear questlines, plenty of choices to make, consequences for each choice, rich RP environment
Bad: outdated graphics, difficult to master and relentless, dull ambiance sound with no voice-overs
As a role playing game The Age of Decadence features rich storylines while exploring many themes such as the dangers lurking in a post-apocalyptic world and the highly dangerous back-stabbing of political factions trying to reach for the top as well as historical facts that cross with fictional tales.
There are eight classes available, each with their own starting zone as well as their own background story. Combining all storylines, including those of the NPC’s, reveals a large and intertwined narrative, showing the player how each factions tries its best to survive the shadows of the post-apocalyptic world.
The path of an assassin is certainly not the same as that from a praetor or a loremaster but many of the quests align with each other, revealing only a chunk of the much larger story that is The Age of Decadence. Because of this, players are given multiple choices on how they advance their quest with the help of a very detailed skill-based character system. Perhaps even far too detailed for a novice to tinker with.
Before we dive much further into the large skilltrees, let’s talk classes. As I’ve said before there are eight classes, each with their own stats, both permanent stats and adjustable ones. The following classes are available: assassin, thief, praetor, loremaster, grifter, drifter, mercenary and merchant. Each class is part of a certain faction or guild and some even have quests you can only do on that specific class. Much of the game can be finished with a non-combat mind but classes such as assassin’s and mercenary’s may not be easy if you go that route. The player can fully customize their characters by adjusting the skin, face, hair and color and beard and color. Lastly, each class will have different starting items in their inventory.
The faction reputation cannot be changed, neither can the player change the amount of skill points they receive in the combat and civil skilltree. For example, an assassin will have 50 combat points and 30 civil points at the start while a grifter starts with 20 combat points and 60 civil points. The dividing of the points is entirely up to the player and there are certainly enough skills to allow for a great sense of customization. When playing the game, the player is given additional points which can be used in either skilltree. There are some skills that are only useful at a later stage in the game but the player will figure this out eventually.
An important feature that will get lost on many is the traveling system. The player can travel by foot to various locations but he can also travel in a fast manner via the map. The locations on the map will be unlocked by talking to NPC’s and accepting their quests. Using this travel system will let the player avoid side-quests in which possible deaths may occur thus it certainly has its advantages. The turn-based combat system of the game is great and just like Divinity: Original Sin, it works fantastic in an RPG although the player will try to avoid combat as much as possible.
That being said, the learning curve of the game is incredibly steep and the hardness of it all is quite off-putting for a majority of players. Due to the steep curve, the game does offer plenty of replayability but only because the player is forced to replay the entire game from the start. Unless they’ve saved the game multiple times in various save files, which is something I highly recommend if you are to complete the game. Even though the game is incredibly difficult to master in its entirety, certain classes are far easier to advance in the game and it would be wise to try them all.
Other important skills in the game that might get you quite far are the trading and crafting skills. Trading is a great way to dump gathered items for a bit of extra gold. Note that the sell price stated in your inventory is not the same price as what merchants will give you. There are two crafting skills in the game, the first one being the actual crafting skill of blacksmithing where you can craft several kinds of items once you’ve bought the required recipes and items. A second crafting skill is alchemy with which you can craft several kinds of potions that may help you in a fight, such as poisons you can coat your weapons with.
The visuals of the game are fairly outdated and the entire game has a Runescape-feel to it. Not necessarily a bad feature but it is notable that the game has been in development for over ten years already. With its isometric nature, the game is equipped with a camera and the player can zoom in and out but after traveling to places with the map, the camera will be zoomed back in. Terribly annoying if you want to play the game zoomed out. Sound wise the game feels lacking creativity. The instrumental soundtrack is on par with the theme of the game but with no voice-overs, the sound becomes rather dull.
Conclusion
The Age of Decadence is not your average RPG and the developers warn the player at the very start that it’s not about killing people either. In this story, you’re not a mighty hero equipped to deal with those brutal fights. The non-linear yet overlapping narratives of each quest and class is a joy to discover but advancing in the game is tedious and requires countless repeats. The lack of bloodshed and the hardship will appall many players but the game does feature a rich role playing environment in which the player is given multiple choices while having to bear the consequences of each choice. All-in-all, The Age of Decadence is a great game but not recommended for the bloodthirsty gamers among us.
