The turn-based strategy gaming genre has been around for a long time. The relatively simple mechanics and usually stylized graphics let these type of games maintain their charm and popularity as time passes. The world of fantasy turn-based games is dominated by the Fire Emblem franchise on Nintendo platforms, but those have never made it to PC.
Dark Deity captures all the feelings and familiarity of the world of Fire Emblem while still creating its own world and adding its own elements. The basic mechanics are the same, in that you move each of your units one at a time to navigate the map, maneuver around the enemy, and of course attack the enemy. It’s safe to say that any turn-based game in this genre will have that same basic premise. From there though, it starts to change and create its own place.
Each character has four weapon choices that each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Each of these weapons can be leveled up individually so you can make a character who is good with all four of their weapons or you can specialize specific characters to just one or two. This adds an extra level of strategy as well as flexibility with your team. Your magic users can still hit someone over the head with a mace if that ends up being the better play for them, same for your archers.
The progression system for characters is familiar, but unique as well. You have many choices for how you promote your units and there is no right or wrong way to go about it. As with any game in this genre, that freedom of choice is what makes replaying a game like this so much fun. Maybe that character you make a master of magic needs to be a stalwart knight next time around or maybe you want everyone to be a stealthy assassin; the choice is yours!
From a metagame standpoint, the communication from the developer and publisher has been phenomenal as someone playing the game. In their active Discord server, the developer (who is one person) provided daily updates to the community about patches and bug fixes for the day. He was clear about prioritizing bugs and game-breaking issues over new features for those first few days of release, but was adding in requested features by the end of the first week. The biggest ask was the ability to save in the middle of a battle and resume it later. This was quickly promised, but placed behind some more pressing fixes. The developer made sure it was ready within that first week though.
All in all, I’ve been blown away by this game. The art style is gorgeous. The mechanics are familiar yet new. The developer support and communication are top notch. And the story is one we all know but with enough twists and intrigue to keep you invested in it. If you’re looking for a Fire Emblem-like game, a turn-based game strategy game, or just a good story with great art then this is the game for you.
Review Score: 7/10, totally worth the price of admission.
[A copy of Dark Deity was provided for this review]
Image Credit: Freedom Games and Dark Deity
