1348 Ex Voto Reviews
Sedleo is a small development team, and *1348 Ex Voto* is their debut title. This, in part, may explain some of the game’s shortcomings. The team likely bit off more than they could chew; it would have been better to lower their ambitions slightly and develop something less ambitious. *Ex Voto* does have a solid plot, compelling storytelling, and graphics that are visually striking. But beyond that, there’s little else: gameplay that’s far too linear, an imprecise and frustrating combat system, progression that fails to engage the player, and a series of inexplicable bugs that sink the game. It’s a shame, but perhaps this can serve as a starting point for the development team to start over and show us gamers what they’re really made of.
Review in Italian | Read full review
1348 Ex Voto is a game that had some good ideas with a stance-based combat system and an interesting medieval Italian setting. However, the execution here is incredibly poor and it feels as if you’re walking between two places and fighting a few enemies before doing the exact same thing again with added frustration and annoyance the second the enemy numbers ramp up. Boss battles are infuriatingly difficult and the game is just simply not fun at all to play because it’s fighting you back with its mediocre mechanics and unpolished gameplay.
1348 Ex Voto wastes a fantastic setting and excellent voice acting on a fundamentally broken gameplay loop. The 14th-century Italian countryside looks gorgeous, but the erratic lock-on camera, unreliable dodging, and technical bugs turn sword fights into a constant struggle. Even at a budget price, it’s hard to recommend picking this up until the controls see some major updates.
Much like Aeta’s quest, players of 1348 Ex Voto have some challenges to face in getting through to the end. If you power through the various bugs and design issues with the combat, you’ll find a decent 7 to 8 hour game that gives you a bleak look into a plague-ridden Europe. Buboes and all, 1348 Ex Voto’s strong voice cast, great environments and lighting might not be enough to avoid a big white X on it.
1348 Ex Voto is a game with a strong setting and genuine highlights that gets undermined by its own combat system.
1348 Ex-Voto is one of those games that puts us in an awkward position: its flaws are obvious, but we can’t bring ourselves to completely dismiss it. Because yes, the flaws are numerous. The narrative constantly falls apart, the combat is more interesting in theory than in practice, and… so much more. There’s too much that “doesn’t add up” to call it a truly successful game. And yet it had, at times, an inexplicable hold on us. Because all it took was a vineyard, a church, a country road, to captivate us with a very specific imagery. Perhaps its charm lies precisely in this constant contradiction: seeing clearly everything that doesn’t work, and yet continuing to believe that beneath those cracks lies something precious.
Review in Italian | Read full review
1348 - EX Voto is one of those cases where ambition exists, but nothing around it sustains the idea. The game tries to rely on combat, narrative, and historical setting, but fails in all three pillars. Combat is inconsistent and frustrating, the story doesn’t develop convincingly, and technical problems break any immersion that could exist. Even though it’s a smaller project, that doesn’t justify the lack of polish and clear direction. In the end, it’s an experience that doesn’t respect the player’s time and will hardly keep anyone engaged until the credits without effort.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
1348 Ex Voto is a failed experiment. The concept is interesting, but its potential is completely unrealized. Ultimately, it's a frustrating game to play, with a negligible (and neglected) plot. The beautiful landscapes and evocative lighting aren't enough to sustain the game, which feels crude and unfocused, despite some moments featuring some good visuals.
Review in Italian | Read full review
1348 Ex Voto seems less like a final work and more like a proof of concept. It has beautiful scenery but is hampered by systems that don't always support the journey they're supposed to help with.
1348 Ex Voto is an intriguing title that doesn't quite stick the landing on everything it proposes; it's visually stunning but technically lacking. Despite its notable flaws, the team at Sedleo has built a solid foundation to learn from, clearly demonstrating the potential for their future projects.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
1348 Ex Voto is a short medieval adventure whose powerful story is perfectly capable of overshadowing every gameplay flaw it obviously possesses.
I consider myself to have the ability to see the best in something - and yet, I’m struggling to find any redeeming qualities in 1348 Ex Voto, a game whose concept I was fairly sold on. I can’t fault the ambition of indie studio Sedleo, but I’m afraid several potentially okay ideas have been lost within an experience that is underbaked, unoptimised and, at times, unplayable.