A Bastard's Tale
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for A Bastard's Tale
This is an easy game to recommend to a certain type of gamer, one who hackers for retro stylings and borderline-unfair difficulty, but those who like a modern touch, it's unlikely to satisfy.
I like A Bastard’s Tale, I just wish that some more care and attention went into the gameplay. It tries to go for the Souls-y tough-but-fair difficulty, but its problems means it ultimately falls flat. Despite that, it’s still a short, campy, and very pretty experience that has a lot of heart to it, and for what it costs it’s definitely worth checking out.
Often A Bastard’s Tale ends up feeling like less of a game based on skill and timing and more on just blind luck.
A Bastard's Tale is the kind of game you want to like. The level of challenge is very high, and those with an extreme amount of patience will get the most out of it. However, the combat is rough and unfair most of the time, and your lack of agility can make defeat sting much more. It is short and cheap, but unless you're a masochist, you're better off giving passing on this one.
If you’re within the niche that A Bastard’s Tale is targeting, you’ll find it plenty rewarding. It takes the “fail better” approach to game design and distills it to its very essence, taking the often repetitious process of dying and retrying and turning it into something captivating enough to endure the occasional frustrations that always come with repeated failure. “Just one more try!”
A Bastard’s Tale is a great game if you’re looking for a challenge. The combat mechanics take a little getting used to but they’re really top notch and there’s a great gameplay setting to go along with it. True it’s a little on the short side and it could have done with an actual story to give an extra push through those difficult times. However the addictive gameplay and need to get just a little further will keep pulling you in every time. This is a game that’s great for killing time in short bursts and one to recommend.
If you’re looking for a challenging game that pretty much demands perfection, then this is the one you need. After reading this A Bastard’s Tale review you have a good idea of what to expect from the game, so don’t say I didn’t warn you!
A Bastard's Tale is a visually appealing game with nothing to do. Barebones from front to back and a lacking experience, this title is nothing but a tall tale.
