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Gordian Quest Review (PC)

 1 year ago
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Gordian Quest Review (PC)

very good
Gordian Quest key art

Alphonse is ready to deliver a very powerful strike, after having leveled up his critical stat two times. That will deal with one of the angry skeletons in front of my party, with Lucius loading up on guard cards to tank the attacks coming from the other three. Meanwhile, Catherin will launch her own strike, which will combo with a nearby spearman to bring down a big enemy archer. When the opponent’s reinforcements arrive, there will be just four of them on the field to deal with the next turn, which should be easy as long as the right cards pop up in my character’s hands.

Gordian Quest is developed by Mixed Realms and Swag Soft Holdings, with publishing handled by Mixed Realms and Coconut Island Games. This is a pretty traditional take on the card-based, tactics role-playing space, with a focus on balance and challenge.

The game features a pretty D&D-inspired single-player campaign, split into four acts, that tells the story of a world under threat and the heroes that can form a party and save it. It’s pretty forgettable standard fantasy stuff but competently executed. Players can choose from 10 types of heroes, with plenty of variety, each of them with its own set of cards and tactics. The game also features a challenge mode that allows players to simply pick three heroes and try and get through an area (the level of rogue in any save can also be adjusted).

The main gameplay loop of Gordian Quest is made up of card and turn-driven, tactical combat. Three characters (and potential allies) occupy three rows, with a variety of enemies opposing them (there’s also the potential for more in reserve). Each of the heroes has access to a selection of cards, each taking up at least one of their energies each turn. They are used to: move, attack, defend, deliver special strikes, and more.

Gordian Quest

The game always makes it clearly visible what enemies are planning to do. So much of the gameplay is built around getting guard to mitigate enemy strikes or focusing on one enemy to eliminate an attacker entirely. The deck is not static and it’s necessary to find ways to improve each character's box of tools. When the player gets pieces of armor or weapons, they might add something new. As characters gain level, they can boost cards (and will gain other bonuses).

Outside of combat, players will also get encounters where they will plot a short adventure for their group, trying to hit points of interest on a simple board. The game also offers straight p skill checks, which can reveal hidden info, make an upcoming fight easier, and more.

With three characters on the board, I found that a heavy hitter is very important, mainly because enemy special enemies can cause a lot of problems if not taken down quickly. A ranged character, attacking from behind the line and boosting allies, is worth its weight in gold. And I found Cathryn, with her mix of damage dealing and limited healing, a great asset. One of the best elements about Gordian Quest is the number of possibilities and synergies that it opens up.

But experimentation can be a problem during the single-player campaign, especially when bosses show up. It takes careful use of cards and tactics to get out of a big fight with only a small loss of health. Thankfully, there are inns to rest in and helpful healers (potions are to be used as a last resort). The narrative of the campaigns might not be very interesting, but the maps and challenges are good.

Gordian Quest uses a medieval-fantasy universe with a mostly conservative approach in terms of presentation. It is very easy to understand the cards, the intentions of enemies, the environmental triggers, or the adventure time opportunities. But the characters do not have much in the way of personality and it is hard to develop a connection with the world. The sound design is even weaker, with decent battle sounds and a soundtrack that fails to add anything to the experience.

Gordian Quest

The Good

  • Card and tactics combo
  • Variety of heroes
  • Campaign and open play modes

The Bad

  • Shallow fantasy universe
  • Limited presentation
  • Some difficulty spikes

Conclusion

Gordian Quest is focused on mechanics to both its advantage and detriment. For a player who has not explored the card and tactics space a lot, this is a perfect experience both as an introduction and for long-term engagement. For someone who has tried out a lot of titles in the genre, this game is a little too by the book for its own good.

I like choosing a hero, seeing his cards, and finding out how I can tweak his arsenal via equipment or upgrades. I like to make a quick run, see what new enemies come my way, and how I can create new cool combos. But the limited appeal of the universe and lack of major innovations to the gameplay means that Gordian Quest might never convince me to finish its campaign.

Review code provided by the publisher.


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