Dread Delusion

Last updated
Dread Delusion
Dread Delusion Cover.jpg
Steam cover art
Developer(s) Lovely Hellplace
Publisher(s) DreadXP
Programmer(s) James Wragg
Composer(s) Daniel Staley
Engine Unity [1]
Platform(s) Windows
Release14 May 2024
Genre(s) Role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player

Dread Delusion is a 2024 video game developed by independent studio Lovely Hellplace and published by DreadXP. Described as an "open world" role-playing game brimming with strange places and dark perils," [2] Dread Delusion encourages player exploration and discovery over the use of combat and grinding. Upon release, Dread Delusion received average reviews, with praise directed by critics to the game's setting, narrative and worldbuilding, and mixed views over the execution and depth of the game's combat mechanics.

Contents

Gameplay

A screenshot of Dread Delusion. Dread Delusion Gameplay.jpg
A screenshot of Dread Delusion.

Dread Delusion is a role-playing game that is played in first-person perspective across an open world. The game features a character system that provides players with opportunities to resolve quests outside of combat, [3] under four attributes (Might, Guile, Wisdom, and Persona) which govern eight skills (Attack, Defence, Lockpick, Agility, Lore, Spellcast, Charm and Barter). [4] The player increases attributes through the collection of Delusions, which are skulls found throughout the world and collected through exploration or completion of certain quests. Combat is straightforward and used by swinging weapons at enemies using the mouse. [5] The player can also interact with the world in several ways using skills, such as using lockpicks to open doors, charm characters to open up dialog options, or use lore to possess the knowledge to interact with items. [4] Weapons, spells and quick-use items are managed in the inventory, where the player can also acquire or buy gear that improves their attack and defence skills. If the player loses their health and dies, they revert to the last discovered location of a death shrine, scattered throughout the game's map.

Plot

Setting

Dread Delusion takes place in a series of floating islands known as the Oneiric Isles. The Isles are set in an obscure corner of the Skyrealms, which formed after an apocalypse made the surface uninhabitable in the distant past. Inhabited by several factions, the Isles are dominated by the Apostatic Union, who enforced a ban on worship following the God War against the gods and the Wikkians, who commune between the gods and people. The Union have recently arrived in the Isles to seize control over the outlaws in the region.

Synopsis

The player awakes as a prisoner of the Inquisition, the enforcers of the Apostatic Union. Released by the High Confessor, they are offered freedom in exchange for assisting the Inquisition in hunting down and capturing Vela Callose. Callose, the daughter of the Admiral of the Union, has attracted the attention of the Inquisition after becoming rogue and leading the outlaw Dark Star Mercenaries, becoming the most wanted criminal in the Union. Callose also made claims about creating a new age of Heaven that are tantamount to heresy in the Union. The player enters the Blinding Light fortress, where Callose has taken refuge, to witness Callose escaping in her ship. The High Confessor recruits the player as a Confessor of the Inquisition, assisted by the Inquisitor Ignavius. The High Confessor tasks them with locating former Dark Star mercenaries to find information leading to Callose's location.

The player is directed by the High Confessor to Jack Basalt, a former Navy Captain residing in Hallow Town, who became disgraced after abandoning his post to join Callose. He informs the player that Callose has escaped to the Underlands, a place beneath the surface of the Isles. Basalt provides the player with the names of three former Dark Star mercenaries: a figure named 'The Emberian', a powerful wizard named the 'Endless Duchess', located in the Endless Realm, and the engineer Caxton Frost, located in the Clockwork Kingdom. The player is tasked to locate these three characters across the Isles and convince them to locate and capture Callose.

Development

Dread Delusion was developed by Lovely Hellplace, a studio established in 2018 by Brighton-based independent developer James Wragg. [6] Wragg began development of Dread Delusion in 2019 as a desire to merge the role-playing game and walking simulator genres, from an observation that modern role-playing games were "unnecessarily burdened by repetitive combat". [7] An initial version of Dread Delusion was submitted to the compilation Haunted PS1 Demo Disc, published by Breogán Hackett on 6 February 2020. [8]

An early access version of Dread Delusion was released onto Steam on 16 June 2022, following the involvement of independent publisher DreadXP in the development of the game. [9] Whilst initially planning to distribute the game as full release, Wragg stated he was "won over to the idea to the idea of early access" following recognition of the "different level of feedback when you release a game to passionate fans". [10] The 'Rise of the Skeletons' update, released in October 2023, added a new area, Summonisle, and a player ability to summon skeletons to aid the player in combat. [11] [12] The 'Clockwork Kingdom' update was released in January 2024, adding a new region of the same title to the game. [13] [14] [15]

Dread Delusion received a full release on 14 May 2024, [16] accompanied by the release of launch trailer. [17] The release introduced several end-game content updates, including an ending to the game's main quest, the inclusion of a new region named the Underlands, and pilotable airships. [18] [19]

Reception

Early access

Reception of the early access version of Dread Delusion was positive, with critics praising the game's atmosphere and worldbuilding. Renata Price of Vice praised the game's "brilliantly released and haunting setting, one that I spend my hours outside the game thinking about", citing the "beautiful and terrible" scenery. [5] Willa Rowe of Inverse praised the "sense of scale" of the game, stating "the game offers such deep worldbuilding that I felt compelled to turn over every rock and find every secret available to me," observing the game "devotes so much attention to compelling stories" that were "satisfying" and part of a "deeper experience". [20] Alice O'Connor of Rock Paper Shotgun stated the game established "a hell of a mood" and "a great vibe." [21] Several outlets raised favorable comparisons between the game and early 3D role-playing games, particularly the 2002 Bethesda Softworks game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind . [10] [20]

Some critics raised critiques of the early access build of the game. Ted Litchfield of PC Gamer noted the system was "a bit too old school", noting that "staying on your feet too long introduces attribute penalties" that "drain very quickly", and noting the limited options to recover fatigue. [22] Courtney Ehrenhofler of TechRaptor noted that understanding the game's mechanics were a "process of trial and error...which can get frustrating at times", noting "I found myself consulting the controls menu more times than I would like, as well as being utterly baffled by weapon upgrades." [23] Writing for GamesHub, David Wildgoose stated the game was equally compelling and bewildering, noting that "throughout the surreal landscape were many locations and incidents that left me puzzled, but intrigued and keen to discover more", observing that I'm rarely sure whether its mysteriousness is the result of deliberate design or that some bits just aren't done yet." [24]

Reviews

Dread Delusion received "mixed to average" reviews upon release, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. [25] with praise directed to the game's narrative, exploration and worldbuilding. The game's narrative and worldbuilding was praised by critics. Matt Wales of Eurogamer commended the game's setting as "full of stories" and "wonderfully, vibrantly alive" setting, with its "ample" horror ideas moderated by a "strong thread of humour" throughout the game. [29] Philip Watson of Comics Gaming Magazine praised the "many choices and solutions" in the game, and the "charm and excellent character writing" of the quests, particularly highlighting the "mythos" of the character Vela Callose. [28] Highlighting the game's "narrative depth and sense of discovery", Willa Rowe of Kotaku similarly considered the game's tone to be an "enthralling" mixture of unsettling horror and absurd humour. [30] Ian Boudreau of PCGamesN commended the game's "seamless fusion of fantasy, science fiction and horror", although highlighted the "humanity" of the game's dialogue. [27] However, Alexander Chatziionnou of PC Gamer considered the game's final chapter to be of a lower quality, due to the "visually uninteresting" setting of the Underlands, describing it as "rigidly designed" and repetitive. [26]

Gameplay and combat mechanics received mixed assessments from reviewers. Describing the combat as "stiff", Matt Wales of Eurogamer nonetheless noted the game's "nicely streamlined" progression and the balance of managing stamina to add "welcome" depth to the game. [29] Alexander Chatziionnou of PC Gamer praised the open-ended and immersive approach to quests, although found combat mechanics and movement to be "rudimentary" and "simplistic" in nature. However, he considered the combat to fit the tone of the game. [26] Willa Rowe of Kotaku stated that the game's combat was "simple but not very fun", considering it to be "silly" lacking depth, and outmoded by other options including sneaking, lockpicking or charming the player's way out of encounters. [30] In addition to the "clunky combat" which he considered could have been more "interesting and dangerous", Ian Boudreau of PCGamesN faulted the game's "unreliable" quest logs and bugs. [27] Philip Watson of Comics Gaming Magazine also felt the game's skull-based progression system was "limited" and "stuck behind stat checks", also critiquing the game's lockpicking system as reliant on dice rolls and adding artificial length to the game. [28]

Related Research Articles

The Elder Scrolls is a series of action role-playing video games primarily developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The series focuses on free-form gameplay in an open world. Most games in the series have been critically and commercially successful, with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002), The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) all winning Game of the Year awards from multiple outlets. The series has sold more than 59 million copies worldwide.

<i>Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura</i> 2001 video game

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is a 2001 role-playing video game developed by Troika Games and published by Sierra On-Line for Microsoft Windows. The game's story takes place within a fantasy setting currently undergoing a transformation from its own Industrial Revolution, in which magic competes against technological gadgets, and focuses on the efforts of a zeppelin crash survivor to find out who attacked the vessel, ultimately discovering a plot by an ancient power to return to the world and cause chaos. The game, conducted from an isometric perspective and within an open world, offers players the opportunity to craft their protagonist with a variety of skills, including the option to be gifted in magic or use guns and gadgets to combat enemies, and complete quests in different ways.

<i>The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal</i> 2002 video game

The Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal is an expansion for the role-playing video game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind by Bethesda Softworks, released in November 2002. The first of two expansions released for Morrowind, Tribunal is set in Mournhold, the capital of the province of Morrowind, and a self-contained city disconnected from the original game. The central quests task the player to resolve the tensions between the King of Morrowind, Hlaalu Helseth, and the Living God Almalexia. The expansion includes quality of life additions, including alterations to the game's quest journal and map.

<i>The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon</i> 2003 video game

The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon is the second expansion pack for the 2002 video game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, developed by Bethesda Game Studios and released for Windows in 2003. The expansion was later released as part of the Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition for the Xbox in 2004. The expansion adds a landmass to the game, Solstheim, a setting modelled on Norse mythology. The primary questline of Bloodmoon involves the investigation of the Bloodmoon Prophecy that foretells the return of the demigod Hircine. A secondary features a new faction, the East Empire Company, which tasks the player to establish a mining colony. Bloodmoon also provides the player with the ability to become a werewolf, a feature closely embedded in the main storyline and quests. The expansion features more detailed environments, including weather shaders such as snowfall and blizzards.

<i>The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind</i> 2002 video game

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is a 2002 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the third installment in The Elder Scrolls series, following 1996's The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, and was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox. The main story takes place on Vvardenfell, an island in the Dunmer province of Morrowind, part of the continent of Tamriel. The central quests concern the demigod Dagoth Ur, housed within the volcanic Red Mountain, who seeks to gain power and break Morrowind free from Imperial reign.

<i>The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion</i> 2006 video game

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a 2006 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and co-published by Bethesda Softworks and 2K Games. It is the fourth installment in The Elder Scrolls series, following 2002's The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2006, followed by PlayStation 3 in 2007. Taking place within the fictional province of Cyrodiil, the game's main story focuses on the player character's efforts to thwart a fanatical cult known as the Mythic Dawn that plans to open portal gates to a demonic realm known as Oblivion.

<i>Divine Divinity</i> 2002 video game

Divine Divinity is an action role-playing game developed by Larian Studios and published by cdv Software Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, which was released in August 2002. It has three sequels, Beyond Divinity, Divinity II, and Divinity: Original Sin II. It also has a prequel, Divinity: Original Sin, and a spin-off, Divinity: Dragon Commander. The game was released for Mac OS X on 15 November 2013.

<i>Return to Krondor</i> 1998 video game

Return to Krondor is a role-playing video game set in Raymond Feist's fictional fantasy setting of Midkemia. A sequel to 1993's Betrayal at Krondor, it was released for Windows on the PC in time for the 1998 Thanksgiving and Christmas season. Within the game, the player commands a group of heroes with different attributes, strengths, and weaknesses which the player may upgrade over the course of the game.

<i>Arx Fatalis</i> 2002 video game

Arx Fatalis is a 2002 action role-playing game developed by Arkane Studios and released for Windows and Xbox. The game is played from a first-person perspective and is set on a world whose sun has failed, forcing the above-ground creatures to take refuge in caverns. The game's mechanics include the use of mouse gestures to cast spells. Arx Fatalis received mostly positive reviews from critics but was not commercially successful. In 2011, Arkane Studios released the game's source code under the GNU General Public License (GPL), though the game assets remain proprietary.

<i>The Elder Scrolls: Arena</i> 1994 video game

The Elder Scrolls: Arena is an open-world action role-playing video game developed and published by Bethesda Softworks. The first game in the Elder Scrolls series, it was released for MS-DOS on March 25, 1994. The game follows the player trying to uncover a conspiracy against Emperor Uriel Septim VII.

<i>The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall</i> 1996 video game

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is an open-world, action role-playing game published by Bethesda Softworks. The second video game in the Elder Scrolls series, it was released on September 20, 1996 for MS-DOS, following the success of 1994's The Elder Scrolls: Arena. The story follows the player, sent by the Emperor, to free the ghost of King Lysandus from his earthly shackles and discover what happened to a letter sent from the Emperor to the former queen of Daggerfall.

<i>Locks Quest</i> 2008 video game

Lock's Quest is a real-time strategy tower defense video game developed by 5th Cell and published by THQ. It is 5th Cell's second Nintendo DS game. Players control Lock, a young man forced to help defend the kingdom of Antonia from an invasion of clockwork soldiers. The gameplay revolves around constructing defences such as walls and turrets on isometric battle maps, then controlling Lock to fight alongside and maintain his defences.

<i>Legend of Grimrock</i> 2012 video game

Legend of Grimrock is a 2012 action role-playing game video game developed and published by Almost Human. The title is a 3D grid-based, real-time dungeon crawler based on the 1987 game Dungeon Master. It was released for Windows in April 2012, OS X and Linux in December 2012, iOS in May 2015, and Nintendo Switch on 15 January 2024.

<i>The Elder Scrolls Online</i> 2014 video game

The Elder Scrolls Online, abbreviated ESO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is a part of the Elder Scrolls series. It was released for Windows and macOS in April 2014, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in June 2015, and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in June 2021.

<i>Avernum 2: Crystal Souls</i> 2015 video game

Avernum 2: Crystal Souls is a role-playing video game developed by Spiderweb Software. It is the second game in the Avernum trilogy. The game was released for OS X and Microsoft Windows in January 2015, The iPad version was released on the App Store on April 15, 2015.

<i>The Outer Worlds</i> 2019 video game

The Outer Worlds is a 2019 action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Private Division. Set in an alternate future, the game takes place in Halcyon, a distant star system colonized by megacorporations. In the game, the player assumes control of a passenger from a lost colony ship, who is revived by a mad scientist and tasked to rescue their fellow colonists and take down the corporations responsible for the colony's downfall. The game is played from a first-person perspective, and players can use combat, stealth, or dialog options when encountering potentially hostile non-playable characters. The player can make numerous dialog decisions which influence the game's branching story.

<i>Dragon Age: The Veilguard</i> 2024 video game

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. The fourth major game in the Dragon Age franchise, The Veilguard is the sequel to Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014). Set ten years after Inquisition, the game features new locations in the fictional world of Thedas for the player to explore.

<i>Radio the Universe</i> Upcoming video game

Radio the Universe is an upcoming action role-playing game developed and published by 6E6E6E. The game was originally funded via Kickstarter in 2012. A demo of the game was released for the February 2023 Steam Next Fest, the first time the game was playable since it started development more than a decade earlier. Its full release date has yet to be announced.

<i>Nightingale</i> (video game) 2024 video game

Nightingale is a survival video game by Inflexion Games. It entered early access on February 20, 2024. Players attempt to survive in a gaslamp fantasy world set in the Victorian era. It includes light role-playing elements, such as quests.

<i>Skald: Against the Black Priory</i> 2024 video game

Skald: Against the Black Priory is a 2024 role-playing video game developed by High North Studios and published by Raw Fury Games. It has a retro style influenced by the 1980s Ultima games. Players attempt to find a lost friend in a cursed land overrun with Lovecraftian monsters.

References

  1. ↑ Saver, Michael (2024-06-10). "Games Made with Unity: May 2024 in review". Unity Technologies . Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  2. ↑ "Dread Delusion - Presskit". DreadXP. 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  3. ↑ Lovely Hellplace (16 June 2022). "Dread Delusion". Steam. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Dread Delusion General Mechanic Guide". SteamAH. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  5. 1 2 Price, Renata (30 June 2022). "'Dread Delusion' Embraces a Different Kind of Nightmare". Vice. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  6. ↑ "Lovely Hellplace - Factsheet". Lovely Hellplace. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  7. ↑ "Dread Delusion - Factsheet". Lovely Hellplace. 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  8. ↑ Haunted PS1 (6 February 2020). "Haunted PS1 Demo Disc". itch.io. Retrieved 20 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Jones, Rebecca (15 April 2022). "DreadXP are giving devs the creative freedom to make weird, surprising, lovely horror games". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  10. 1 2 Wallace, Chris (8 July 2022). "'Dread Delusion' developer James Wragg on designing a lo-fi 'Morrowind'". NME. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  11. ↑ Lovely Hellplace (20 October 2023). "The Rise of the Skeletons Update". Steam. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  12. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (23 October 2023). "My favorite indie Elder Scrolls-alike has finally added its take on the series' best spell". PC Gamer. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  13. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (1 October 2023). "Our favorite mini-Morrowind is adding a mysterious realm ruled by a clockwork god in its next update". PC Gamer. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  14. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (29 January 2024). "The latest update to my favorite indie RPG adds a clockwork police state ruled by a mad god". PC Gamer. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  15. ↑ Lovely Hellplace (26 January 2024). "The Clockwork Kingdom Update". Steam. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  16. ↑ LeBlanc, Wesley (14 May 2024). "Dread Delusion - New Gameplay Today". GameInformer. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  17. ↑ Janca, Ben (14 May 2024). "Dread Delusion 1.0 Launch Trailer". GameSpot. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  18. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (3 May 2024). "After two long years in early access, my favorite indie Elder Scrolls-alike is getting its full release⁠—and it'll let you fly around in your own airship". PC Gamer. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  19. ↑ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (30 April 2024). "Spooky throwback Elder Scrolls 'em up Dread Delusion leaves early access in May". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  20. 1 2 Rowe, Willa (22 June 2022). "Dread Delusion Feels Like Lovecraft Made an Elder Scrolls Game". Inverse. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  21. ↑ O'Connor, Alice (4 October 2021). "This RPG in the Steam Next Fest looks like Morrowind in hell". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  22. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (19 June 2022). "Rob the town blind and cheat gods in Dread Delusion's Early Access". PC Gamer. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  23. ↑ Ehrenhofler, Courtney (23 June 2022). "Dread Delusion is an Amazing, Horrifying Ride". TechRaptor. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  24. ↑ Wildgoose, David (24 June 2022). "Dread Delusion Review – An alluring unknown". GamesHub. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  25. 1 2 "Dread Delusion". Metacritic. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  26. 1 2 3 Chatziioannou, Alexander (14 May 2024). "Dread Delusion Review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  27. 1 2 3 Boudreau, Ian (15 May 2024). "Dread Delusion Review - a bumpy but fascinating new RPG". PCGamesN. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  28. 1 2 3 Watson, Philip (14 May 2024). "Dread Delusion (PC) Review". CGMagOnline. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  29. 1 2 Wales, Matt (14 May 2024). "Dread Delusion is more than the retro Skyrim comparisons, it's a deep, dark, and nauseatingly good RPG". Eurogamer. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  30. 1 2 Rowe, Willa (18 May 2024). "This Morrowind-Inspired RPG's 1.0 Release Was Worth The Wait". Kotaku. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.