Skald: Against the Black Priory

Last updated
Skald: Against the Black Priory
Skald Against the Black Priory cover.jpg
Developer(s) High North Studios
Publisher(s) Raw Fury Games
Engine Unity [1]
Platform(s)
Release
  • WW: May 30, 2024
Genre(s) Role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player

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. The game generally received mixed-to-positive reviews.

Contents

Gameplay

Players are shipwrecked on a cursed island while investigating a friend's disappearance. It is inspired by 1980s role-playing games, such as the Ultima series. It has a pixel art aesthetic and a dark fantasy setting inspired by Lovecraftian horror. Both the main character and recruitable characters can be customized through skills, some of which are available to multiple classes. Up to six characters can be in the party. [2]

Party members can be removed or changed with another character at camp. While camping, party members are given various tasks. Characters can cook ingredients that they find, which will heal them when eaten. Potions can also be crafted. Both potions and food can optionally be disabled. [2]

Combat is turn-based and tactical. Characters block each other, though some perks can be used to switch places with someone else. [2] Terrain can also block progress. Characters can only attack in the four cardinal directions, not diagonally. Positioning is important, allowing rogues to backstab enemies, for example. [3]

During conversations, characters can use skill, such as negotiating to get a better reward. Characters can also use skills to perform various actions, such as stealing items from a shop. This causes shopkeepers to become suspicious of the party and raise their prices. [2]

Development

Developer High North Studios is based in Norway. [4] Raw Fury Games released Skald: Against the Black Priory for macOS and Windows on May 30, 2024. [5]

Reception

Skald: Against the Black Priory received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, earning an average score of 75 out of 100 based off 13 critic reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [9]

Rock Paper Shotgun enjoyed how it modernized 1980s-era game design. Though they experienced several bugs, they gave Skald an enthusiastic recommendation, saying that its charm overwhelmed the minor annoyances they encountered. [2] PC Gamer praised how the horror atmosphere intruded on a typical fantasy world, turning it occasionally surprising and disturbing. [10] Eurogamer said that it "exudes grisly character" but felt it did not offer anything beyond what other retro role-playing games did. They also found the combat occasionally frustrating because of the indistinct pixel art and limited potential for positioning. [3]

Slant Magazine and RPG Fan felt that the retro aesthetics hampered the user interface. [11] [12] Slant also felt combat was imbalanced, making some game mechanics less relevant once characters became very powerful. However, they enjoyed the story and said that Skald builds upon its influences in interesting, new ways. [11] RPGFan praised its graphics, atmosphere, and story. Despite some bugs, which they said were being worked on, they said recommended it as a nostalgic role-playing game that channels various Commodore 64 games from the 1980s. [12] PCGamesN felt the combat eventually became a chore, especially given what they felt was a lack of balance. They said this resulted in repetitively choosing the best option rather than exploring alternatives, even on higher difficulty levels. However, they enjoyed the quests and lore, and they said they would eagerly play a sequel that fixed some of the issues they had. [13]

Swen Vincke, founder of Larian Studios, praised the game. [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Baldurs Gate</i> Franchise of fantasy role-playing video games

Baldur's Gate is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. The series has been divided into two sub-series, known as the Bhaalspawn Saga and the Dark Alliance, both taking place mostly within the Western Heartlands, but the Bhaalspawn Saga extends to Amn and Tethyr. The Dark Alliance series was released for consoles and was critically and commercially successful. The Bhaalspawn Saga was critically acclaimed for using pausable realtime gameplay, which is credited with revitalizing the computer role-playing game (CRPG) genre.

<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>Innsmouth no Yakata</i> 1995 horror video game

Innsmouth no Yakata, also rendered as Insmouse no Yakata, is a 1995 first-person video game developed by Be Top and published by I'MAX in Japan for the Virtual Boy. Assuming the role of a private detective in 1922, the player is tasked with escaping a monster-infested mansion with an artifact called the Necronomicon. The player navigates several mazelike levels that must be finished in a certain amount of time. It is loosely based on the H.P. Lovecraft novel The Shadow over Innsmouth, though the only similarity between the two is the presence of fishlike monsters. It received mixed reviews, with critics praising its Lovecraftian setting. Reception of the gameplay was mixed, with critical contemporary reviews from magazines Famitsu and VB Guide, though it was viewed positively for its ambition and uniqueness.

<i>Fallout</i> (video game) 1997 video game

Fallout is a 1997 role-playing video game developed and published by Interplay Productions, set in a mid-22nd century post-apocalyptic and retro-futuristic world, decades after a nuclear war between the United States and China. Fallout's protagonist, the Vault Dweller, inhabits an underground nuclear shelter. The player must scour the surrounding wasteland for a computer chip that can fix the Vault's failed water supply system. They interact with other survivors, some of whom give them quests, and engage in turn-based combat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larian Studios</span> Belgian video game developer and publisher

Larian Studios is a Belgian independent video game developer and publisher founded in 1996 by Swen Vincke. Headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, Larian focuses on developing role-playing video games but has previously worked on educational games and casino games. It is best known for developing the Divinity series and Baldur's Gate 3.

<i>Divinity II</i> 2009 video game

Divinity II is an action role-playing game developed by Larian Studios. Its first release in 2009 was subtitled Ego Draconis and was published by dtp entertainment and in the United States by cdv Software Entertainment. The updated 2010 re-release The Dragon Knight Saga which included the expansion Flames of Vengeance, as well as the final 2012 release as Divinity II: Developer's Cut, were published by Focus Home Interactive.

Zeboyd Games is a indie developer specializing in retro-style 16-bit role-playing video games. Zeboyd is most associated with its co-creators Robert Boyd and William Stiernberg, who did the great majority of the work for their games. Stiernberg left the studio in 2023, but it continues onward under Boyd.

While the early history and distinctive traits of role-playing video games (RPGs) in East Asia have come from Japan, many video games have also arisen in China, developed in South Korea, and Taiwan.

<i>Divinity: Original Sin</i> 2014 video game

Divinity: Original Sin is a role-playing video game developed and published by Larian Studios. The fourth main entry in the Divinity game series, it is a prequel to the original game Divine Divinity, and to the other main games in the series. It was first released on Microsoft Windows on 30 June 2014.

<i>Divinity: Dragon Commander</i> 2013 video game

Divinity: Dragon Commander is a real-time strategy video game developed by Larian Studios as part of the Divinity series of fantasy role-playing games. The game features a hybrid of gameplay styles and has single-player, competitive multiplayer and cooperative multiplayer modes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swen Vincke</span> Belgian video game designer, programmer and director

Swen Johan Vincke is a Belgian video game designer, programmer and director. He is the founder and CEO of the video game company Larian Studios, where he has led the development of the Divinity series and Baldur's Gate 3.

Bombshell is a multidirectional shooter developed by Interceptor Entertainment and published by 3D Realms. The game was released on January 29, 2016, for Microsoft Windows. The game runs on Unreal Engine 3.

<i>Divinity: Original Sin II</i> 2017 video game

Divinity: Original Sin II is a role-playing video game developed and published by Larian Studios. The sequel to 2014's Divinity: Original Sin and the fifth main entry in the Divinity series, the game was released for Microsoft Windows in September 2017. The player controls a "Godwoken", a Sourcerer who can harness and use a powerful magic known as Source, and becomes a pivotal figure in the fight against the Voidwoken, monstrous creatures who wreak havoc in the medieval fantasy world of Rivellon.

<i>Baldurs Gate 3</i> 2023 video game

Baldur's Gate 3 is a 2023 role-playing video game developed and published by Larian Studios. It is the third main installment to the Baldur's Gate series, based on the tabletop fantasy role-playing system of Dungeons & Dragons. A partial version of the game was released in early access format for macOS and Windows in October 2020. It remained in early access until its full release for Windows in August 2023, with versions for PlayStation 5, macOS, and Xbox Series X/S releasing later that year.

Divinity is a role-playing video game series developed by Larian Studios. The franchise was introduced in 2002 with Divine Divinity. The franchise received more mainstream attention following the critically and commercially successful release of Divinity: Original Sin (2014).

<i>Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones</i> 2019 video game

Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is a tactical role playing video game developed by Cultic Games. 1C Entertainment published it for PCs in 2019. It takes place in a Lovecraftian setting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark Urge</span> Fictional character

The Dark Urge is a character from the 2023 video game Baldur's Gate 3, a role-playing video game by Larian Studios set in the Forgotten Realms universe of Dungeons & Dragons. First introduced at the conclusion of tie-in community-based browser game Blood in Baldur's Gate, the character was designated as an "Origin" character, the player can select to play through the game from their perspective. Unlike other Origin characters, the Dark Urge's appearance, voice, gender, and class can be customized if the player chooses. By default, the Dark Urge is a male White Dragonborn Sorcerer, voiced by Neil Roberts.

<i>Hammerwatch 2</i> 2023 video game

Hammerwatch 2 is a 2023 action role-playing video game developed by Crackshell and published by Modus Games. It is the sequel to Hammerwatch and Heroes of Hammerwatch. It is available for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. Ports to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series X/S were released on April 23, 2024.

<i>The Iron Oath</i> 2023 video game

The Iron Oath is a 2023 tactical role-playing video game developed by Curious Panda Games and published by Humble Games. Players manage a mercenary company, complete quests, engage in turn-based combat, and can optionally follow a revenge-themed main story. It entered early access in 2022 and is available for Windows and macOS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Divinity Engine</span> Game engine developed by Larian Studios

Divinity Engine is a game engine developed by Larian Studios. It has undergone several iterations, with the latest version being Divinity Engine 4.0 developed for Baldur's Gate 3.

References

  1. ↑ Saver, Michael (2024-06-10). "Games Made with Unity: May 2024 in review". Unity Technologies . Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Vega, Sin (2024-05-31). "Skald: Against The Black Priory review: the best of 80s RPG design without the baggage". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  3. 1 2 Lane, Rick (2024-06-02). "Skald: Against the Black Priory review - a robust but inessential throwback to the RPG's primordial era". Eurogamer . Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  4. ↑ "SKALD: Against the Black Priory is Out Now!". Raw Fury . 30 May 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  5. ↑ "Skald: Against the Black Priory PC". Gamepressure . 2024-06-02. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  6. ↑ "SKALD: Against the Black Priory". Metacritic . Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  7. ↑ ""SKALD: Against the Black Priory"" . Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  8. ↑ ""https://toucharcade.com/2024/05/31/megaton-musashi-w-wired-steam-deck-gameplay-impressions-rogue-prince-of-persia-pc-review-verified-game-news-pc/"" . Retrieved 2024-11-29.{{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  9. ↑ "SKALD: Against the Black Priory". Metacritic . Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  10. ↑ Valentine, Robin (2024-05-30). "The best thing about this retro fantasy RPG is that I keep forgetting it's actually Lovecraftian horror". PC Gamer . Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  11. 1 2 Scaife, Steven (2024-06-07). "Skald: Against the Black Priory Review: A Singular and Idiosyncratic Throwback". Slant Magazine . Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  12. 1 2 Roddison, Mark (2024-06-01). "SKALD: Against the Black Priory". RPG Fan. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  13. ↑ Bell, Lowell (2024-05-29). "Skald Against the Black Priory review - a modern take on retro RPGs". PCGamesN . Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  14. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2024-05-31). "A new throwback RPG is so good, it's won praise from Larian boss Swen Vincke: 'I'm flying to LA next week and plan to play it the entire flight'". PC Gamer . Retrieved 2024-09-10.
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.