The Awakener: Forgotten Oath Review (Steam)

by Jim Smale · November 13, 2023

For this The Awakener: Forgotten Oath Review, we play a rogue-like action game with a highly flexible combat system. ACT and Rogue-like lovers will embark on a thrilling adventure in a magical world called Sylvalond.

The Awakener: Forgotten Oath Review Pros:

Decent graphics.
9.49GB Download size.
Full controller support.
Graphics settings – display, resolution, graphics preset, brightness slider, shadow quality, lighting quality, effect quality, frame rate limit, v-sync, XESS, and DLSS.
Can rebind controls for both the keyboard and the controller.
Invert axis and sensitivity sliders for both the mouse and sticks.
Set which controller buttons it shows on the screen.
Action RPG gameplay.
Opening tutorial section.
Soul Echos can be found/earned and are used to unlock characters and unlock awaken skills.
Void crystals can be found and used to buy talents.
Training can be done in the hub at any time.
Big boss encounters.
Talent unlocks are split into three categories – Damage, Survival, and loots.
Unlock and equip your favorite skills.
A run based roguelike type affair.
A typical game run is when you go from room to room and fight enemies to earn loot, after finishing a room you get 3 choices of where to go next.
Rewards after every room like coins and void crystals with some rooms giving loot.
Hack and slash combat that matched Devil May Cry in terms of speed and velocity.
Every ten rooms is a boss encounter but before it, you get to heal up or increase heal uses along with elements and skills management.
Environmental hazards can appear and they inflict damage on you and the enemy.
An artifact can be chosen and this can add something like a fire turret or shield to protect you. Artifacts need time to charge between uses.
As you play a run you may get a battle upgrade and this is where you pick 1 of 3 upgrades for your character.
Relics are earned through a run and again it’s a choose 1 of 3 deal and each one tells you if you have already collected it before.
Stagger bar on elites and bosses where once it depletes they become vulnerable and unable to move for a short time.
Three characters to unlock and play – Grasso (Fighter), Henrick (Blade dancer), and Sola (vanguard).
Battle record is your stats and it’s broken down by character.
Once you beat bosses and clear locations you unlock the door to fast travel to the new areas straight away.
Later levels open up and have a bit more variety with them and they look fantastic.

The Awakener: Forgotten Oath Review Cons:

No voice work for the characters so it all feels a bit lifeless.
No Steam achievements.
Doesnt offer any online interactions like leaderboards etc.
Cheap boss fights where bosses have multiple life bars.
Unlocking characters is a grind which is fine but you can’t just get the unlock amount and instead have to click through repeated dialogue to find out.
Slowdown in places.
The combat is not as fluid as it should be, it’s not effortless in terms of hitting and dodging, and it feels stunted.
The combat does get very button-mashy.
The later bosses just turn into damage sponges and it’s more a case of attrition than skill.

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