Tyrant’s Realm Review (Steam)
Tyrant’s Realm Review, Embark on a roguelite adventure that pays tribute to the golden era of gaming—specifically, the nostalgic visuals and gameplay reminiscent of the PS1. For generations, your family has fought relentlessly to end the reign of the Tyrant, an ancient being who seeks absolute power and knowledge. The journey will push you to your limits, as each run through the ever-changing realms brings new challenges and opportunities. The world is a brutal, decaying shadow of what it once was, with fallen cities and lost empires turned into treacherous landscapes.
Tyrant’s Realm Review Pros:
- Decent graphics.
- 989.96MB Download size.
- Steam achievements.
- Full controller support.
- Graphics settings – resolution, quality preset, screen mode, vertex snap (creates 3D wobble effects), pixelation, box TV mode (16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratio) and CRT filter.
- Handy auto lock on game option.
- Controller settings – Invert axis and sensitivity sliders, set the button icons to Xbox or Playstation, and set vibration.
- 3 save slots that show play time, difficulty, blueprints, and run number.
- In-game cutscenes and interactions.
- Action roguelike gameplay.
- Opening tutorial section with video pop-ups.
- Stamina-based system for attacks, blocking, rolling, and running.
- The game timer shows all the time.
- A full 3D game world with 360-degree camera control.
- The execution bar fills up as you hit and kill enemies. Once full you can do gruesome execution kills on stunned enemies.
- Skull altars will have a choose one of two random power-ups or buffs that last that life. Buffs and abilities belong to different Rune types like wrath or humility.
- Breakable barrels that can house coins randomly.
- When finding new gear you get a compare items pop up with green and red text to denote good or bad, then you can swap out items as you don’t carry items around.
- Loot chests to find.
- The game runs at a good speed.
- Souls like in its combat, have to learn patterns and initiate counters.
- Collect blueprints from enemies and trade them in at merchants.
- Gear can have their own attacks and abilities with each one having its own cool-down bar.
- Use coins at merchants to buy weapons and gear from your blueprints and then equip them.
- Refill flask stations will replenish your health and top your flask usage back up.
- Gear can have its own unique buffs and passives.
- Slow down to indicate a perfect dodge roll leaving the enemy open.
- Satisfying explosion of loot and coins from killed enemies.
- The map uncovers as you move around.
- You can pause the game.
- It’s possible to lock onto enemies and roll around them and get the upper hand.
- The minimap shows items discovered and points of interest.
- The archive is a book you can read and it shows kill counts for encountered enemies and info on found items and weapons.
- The world map lets you jump between unlocked areas.
- There is a merchant’s lounge that houses the shop, archive, and world map. The game timer is also paused when in the lounge.
- Great looking locations and areas.
- Buy shortcuts for new runs like random starting weapons, armor, and shield, and increase flask usage. You don’t have to have the exact money for it and can put available cash into it like a bank.
- It’s a ton of fun.
- I like how the game plays as a retro-modern Souls-like.
- Merchants Lounge also doubles up as a place where you have to clear out all your coins and put them into unlocks and shortcuts.
- Big boss encounters.
- As you progress you will get opportunities to choose your route and go back to the lounge and go a different route.
- Equipment has colors attached to them which is a bit like rarity levels but Altar buffs are color-coded and show what it affects.
- Areas are big enough to contain secrets, alternate routes, and exploration.
- It has the vibe of a Dark Souls and Dead Cells crossover what with how blueprints work, the combat, map structure, run-based, etc.
Tyrant’s Realm Review Cons:
- Not all the prompts show controller icons and revert to mouse and keyboard prompts.
- Judging parties is really tricky more to the camera angle and closeness of characters.
- The pickup radius is small and you always end up leaving coins behind.
- I’m not always confident about what I’m selecting at altars.
- Areas and placements need a lot of randomization to keep it fresh and feel new each run.
- Tight spaces are hard to fight in as the walls get in the way.
- You cannot compare stats on a blueprint with your equipment so you can end up wasting coins on inferior items and gear.
- The combat is not as smooth as I personally would like, there is a delay between hitting and blocking making for frustrating encounters.
- You need to play a fair chunk before you are happy with new runs, I say this as you have to replay the opening prison over and over until then, and it is tedious and repetitive.
- There is a large amount of grind.
Related Post: FOUNTAINS Review (Steam)
Tyrant’s Realm:
Developer: Team Tyrant
Publisher: Skystone Games
Store Links –
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Summary
Tyrant’s Realm offers a visually appealing experience with decent graphics and a manageable download size of 989.96MB. The game supports Steam achievements and full controller functionality, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Players can adjust various graphics settings, including resolution, quality presets, screen mode, vertex snap, pixelation, box TV mode, and CRT filter. The game also features a handy auto-lock option and customizable controller settings, such as an invert axis, sensitivity sliders, button icons for Xbox or PlayStation, and vibration settings. With three save slots displaying playtime, difficulty, blueprints, and run number, players can easily manage their progress.
The game features in-game cutscenes and interactions, providing an immersive action roguelike gameplay experience. The opening tutorial section includes video pop-ups to guide players through the mechanics. The stamina-based system governs attacks, blocking, rolling, and running, while the game timer is always visible. The full 3D game world allows for 360-degree camera control, and the execution bar fills up as players hit and kill enemies, enabling gruesome execution kills on stunned foes. Skull altars offer random power-ups or buffs that last for the current life, with buffs and abilities categorized into different Rune types like wrath or humility.
Players can break barrels to find coins and compare new gear with their current equipment using a pop-up that highlights the differences in green and red text. Loot chests are scattered throughout the game, and the combat system, reminiscent of Souls-like games, requires players to learn patterns and initiate counters. Blueprints can be collected from enemies and traded at merchants for new gear, which can have unique attacks, abilities, buffs, and passives. Refill flask stations replenish health and flask usage, and a perfect dodge roll slows down time, leaving enemies vulnerable. The map uncovers as players explore, and the minimap shows discovered items and points of interest.
The archive, a book within the game, displays kill counts for encountered enemies and information on found items and weapons. The world map allows players to jump between unlocked areas, and the merchant’s lounge houses the shop, archive, and world map, pausing the game timer while inside. The game features great-looking locations and areas, and players can buy shortcuts for new runs, such as random starting weapons, armor, shields, and increased flask usage. The merchant’s lounge also serves as a place to clear out coins and invest in unlocks and shortcuts. The game includes big boss encounters and opportunities to choose different routes as players progress.
However, not all prompts show controller icons, reverting to mouse and keyboard prompts, which can be confusing. Judging parties is tricky due to the camera angle and character proximity. The small pickup radius often results in leaving coins behind, and players may feel uncertain about their selections at altars. The game areas and placements need more randomization to keep each run fresh and exciting. Tight spaces can be challenging to fight in, as walls obstruct movement. Additionally, players cannot compare stats on blueprints with their current equipment, potentially leading to wasted coins on inferior items. The combat system has a delay between hitting and blocking, making encounters frustrating. The repetitive nature of replaying the opening prison section can be tedious until players unlock new runs.
In summary, Tyrant’s Realm offers a visually appealing and immersive action roguelike experience with a variety of customizable settings and features. While the game has its share of challenges, such as controller prompt issues, small pickup radius, and repetitive sections, it provides a fun and engaging gameplay experience reminiscent of a Dark Souls and Dead Cells crossover. With its unique mechanics, big boss encounters, and opportunities for exploration, Tyrant’s Realm is a game worth trying for fans of the genre.