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Score: 8/10
Did I enjoy it? Yes. Early on, this game is a blast to play as you try to capture and see all of the different monsters that it has to offer. Later parts of the game make the enjoyment wain quite a bit.
Would I come back to it? Probably not. Despite being so close to completing the game (Episode 9, Chapter 2), I found the difficulty spike to be less of a skill check and more of a numbers game. I foresaw this becoming increasingly an issue, so I figured it was as good a time to stop as any.
Personal Playtime: 13 hours
Volzerk: Monster and Lands Unknown is a visually stunning game with an enjoyable gameplay loop of defeating and taming monsters to become stronger. However, certain aspects make it less enjoyable for a complete playthrough.
The mechanics are a mix of simplicity and complexity. Real-time combat involves striking and dodging incoming attacks to defeat monsters and potentially tame them. There are also trash mobs called mini-mons that can be acquired randomly. Gameplay consists of story missions or expeditions, offering different objectives and freedom of navigation. The game features crossbreeding to unlock over 400 unique monsters.
Volzerk excels in its rich environment, a serviceable story lasting around 15 hours, and a great variety of monsters to encounter and catch. The allure lies in completing the monsterpedia, as each base monster has a unique design. The most enjoyable feature is crossbreeding, which creates new and stronger monsters with increased attributes.
However, the game has major caveats. Crossbreeding multiple times is locked behind main story events, limiting progress until later in the game. This disincentivized completing the monsterpedia for subsequent areas. There are significant progression walls, particularly midway and near the end of the main story, making instances difficult and discouraging further progress. The monetization is also a concern, as top and mid-tier heroes are exclusively accessible through real-life currency purchases, leaving a negative impression.
In conclusion, Volzerk is worth checking out for its unique monster-catching and breeding mechanics, but it may become stale and challenging in later stages. The game demands a significant time commitment. While there are some complaints and difficulty spikes, early enjoyment is still possible.