I'm leaving this mostly as a "This is a good game, if you like 3D platformers that play like Super Mario 64. but with MOAR! Grab this and rock out"

I'm going to keep this rather short as I'm sure other reviews will touch on the pros in finer detail. As the description of this game mentions it's a Metroidvania in 3D. And I'll mention it's not exactly the typical Metroidvania as some upgrades WILL make navigating an area 10 times easier, But if you have the core upgrades (can get them rather early) which is Slide + Slide Jump, Ground Pound (also highjump and air brake+backflip), and Wall Jumping/Kicking. If you're creative (or stubborn like me) you can skill your way to places that probably wanted you to have a different upgrade by that time.

This is a Solid 8.5/10 there are even time attack crystals if you just love movement platformers like this and want to test yourself, note I only completed 2 of the easier ones, I'm probably on the lower rankings of players of this genre so if you really love these games, you're probably going to have a 10/10 experience.

I have "beat" the game when it was EA (which was just completing the main storyline of the 3 main areas)
And I have beat it now that is is full release, and I'll mention this was for V1.0.2.2 in case problems I mention are patched out later.

Altho I am not recommending this game, I will try to describe what the game is before I start going into my experiences.

Dread Delusion is a First-Person RPG Adventure visually set to the retro aesthetics of the PS1 (complete with vertex wobble). You are set upon a world that is 400 years post-cataclysm which has left the world to be only scatterings of floating islands in the sky, as the world below is uninhabitable to any and all life. The world is vibrant and cryptic.

Now I'll start to describe my experiences with the game:
--Gameplay
-Character Creation and Attributes+Skills
As mentioned this is a FPS RPG, when creating your character you can pick 3 traits that "describe" who you are, benefits you such as what your starting attribute is boosted, and what secondary and tertiary skills are buffed.

I don't mind this, seems pretty standard. And without spoiling too much, there are secrets and puzzles that DO require you have invested in certain skills and/or attributes (which also increase related skills, Say Might (att) will also increase Attack and Defense (skills))

However if you feel like you've made a mistake at character creation, I will inform you, you can get gear and upgrade them up to a +30 for various skills, So you won't be locked out of secrets, however you will have to remember were they were to return once you've levelled up enough and found said gear

-Combat
Not very Engaging, however I believe this is the game leaning heavier into the PS1 retro experience, and also into a more narrative/story based game. Now some would call this a walking-sim which doesn't make it a bad game, but if you're looking for a FPS RPG with engaging combat, this is not it.

You have the option to use melee (Sword, then you can find a Greatsword, and a Dagger), Ranged (This will be a Bow, throwing knives/shuriken, explosive potions, and a handful of ranged spells. Including summons (skeletons)) and Magic (mentioned combat related, but also many utility, like speed up, healing, skipping time (if you don't want to sleep), charming foes to fight for you)

Most enemies will as simple AI would, is move straight for you when they see you, attack when in range. And if they are ranged, shoot at you, if you get close, change to melee and if you leave melee, return to ranged. Don't Expect much challenge if you've played many games like this, as any of the tried and true tactics will get you through this game, you can also be a pacifist too, you don't need to kill anything (outside of dialogue) to beat this game.

-Crafting
There is crafting in this game, the main part of it will be combining raw ingredients you can find/harvest on your own, which do regrow, or you bought from the few vendors that do sell it. You can't craft weapons, but you can upgrade them, such as the starting Rusty Sword can become a Iron Sword, which can become a Fine Sword, and that can be upgraded again, and this version can branch off to 3(2 actually) final versions which about mid-late game you can find said ores.

But most crafting will be for potions, and upgrading gear you find/buy

-Secrets/Interactions
These are heavily reliant on your Lockpicking, Lore skills and Might attribute. If you have a high Lore and Lockpicking you can solve 90% of puzzles, and there are a few in which you need brute force to smash through (As there is nothing to investigate (LORE) or to pick to open).

And Lockpicking is simply a dice roll (1d6) your lockpicking skill can make the required number to get or exceed lower, and there is an item that can further help make lock picking easier. But it's just a dice roll, and invetigation objects are just a Lore check (are you skilled enough? yes/no, do you have enough mana? yes/no (if no drink a mana potion)

There are a few that do require you have a key, which is mainly found around the world in a chests. And some doors a key is only give due to it being quest related.

--Story
Now this is solely going to be how I felt about it, I want to avoid spoilers for those that do want to give this a go if they are looking for a game to explore and interact with that is calm or "tame" for challenge.

I really like the theme of this game, which is a bleak setting in which several struggles are happening at once. And you can help solve them, with a choice that you can determine is right or wrong. A decent amount of quests have Choice A and Choice B even changing what the rewards are. However I found there is some that just rail-road you, and the inability to kill or harm NPCs (unless it's a dialogue choice) can make some of these rail-roaded experiences kill the immersion that we have been given from previous interactions, it just makes you shake your head at the choice to make a "solution" be singular when so many other issues have given you plenty of ways to complete them.

Now did the above really bother me, not too much, it did (why else mention it) but what bothered me was that some quests tried their best impression of Dishonored. You can Kill something, and it's morally wrong and horrible stuff happens, Or you can do this other thing, where now that something is eternally suffering, and horrible stuff happens but different from the murder horrible stuff. I don't mind if there is basically "bad or bad" but there is quite a few.

Like minor spoilers for 2 quests. 1st quest you can kill this one person, but then a plague is released, killing everyone. Or you can poison their son and they both suffer in eternal agony, there is no plague, but now people are mutating into tentacle monsters. 2nd quest you can help a god take root in the land again, and the ground becomes fertile again and people can eat and live, but eventually the people will mutate into monsters. Or you can tip the god-hunters off, which will try to deal with the god, leaving the land to become infertile and the famine continues killing more people. Very Dishonored-like where sometimes killing the target is the more merciful option, and the "pacifist" option they can live, but ooooh are they not going to be happy, for a loooong time.

I can forgive some other minor things that happened in some quests like a character that stutters, at the end is talking quite normal. Or some cases a character has the wrong name or even the wrong dialogue (was talking to a robot, and it was using the same lines as a goblin earlier in the game)

If I had to rate the Story, I'd give it a 7/10 most of the writing is serviceable, the good ones are brought down by some plot-holes. But most of it is propped up by the sheer setting and theme, It's a really interesting world, which is what made me push through with ignoring a lot of the issues (issues to me) because the core of the story and the world is just that good.



TL;DR
Game is like an interactive visual novel that lets you pick a majority of outcomes for situations, which also seem to reflect on the ending. However the project might have been a bit too ambitious as some parts of the story feel very on-rails and this may have been due to time constraints which lead to these choices.

Story is very interesting (Theme and Setting) however as much as I enjoy retro throwbacks (which art-wise, nailed it 100%) the gameplay could have been more modernised which leads me not to recommend this (plus the bugs I faced in 1.0.2.2) for a release, it still feels Early-Access.

However if you like old PS1 FPS story driven games, mechanics/gameplay and all. Treat this as a recommendation instead, but if you're looking for a game that plays like a "game" this won't be for you, and it wasn't really for me, but I vibed with the story.

I have to say, this game is pretty good, and would recommend it. Even tho at the point of this it is indeed EA and there is only the 1st Act (of 3) but I have already beaten this 4 times, and started a 5th just because I wanted to try just one more style of play.

Ok so the Pros:
-Graphics, The PS1 style is well done, even textures that are tileable don't look out of place. So this crunchy look is well done. But I will point out a few weapon textures look a bit too detailed compared the environment and the player's hands.
-Audio, is alright it's a pro because they've used it rather well, I just wish there was more ambient sounds like wind picking up, or a coyote howl, or a hooting owl(if they are even in deserts? maybe some sort of night bird) however that could conflict with the idea that this canyon is now cursed by an overbearing evil and only the undeath roam, so yeah.
-Playstyle, what I mean by playstyle is that this isn't a run and gun FPS, but it's also not a Splinter Cell 95% stealth everything game. Stealth and distraction tactics with takedowns will make the game flow easier, but if you have to go guns ablazing it's a fine backup. It's that nice style that makes you feel like a cowboy/ranger sneaking around picking off the unlife from a distance, or quietly because you're not the DoomGuy.
-Environment, everything is hand crafted, generally this is a no brainer, but in this case they have a talented level designer, apart from reuseable, modular assets and doodads. Every area, cave, location is hand crafted, you're not gonna walk through this game and get that Oblivion/Skyrim feeling of "wait a min, this is the same cave passage I've seen in the last 5 dungeons"

Cons:
-Combat can feel a bit clunky. Now not like you're some half frozen robot, but melee doesn't feel very good, even with all the perks to improve it, it makes it bearable, but not satisfactory. Now this can add to the fact that you are indeed a recently resurrected cowboy and maybe the fact that you had died not long ago might be affecting your reflexes. Gunplay is ok to sometimes good, with all the perks and ranged related artifacts it feels good, and watching something go flying as you turn it's skull into a red mist never gets old (sub-Pro)
-Consumables, these feel like they might be fun to use, but there is never a point where you'd actually want to use half of them. Other than Bandages for some healing and to stop bleeding, health potions, and curse remove potions (if you die, or die a lot), And maybe the physical attack immunity one for some toe-2-toe slap fests. The rest may help you cross the wide open canyon areas, but I found I just sold or put them in my storage chest.
-Death Curses, I don't mind a bit of challenge, and to be fair after I started to get too many of them I discovered I could buy the potion to "cure" them from Jim the second safe house trader. And with my perks and loot find blessings and artifacts, I was actually quite rich. But how this system works, it's quite punishing for newcomers where you don't know the perks, who sells what, and if you didn't read how cursed coins work, you may have died a few times and now have a harsh debuff on you. Also I found out about blessings by accident because I asked if the totems could "help me" which I glossed over because I figured it was like a "give me a game tip" thing, considering the "totems" are your introduction NPC and that they are just an in-game quest giver and gameplay helper. Anyways if there was a better OR more ways to remove these curses it might not feel so bad, because you're not feeling like the cure potions are the only and rare way to clear it.
-Lack of difficulty settings, Now this is not a deal breaker, I just wish I'd have options for "more enemies" as well since I've played this quite a bit, I'd like to just have more things to shoot at.

So all in all, the Cons are not deal breakers (for me, considering 31 hours I put into it) but if some of these might make you go "maybe not for me" I'd say they're not as bad as I may have made them out to be, but I needed something to point out as yes it's a bit short for now, unless you do the full "gold hunt" but about 2-3 gold items can let you get to the Act 1 boss.

So if you like western games, survival horror games, and stealth FPS games. You may want to give this game a shot.

This isn't a totally terrible review of the game, but I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone either.

I was looking for a game similar to the Overlord Series, of where you're a lone master of puppets (or RPG with mechanics of leading many units) so that's what led me to getting and playing this game.

So why do I not recommend it? It plays as a sort of Flash Game+ being that it's rendered in 3d instead of well flash animation. But being as that it is, it still animates and feels like it's a flash game, very simple if non-existent animations.

Gameplay is sort of boring, I mean I just got halfway through NewGame+ (Era 2) completed all the achievements and the only build that worked was Max Command Cap + Unit HP/Dmg (and sometimes I mixed in Support Unit Magic Power+), using rings to give damage resistance, and life on hit(living target) to my units, in combination of a debuff staff, or summon X units.

Any other build was difficult to use (Combat caster with fireball, Melee using rings of vigor (next melee hit from you is boosted), isolation (temp invariability). Just didn't cut it, You run out mana too quick, even with decent regen buffs being a spell caster is laughable, and the melee feels so bad that it's really just there for you to chip away at a spawn building, or to get a random hit in on the other side (which you'll probably get aggro for a sec and take damage trying)

So the optimal build is pet master (kinda weird gripe for a game about being a necromancer that leading hordes of undead), the sad thing is I never felt like I had a "horde" as the command limits are a joke, considering as you progress you need to use the units of that area, which cost more points. So your "progression" just feels like you managed to keep your 10 unit cap as you get to the harder areas, which does not feel rewarding. I could as a joke spawn like 30+ peasants or 50 chickens, but as I cleared the early areas, I couldn't really get the feeling of just crushing a camp with my mini army.

The Art is basic low-poly, stylized textures (pastel/basic) take that as you will (I know you can see screenshots, reminds me a bit of "For the King" visually).

Animations are very limited, and basic (take that as you will, I like a bit more life in my 3d games, even if they are low-poly)

Music is kinda eh, I sort of turned it down/off and just played my own.

Price is a big much for something with so little to give, considering commanding units is just toggling "Be Aggressive in that direction" and "Follow me" there's no "Melee charge, ranged flank, supports stay with me as I'll stand where you're needed" you can get horseback units and you can't really make use of them as a "circle around the line to attack their backline" so for a horde game, you have very little control, just like how this game offers. Very little.

What's good about it? I never had any bugs, so it's well refined/bug-free.
If you like games that make you try to figure out the right balance of melee, ranged, and what support you can get + your gear to make up what's missing this might keep you entertained for a little bit (15 hrs spent here, but I really wanted to give this a go before I wrote this)
Puns and lots of pop-culture. Not sure if this is really a good thing but seeing some "punny" names was probably the highlight of getting to a new area (which is sad in a way as well)

TL;DR

Bad Melee, Mana is gone in a flash, very basic unit controls (attack in direction, follow) unit types are just Melee tier 1, Melee Teir 2, 3,4,5,etc same for ranged. Only thing that is if different is healers, and debuffers (attack/mov speed down) and the giants that act as aoe ranged.

If this is on sale for 10 bucks or less, nab it, if not. Wait or just ignore this game.

I'm going to have to give this game a NO, I've tried to give this game an honest chance despite reading the negative reviews and I'm going to be echoing most of them.

Pros:
Looks great, levels are well done, comedy may not be a "haha" level it's def a throwback to cheesy JRPG dialogue which comes to well defined characters of being an over the top personality.

Cons:
Numerous Secondary weapons that have zero impact and use up precious "shards" which is the ammo that's hard to find unless you buy it, and "stores" are just sprinkled sparely around levels same with save and checkpoints. The only ones I found useful was the bombs, because you need them for breakable walls/floors.

Items suck, and ones that'd be worthwhile are impossible to get, so if you use it, that's it. The revive items "Valkyries Feathers" are super rare, so far I've gotten 3, and used all 3. And wished I saved them, but at the same time, I didn't want to re-run about 45mins of gameplay because the last checkpoint/save was way back when.
Some "vials" are purely useless unless you do a side quest twice, which is collect glowing green bugs. 1st go makes you heal more from potions, 2nd time is vials (boosters) last longer, 3rd time, Idk.
With the longer vial duration upgrade your crit chance vial will instead of lasting 1 second, lasts 2 seconds. Which how long the drink animation lasts, and the attack windows you might get 2-3 hits in, where without the upgrade you'll get 1 hit in. Which means fk all.

Trinkets some are ok but you'll just be finding some unique ones that fit your playstyle like most of the time I like to use one with "Magnet" so coins and other loot "mostly" is drawn to me (mostly because sometimes they just fall to the ground like normal, and I have to snatch them before they despawn)

Two levels I found really confusing, the second one that locks you in until you beat it, it's a love hate. I love that it's keeping true to its design to confuse robbers, but I hate that it's such a fking maze filled with equally annoying enemies. The other is a mad scientists lab, and it's the same deal, you'll be looping around trying to upgrade your key card to get through the next area and progress more.

Enemies, they hit hard, spongy, and either is a hard to hit air unit, or have 100 and 1 dodge abilities with 0.5 second(if even) tell for when they do an attack. Some enemies you'll try to hit, they'll dodge roll into you, make a sound and then you're hit. And later on you'll find enemies that dodge and attack at the same time. Also some flying enemies will enter a mode of "I can't be hit, but I'm attacking" and it's annoying as hell. The 1st one you run into is in the 2nd level, when they got to shoot they can't get hit. In an underground lab area, it's an unblockable, ubdodgeable, 2 second long strafe attack, that just eats up your time.
Yeah Enemies are just a horrible mess half the time, which I don't get cause the first area the spider cave has some decent examples of enemy types, with unique behaviours. But once you leave the cave it's a mess.

Zero to "meh" Hero, how progression in this goes is level ups which are hard to grind as enemies are tanky, and give f all for XP until you're later in the game, which it's just a grindy slog at that point. You do almost no damage, can't take many hits, healing is very rare until you've gotten several potion pouch upgrades. I've played Blasphemous and it gets things right in many ways in terms of progression at least you feel like you're getting stronger. Souldiers you just feel like you managed to rank up enough to be in the next area, and even previous areas can still kick your ass if you blink too slow.

This game it's just painful, I've managed to get to the fire temple (which isn't the end of the game, it's gotta be at least the mid point) and I came across the next "Dark <insert human soldier>" mini-boss there, and even tho they have a fixed attack pattern and I could just "get gud" like I did for every other BS boss, this time I've had it. He's just a giant hp pool, has some animations that he takes no damage in, and if I mess up a dodge his combo destroys me.

This isn't a call to "please add a game jurno easy movie mode" but I've felt more frustration playing this and trying to keep at it, and just finding that sometimes I just won a fight that I've done 20 times by pure luck. Also when you finish the airship battle, Fk the two bosses in a row fight. Man that pissed me off

If you like horror games that have the right pacing this is for you. Story excerpts are found throughout the areas, and I'd recommend exploring the extras areas that unlock after you progress enough.

I have beaten this in 2 hours, but I got spooked quite a few times, but I'd say it was well worth my time.

+ Great atmosphere, the visuals, lighting, and sounds really pull together to give you that "I'm wondering out in these frozen woods to solve this mystery, and something is out here with me"
+ Interesting upgrade system, of searching for 3D printers that each have a blueprint or 2. Some repeat but that's ok.
+ The Heat and Battery charge management is ok

- Rather short
- Lore/Story is found in scattered documents, I don't fully understand what happened/happening but I've got the gist of it.
- 3 enemy types, common zombie, tree stalker, and a mini boss creature that gave me the spooks when I ran into it. But with that little line-up, and not being able to kill the tree stalker, or scare it away.
- I managed to accrue a ton of crafting mats that I wish it was possible to trade some for medical supplies.