- Deep, engaging monster breeding system.
- Strategic and enjoyable combat.
- Addictive gladiatorial management loop.
- Extensive and varied content.
- Repetitive, grindy gameplay loop.
- Inadequate tutorial and UI/UX.
Verdict
Mostly positive
Summary
Positive 96% · Negative 4%. Score: 4 / 100
Positives:
- The monster breeding system is a major highlight, offering depth, customization, and engaging experimentation. Players enjoy crossbreeding, influencing traits, and creating unique creatures, with many comparing it favorably to similar systems in other games.
- The game features enjoyable and challenging turn-based combat that requires strategic planning. Even losing battles can be beneficial, and the fights themselves are fun and engaging.
- The core gameplay loop, centered around gladiatorial management, is highly addictive and enjoyable. Players find themselves wanting to play 'just one more turn'.
- The game offers a substantial amount of content, providing players with many options and a lot to do. This contributes to the game's replayability and long-term enjoyment.
- The developer is actively involved, responsive, and consistently updates the game based on player feedback. This ongoing support enhances the overall player experience.
Negatives:
- The game becomes repetitive due to slow-paced combat, a lack of late-game content, and a feeling of grinding. This is exacerbated by balancing issues, inconsistencies in monster performance, and limited strategic options in battles.
- The game lacks a proper tutorial and tooltips, making it difficult for new players to understand core mechanics, resource management, and combat, leading to frustration and restarts. The UI also lacks quality of life improvements, such as sorting and filtering, making monster management cumbersome.
- Stats are not tied to level, leading to unexpected combat outcomes. Inheritance mechanics feel too random, making it difficult to obtain desired traits through breeding.
- Map design feels sluggish and doesn't offer opportunities for strategic advantage. Arena maps lack variety and features like cover.
- The 'rogue druids' quest map is poorly designed, featuring a long corridor with ranged units and tanky melee creatures, making it frustratingly difficult.
Gameplay:
- Players can invest in and manage human gladiators with different classes (warrior, archer, mage) alongside monsters. Equipping gladiators with gear obtained through crafting, winnings, or festivals is part of the gameplay loop, adding another layer of strategic depth.
- Maintaining the health of the monster stock requires careful monitoring of temperature and humidity, which fluctuate with the changing seasons.
- Esoteric mechanics are a core part of the gameplay experience.
- The economic aspect is too dominant over other gameplay elements.
Performance:
- Multiple reviews highlight the game's stability, noting the absence of significant bugs or crashes. This indicates a polished experience, contributing positively to player satisfaction.
- The graphics are functional but not particularly impressive. This suggests that while the visuals don't detract from the experience, they also don't stand out as a strong positive.
Recommendations:
- Many reviewers highly recommend the game, especially to fans of turn-based combat, management, monster collecting, and gladiator-style games. They find the game engaging and worth the price, even in early access, citing its unique concept and potential for future development. Some reviewers explicitly state they would pay more for the game in its current state.
- Reviewers are excited about the game's future and actively follow its development. They anticipate the full release and are eager to see new content, features, and improvements implemented. Many express a desire to support the developer and see the game reach its full potential.
- A satisfying aspect of the game is the ability to send carefully crafted creations into battle. Reviewers enjoy seeing their efforts pay off as they watch their monsters compete in the arena.
- Some reviewers mention the need for quality of life improvements, such as better tooltips, camera controls, and clearer feedback on hits and misses. They hope that future updates will address these issues and create a more polished and well-communicated experience.
- The game is praised for its unique blend of monster breeding and tactical battles, often compared to a more mature version of Monster Rancher combined with Gladius. Reviewers specifically recommend it to players who enjoy breeding monsters and creating the perfect team, as well as those who appreciate slow, strategic gameplay.
Miscellaneous:
- The game is in early access, developed by a small team, with a roadmap for future content. The developers are committed to improving the game based on player feedback. Expect systems to be rough around the edges.
- The breeding boost pillar provides extra offspring, increasing the chances of getting max stats for new monsters. This mechanic is important for players looking to optimize their monster teams.
- The game currently lacks Chinese language support, despite the store page having a Chinese description. This suggests potential future localization efforts.
- The developer acknowledges the game's low production value and use of generic assets. This transparency sets expectations for players regarding the game's visual presentation.
- The game is described as a niche monster ranching/battling title with surprising depth. This suggests that while the game may not appeal to everyone, it offers a complex and engaging experience for those interested in the genre.
![Cover for Tarnished Blood 🩸 [Tactic RPG]](https://shared.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/2291700/library_600x900.jpg)
