Info about Avalom: Ancestral Heroes:

Official game description:
  
_Thanks to everyone who waited for him and I hope you have a great game! Avalom, even after its release, will go through a process of constant updates based on in-game events to which it will bring new content. As the audience engages, I'll add extra content and of course I'll always be getting better!_  
_Developed by a single person and based on an RPG book written by him! Set in a huge open world, Avalom: Ancient Heroes presents a rewarding action combat experience. Players embark on an epic adventure in a rich and alive world with their AI companions. In a world where mortals and gods coexist and live on the same plane of existence! Interpret and be whatever you want in this endless journey where anything can happen! Remember you are free and can live however you want without any linear story to follow, you are the one who tells your own story!_  
\***Fascinating narrative driven by your choices - You don't just decide to live freely in the world of Avalom, you make important decisions that change the future. Each choice has its weight, and its actions can lead to several results. Avalom is a highly personalized journey where a false move can lead to a series of events that alter even physical aspects of the world, making you and your allies truly unique.**  
\***An Immense World to be Discovered - The world of Avalom has never been so large and so detailed. It is completely open and ready to be explored. Discover the enemy that is ready to act. Reveal hidden caves full of lurking creatures. Avalom is vast and dangerous, but unraveling its secrets can mean the difference between victory and defeat.**  
\* **Intense and strategic combat - There is no wrong way to play Avalom: Ancestral Heroes, except in which you die. Fortunately, you can build characters with a giant skill tree to build unique characters on.**  
_The game has the following features:  
Creation of Characters with genders, races, paths and professions;  
A gigantic skill tree on which the player can build different types of characters;  
Item Creation System based on collecting monster items such as materials, runes and others to create hundreds of special items;  
Skill system based on dice rolls which requires success in some tasks in the game;  
Construction of the fort as an operating base for the improvement of allies and others;  
Multiplayer mode requires you to create an in-game session for others to participate in or simply create a private session for your friends and friends to play together;  
Reincarnation System (End Game);  
When the character reaches its peak around 85 points of evolution, it can spend its life and reincarnate again with improvement of all its stats, being able to perform up to 10x this procedure.  
Difficulty System (End Game);  
As the character reincarnates the monsters' difficulty system will automatically be assigned, this applies in multiplayer mode to which everyone involved will be linked.  
Much more information about the game you will only find by playing and discovering unique secrets._

Release date: Sep 13, 2021

Categories: Open-World Exploration, Choice-based Narrative, Character Customization, Action RPG, Crafting, AI Companion System, Reincarnation Mechanic


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows divided sentiment: some find the current price fair due to free updates, while others consider it overpriced or only worth it on sale. The phrase 'quite more than fair price' suggests the fair price is lower than what was paid. Overall, the community seems to lean towards a moderate price range that balances value and content.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 500.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The first quote directly indicates the time required for full content completion (all classes/races/paths), supporting gameCompletion at 500 hours. The third quote describes a planned single session of 1 hour, supporting sessionLength. The fourth quote confirms no endgame content exists, so endgame is null. The second quote shows 30 hours of total playtime but does not specify story completion, thus storyCompletion is unsupported and set to null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game's appeal is compromised by a missing interactive tutorial, causing early confusion that some players overcome via external guides, while others appreciate its old-school ambition. No single point of breakthrough enjoyment is consistently reported.
  - Stance: Mixed
  - Anchor: Mastery of controls and understanding of the tutorial
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: confusing combat controls with redundant buttons; lack of an interactive in-game tutorial; reliance on external video guides
  - Unlock drivers: use of an external video guide; player adaptation to old-school RPG expectations
  - Conditions: player tolerance for old-school RPG difficulty; availability of a tutorial or guide; use of a video guide as a workaround; multiplayer being untested by some reviewers; player familiarity with control schemes; ambition of the open world without handholding
- Player Archetypes:
  - Indie Dev Supporter (buy)
    - Motivation: Supporting an indie developer and experiencing a personal connection
    - Playstyle: Open-minded, forgiving, and actively engaging with the developer
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Old School RPG Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Re-living old-school RPG mechanics and exploration
    - Playstyle: Exploratory, patient, and focused on character building
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Dark Souls
  - Disappointed Early Access Critic (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking a complete, polished experience without pay-to-win or technical issues
    - Playstyle: Critical, comparing to other games, valuing quality and fairness
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Developer is very active (weight 0.95): Frequent updates and active developer communication on Discord are highlighted as major positives. The developer is responsive to bugs and feedback, fostering a supportive community.
- Game has great potential (weight 0.83): Reviewers consistently praise the game's potential, with many noting it has a strong foundation and future promise. This feedback is broad but frequent, indicating general optimism about the game's direction.
- Great exploration and discovery (weight 0.71): Exploration is a key theme, with many reviewers enjoying the freedom to discover secrets, face dangerous creatures, and navigate without hand-holding. The world feels immersive and rewarding to explore.
- No hand-holding, requires navigation (weight 0.71): The lack of hand-holding (no quest markers) is considered a positive feature, requiring players to use landmarks, maps, and road navigation. This old-school approach is appreciated by many.
- Huge open world (weight 0.64): A vast open world with dynamic difficulty (harder enemies in certain areas) and exploration mechanics like mounts and stealth modes is praised. The map is large and encourages thorough exploration.
- Deep customization and crafting (weight 0.64): A wide variety of gear, crafting, spells, and skill trees with color-coded paths offer deep customization. Character creation significantly impacts combat, providing diverse playstyles.
- Graphics are decent (weight 0.56): Multiple reviews mention that the graphics are acceptable or good, with some noting they are not the primary focus. This suggests the visuals are adequate for the game's style.
- Vast content with long playtime (weight 0.54): The game has a vast amount of content, with 100+ hours of gameplay and the potential for 500+ hours before end game. There is always something to do, ensuring long-term engagement.
- Large skill tree and spells (weight 0.52): The skill tree is enormous with many spells and abilities, allowing for complex combat and build variety. Skill combinations are praised for their depth.
- Sensational and excellent game (weight 0.52): Several reviewers call the game sensational or excellent, praising its epic story and well-worked content. This strong positive feedback indicates high satisfaction.
- Highly recommended for RPG fans (weight 0.5): The game is recommended for RPG fans, with many finding it exactly what they want in the genre. It offers a deep, challenging experience that appeals to fans of old-school RPGs.
- Interesting secrets and bosses (weight 0.5): Hidden locations and secret areas with cool stories, along with powerful enemies and super bosses, add intrigue and challenge. These elements encourage deeper exploration.
- Improves player skills, immersive (weight 0.5): The game improves player skills like tactics, strategy, and patience, with an immersive and difficult experience. Good music and sound enhance the atmosphere.
- Very difficult but rewarding (weight 0.5): The game is very difficult but rewarding, with a challenge similar to Dark Souls. This appeals to players seeking a tough, satisfying experience.
- Updates greatly improved game (weight 0.5): Recent updates have greatly improved the game, including fixing translation issues and making it playable and enjoyable. The game has evolved significantly during early access.
- Impressive solo developer work (weight 0.47): The game is developed by a single person (Wagner Rocha) and is fully in Portuguese, which is praised as impressive work. This adds a personal touch and cultural significance.
- Multiplayer and companions available (weight 0.38): The game includes a multiplayer mode and hireable NPC companions, providing social or cooperative gameplay options. This adds to the replayability and depth.
- Mystical and nostalgic feel (weight 0.38): The game provides a mystical feeling and nostalgia for games like Skyrim, with an immersive RPG atmosphere. This emotional connection is a strong selling point.
- Old school RPG style (weight 0.28): The old-school RPG style requires exploration and figuring out mechanics, evoking a tabletop RPG feel with atmosphere and tension. This nostalgic approach is appreciated.
- Affordable price (weight 0.26): The game is not expensive and offers a perfect price for its content, making it accessible. This is a practical advantage for potential buyers.

Common complaints:
- Poor optimization causes lag (weight 0.97): The game suffers from severe performance issues, including low FPS (often below 20), stuttering, and overheating even on high-end hardware. Disabling shadows or lowering settings does not fix the problem.
- UI and menu bugs block controls (weight 0.87): Multiple UI bugs prevent changing settings, using back buttons, closing menus, or setting custom key bindings. Menus layer underneath each other and the cursor disappears, making navigation impossible.
- Map and navigation are poor (weight 0.84): The map is repetitive, lacks variety, and does not indicate objectives. Characters are hard to differentiate from far away. No proper map (only compass) and no quest direction at the start, making navigation confusing.
- Game feels unfinished and buggy (weight 0.74): The game is described as unclear, full of bugs, almost unplayable, and feels like an alpha rather than a beta. It clearly needs major polish and improvement.
- Poor tutorial and early game (weight 0.71): The beginning of the game is hard due to lack of tutorial, quest direction, and poor balance (beginner quests labeled 'heroic'). Basic actions like equipping a weapon are not explained, leaving players confused.
- Stuttering on high-end PCs (weight 0.68): Even with a powerful PC, players report constant stuttering, low FPS on low settings, and GPU overheating. Hair physics (tressfx) cause severe stutter on RTX 2080 Super.
- Grindy and disrespects time (weight 0.66): The game requires excessive farming for progress, basic actions take too long, and healing potions are expensive relative to starting money. Microtransactions for respeccing in a singleplayer game feel greedy.
- Poor visual quality (weight 0.62): Textures are not good, graphics look strange and blurry, and modeling is mediocre, resembling SA simulator games. Even on max settings, the graphics are not high class.
- Respawn and enemy balance issues (weight 0.62): Enemies respawn instantly, often killing the player while talking to NPCs. Enemies are overpowered and spawn right in front of the player, leading to constant death and tedious respawn running.
- Translation issues and missing languages (weight 0.55): Localization is broken: German translation has errors like 'close' translated as 'nah dran', English version has Portuguese text, and Chinese and Russian languages are missing, hindering non-English players.
- Combat system is broken (weight 0.46): The combat system is criticized for being horrific with stunlock, inability to fight or block, and a broken parry mechanic that never works. This makes combat frustrating.
- Clunky movement mechanics (weight 0.44): Movement is described as horrible, movements are not executed properly, and fluidity needs improvement. This affects basic gameplay feel.
- Confusing and unusable skills (weight 0.44): Skills are unusable, the skill tree is cluttered and confusing, and character menu icons lack tooltip descriptions. This hinders character progression understanding.
- Rendering and lighting issues (weight 0.42): The map does not render properly, lighting is overly saturated with dark areas too dark and bright areas blinding. Gamma adjustment causes eye strain.
- Game crashes at startup (weight 0.35): Multiple users report the game crashes on the loading screen after character creation or freezes completely. This is a critical stability issue that prevents gameplay.
- Empty and unrewarding world (weight 0.33): The open world feels empty with a blank map and nothing to do. This impacts exploration and overall engagement.
- Broken character creation (weight 0.31): Character creation is broken, and customization is predefined (will change). This frustrates players who want to personalize their character.

Gameplay feedback:
- No clear guidance (weight 0.66): The game drops players into a town with no clues or quest markers, forcing exploration and trial-and-error. This lack of hand-holding is praised by some but frustrates others.
- Positive exploration focus (weight 0.54): Exploration is a core mechanic, with Skyrim-like nostalgia and a world full of giants and fantastic creatures. The game rewards discovery without quest markers.
- Combat and AI (weight 0.5): Combat is fluid with varied elemental weaknesses and good monster AI. Stance changing and skill combinations add depth.
- High difficulty (weight 0.45): The game is intentionally challenging with hard start, tough enemies, and Souls-like difficulty. Dungeons are intense with traps and strong foes.
- Cumbersome basic actions (weight 0.44): Basic actions like equipping a weapon are difficult to learn, and looting requires picking up bags individually. The weapon draw mechanic is too cumbersome.
- Missing key controls (weight 0.42): Lack of key binding options and accidental weapon switching via mouse wheel frustrate players. Character menu icons lack descriptions.
- Rich RPG systems (weight 0.42): The game offers deep character creation with attributes, classes, races, professions, and skill combinations. Skills have color-coded paths and order skills.
- Visual and audio quality (weight 0.4): Graphics are fine but not groundbreaking; the land is not flat and empty in most areas. The game has good music and atmosphere, evoking a paper-and-pen RPG feel.
- Early access issues (weight 0.4): The game is in early access with minimal bugs, but has no endgame content. Customization is predefined and will change.
- Empty world criticism (weight 0.31): The big flat world is described as empty with nothing to do, and enemies spawn in front of the player. This breaks immersion.
- Guide importance (weight 0.3): A how-to-play guide is considered important for understanding mechanics like stance changing and skill systems. New players benefit from external guides.
- Companion and mount features (weight 0.3): Players can hire permanent NPC companions (mage, archer, warrior) and use land or flying mounts. These enhance exploration and combat.
- Explorer mode useful (weight 0.17): Explorer/Assassin mode (Z key) detects traps and hidden enemies, aiding survival. This is a welcome feature for cautious players.
- Day-night cycle effect (weight 0.17): The day and night cycle affects NPC availability, adding realism but requiring players to plan their activities.
- Limited save slots (weight 0.17): Only 4 save slots are available despite many build combinations, limiting experimentation.
- Replay via achievements (weight 0.17): Replay value mainly comes from achievements, not varied content or story branches.
- Merchant price system (weight 0.16): Merchant prices are influenced by profession skill, rewarding players who invest in trade skills.
- Performance okay (weight 0.16): The game runs at 40fps on RX480, Ryzen 3600, 16GB RAM with Epic/High settings, indicating decent optimization for mid-range hardware.
- Portuguese localization (weight 0.14): The game is fully localized in Portuguese, which is a positive for Portuguese-speaking players.
- Goblin bug amusing (weight 0.12): A goblin continues yelling after death, considered a minor entertaining bug rather than a serious issue.

Performance notes:
- Critical error freeze (weight 0.19): A critical error message appears and causes the game to freeze, requiring a force quit.
- Low FPS on mid-range (weight 0.18): On a mid-range PC with RX480 and Ryzen 3600, the game runs at 40fps on Epic and High settings, indicating performance issues.

Recommendations:
- General recommendation to play (weight 0.42): Several reviews urge others to play the game, highlighting its potential as an early access title. Feedback ranges from recommending a few hours of play to general positivity.
- Recommended for exploration fans (weight 0.42): Some players highly recommend the game for those who enjoy deep exploration and challenge, comparing it to experiences like Skyrim.
- Game is worth buying (weight 0.32): Multiple players recommend purchasing the game due to its low price and growing project status. A few users explicitly state it is worth buying.
- Needs major improvements (weight 0.3): A few players believe the game requires significant work to become polished. They advise developers to go back to the drawing board.
- Advise waiting before purchase (weight 0.28): A few users suggest not buying the game currently due to its price or early state, recommending waiting for improvement.
- Support early access development (weight 0.28): A reviewer encourages players to try the game and help the developer, emphasizing the importance of feedback for early access.
- Seek external resources (weight 0.26): Players recommend watching videos, reading discussions, or how-to-play guides to better enjoy the game.
- Avoid the game (weight 0.14): One review advises others to stay away from the game entirely, indicating dissatisfaction.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.31): Players express satisfaction with the game's difficulty compared to Dark Souls, praising its graphics, music, story, pricing, and system requirements. The game's atmosphere and tension reminiscent of pen and paper RPGs are highlighted, along with the world not being flat or empty. Despite being in early access, frequent updates and potential for fun contribute to this positive sentiment.
- Frustration (weight 0.23): Frustration arises from the inability to rebind keys, accidental weapon draw/sheathe, and lack of descriptions in the character menu. The game feels like alpha rather than beta, and the intense difficulty with no map and only a compass demands high effort exploration.
- Excitement (weight 0.08): Excitement stems from the game being immersive and difficult, with players expressing hope for future co-op or online mode. The challenging gameplay creates anticipation for what is to come.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.08): Enjoyment comes from the game being fun, with fluid gameplay, effective skill combinations, and robust customization options. These elements make the overall experience engaging and rewarding.
- Surprise (weight 0.08): Surprise is felt that a single developer created such a well-crafted game, capturing the feel of a pen and paper RPG. This achievement is unexpected and impressive.
- Relief (weight 0.08): Relief is expressed by players who encountered no bugs despite the game being in early access. This contrasts with common expectations of early access titles.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): Disappointment stems from too many bugs, an empty world with nothing to do, enemies spawning in front of the player, and a lack of guidance. These issues significantly detract from the experience.
- Impression (weight 0.08): Impression is positive due to deep character creation, an engaging skill system, and tactical combat. These features demonstrate the game's thoughtful design and depth.}