Info about Ghostlore:

Official game description:
Ghostlore is an 'Eastpunk' Action-RPG where you fight supernatural monsters from Southeast-Asian folklore. Inspired by timeless classic ARPGs such as Diablo 2 and Titan Quest, Ghostlore features detailed item and character customization systems, procedurally generated maps, and awesome authentic 90's retro graphics.  
The bloodthirsty **Penanggal** is a gruesome creature with origins in Malay folklore. It comprises of nothing more than a disembodied head and dangling entrails. The Indonesian **Babi Ngepet** myth tells of sorcerors who sacrifice their humanity in order to become boar demons. The tales of **Hungry Ghosts** are superstitions brought over by Chinese immigrants - undead horrors cursed to remain forever hungry due to their greed in mortal life.  
Stories from the maritime region of Southeast-Asia are full of all manner of nightmarish, horrifying creatures. Are you brave enough to face them? **Discover over 40 different enemies, each with their quirks and tactics to defeat based on their descriptions in folklore.**  
**Explore a procedurally generated world** that takes inspiration from the developers' home country of Singapore, its two closest neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia, and the rest of Southeast Asia.  
Players unfamiliar with the region will get to experience a culture that is underrepresented and rarely seen in other forms of media. Players who live in Southeast Asia will find plenty of things they recognize - such as the food! **Collect and prepare various meals to boost your stats.** Don't fight on an empty stomach!  
**Ghostlore allows you to mix-and-match abilities from 3 out of 6 character classes to create your own unique hero.** The 6 classes are:  
*   **The Adept:** Mystic warriors skilled in Martial Arts, honing their mind as well as their body.  
*   **The Exorcist:** Able to sense the spirit world with ESP and cast out evil spirits.  
*   **The Feral:** Fearless fighters bestowed with the power of blood magic and the ability to transform into a Weretiger.  
*   **The Geomancer:** Masters of the art of bending the elemental forces of Earth, Fire, Ice and Lightning to their will.  
*   **The Hashashin:** Shadowy assassins who rely on speed and stealth to take down opponents.  
*   **The Sentinel:** Keepers of the forest with the ability to communicate with animals.
**BUILD YOUR OWN SKILL TREES WITH THE SKILL LINK SYSTEM**  
Each class comes with a “skill set”, a pool containing active skills, skill modifiers, and passive class bonuses. Skills must be assigned to a grid in order to be usable. More grid spaces unlock as you level up. Things can be placed in or taken out of the grid at will.  
**Skill modifiers** can be used to change the characteristics of any active skill from any class. Skill modifiers link together with active skills both across and down. (see green highlighted area in image). Some skill modifiers have tradeoffs. For example:  
Some skill modifiers are **trigger modifiers**. Trigger modifiers allow a skill to be used automatically, as long as there is enough MP, the skill is not on cooldown, and the modifier’s specified conditions are met. Examples:  
**COMBO SKILLS**  
Each active skill is also able to combine with skills from other classes to form an advanced skill that incorporates the characteristics of both base skills.  
Combo skills are created when two compatible skills are placed adjacent to one another in the skill grid.  
The Glyph system is where Ghostlore brings something truly new to the Action-RPG table. In your travels you will find Glyphs - magical symbols that you can inscribe onto your body to gain new powers.  
_The glyphs are based on the Toki Pona language, designed by Sonja Lang._  
Each Glyph takes up space on your body (represented in game as a grid). As your level increases, so do the number of glyphs you can inscribe onto yourself.  
Here's where things get interesting: **Compound glyphs are rare and special glyphs that use 5 normal glyph spaces, but grant additional bonuses to glyphs that are placed within their configuration.** Plan your Compound Glyph layout in order to maximise stat bonuses!  
In Ghostlore, you can wield a variety of weapons prevalent in Southeast-Asian martial arts:  
*   The **Kris** or **Keris** - a blade with a distinctively wavy shape. It is a well-balanced weapon.  
*   The **Bow and Arrow** has been a staple of hunting since the dawn of time; apparently they come in handy with ghost-hunting as well!  
*   **Parangs**, also known as machetes, are cleaving blades with a wide arc.  
*   The deadly **Kukri** knives are the fastest attacking melee weapons in the game.  
*   The trusty **Spear** has the longest reach out of all the melee weapons.  
*   Finally, there are enchanted **Talismans** that can fly and give foes nasty papercuts.
In addition, you can find and equip a variety of Amulets. Amulets are commonly sold in many parts of real world Southeast Asia as good luck charms. In the world of Ghostlore, their power is very, very real. Equipping the right Amulet for the situation can mean the difference between a glorious victory and an untimely demise.  
Additionally, items can be modified in a couple of unique ways:  
**Spirits** inhabiting items are the reason why some of them have magical properties. Visit the **Psychic** to awaken the spirits which lay dormant in items such as weapons, shields, hats, scarves and amulets. Once awakened, the spirit will ask you to settle a score. Upon fulfilment of the request, your item will strengthen with new enchantments.  
In Southeast Asian folklore, the **Orang Bunian** are nature spirits that you can meet in your travels. On rare occasion, they will bless your items with new, random properties.  
*   **Local co-op multiplier** lets you play with up to 4 of your friends on the same screen.  
*   **Steam workshop support** allows you to customise your experience with mods from the community.  
*   **The Shrine of Balance** is an optional asynchronous multiplayer feature which lets you help other players by sending them equipment. You have better chances of good loot in return when they use your equipment.  
*   **The Shrine of Spirits** is another optional asynchronous online multiplayer mechanic where a 'snapshot' of another player's current character (also known as their 'Ghost Data') can be temporarily summoned into the your own game as an ally NPC.  
    _**Mission Mode:** Undertake randomized missions after completing the campaign._  
    _Unlock **Map Data**, which allows you to modify missions and change the odds more to your favour._  
    _See how far you can go in the Hell Gate Island's Endless Mode_

Release date: 17 May, 2023

Categories: Action RPG, Character Customization, Procedural Generation, Cooperative Multiplayer, Mod Support, Endgame Content, Resource Management, Real-time Combat


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


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:
- Overall enjoyable ARPG experience (weight 0.99): Players consistently praise the game as a highly enjoyable, unique, and well-crafted ARPG. It's seen as a hidden gem that offers a fresh take on the genre, providing a satisfying experience for both casual players and hardcore fans of hack-and-slash games.
- Fluid and responsive combat (weight 0.9): Combat is frequently described as fast, fluid, and responsive, contributing significantly to the game's overall fun factor. The moment-to-moment gameplay feels well-crafted and engaging.
- Fresh take on ARPG genre (weight 0.89): The game successfully differentiates itself from other ARPGs while still appealing to fans of classic titles like Diablo 2 and Grim Dawn. It offers a fresh experience that avoids common genre pitfalls.
- Unique Southeast Asian setting (weight 0.88): The unique Southeast Asian folklore setting is a significant highlight, offering a refreshing change from the usual Western fantasy themes. This distinct world and lore are a strong selling point.
- Charming pixel art and visuals (weight 0.87): The game's pixel art style, vibrant colors, and overall visual design are consistently praised. They contribute to a charming and unique atmosphere that stands out from typical grimdark ARPGs.
- Meaningful and plentiful loot (weight 0.85): The loot system is well-received, with players appreciating the plentiful and meaningful loot drops. The ability to upgrade and customize gear further enhances the experience.
- Robust and engaging endgame (weight 0.82): The endgame content, including Institute Missions and Hell Gate Island, is robust and provides ample opportunities for continued progression, grinding, and build optimization, satisfying players looking for long-term engagement.
- Responsive and passionate developers (weight 0.81): The small development team is praised for their passion, responsiveness to feedback, and strong community engagement. This dedication contributes to the game's positive reception and ongoing improvements.
- Innovative and deep build systems (weight 0.54): The game's innovative class, skill, and glyph systems are highly lauded. Players appreciate the depth, flexibility, and sheer variety these systems offer, allowing for extensive character customization, unique build experimentation, and satisfying progression without being overly complex.

Common complaints:
- Unpolished and Buggy Gameplay (weight 0.35): Players frequently report that the game feels unpolished, janky, and buggy, with many quality-of-life features missing. This contributes to a perception that the game is incomplete or abandoned by developers, impacting its overall playability and value.
- Limited Content and Bland Story (weight 0.3): The game is criticized for its severe lack of content, including a short, bland, and unengaging story, limited enemy and boss variety, and repetitive environments. This leads to a feeling of boredom and a lack of depth after only a few hours of gameplay.
- Summon Issues and Performance Lag (weight 0.07): Summon-based builds are negatively impacted by frequent nerfs, high mana costs, and poor summon AI. Additionally, the game experiences significant lag and frame rate drops when too many summons or enemies are on screen.
- Poor Inventory Management (weight 0.06): Inventory management is a significant issue due to limited space and an abundance of item types, leading to constant clutter and slowing down gameplay. This makes storing and organizing runes, equipment, and materials a frustrating chore.
- Subpar Co-op Experience (weight 0.06): Co-op mode has several significant drawbacks compared to solo play, including fewer skill slots, tougher enemies, and various UI and control interferences. This makes the co-op experience less enjoyable and less functional.
- Poor User Interface (weight 0.05): The user interface and menus are widely criticized for being poorly designed, clunky, and confusing to navigate. This detracts from the overall user experience and makes managing game systems cumbersome.

Gameplay feedback:
- Deep Character Customization (weight 0.53): The game offers extensive character customization through a multi-class system, allowing players to combine up to three classes from a selection of six. This system, along with a unique skill grid and rune/glyph mechanics, enables diverse and complex build possibilities, reminiscent of games like Path of Exile.
- Familiar ARPG Gameplay Loop (weight 0.24): The game is a Diablo-like ARPG with strong influences from classic titles like Diablo 2, Titan Quest, and Path of Exile. Its endgame content, including 'Hell Gates' and 'Institute of Paranormal Studies missions,' mirrors the 'Rift' and 'Map' systems found in Diablo 3 and Path of Exile, offering an infinitely scaling challenge.
- Permanent Food Buff System (weight 0.1): A unique 'food system' allows players to gather ingredients and cook dishes to gain permanent passive stat buffs. These buffs can be swapped, adding another layer of min-maxing and customization to character progression.
- Short Main Campaign (weight 0.07): The main story campaign is relatively short, typically taking between 7 to 15 hours to complete. This suggests a focus on the endgame content rather than a lengthy narrative experience.
- Varied Weapon Types (weight 0.03): The game offers six distinct weapon types, each influencing playstyle through variations in speed, range, and movement. This allows for diverse combat approaches based on weapon choice.

Performance notes:
- Good performance on various hardware (weight 0.03): Players report that the game is well-optimized for various hardware configurations, including low-end PCs and the SteamDeck. This indicates good accessibility for a wide range of players.
- Frequent performance drops (weight 0.02): Despite general good performance, some players experience frequent and noticeable drops in frame rate. This suggests potential optimization issues in specific areas or scenarios that need addressing.

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended Game (weight 0.26): Many players recommend the game, often highlighting its value for its price or for fans of the ARPG genre. While some acknowledge flaws, they still find it enjoyable and worth playing.
- Great for ARPG Fans (weight 0.15): The game is frequently recommended to fans of classic ARPGs like Diablo II, Torchlight II, and Grim Dawn. Its isometric 2D graphics and loot-focused gameplay appeal to this niche.
- Optimistic About Future (weight 0.08): Players are optimistic about the game's future, recognizing it as a work in progress. They express excitement for upcoming content and hope for continued improvements and development.
- Buy on Sale (weight 0.07): While many recommend the game, there's a strong consensus that purchasing it on sale offers the best value. Some feel the full price is justified, but a discount makes it an undeniable deal.
- More Skill & Rune Variety (weight 0.05): Players desire more variety and depth in skills and runes. They hope for more skill forms, better balancing for melee skills, and more flexible, impactful rune affixes.
- Some Players Refunded (weight 0.05): A small number of players chose to refund the game, indicating it wasn't for them. However, some who considered refunding decided against it to support the developers.
- Needs Multiplayer/Co-op (weight 0.03): A significant number of players express a strong desire for multiplayer or co-op functionality, with some stating they would purchase the game if this feature were added.
- Improved Tutorial Needed (weight 0.03): Players suggest the game could benefit from a more comprehensive tutorial and recommend new players join the Discord server for assistance.
- Push Through Early Game (weight 0.02): Some feedback suggests players should persist through the early game before forming a judgment, while also urging developers to continue testing and adjusting the game.
- Good PC & Steam Deck (weight 0.02): The game performs well on PC and has excellent compatibility with the Steam Deck, making it a good option for portable play.
- Hell Gate Needs Adjustment (weight 0.02): The 'Hell Gate Island' (or 'Kan-kue Gate Island') content is specifically highlighted as needing immediate adjustments, implying balance or design issues.
- Difficulty Selector Needed (weight 0.01): The game is noted as needing a difficulty selector to cater to different player preferences and skill levels.
- Endless Mode Bosses (weight 0.01): A suggestion for the endless mode to include unique bosses at specific level milestones (e.g., 20 and 30) to enhance replayability.
- Summon Utility Buffs (weight 0.01): A suggestion for summons to provide additional benefits beyond damage, such as movement speed or life steal, to increase their utility.
- Flexible Gem Buffs (weight 0.01): A suggestion for gems to offer varied buffs depending on the item they are socketed into, rather than just damage, to add more build depth.
- Support Developers (weight 0.01): A general sentiment of supporting the game's developers is present in some reviews.
- Spanish Language Support (weight 0.01): A request for the game to include Spanish language support to broaden its accessibility.
- Adjust Joystick Sensitivity (weight 0.01): Joystick sensitivity is mentioned as needing adjustment, indicating potential issues with controller input.
- Multiclass Appeal (weight 0.01): Despite criticisms, one player felt a strong desire to like the game, possibly due to its appealing multiclass system.
- Potential for Repurchase (weight 0.01): One player expressed willingness to repurchase the game in the future if it undergoes significant revamping.
- Hell Gate Save Tip (weight 0.01): A specific tip for players to use manual saves inside Hell Gates to conserve tickets, even if the content is easy.
- Movie Recommendation (weight 0.01): This is an irrelevant recommendation for a movie, not related to the game itself. It appears to be a random comment.

Other player notes:
- Impressive two-person development (weight 0.05): Many players are impressed that the game was developed by a small, two-person team, often highlighting its origin from a Singapore studio and its creation in Unity.
- Limited modding community (weight 0.04): While the game supports modding, the current modding scene is limited, with most available mods focusing on fixing base game issues rather than adding new content.
- Avoids hack-and-slash pitfalls (weight 0.01): One reviewer expressed a preference for the game's current state, finding that typical hack-and-slash elements like endless leveling and repetitive content are the genre's 'worst parts'.
- Unique alter ego summon (weight 0.01): A specific feature mentioned is the ability to summon the player's alter ego, which is noted as a unique gameplay mechanic.
- Lack of game guides (weight 0.01): Players noted a lack of comprehensive guides for the game, which necessitates more self-exploration to understand mechanics and progression.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.29): Players are highly satisfied with the game's deep and flexible character customization, particularly the build and skill systems, which allow for extensive experimentation and powerful outcomes. The unique setting, art style, and overall adherence to classic ARPG elements, combined with a rewarding gameplay loop and responsive combat, contribute significantly to a positive experience.
- Frustration (weight 0.18): Frustration stems primarily from technical issues such as bugs, unpolished combat, and poor UI/UX, especially concerning the glyph and inventory systems. Players also express annoyance with difficulty spikes, specific enemy types, and a perceived lack of quality-of-life features and modern ARPG conveniences.
- Disappointment (weight 0.17): Disappointment arises from the game's perceived lack of polish, depth, and content, leading to a feeling of wasted potential. Issues like balance problems, uninspired story, and a lack of meaningful progression or variety in the endgame contribute to players feeling the game doesn't live up to expectations.
- Excitement (weight 0.09): Players are excited by the game's unique take on the ARPG genre, particularly its innovative build systems and the freedom to create powerful, even 'broken,' character combinations. The addictive gameplay, unique Asian-themed elements, and the potential for future development and mod support also generate significant enthusiasm.
- Joy (weight 0.06): Joy is derived from the sheer fun of playing the game, especially when experimenting with and building powerful characters. The nostalgic hack-and-slash gameplay, combined with satisfying combat and a charming art style, contributes to a delightful and enjoyable experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's unique Eastern theme, its adherence to the feel of 90s ARPGs, and the clear effort from a small indie development team. The distinct art style and sound effects are also frequently praised.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Hope is expressed for future improvements, more content, and potential sequels, indicating a desire for the game to evolve and expand. Players are looking forward to optimizations and seasonal updates.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is directed towards the game's ambitious and unique design, deep gameplay systems, and well-crafted art style, especially considering it was developed by a small team. The quality of the endgame content is also a point of praise.
- Desire (weight 0.02): Players express a strong desire for more content, including additional skills, classes, bosses, and particularly, online multiplayer functionality.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger stems from perceived poor design choices, unfair balance, and frustrating gameplay elements, including skill nerfs and issues with localization.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.01): Players enjoy the game's pixel graphics, non-traditional classes, and the depth of character customization. The skill combo system, glyphs, and music also contribute to an overall pleasant experience.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom is caused by repetitive gameplay, specifically the repetitive nature of rune crafting.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Players anticipate more endgame content and future updates, showing excitement for the game's ongoing development in early access.
- Criticism (weight 0.01): Criticism focuses on the game's graphics, animations, and the overall impact of its design.
- Minor frustration (weight 0.01): Minor frustrations include slippery controls, reused bosses, overly large maps, and issues with music and UI.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from a lack of clarity on how to play, the armor system, food effects, and item visibility.
- Pride (weight 0.01): Players feel pride in supporting local game development and appreciate the strong representation of Southeast-Asian folklore and genre influences.
- Suspicion (weight 0): Suspicion is directed towards the validity of review scores, suggesting a distrust in the overall rating system.
- Acceptance (weight 0): Players express acceptance of the game's endgame style, indicating a willingness to engage with it despite potential flaws.
- Resourcefulness (weight 0): Resourcefulness is demonstrated by players finding workarounds for issues encountered in the endgame.}