Info about Grimlord:

Official game description:
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About the Game
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Welcome to **Grimlord** - a **Dark Fantasy Action Souls-like RPG** built on **Unreal Engine 5** for VR. Awakened in a monastery deep in the Lonely Mountains, you walk in an epic quest as the adventurer standing before the darkness and striving for the light against the tyrannical Grim Lord.
You’re a prisoner in a monastery somewhere deep in the Lonely Mountains. You are free to choose how to fight your way out. Choose your way of becoming a battling adventurer whilst standing before the darkness.
Grimlord brings combat in VR like never before. With a ton of unique enemies sprawling the monastery grounds capable of showing you their individual combat prowess, you’re left to learn how to deal with them efficiently - for survival’s sake.
Are you a battle-hardened sword & shield adventurer or a staff-wielding magic artist? Maybe a long-ranged bow & arrow assassin? How about an agile dual-wielding bladesman? Even go wild as a shield & dagger throwing specialist? The choice is yours, prisoner.
With boss battles meant to test your accumulated skills and knowledge, each encounter assures every prisoner’s adventure to strive for the light is as unique as it can be.

Release date: Dec 19, 2024

Categories: Soulslike Combat, Virtual Reality, Action RPG, Dark Fantasy, Crafting, Boss Fights, First-Person Melee Combat, Physics-based Combat


- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The Windows 8-11GB VRAM cohort is mostly positive, with recommended reviews noting rough optimization, while the Windows 12-15GB VRAM cohort is negative due to severe performance complaints.
  - Sample size: 21 (11% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 8 reports): Recommended reviews report the game runs but mention rough performance and poor optimization.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (negative, 5 reports): Reviews report some of the worst VR performance seen, with both included snippets not recommended.
  - Caveats: 21 of 189 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is heavily weighted toward Windows PCs with 10GB+ VRAM.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $19.99 - $30.00
  - Reasoning: The positive reviews support a premium indie VR price: one calls $30 insanely good value, and another says full price is warranted. However, other reviews explicitly say it is not worth full price and advise waiting for a sale, citing short length and weaker melee physics. This keeps the community's fair base-game range below the top full-price anchor while still in the premium indie range, around $20-$30.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 14.3h
  - Story completion: 27.5h
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The Spanish review explicitly reports completing the game in 14 hours and 19 minutes, supporting gameCompletion at about 14.3 hours. A separate review describes a 25-30 hour campaign, which supports storyCompletion at about 27.5 hours. For sessionLength, one player reports managing about an hour at a time before needing an eye rest, so sessionLength is set to 1 hour. No review provides a distinct endgame-only playtime, so endgame is null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Grimlord often starts slowly or roughly, but players report it becomes fun after learning systems, improving weapons, or clearing the first area and boss.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Clearing the first area and first non-tutorial boss
  - Time to anchor: 2h 0m
  - Friction: slow and rough opening; boring introduction and tutorial pacing; many systems introduced at once; missing or inadequate tutorial prompts for crafting and inventory; being stuck in the tutorial area or hub; damage-sponge boss fights
  - Unlock drivers: figuring out the mechanics; getting better weapons; progressing through levels and experimenting with builds; clearing the first area and first non-tutorial boss; random retry leading to getting hooked
  - Conditions: tolerance for a slow soulslike start; understanding combat and progression systems; access to better weapons; boss health and damage tuning; post-launch content availability; PvE multiplayer availability; interest in arena mode; preference for parry-and-punish combat
- Player Archetypes:
  - Soulslike Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing the punishing Dark Souls combat loop and mood translated into VR
    - Playstyle: Pattern-learning melee focused on blocking, parrying, boss fights, and intentional grinding of enemies for matter
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Dark Souls fan; Soulslike veteran; Souls fan
    - Reference games: Dark Souls
  - First-Time VR Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Discovering and enjoying VR gaming for the first time
    - Playstyle: Slow, exploratory play with little prior VR experience, appreciating the overall experience rather than optimizing combat
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: VR a newbie
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Physics Melee Purist (no buy)
    - Motivation: Finding responsive, physically convincing melee combat in VR
    - Playstyle: Hands-on experimentation with weapon physics, prioritizing feel and interaction over RPG progression
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Battle Talent; Blade & Sorcery; Arken Age
  - Build-Crafting Tinkerer (sale)
    - Motivation: Assembling and refining a personalized character build through gear and crafting
    - Playstyle: Exploration-driven loot hunting, crafting weapons from blueprints, and tuning amulets, armor, and skill trees to match a preferred style
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - 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:
- True VR Souls-like Experience (weight 0.41): Reviewers highly praise the game as the most complete and authentic souls-like experience available in VR. It captures the Dark Souls atmosphere, combat, and progression, satisfying a specific niche for VR enthusiasts.
- Satisfying Parry and Combat Feel (weight 0.2): The parrying, blocking, and deflecting mechanics are frequently highlighted as feeling fantastic and extremely satisfying. Successful parries and ripostes provide a strong sense of accomplishment.
- Fun and Enjoyable Gameplay (weight 0.19): Many reviewers find the game fun to play and an amazing experience overall, despite occasional clunkiness. The enjoyment is a recurring theme across multiple clusters.
- Engaging Crafting and Skill Systems (weight 0.16): The crafting system is praised as unique, cool, and simple yet pleasant. The skill tree is also well-received, allowing for skill point allocation and character customization.
- Well-Designed Bosses and Enemies (weight 0.15): Bosses are described as well-made, satisfying to learn, and cool. Enemies feature unique attacks, weak spots, and varied behaviors that encourage different strategies.
- Varied Weapons and Combat Styles (weight 0.13): A wide variety of weapons are available, including swords, axes, spears, and magic staffs. Handling different weapon types, especially two-handed and one-handed, feels good and balanced.
- Pleasant Visuals and Graphics (weight 0.12): The game's visuals are frequently described as nice, quite good, and graphically lovely. The graphics contribute positively to the overall experience.
- Solid Story and Voice Acting (weight 0.11): The game features a solid story and surprisingly good voice acting, adding to the overall immersive experience. Reviewers specifically note the quality of the voice performances.
- Promising Potential for Improvement (weight 0.07): Several reviewers note that the game has great potential and its systems show promise. This suggests a solid foundation that could be expanded upon in future updates.
- Decent Enemy Variety Across Locales (weight 0.07): The game offers a good amount of enemy variety across its six main locales. Maps are well thought out and interesting, with different enemies appearing as you progress.

Common complaints:
- Combat Feels Sluggish And Unimpactful (weight 0.24): Many players report that combat is slow, clunky, and lacks impact, making it hard to get into. This is a core issue affecting overall enjoyment.
- Bosses Have Excessive Health (weight 0.13): Bosses are described as damage sponges with high HP and small movesets, leading to long and tedious fights. This is a common complaint.
- Skill Tree Translation Issues (weight 0.12): Skill descriptions and effects do not match, with inconsistent icons and poor translation overall. This affects gameplay understanding.
- Hitting Enemies Lacks Feedback (weight 0.11): Attacks feel like hacking away without impact, and enemies lack hit reactions, reducing combat satisfaction.
- VR Compatibility Crashes (weight 0.1): Multiple crashes occur due to SteamVR and WMR headset issues, including tracking loss and hands stuck.
- Weapons Lack Weight And Feel Floaty (weight 0.09): Weapons feel too light, have odd weight distribution, and wobble during swings, reducing immersion and satisfaction.
- Parrying Is Ineffective (weight 0.09): Parrying gives little advantage, enemy stun is too short, and it feels more like blocking. This makes combat less strategic.
- Graphics And Visual Issues (weight 0.09): Graphics are subpar, with poor LOD causing pop-in and terrain morphing, especially noticeable in VR.
- Buggy Spear Enemies (weight 0.09): Spear-wielding enemies are buggy and frustrating to fight, often described as a nightmare.
- Exhausting Boss Fights (weight 0.09): Boss fights are physically tiring and require excessive effort, especially in VR.
- Poor Inventory And Weapon Slot Management (weight 0.09): Inventory system is bad, and there are no settings to customize weapon slots or bag placement.
- Game Balance Is Poor (weight 0.08): Players report unbalanced gameplay, especially at low levels and with enemy scaling. This leads to frustration.
- Bosses And Mobs Respawn On Death (weight 0.06): Respawning after player death or save reload is frustrating and feels unfair. This design choice is widely criticized.
- Poor Explanation Of Mechanics (weight 0.06): Many game mechanics are poorly explained or not explained at all, leaving players confused.
- Localization And Translation Problems (weight 0.05): Translation is terrible with untranslated lines and machine-translated text, affecting immersion.
- Souls-Like Mechanics Don't Translate To VR (weight 0.05): Aspects of souls-like gameplay do not work well in VR, leading to a subpar experience.
- Disappointing Final Bosses (weight 0.05): Final bosses are considered lame or frustrating, with some being too weak or too tanky.

Gameplay feedback:
- Physics-based VR combat (weight 0.31): Combat relies on physics-based weapon and shield handling, with movement mechanics adapting melee actions to VR motion controls. Players highlight weapon weight, impact, parrying, and physical positioning as key features.
- VR souls-like core experience (weight 0.25): The game is consistently described as a souls-like experience built for VR, closely following the classic Souls formula. Players compare it to Dark Souls or Demon's Souls in terms of combat, atmosphere, and character building.
- Varied combat and RPG systems (weight 0.25): The game mixes melee, ranged, and magic combat within a VR souls-like framework. It also includes RPG systems such as leveling, skill trees, armor, weapon upgrades, and quests.
- Challenging boss encounters (weight 0.24): Boss fights are a major component, featuring attack patterns, weak spots, and high health pools that make them challenging. Bosses are central to progression and often require learning their patterns.
- Soulslike mechanics and difficulty (weight 0.18): The game implements traditional soulslike mechanics and difficulty, including the structure and nuanced design associated with the genre. This is a core expectation and draw for players.
- Weapon crafting and customization (weight 0.16): A weapon crafting system allows players to build and customize weapons by mixing and matching parts within weapon classes. Special weapons can be crafted, and resources are used to create new gear.
- Parry and riposte mechanics (weight 0.16): The game includes parry and riposte mechanics, with specific systems for parrying, perfect parries, blocking, and dodging. These mechanics are central to combat encounters.
- VR sword-fighting action RPG (weight 0.15): The game is described as a VR sword-fighting action RPG with a focus on melee combat, including swinging, parrying, and deflecting. It is also referred to as a VR soulslike melee combat game.
- Weapon variety and dual wielding (weight 0.13): A wide range of weapon types is available, including swords, axes, spears, bows, and magic staffs. Players can also dual wield and handle two-handed weapons.
- Enemy weak spots (weight 0.11): Enemies have exploitable weak spots that can be hit with specific weapons, swings, or stabs. Armored enemies have weak points on legs, arms, and visors, encouraging targeted attacks.
- Souls-like currency system (weight 0.07): The game features a souls-like currency called 'Matter', which is used for progression and upgrades. This mirrors the souls currency from the Dark Souls series.

Performance notes:
- Performance Drops and Stutters (weight 0.33): Frequent frame drops, severe stutters, and lag spikes occur across various hardware configurations, including during collisions and heavy effect usage. Some areas like the waterside and monastery cause significant slowdowns.
- Optimization Problems Across Platforms (weight 0.31): The game suffers from general optimization issues, with poor performance on standalone Quest 3 and PC VR, and settings changes often having little effect. Some users report crashes and compatibility problems.
- Inconsistent Performance on Different Hardware (weight 0.2): Some users with high-end systems experience smooth performance, while others with similar or lower specs face severe issues. This inconsistency makes it hard to predict performance.
- Severe Pop-In and LOD Issues (weight 0.13): Players report blatant pop-in and poor LOD management, with distant structures visibly degrading and enemies popping in. This is especially distracting in VR and persists even at moderate viewing distances.
- Visual and Rendering Glitches (weight 0.12): Players note lighting breaks, water rendering out of sync between eyes, level geometry rollbacks, and visual blurriness. These issues detract from the overall visual quality.
- Crashing and Launch Failures (weight 0.09): Multiple reports of game crashes on startup, executable naming errors, and SteamVR integration problems that prevent the game from launching or running properly.
- Collision Detection and Physics Bugs (weight 0.05): Inaccurate collision detection and wonky physics lead to cluttered combat and frame skips during collisions. This affects gameplay fluidity and immersion.
- CPU Requirements High (weight 0.05): Players suggest that a high-end CPU like the 7800X3D or better is needed to run the game smoothly, indicating high CPU demands.
- Optimization Improvements Ineffective (weight 0.03): Despite news of optimization patches, players report no noticeable change in performance or visual quality, indicating that fixes have not addressed core issues.
- Compatibility Issues with WMR Headsets (weight 0.03): Serious compatibility problems with WMR headsets include hands stuck to the floor, lost tracking, and other tracking failures, making the game unplayable for some users.
- Dark Visuals on Quest 2 (weight 0.03): The game appears too dark on Quest 2 even though the headset is recommended, impacting visibility and overall experience.

Recommendations:
- Strong souls-like VR appeal (weight 0.31): Many reviewers strongly recommend the game to Souls fans who want a VR version of that style of combat and atmosphere. It is repeatedly described as a must-play for VR players seeking a souls-like experience.
- Strong immersion in VR (weight 0.2): The game is praised for providing strong immersion for VR players. It is recommended for those who want an immersive experience in a dark fantasy world.
- Not recommended in current state (weight 0.19): A significant group of reviewers cannot recommend the game until glaring issues are addressed or it leaves development. Some requested refunds or advised avoiding it for now.
- Buy on sale, not full price (weight 0.18): A recurring recommendation is to wait for a discount rather than paying full price, especially given the game's current issues. Several reviewers say it is worth checking out mainly on sale.
- Early access caveats acknowledged (weight 0.14): Some reviewers recommend the game only with the understanding that it is unfinished and still being worked on. Others suggest waiting for more updates before buying.
- Positive overall recommendation (weight 0.14): Many reviewers give strong positive recommendations, calling it fantastic and highly recommendable. Some describe it as one of the best fantasy sword fighting VR games so far.
- Not for everyone (weight 0.12): Reviewers note the game is not a universal must-have and should be approached with reasonable expectations. It mainly appeals to specific niches such as souls veterans or VR enthusiasts.
- Good value and worth price (weight 0.12): Some reviewers consider the game worth the price or a worthwhile investment, especially for those who enjoy the content. A few would even pay more for it with improvements.
- Give it time to click (weight 0.1): Reviewers advise playing at least 5 hours or giving the game another chance if early hours feel difficult. It may click after more playtime and practice.
- Wait for more updates (weight 0.09): Multiple reviewers advise waiting for future updates or checking back later before purchasing. Some refunded and plan to return once the game improves.
- Punishing souls-like combat (weight 0.09): The game is recommended for players who enjoy tough enemies, blocking, parrying, learning enemy patterns, and slow progression. It is not suited for those who want an easy or universally accessible experience.
- Alternatives recommended over this (weight 0.09): Several reviewers suggest playing Blade & Sorcery, Battle Talent, or Swordsman VR instead. These alternatives are recommended for better physics-based combat or enemy AI.
- Support early access development (weight 0.09): Some reviewers encourage buying the game in early access to help make the project a reality. They believe it is worth supporting and investing in for VR users.
- Potential to be great (weight 0.09): Many reviewers see potential for the game to become one of the best VR melee combat titles if it receives consistent updates. Some are very impressed and look forward to its future.
- Recommend to souls veterans (weight 0.07): Experienced Soulslike veterans are encouraged to pick the game up blind and will likely enjoy the pace. It is described as a must-play for souls veterans.
- Combat has issues (weight 0.07): Some reviewers do not recommend the game based on the combat alone, citing messy physics and poor enemy balance. The combat is not considered on the level of Blade and Sorcery.
- Try and refund if needed (weight 0.07): Several reviewers suggest trying the game for a short time and refunding it if it is not a good fit. This is a common recommendation given the game's current state.
- Play in English for correct display (weight 0.03): One reviewer specifically recommends playing in English for correct display and story understanding. This is a niche but practical tip for non-English speakers.
- Quest item finale warning (weight 0.03): A reviewer warns not to repeat their mistake and to avoid giving the quest item in the finale. This is a specific gameplay tip to prevent a negative outcome.

Other player notes:
- Dark Souls VR Comparison (weight 0.27): Reviewers repeatedly describe the game as a VR version of Dark Souls or a VR soulslike. This comparison is used to convey the game's difficulty, aesthetic, and overall genre.
- Blade & Sorcery Comparison (weight 0.18): The game is frequently compared to Blade & Sorcery for its combat, parry feel, weapon handling, and physics. Some note it feels like a step up, while others see it as less refined.
- Early Access Release State (weight 0.16): Several reviewers mention the game is or was in early access. There is also a 1.0 release that some feel lacks polish.
- Classic Soulslike Benchmarks (weight 0.13): The game draws comparisons to Demon's Souls, Dark Souls 1, and Sekiro for its mechanics, joy, and excitement. It is mentioned alongside Dark Souls as a legendary series.
- Incomplete Russian Localization (weight 0.09): Russian localization is available but the translation is incomplete, particularly for the last two bosses' dialogue. Russian subtitles are not supported.
- High Potential and Future (weight 0.05): Reviewers see massive potential in the game and believe it has a good future. It is considered worth following through development.
- Positive Map Design (weight 0.05): Map design is compared favorably to Dark Souls' best, though one reviewer negatively mentions Dark Souls 2 in comparison.
- Special NPCs Like Dark Souls (weight 0.05): NPCs are compared to Dark Souls where all NPCs felt special. This suggests the game captures a similar sense of memorable characters.
- Played on Quest 2 (weight 0.05): Some reviewers played the game on Oculus Meta Quest 2, with one using Quest Pro controllers. This indicates the hardware used for impressions.
- Played Through Early Access (weight 0.05): One reviewer played to completion during early access and notes it is now officially released. This shows engagement through the development cycle.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.23): Players commonly cite clunky combat, imprecise weapon handling, and poorly communicated mechanics, with hits often failing to register or lacking feedback. Severe technical issues like crashes, VR runtime problems, lag spikes, and broken translations frequently make the game unplayable. Bosses are criticized as damage sponges with unfair, overwhelming attacks, while enemy AI and physics bugs compound the tedium.
- Disappointment (weight 0.16): Reviewers express that the game suffers from poor optimization, muddy textures, and noticeable pop-in that undermine its visuals. Combat feels sluggish and unimpactful, with bosses being excessively tanky and the difficulty poorly balanced. Many feel it still resembles an unfinished early access product due to persistent bugs, missing features, and an unsatisfying, shallow story.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players find the VR combat highly engaging, especially when parrying, blocking, and using varied weapon styles against normal enemies. The souls-like progression, crafting, and boss fights provide a fun and immersive experience despite technical jank. Exploring the castle and experimenting with different combat approaches keeps the gameplay fresh and rewarding.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.08): The game delivers a deliberate Souls-like experience in VR, with precision-based combat and parries that feel rewarding. Well-balanced bosses, meaningful progression, and a full-body presence enhance immersion and make victories feel earned. Good value and a solid souls-like atmosphere meet the expectations of VR and Dark Souls fans.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): The concept of a VR Dark Souls with physical weapon freedom and creative kills generates strong excitement. Engaging boss fights, weapon crafting, and a strong sense of adventure pull players into the world. The fresh parry system and the promise of future content like invasions keep the excitement alive.
- Hope (weight 0.04): Players hope the developers continue to improve the game, fix its issues, and add more content. They appreciate that the developers listen and have already added requested features. There is optimism that the game can mature into a more polished and complete VR souls-like.
- Annoyance (weight 0.04): Persistent bugs, such as inconsistent weapon sheathing and enemies hitting through shields, cause irritation. Poor audio design, including quiet enemy footsteps and awful voice acting, detracts from the experience. Also, the lack of quality-of-life features like a satchel cycling system and terrible translations add to the annoyance.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): The absence of background music and ambient audio creates a flat atmosphere. Repetitive combat with few attack animations and inconsistent blocking makes fights feel stale quickly. Spongy bosses and a tedious introduction contribute to a boring, slog-like experience.
- Exhaustion (weight 0.02): The physically demanding VR combat, especially during long boss fights, leads to arm fatigue and pain. Enemies with high health require many repetitive strikes, turning gameplay into exhausting exercise rather than an adventure.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the freedom to experiment with builds through free talent resets and modular weapon crafting. The game successfully translates the souls-like spirit to VR with demanding combat and immersive dark fantasy. Good armor detection and interesting parry mechanics are also praised.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Soulslike veterans find the game super fun, considering it the best souls-like experience available in VR. It is praised as the only true soulslike for VR, with good combat feel and clever shortcuts, making it a sensational and beloved title.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.01): Some players feel that despite its soul, the game is not good overall. Swordplay feels swimmingly imprecise and the sense of distance is off, while the lack of explanations for core mechanics and missing subtitles add to the dissatisfaction. The gameplay and combat impact failed to attract them.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Bugs like a dancing, floating monkey enemy and chaotic sequences of losing and recovering weapons provide unintended humor. The bizarrely light weapon handling that lets players kill knights with taps, and the mirror feature, also amuse players.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Players are confused by the positive reviews, having been stuck in the tutorial area and thinking there was no content. Unexplained mechanics like necklaces, armor equipping, and soul retrieval further add to the confusion. Some also got lost after the giant boss, unable to open a door or find a key.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): The game is admired for its industry-leading modeling and textures, and smooth enemy motion capture. It is considered a work of art beyond compare, and despite its issues, it remains incredible and enjoyable.
- Anger (weight 0.01): A save file glitch that wiped all progress caused intense anger. Requiring two hands to twist a health potion cap is seen as unnecessarily hardcore, and the stamina system drains too fast with no clear indicator, frustrating players in a VR soulslike.
- Confidence (weight 0.01): Players believe that practice can overcome the difficulty complaints. Realizing enemy weak spots helped them become more confident in their fighting style.
- Dread (weight 0.01): Dynamic enemies that demand constant vigilance create a sense of dread. Bosses that are damage sponges turn fights into exhausting slogs, adding to the feeling of dread.
- Mild frustration (weight 0.01): Magic sigil drawing can be scuffed on some spells, and the perk tree is boring. Parrying is also a bit hard to use, leading to mild frustration.
- Joy (weight 0.01): The game captures the same joy and excitement as Demon's Souls in VR. It provided an amazing experience that left the reviewer having a blast.}