The Temple of Elemental Evil Review Summary

Excellent Steam Deck compatibility: Players consistently praise the game's smooth performance and easy installation on Steam Deck, highlighting stable and responsive gameplay. This is a key improvement over previous versions, particularly the GOG release.

Strong nostalgic and faithful appeal: The game retains its old-school charm and nostalgic feel, which resonates strongly with fans of the original. Players appreciate the faithfulness to the original while enjoying modern technical improvements.

Mod support and out-of-the-box functionality: The game is praised for working well without requiring additional setup, while still supporting mods like Co8 and Temple+. The inclusion of quality-of-life mods enhances the experience without extra effort from the player.

High technical stability: The game is noted for its stable performance, lack of bugs, and smooth technical execution. This is a significant improvement over the original version, which had notable technical issues.

Great value for money: Players highlight the game's fair and reasonable pricing, often comparing it favorably to the GOG version. The $10 price point is frequently mentioned as a strong selling point for the value offered.

Clunky and unfinished gameplay: The game is described as having rough edges, clunky mechanics, and unfinished aspects. Players note that the overall gameplay feels awkward and poorly designed, detracting from the experience.

Poor resolution and UI scalability: Players report significant issues with resolution support, including a lack of modern resolution options, unscalable UI elements, and a maximum supported resolution of 1080p. This makes the game difficult to play at higher resolutions, forcing some to lower settings for visibility.

Frustrating camera and movement controls: Camera sensitivity, acceleration, and movement controls are criticized for being unintuitive and frustrating. Issues include poor map scrolling, lack of WASD controls, and erratic panning, which make navigation difficult.

Early game difficulty and design flaws: The early game is described as swingy, tedious, and lacking meaningful choices. Players report needing to frequently save and reload to progress, which detracts from the fun and accessibility of the game.

Lack of transparency in changes: Players express dissatisfaction with the lack of a detailed changelog or transparency about upgrades and mod implementations. This makes it unclear what improvements or changes were made in the re-release.

High-quality audiovisual presentation: Players praise the game's music, graphics, and combat as standout features. This suggests a strong production value that enhances immersion and overall enjoyment.

3rd edition rule set retained: The game uses the 3rd edition rule set, similar to *Neverwinter Nights*, which will resonate with fans of that system. This choice may influence gameplay depth and tactical complexity but could also limit appeal to players unfamiliar with these mechanics.

Combat expands at level five: Players observe that combat options significantly increase after reaching level five, with abilities like Trip and Fireball becoming available. This indicates a progression curve that rewards long-term investment in character development.

Classic party creation process: Players note that the game retains the lengthy party creation process from the original, which may appeal to fans of classic RPGs but could feel cumbersome to others. This reflects the game's commitment to its roots but may impact accessibility.

Math-heavy combat optimization: The game requires players to perform calculations to optimize combat actions, such as weapon swings. This may appeal to players who enjoy tactical depth but could feel tedious or overwhelming to others.

Camera settings impact playability: Players report that adjusting camera sensitivity and disabling scroll or camera acceleration can significantly improve gameplay experience, particularly for those experiencing motion-related issues. This suggests a need for better default camera settings or clearer in-game guidance.

Resolution adjustments aid visibility: Lowering resolution is suggested as a workaround for visibility issues, which may indicate that the game's performance or UI scaling could be optimized for better accessibility across different hardware setups.

Performance is generally smooth: Some players report that the game runs well, suggesting that the core performance is stable for certain hardware configurations or settings. However, this feedback is based on limited data and may not reflect broader experiences.

Price sensitivity and value perception: Players are divided on the game's value, with many suggesting it is worth $10 or less. Those who already own the GOG version or find the design/controls poor are less likely to recommend it, while others see value in its nostalgic appeal or Steam-specific features like Steam Deck support.

Strong recommendation for RPG fans: The game is highly recommended for serious RPG fans due to its accessibility, value, and nostalgic appeal. Some players consider it an instant buy and rate it exceptionally high (e.g., 10/10).

Support for classic game preservation: Players appreciate the effort to bring classic games back to modern platforms like Steam. Some recommend purchasing it to support the release of more classic games at reasonable prices, even over expensive AAA titles.

Demand for modern resolution support: A player expresses dissatisfaction with the lack of modern resolution support, indicating this is a barrier to their enjoyment and recommendation of the game.

Workarounds for enjoyment: One reviewer suggests using a character editor to enhance the gameplay experience, indicating that some players may need additional tools to fully enjoy the game.

Nostalgia-driven purchase disappointment: Several players purchased the game to relive childhood memories but found it failed to deliver the expected nostalgic experience. The gap between expectations and reality led to dissatisfaction, particularly among long-time fans of the series.

Preference for Steam over GOG version: Long-time players who own multiple copies of the game express a preference for the Steam version due to its convenience, despite having invested significant time in the GOG version. This suggests Steam's platform advantages (e.g., cloud saves, mod support) are valued by the community.

Request for achievements system: Players suggest adding an achievements system to enhance replayability and engagement, drawing comparisons to other games like *Blade of Darkness* that successfully implemented this feature. This feedback is specific and actionable.

Linux modding difficulties: A subset of players report challenges running the GOG version with mods on Linux, highlighting potential compatibility issues that could alienate a portion of the audience. This is a niche but important technical concern.

Improved installation process appreciated: At least one player expressed gratitude for the improved installation process, suggesting that recent updates or platform-specific optimizations have addressed prior pain points. This feedback is positive but limited in scope.