Terrinoth®: Heroes of Descent Review Summary

Engaging gameplay and attractive visuals are let down by simplified repetitive content, unstable multiplayer, and buggy combat.

Gameplay is fun and engaging: Players consistently report that the game is fun, engaging, and satisfying. Many describe it as interesting, addictive, and enjoyable, with a pleasant and engaging gameplay loop.

Pleasant graphics and visuals: Players praise the pleasant graphics, pretty visuals, nice art direction, and beautiful animations. The environments are cool, and the game looks amazing with well-designed locations.

Stable performance and optimization: Multiple reviews mention no stability, optimization, or crash issues. The game runs smoothly on average PCs, has a clean launch, and works well after initial loading.

Well-designed dungeons and exploration: Dungeons are done with love, with coherent level design. Exploration includes hidden treasures, puzzles, and events. Boss fights and missions with unique objectives are highlights.

Co-op and solo modes work well: The game supports 4-player co-op and can be played solo or with up to 3 friends. It is better with friends, and co-op now works well. Single player also works great.

Simplified and repetitive content: The game is simplified: small locations, simple exploration, short story, simple combat with dumb AI, repetitive encounters with reinforcement waves, and feels short (20 hours) for the price. Battles are slow without a speed mode.

Unstable multiplayer experience: Multiplayer is unstable with frequent disconnects, desyncs, infinite loading, and unbearable lag. Players find it unplayable and buggy, with issues like random party disconnects and inability to rejoin.

Combat and ability bugs: Multiple bugs affect combat: boss invincibility, skill freeze, boss model displacement, AOE attacks doing nothing, turn-passing bugs, and unresponsive prompts. These make combat unreliable.

Lack of customization options: There is no UI scaling, no aesthetic customization, heroes are fixed in classes and models, no custom player character, and build elements are thin. This limits player expression.

Weak optimization and performance: Optimization is weak: high GPU usage in menus, outdated graphics (like Original Sin 1), terrible performance, and far from best optimization (expected with Unity).

Turn-based tactical combat experience: The game is primarily a turn-based tactical RPG with combat reminiscent of board games and XCOM, featuring strategic positioning, cooldowns, and resource management.

Dungeon-crawling missions and structure: Gameplay involves short dungeon missions with story connections, compact levels, exploration for treasures, puzzles, and events, along with a mission-clear system.

Cooperative multiplayer support: The game supports both solo and co-op modes for up to four players, emphasizing cooperative play and multiplayer functionality.

Board game atmosphere and adaptation: The game deliberately recreates a board game experience, feeling like a direct port or adaptation of the tabletop version, with a board game atmosphere.

Character progression and builds: Players can develop characters with multiple builds, choose specific skills at level-up, unlock heroes with distinct classes, and specialize in three upgradable skill sets.

Balanced performance experiences: Some players report no crashes and smooth performance, while others mention weak optimization and low FPS even on high-end GPUs. This indicates mixed performance across different systems.

Loading times are problematic: Multiple players note long loading times, with one reporting up to 10 minutes. Even when loading is long, some find the game runs smoothly after the load.

Multiplayer performance issues: A specific mention of performance issues in multiplayer mode suggests the problem may be more severe in online play.

FPS not critical for genre: One player notes that while more FPS would be nice, it's not very important for this genre, indicating a lower priority for performance improvements.

Recommended for genre fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of tactical turn-based games, dungeon crawlers, and RPGs, especially those who enjoyed titles like The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk or Baldur's Gate 3 combat. It appeals to players who like party building and traditional tactical RPG elements.

Try the demo first: Multiple reviewers suggest that players who are uncertain about the game should try the demo first. Those who did try the demo often ended up purchasing the game and were satisfied with their decision.

Not for co-op play: A reviewer states that the game is not recommended for co-op play and currently feels like a solo game, indicating that the multiplayer experience may be lacking or underdeveloped.

Optimization issues: One reviewer cannot recommend the game due to optimization issues, suggesting performance problems that affect the overall experience.

Great for busy schedules: A reviewer highly recommends the game for those looking for a chill RPG experience that fits into a busy schedule, highlighting its accessibility and relaxed pace.

Game completion: 30.0h.

Session length: 1.0h.

Terrinoth offers enjoyable tactical RPG gameplay that clicks after the lengthy tutorial and first co-op level, but early fun is heavily dampened by a 30-minute unskippable tutorial and persistent multiplayer instability, especially for guest players.

Friction: 30-minute unskippable tutorial that excludes co-op; multiplayer instability and connection bugs; guest players cannot spend gold or access equipment shops before the dungeon.

Unlock drivers: completing the tutorial; finishing the first level; playing with friends in co-op; patience with multiplayer bugs.

Tactical Turn-Based Fan: Methodical and tactical, focusing on positioning and resource management in turn-based combat. Appreciates a tight, focused experience without excessive complexity. Motivation: Enjoyment of strategic, turn-based combat with clear tactical depth, often comparing favorably to beloved CRPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity Original Sin 2. Stance: buy.

Co-op Adventurer: Social and cooperative, prefers playing with friends. Excited about the co-op potential but often frustrated by bugs and restrictions that hinder the experience. Motivation: The desire to play through the game with friends in a cooperative setting, sharing the tactical RPG experience. Stance: sale.

Veteran Tactician: Seeks depth and challenge; finds the base game too simple and slow. Wants more skills, faster pacing, and better optimization. Motivation: The pursuit of deep, complex tactical gameplay that tests their strategic skills. They are drawn to the genre but feel the current implementation lacks sufficient depth. Stance: deep sale.