1. SPS Accounts:
    Do you find yourself coming back time after time? Do you appreciate the ongoing hard work to keep this community focused and successful in its mission? Please consider supporting us by upgrading to an SPS Account. Besides the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting a good cause, you'll also get a significant number of ever-expanding perks and benefits on the site and the forums. Click here to find out more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
You are currently viewing Boards o' Magick as a guest, but you can register an account here. Registration is fast, easy and free. Once registered you will have access to search the forums, create and respond to threads, PM other members, upload screenshots and access many other features unavailable to guests.

BoM cultivates a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We have been aiming for quality over quantity with our forums from their inception, and believe that this distinction is truly tangible and valued by our members. We'd love to have you join us today!

(If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you've forgotten your username or password, click here.)

Dolmen - Review @ Kakuchopurei

Discussion in 'Game/SP News & Comments' started by RPGWatch, May 28, 2022.

  1. RPGWatch

    RPGWatch Watching... ★ SPS Account Holder

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2010
    Messages:
    30,191
    Likes Received:
    30
    [​IMG]Kakuchopurei reviewed the Action RPG Dolmen:

    [​IMG]

    Dolmen Is A Dull Sci-Fi Soulslike That Needs Massive Work

    Soulslike games are probably one of the most popular genres right now, but From Software titles (like this year's Elden Ring) are clearly still AAA kings. It's not easy to balance a soulslike game, or make it challenging yet fair to play for those willing to get good. Of course, along comes indie developers' attempts at replicating the soulslike magic, such as Massive Work Studio's Dolmen.
    Dark Souls In Space?

    What sets Dolmen apart from most other soulslike games is its sci-fi setting. Most soulslikes tend to skewer towards fantasy swords and magic sort of stuff, but Dolmen is closer to other soulslikes games like The Surge or Hellpoint. The one and only highlight of the game is its sci-fi setting, which reminds me of Dead Space or Aliens with an atmosphere of dread. Unfortunately, the level design can be simplistic and leaves a lot to be desired.

    This translates to exploration that's not that rewarding either. There's also no map or mini-map, so good luck trying to remember which metal corridor is the way to progress. In addition, while I know that the story isn't usually the strong suit of many soulslike games, Dolmen features bland and non-existent story that doesn't really motivate you to push forward. Cutscenes don't really do anything besides introducing bosses and new enemies, while most of the lore exposition is accomplished via terminals you have to access, which rewards you with a text you have to read (that's not particularly interesting). Yay, how fun.

    [...]

    It's going to take massive work (pun intended) for them to improve in the future. Looking at Steam reviews (which, at the time of writing, sits at a Mixed rating), many players have complained how Dolmen feels like an Early Access game, and they're not wrong, I can attest to that. You're better off playing other, better, soulslikes out there rather than trying out Dolmen, unless you're really hankering for a sci-fi soulslike.

    Score:50/100
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 28, 2022
Sorcerer's Place is a project run entirely by fans and for fans. Maintaining Sorcerer's Place and a stable environment for all our hosted sites requires a substantial amount of our time and funds on a regular basis, so please consider supporting us to keep the site up & running smoothly. Thank you!

Sorcerers.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.