Quote Originally Posted by Zevox View Post

Edit: Okay, question time for folks. Apparently, Solasta: Crown of the Magister got a Playstation release in early March that I hadn't heard of. It not being on my main systems has been the only reason I haven't picked it up, and it's now also on a pretty steep sale, so I'm probably going to grab it, I just need to decide which version. Standard edition is an enticingly cheap $9, but "Lightbringers Edition" (which lists off a bunch of what I assume to be DLC that's included with the game: Lost Valley, Palace of Ice, Primal Calling, Inner Strength, and a Supporter Pack) is also discounted at $34. Would the latter be worth the almost quadruple price tag, or should I just grab the base game?
I like Solasta quite a bit, it feels like playing through somebody's high school D&D setting but in the fun it's kinda cliche and very sincere way. Just be aware of the following:

1) It's more of a tactics game than a standard cRPG, just a tactics game where your squad is four D&D adventurers. NPCs are few, far between, and not very interesting. Your entire party are custom made characters, with the personality deficits that come with it. The game uses a kinda cool system where you assign personality traits to characters, and then they speak according to those traits, but this isn't a game you play for the sizzling character writing.

2) it's definitely budget. Everything looks very default Unity, flat lighting, character faces straight from the Idaho potato fields, etc. The word "adequate" was made for this.

3) The combat is very D&D 5e. It doesn't reinterprete and house rule it like BG3 does, it's straight, by the book 5e. There's custom subclasses, but that's as outre as it gets.


The good side of this is that it has really solid combat. It goes full XCOM and uses a 3d cube grid, with genuine 3d movement and rings that let you walk on walls and genuine flying enemies and so on. When the encounters really lean into this it can be fantastic, spiders coming out of the ceiling, or jumping from ledge to ledge down a cliff. Its focus on strong fundamentals over shiny gear and tweaked builds feels refreshingly old-school.

I also find something very charming about it's relatively minimal story and characterization. This is a game about going cool places, stabbing goblins, and taking their stuff, and it doesn't overcomplicate that. It's very low key, you play as some folks doing some stuff.

Basically ask yourself if fantasy XCOM ("ELFCOM") sounds appealing. If so, Solasta scratches that itch very effectively.

The DLC is generally very worth it, it adds lots of character options, and they're all pretty chunky options as well. There's no point in playing with a quarter of the toy chest.