The most unique game I've played in a while, and it's commendable that Arcen have tried something different in this age of AAA copypasta sequels. AVWW is part platformer, part RPG.The gameplay revolves around exploration for resources and completion of missions, aiming to purge five large continents (the last one endless, actually) of overlords that hinder the regrowth of civilization.The most unique game I've played in a while, and it's commendable that Arcen have tried something different in this age of AAA copypasta sequels. AVWW is part platformer, part RPG.The gameplay revolves around exploration for resources and completion of missions, aiming to purge five large continents (the last one endless, actually) of overlords that hinder the regrowth of civilization. There's much to do, and some elements, such as managing each continent's settlement, are actually optional. From the outset, you can choose what to focus on first - do you want to put together a selection of spells? Or maybe focus on establishing a food supply for the settlement? Or just rush things along by finding a wind shelter so you can make your way through the deadly wind to the nearest lieutenant's tower? The various aspects are intertwined, too: for example, if you want to get a wind shelter, you can either explore outdoors or in caverns for secret missions that may offer it as a reward, or you can try to put together enough Consciousness Orbs to just buy it. If you choose to develop your settlement, you can task survivors with finding specific resources, sparing you the trouble.
Combat can be complex and satisfying, with dozens of spells that can be modified for longer range, more power, or many other benefits. Enchants are even more potent, giving your entirely new abilities such as preventing falling damage or making you harder to spot. There's a great amount of depth here, and each aspect of the game can be made easier or more difficult, as needed.
There's an ungodly amount of procedurally-generated areas and rooms on each continent, let alone an entire world, but the game warns against completionism. Thanks to the clever map display, you can easily tell which areas have little of interest, and where there may be rooms with valuable resources. This makes exploration a breeze, rather than a grind. AVWW also offers the option of multiplayer, in your or someone else's world. The official number of supported players in a world is 8, but you can have up to 200 players if you set the limit that high. Multiplayer works well in my experience, increasing the difficulty of enemies based on the number of players in a region. Whatever progress you make is kept in that world, so the main concern here is finding a world that will stay hosted for some time, as jumping between multiplayer worlds you may get fed up with rebuilding your spellbook and enchants.
What's very commendable is the post-launch support Arcen have provided. There have been several updates, and important game elements have been overhauled, along with the introduction of new content. Something that's often mentioned about AVWW is the uneven graphical style, which seems to put a lot of players off. I personally don't see it, though I'd have preferred more fitting and lively character models. This is far overshadowed by the gameplay, and as the graphics aren't downright offensive, I say this is a nitpick at worst. AVWW in general seems to be a 'love it or hate it' kind of deal, so just try the demo. Regardless of how you feel about the game, Arcen's commitment to improving their games long after launch and to listening to their playerbase is worth supporting.… Expand
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