Massive Chalice

Between the far-reaching scale, the slick and intuitive combat, and the fun of raising heroes through the years, MASSIVE CHALICE brings a whole lot to the table.

Massive Chalice is one of the better Tim Schafer creations, combination of Crusader Kings and XCOM works quite well. Very well, actually. [Aug 2015]

When it comes to the sound of Massive Chalice the voice acting for the huge piece of silverware itself is great, both funny and sat, and the music itself manages to underline the tense moments of combat and to illustrate the way time influences the world of the game.

The game’s style is good, and the basic structure is engaging and challenging. Combat could be a little more tactical, but overall it’s a solid game that provides a great outlet for any turn-based craving you might have.

An enjoyable tactical game in the vein of the new XCOM with a very unique strategy layer. [08/2015, p.64]

Created by Double Fine through a crowdfunding campaign, Massive Chalice is an interesting turn-based strategy game that mixes the classic mechanics of the genre with some unique feature like permadeath, bloodlines relics and bloodlines genetics.

Massive Chalice is lots of fun and highly addictive.

Mix together two simplified versions of XCOM and Crusader Kings and you'll get Massive Chalice, an enjoyable game where unfortunately some aspects are not at the same level as others.

Between the bloodlines, research, and combat, Massive Chalice tosses a ton to micromanage, and it can feel overwhelming. But it all builds up to a spectacular ending that makes it worthwhile and satisfying.

While Massive Chalice isn’t much to look at, I couldn’t wait to see this century-spanning adventure through to the end. Double Fine’s strategy simulation is rough around the edges, but hard to put down. With more polish, Massive Chalice could have been one for the ages.

Massive Chalice really has a unique and interesting premise and even with the lackluster combat it's a lot of fun to play. The management of bloodlines and Keeps, the necessity to keep breeding different types of units to keep your army balanced, and a wide array of power-ups you can research make each playthrough feel different.

Grand and inventive. [Summer 2015, p.78]

Double Fine clearly had huge plans for Massive Chalice but unfortunately not all areas received as much love and care as the bigger picture, causing certain other areas to feel a bit lackluster and thin. [Aug 2015, p.081]

Unique and fascinating. With more depth on the tactical side, it could be a real must-have.

​Double Fine’s Massive Chalice takes XCOM’s DNA in a fresh direction, but doesn’t exceed it.

Although it was an enjoyable experience there were plenty of aspects that could have been more polished and with more to do, plus the constant similarities to XCOM only made me yearn for another playthrough of Firaxis’ offering.

Beautiful and varied. [Aug 2015, p.122]

Massive Chalice’s personality and ingenuity ultimately win out over its shortcomings, and it’s certainly worth a try for strategy fans who don’t want anything too ponderous or serious. But its cup does not, as they say, runneth over.

By following the tangled paths of lineage, we’re left with tales too large to be understood in terms of the lone hero.

There's the foundation for a phenomenal strategy game here if Double Fine is willing to build on it. As it is, though, it makes for a diverting few hours, and a welcome change of pace from XCOM.

As much as I enjoyed its aggressive brand of tactical combat and interesting enemy types, there are too many unpredictable variables outside your control, and too much happening to too many quickly aging, mortal characters for this tactical game to feel like decisions matter.

Massive Chalice is a fun and simple turn based strategic game, but not quite as engaging as the XCOM games it tries to be.

Nicely done tactical strategy with solid foundations looks like a prototype of something bigger. As if the developers forgot to add more layers over the basic structure. Fans of the genre will enjoy Massive Chalice anyway, even though the gameplay mechanics do not bring anything new and move the shallowness of the content is way too visible.

Massive Chalice holds some really great ideas, but is unfortunately dragged down by uneven design and a lack of depth.

It’s a game with enough ambition and execution to spark the imagination, and enough organic entropy to let you suspend your disbelief about the families you help sire. But Massive Chalice extends you the invitation and then offers you a half-empty world in return.

There is some payoff with the bloodline idea at the end, but it is not worth the rote meat grinder to get there.