The Last Oricru

The Last Oricru tried to balance its design between in-depth narratives of CRPG and Souls-like heavy action. On top of that, a world that is a mixture of myth, science and magic is also compelling. However, it becomes frustrating when you realize the shortcomings of Souls-like (no maps, no explanation) and the element of CRPG that every action affect the ending does not make a good synergy.

From the variable storyline to the co-op options to the ability to equip your hero with the best items the player can find, the game is well poised for success. Unfortunately, so far it gives the impression that it's simply not finished. [Issue#323]

There are so many Soulslikes to choose from that no gamer has time to sample them all. Although it can’t find a consistent tone, The Last Oricru has a much better narrative arc than it does action or gameplay. Whatever small stabs it takes at originality are counterbalanced by deeply unsatisfying combat and poorly implemented mechanics. Only rabid Soulsborne fans who have to play every game in the genre should check this one out.

The ambitious Czech RPG paid the price for unnecessary mistakes, which make it one of this year's gaming disappointments.

Net of a fairly interesting story capable of offering some interesting narrative crossroads, the first work of GoldKnights did not fully convince us. The main problems lie in the gameplay of The Last Oricru: the combat system is cumbersome and not always perfectly responsive, a situation further aggravated by significant drops in frame rates. Exploration, on the other hand, suffers from scenarios that tend to repeat themselves and confuse those who pass through them. Basically we are talking about a missed opportunity, which we hope will give the team some important lessons in view of future productions.

The Last Oricru starts from some good ideas but unfortunately poorly developed or not fully developed. Almost everything is to be reviewed, from the narrative choises and characterization to the combat system, bad most of the time. Hopefully, these criticisms will lead to a more refined second job.

The Last Oricru gains momentum about as often as it trips over itself, resulting in a very mediocre game overall.

Action role-playing game with an inherently interesting story, yet it suffers from countless technical issues.

Player enjoyment from The Last Oricru relies heavily on what matters to them. If they are looking for a fun co-op romp with interesting build possibilities to toy around with, the game is likely worth picking up on sale. However, it does not have much to offer for players who care more about a difficult journey across a well-realized world with lore and secrets to piece together.

The Last Oricru is a cynical attempt at a Dark Souls successor. So many aspects of the game fall short to capture the same thrills within the series and its other imitators. With unsatisfying gameplay, a cliche-ridden story, and poor graphics, The Last Oricru is a difficult game to recommend.

I am not such a purist that I can’t enjoy a lower-budget indie take on the Souls-like formula, and the team at GoldKnights shows its chops in several of The Last Oricru‘s aspects. The writing and world-building are enjoyable, and the vision of giving the player lots of choice in how the story should unfold has been well realized. But when it comes to combat and performance, the game is a mess. Even if one is lucky enough to avoid game-breaking bugs, combat is executed so poorly that it spreads its taint onto the rest of the experience. When having to restart a game completely due to a bug isn’t even the worst issue encountered, I think that about says it all. In the end, the development team has much to prove to bring the gameplay in line with the good elements it showed it is capable of.