The Vale: Shadow of the Crown

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 2 out of 9

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  1. pahoxa
    Oct 13, 2021
    7
    The Vale sets a very tall challenge for itself and it doesn't quite get over the hump. You play as a vision-impaired person in medieval times and must rely on audio cues to interact with the world around you, including exploration and combat. I think the reason The Vale ultimately fails is that it's too heavily grounded and realistic to be very playable or fun. It feels ratherThe Vale sets a very tall challenge for itself and it doesn't quite get over the hump. You play as a vision-impaired person in medieval times and must rely on audio cues to interact with the world around you, including exploration and combat. I think the reason The Vale ultimately fails is that it's too heavily grounded and realistic to be very playable or fun. It feels rather unintentionally clunky, perhaps unavoidably given that it's trying to invent a genre from scratch. There's only so much that can be done with sound design to make that a lush an navigable environment without any visual cues (or a game design template to follow). With all of that said, I would be interested in hearing the opinion of someone with low vision. There were moments (such as the protagonist not recognizing their brother's voice) that gave me the impression that this game was designed for and by people with full vision. Ultimately, it's mostly an audio drama with some gameplay elements that don't seem to have been a high enough priority to make them effective at driving the story or enjoyable enough to keep player interest. But I'll say this for The Vale: it's the most interesting game I've played in some time. I would play another game in this vein in a heartbeat.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Best PC Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 17, 2022
    100
    Absolutely captivating, amazing thing that squeezes the sound component and the connected drives to the maximum.
  2. Riot Pixels
    Oct 17, 2021
    70
    The Vale puts binaural sounds and simple controls to good use, but the repetitive combat and copy/pasted towns quickly get old. This adventure is good for exactly one playthrough, and that’s it.
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  3. RPG Fan
    Aug 31, 2021
    93
    This is a title that not only allows people sometimes unable to experience gaming a chance to do so, but it also provides an incredibly unique immersion experience and a different perspective to sighted gamers. A solid, engaging RPG lies at the heart of The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, one that proves to be a truly insightful experience for those who can play it.
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