The Warlock of Firetop Mountain: Goblin Scourge Edition!

 Switch
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7

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  1. nusco
    Dec 10, 2020
    6
    The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is the videogame conversion of an RPG classic: the first gamebook in the Fighting Fantasy series. The original gamebook came out in 1982, and it gave rise to a long and very successful series. It was credited for being the first gamebook to move past the simple "Choose Your Own Adventure" formula and adopting complex fighting mechanics derived from tabletopThe Warlock of Firetop Mountain is the videogame conversion of an RPG classic: the first gamebook in the Fighting Fantasy series. The original gamebook came out in 1982, and it gave rise to a long and very successful series. It was credited for being the first gamebook to move past the simple "Choose Your Own Adventure" formula and adopting complex fighting mechanics derived from tabletop RPGs. The game, for better or worse, feels like a pretty faithful adaptation of the original material.

    Pros:
    - Nostalgic charme: If you had any contact with tabletop RPGs while growing up, you'll love the illustrations, the naive writing style, and even the unforgiving nature of some encounters. The graphics's "diorama and miniatures" style adds a lot to the old-fashioned charme of the game.
    - Good short-term fun: The first few runs are surprisingly addictive for what is basically a CYOA game with added combat.
    - Nice combat mechanics: The game adds an important twist to the original gamebook, with interesting combat mechanics inspired by miniature games.

    Cons:
    - Quickly becomes repetitive: At its core, the game is mostly about trial and error. You'll soon get tired of going through the same encounters again and again.
    - Terrible "story": Nostalgia is great, but let's face it: RPGs from the early 80s weren't exactly high literature. In fact, they typically featured terrible writing and a "story" that was little more than a mishmash of random encounters. "Warlock" puts those shortcomings right in your face.
    - Slim package: The developers did their best to enrich the experience with additional characters and other extras–but this is still the conversion of a single gamebook. I killed the Warlock after a few short hours, and I didn't feel the need to aim for better or different endings.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Vooks
    Sep 24, 2018
    80
    The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is a classic adventure book brought to life in the most spectacular fashion. It’s an absolute joy to play, aesthetically beautiful, and a perfect fit for the stop-and-start nature of the Switch. It has a few performance issues, and it could do with maybe a little bit more polish, but that’s easy to overlook when the experience on offer is so fulfilling. Tin Man Games has delivered a faithful representation of a classic story, in a fashion truly worth of the Fighting Fantasy name.
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  2. NintendoWorldReport
    Sep 22, 2018
    70
    I found the first couple runs mildly entertaining with diminishing returns on each subsequent playthrough.
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  3. Digitally Downloaded
    Sep 17, 2018
    90
    It really is a brilliant single player board game.
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