Morbid: The Seven Acolytes does well is how it carries the dark fantasy PC RPGs from the past. This was back when games like Baldur’s Gate and Champions of Norath could only really be experienced on consoles, and so Morbid certainly gives off a vibe of a mature classic from the 90s. Morbid certainly lives up to its name with its visuals, extensive use of dark color themes, and buckets ofMorbid: The Seven Acolytes does well is how it carries the dark fantasy PC RPGs from the past. This was back when games like Baldur’s Gate and Champions of Norath could only really be experienced on consoles, and so Morbid certainly gives off a vibe of a mature classic from the 90s. Morbid certainly lives up to its name with its visuals, extensive use of dark color themes, and buckets of pixelated gore.
The story is a bit shallow, as players find themselves in the role of the Striver, a savior of her world and the last of her race. Taking inspiration from Lovecraft style horror, there are a lot of familiar elements to stumble on. As players explore new areas, battle different enemies, visit desolate towns, and eventually face the Acolytes, all the different elements come together to create a world well worth its experience. The experience feels similar to Dark Souls but instead following the top-down loot gathering sensibilities of something like Balder’s Gate. It’s a solid combination and the various familiarity create a game that still stands on its own. The standard enemies are persistent in AI and the mini bosses serve as a memorable foes, and then there are of course the Acolytes. The Acolytes serve as primary boss battles. These bosses are grand, but their patterns are readable enough to not get too infuriating after some trial and error. Combat would have been fine if it weren’t for the handicap of the stamina bar, which greatly limits any possibility of charging in on the foes. Stamina drains rather quickly and can be frustrating in the beginning, but once you accept the style of the game, things proceed a lot more smoothly for you. Ultimately the game isn’t necessarily difficult, it’s just a matter of having the patience for the slower paced progression. There is a sanity meter too, which serves as a secondary but less intrusive, as not paying attention to sanity can impact combat ability and damage. Fans of other games in this genre will be familiar with the fine art of rolling and dodging. Similar to those games, it’s all about rolling and rolling, and so when in doubt just rolling to dodge the attacks more. There are blocks and parries too, but why do that when you can just roll. Combat is quite satisfying given the number of upgrades and weapons available at your disposal. It doesn’t take long to find the best weapons. Our hero can equip a melee weapon and a firearm as well, with the latter serving quite useful to land a few big hits early during the boss battles. Upgrades are achieved with the many runes obtained, which are attached to the weapon for some handy stats and elemental tricks. Much like the Souls games, respite comes in the form of shrines which serve as save and heal points. These are scattered quite generously throughout the game world and dying isn’t that large if an issue thanks to fast travel. It’s also at these locations where you can upgrade stats by attaching skill points to improve health, stamina, and other areas. Given all the weapons and skills, it doesn’t take too long to build up the character to a point where progression feels comfortably steady. Although not always necessary, a little grinding for experience and loot can help with gaining an advantage. When it comes down to it, all the different moving parts and uniqueness is largely thanks to the presentation of the world, which is varied level design and where there are plenty of secrets reside also. Especially if players take on the side quests which help with the overall expert. Morbid: The Seven Acolytes is a challenging game which generally incorporates both the good and sometimes annoying elements of a Souls style experience. Still, it manages to stand out on the family of Xbox consoles.… Expand
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