‘THIS GAME IS VERY HARD’, boast the developers of Vagrus – The Riven Realms. Indeed, take one quick look at the gameplay behind this strategic narrative adventure, and you’ll realise that Last Pillars Development aren’t messing about. You’ll also have to read lots and lots of text – beware before going in!
Friend or Foe?
Now available on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch, Vagrus – The Riven Realms has taken nearly four years to make its way over from PC to console, but fans of Civilization and other 4X strategy games will be incredibly happy that it did.
Whilst perhaps not strictly a 4X title, the need to read swathes of information regarding your party, as well as the ability to ally up with or declare battle against different factions does remind us of Sid Meier’s classics.
You are tasked with navigating a perilous realm, dominated by gods and other all-powerful beings. Can you utilise all the knowledge you’ll gain throughout the game to fight off any ne’er do wells, and emerge as the dominant travelling company in the land?
To do so, you’ll have to recruit from a pool of many characters, each with their own unique stats and contributions to your crew, manage the swathes of resources you’ll pick up along the way, and take down enemies in complex turn-based combat.
Vagrus – The Riven Realms Key Features
- A Dark Realm – A vast realm is yours to explore, filled with unique locations, strange factions, and a colorful cast of characters. In order to punish the Empire for its sins, the Elder Gods unleashed their power a thousand years ago that resulted in the devastation of the realms. The continent is now a wasteland, riddled with arcane anomalies, swarming with twisted monsters, and haunted by roaming undead even after long centuries of rebuilding.
- Branching Narrative – A large selection of stories make up the game’s narrative in the form of events, encounters, and quests. The choices you make in these often affect your companions as well as the world around you. Pick your background from trader, mercenary, or explorer; work for factions, pursue rumors and trading opportunities; acquire wealth, gain fame, and discover hidden knowledge.
- Turn-based Combat – Engage in turn-based, tactical combat that involves your companions and a large variety of enemies, both humanoid and monstrous. Use a wide range of character skills as well as your own leadership-related abilities to succeed. Positioning and support skills are of paramount importance in these challenging engagements.
- Resource Management – Journeys have to be planned and prepared for carefully, lest they end in disaster. Manage your supplies, morale, and your crew’s vigor effectively to survive. Haul cargo and valuables across the wasteland or take it from others. Your crew of workers, fighters, scouts, and slaves have to be supervised closely to optimize their effectiveness.
- Unique Companions – A wide variety of companions can work for you in versatile caravan roles, such as scoutmaster, guard captain, treasure hunter, or beast handler. Each companion comes with unique combat skills, background stories, and personal quest lines that can upgrade them further when you complete them.
- Powerful Factions – Ally yourself with mighty factions that shape the Riven Realms with their influence on commerce, brutal wars, and their constant intrigue. From prosperous Trading Houses to criminal syndicates and religious organizations, these groups offer powerful rewards and boons to those loyal to their cause. But take heed – befriending a faction will more than likely antagonize some of the others.
You Have What It Takes?
Find out now if you have the strategic nous to emerge victorious (or at least alive!) in the world of Vagrus – The Riven Realms. The game is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch and PC.
Via the Xbox Store, you’ll be able to pick up the Standard Edition for £28.49, or if you wish to compliment your gameplay with a ton of additional expansions, opening up the world even more, then make sure to check out the Praetor Edition – that’ll cost you £79.49. That bigger pack includes the base game, the Season Pass, the Patronage Pack and a Soundtrack.
If you want to find out if Vagrus is the one for you, the Prologue section of the game is available to try as a free demo.
We can’t wait to get stuck into Vagrun – The Riven Realms for our full review on Xbox, coming soon!
Vagrus – The Riven Realms Description
Disclaimer – THE GAME IS VERY HARD, in line with its cruel, gruesome setting. If you are looking for a casual experience, Vagrus is definitely not a good choice. Vagrus is also a narrative-heavy game so unless you know for sure that you enjoy reading a lot, we suggest trying our FREE Demo (Prologue) to give you a taste of what to expect. Although a sizable chunk of the continent of Xeryn is accessible in-game, please note that the rest is not reachable and is merely part of world-building.
