Reviews

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  .

  Sep 6, 2022

  There is barely 2 hours of content. Not worth the current price. Worth 2-3$ at best One major problem on steam.. unfinished, abandonned games like this one. Despicable
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  Sarah

  Nov 23, 2022

  It doesn't look or feel like a finished product despite, apparently, being so.
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  Nulty!

  Oct 13, 2016

  [b] TL;DR [/b] Shards of Azuria is a charming game with quirky characters and hours and hours of content. The controls are a little hard to get used to at first but at its price point, this game is a steal! [b] Performance [/b] Being a 2D game, the hardware capabilities of your PC aren't going to be pushed to the limit no matter what graphics card you have. Intel Integrated HD graphics should be more than enough to play this game. I personally haven't encountered any performance issues caused by any bugs. This game seems very well polished compared to a lot on the Early Access marketplace. [b] Graphics [/b] This game isn't going to blow you away graphically. However, for people who are fans of pixel art, I wholeheartedly recommend this game. The enemies come in a different variety of horrible beasts that leave me curious to find more of them just to see what they look like. Back in the town, there is still some pixel wonders to behold such as the Shard itself. [b] Gameplay [/b] Unlike some similar games, Shards is a live action game (not turn-based). This makes it all the more tense when battling hoards of monsters. The landscapes are half procedurally generated which makes replayability a factor of the game. The game ships with a wide variety of abilities that allow you to go about defeating an enemy in many different ways, be it with Might, Cunning or Mysticism. You are also able to craft your own house and make it your own with the paint blaster. The crafting system is fully fledged and you are able to craft over 90 items. The controls will more than likely seem strange at first, they take a bit of getting used to. As this is an isometric game, it's tough to determine which way is UP, DOWN, LEFT or RIGHT. There is a keybindings menu available for people to change up the controls if needed! [b] Music [/b] The music is reminiscent of 90s-esque RPG/Exploration games. It is definitely a welcoming, nostalgic treat.
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  Fuule Hond

  Oct 14, 2016

  Wouldn't recommend it at the moment. Although I like the idea and hope the developer will pull through and finish the game, at its current state it's just a pain to play. Isommetric view mixed with a character that moves way to fast and enemies/objects you have to stand right infront of to hit/activate makes it just extremely annoying. Just walking through a door or hacking down a tree is a chore. I won't refund the game and really hope for the best, so that this game may shine at some point in the future. However, I wouldn't buy it at the moment and wait till a full release is out or at least a lot of updates have been made.
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  ZugZug

  Oct 16, 2016

  It's a decent game, So far I've only put a few hours into it and I've loved what I've seen. There's plenty to do especially if you're into crafting and killing stuff. Just.. Avoid the centipedes till you get going. They hurt. Sidenote the dev actually pays attention to feedback.
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  FiveSixtyEight

  Oct 26, 2016

  A real gem in the rough, it just needs some polishing. The simple fact is that all the aspects of the game such as building, crafting, questing and exploration are already fleshed out, at the price it's a no-brainer. Recommended!! 8.5/10
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  brian.a.johnson1980

  Nov 5, 2016

  this game has potential! the fight system is easy enough anyone can pick it up. The craft system is a little small but has what you need for a dungeon romp. the area are clearly defined and crisp.So if you like RPG's and crafting games you will like if not love this gem of a game
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  Juno

  Nov 26, 2016

  I've wanted to write a review ever since I saw the video. This game is absolutely one of my favorite RPG game ever. It has great open world elements with a slice of story. And at such a low price, its perfect! If you're wonderig whether or not to get this game, get it. Trust me, you'll thank me later. Of course every game has to make improvements, of course these are only suggestions (and keep in mind that this game is still in early access) But I highly recomend the dev looks in on this. - Hard to interact with things (you have to be facing them and one block from them) although you could just use your mouse. - Lighting, although I LOVE how the lighting works. it could be a prefectly sunny day and the room would be like a dungeon inside - Unique mobs. This would be a great addition, maybe adding prefixes, that would be cool. And thats it, Thats al this game really needs in my opinion. Of course Im a stickler for games like these.
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  WytchHunter

  Dec 6, 2016

  Great game for the price point. Has plenty of content to keep you busy for a number of hours, nice progression as a character, at least down the "might" path, havent tried the others. Love that its like an old school action rpg, kinda diablo 1 style but with the ability to terraform/carve your way through the world, and the best items and abilities are crafted. using this as a base, this game could be expanded to be to old school action RPG's what terrarria is to the metroidvania series. TL:DR great game for price but i want to see it grow, could become something amazing.
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  Ʀ ʊ ƞ Ʃ ۝ qUANTUM pHYZX

  Dec 24, 2016

  A serious throwback to the 90s JRPGs of yesteryear. My only gripe with the game so far is melee combat. This stems from the cell-based structure of the game's aesthetic, so aiming with melee can be somewhat tedius. If you're not directly in front of your enemy, you won't land a single blow. Combine this with the bizzarre knockback you get everytime you bump into an enemy, and melee rapidly loses its appeal. The music and the design of the game, however, really shine. It's a heartfelt nod to all of your favorite 8/16/32bit JRPGs from the SNES/PSX and earlier gaming years. Fans of titles like Chrono Trigger will feel very comfortable here in the world of Azuria. For 5$, you most certainly get your moneys worth. There's a lot offered to keep you preoccupied: crafting, creature farming, house building (you can even plant decorative and functional flora as well) and spell crafting. Spell crafting is a very nice addition, because you can essentially craft any ability from a profession and use it regardless of what masteries you decide to pursue. So, if you're a lvl 9 billion Wizard of Icy Death, you can still pull out a rusty dagger and backstab foes if you're playstyle you chose begins to bore you. The game's charm is highly understated and it becomes evident the longer you play, slowly getting sucked in by its vintage-game copycatism. It takes modern elements of the sandbox genre and does a very good job at blending it with the old school. For 5$, you should definitely add this title to your library if you're any sort of RPG fan.
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  Taddy Mason

  Jan 13, 2017

  I really like the premise of this game. I like how it looks and I liked everything I saw in the trailer and on the store page. However, the isometric view makes this game almost impossible to play. It's extremely tedious to do something as simple as walk through a door or chop down a tree. Killing enemies is annoyingly difficult as well since you have to perfectly line up with the same row they're in or you won't hit them. I tried for a few hours to dig and mine and craft and kill enemies and none of it was fun for me because it was just so tedious to do everything. I also didn't like that everything is so dark. The torches you can craft and place don't provide enough light to be of any real use and as soon as you're a few blocks deep into a hillside, you're lost in utter darkness. That's not to say I hate the game. I want to like it-the idea and trailer looked so good, but actually playing it is too annoying and difficult, that I can't bring myself to recommend it. It IS in early access, however, so I'm curious to see how it evolves over time and if the control/gameplay kinks can be worked out. If this weird, klunky control system is how the game is supposed to function and it's not going to change, then I probably won't be coming back to play this again. I just can't get into this game if actually playing it is a chore.
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  ◤ PIE ◢

  Jan 17, 2017

  Why's it so hard to hit stuff? I'm standing right in front of a tree trying to break it down, just not connecting right. Trying to hit enemies, not connecting right. I wish i could walk through the tall grass around the town or flowers instead of getting blocked by it. The game looks interesting to me cuz im a sucker for pixels but it still needs some polishing up on. For now im saving this game for later and will update my review eventually.
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  StarXStone

  Mar 14, 2017

  I would recommend this game, although right now there isn't a lot of progression yet, the current build is enough to compare to an average sit down and play of Terraria. It has a bit of a Diablo/Ragnorok feel to it which is great and I love the simplistic graphics that doesn't feel like my PC is going to fry. I will say if you are looking for a game that feels like a demo build this is for you and the price is great for the amount of content so far Trust me, its worth it. If you don't like it than I owe you an Azuria crystal.
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  souligniter

  Apr 9, 2017

  PROS - - non-linear play. Go where you want, when you want, even of your not a high enough level. - Decent RPG feel - destroy blocks with your spells. CONS - - Diagonal play with straight left to right map, confusing. - Aiming controls could be alot better, currently you have to be directly infront of the mob in order to hit it. - Spawn rate could be a bit less. Can't do much exploring without 8-10 mobs attacking you almost constantly.
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  Brinonymous

  Apr 11, 2017

  Let's just get to it, shall we? Pros: - Nice retro presentation - Dynamic lighting - Enjoyable crafting system - Enjoyable building system - Appealing for most age groups Cons: - Dynamic lighting - Controls - HUD could use work At this point, my two biggest complaints are against the controls and lighting. In most instances, cranking up the brightness/gamma settings in a game can get you around dark areas - but not in Shards of Azuria. As for the controls, combat tends to be frustrating with both mouse and keyboard. Though not as frustrating, this also goes into simply trying to open a door. I have just started out, but I am already dreading encountering tougher enemies. However... the cons are not enough for me to not enjoy the game. I am looking forward to building my house with the very user-friendly building system and seeing how strong my character can become with the things I can craft, as well as looking forward to how this game will improve on its way to a full release.
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  Unmatted

  Jun 24, 2017

  First off, I'm not sure why a few people seem to have struggled with the controls - personally I found it very straight forward and there are a few options to tweak it to how you like, if you look for them. In terms of the game itself, I'm a few hours in and I've found it really enjoyable - there are lots of things to keep you engaged, whether it's the story, crafting or simply grinding through levels, but all offer that sense of simple satisfaction you want from an RPG. Don't get me wrong, this isn't Skyrim or The Witcher, but then I don't think it's trying to be - for me its charm lies in its simplicity, but with the right amount of intricacies to make it engaging, and at times a satisfying challenge. If you're looking for something new to keep you busy for either a few hours or even a few weeks, then I'd certianly recommend this game. I for one look forward to playing the finished article when it's ready.
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  CYBO222

  Jun 25, 2017

  There is a shortage of isometric craft / build / rpgs. This title has huge potential and is definitely worth the asking price.
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  OPUS

  Jul 1, 2017

  Good start to a potentially good game. I'm giving this game a Thumbs Up because of its potential and because it's still in Early Access. However, if the Developers don't read Thumbs Up reviews, then I will change it to thumbs down in hopes that they will address some issues noted below. ISSUES 1. The Object Interaction Range needs to be Increased (20-35% ?) You must be standing VERY close to objects to interact with them. It would be helpful if the Interaction Range was increased and the ability to interact with objects wasn't so 'picky'. 2. Inventory Tips Blocked by Mini-Map The pop-up tip for Crafting help is centered on the screen. Nice. But almost half of the pop-up tip for the Inventory appears behind the mini-map. Not nice. It would be better if all pop-up tips were centered on the screen. Also, it might be helpful if there was a toggle to hide the Mini-map. Additionally, I'm not able to Close the Inventory pop-up because the upper right corner with the red close button is also behind the mini-map. Currently, I must save and exit the game, then restart to have the Inventory pop-up close. 3. Screen Resolution change not working. OK, this might be user error, but no matter how I try I can't save changes to the screen resolution. When I go to Options/Video, change the screen resolution and click Apply a pop up tells me a game restart is required for that to take effect. Fine, many games require that. But when I restart the game it returns to the default screen resolution. No matter whether I save the game or not, or whether I reload the game or restart the entire app, it always resets to the default screen resolution. Please fix. (I'm on a desktop PC with a large monitor and have no resolution issues with 99% of other apps.) 4. Each time you talk to a Vendor, you have to left click through all the text interaction every single time before being able to buy or sell anything. Very annoying. Please provide a way to skip all the text after the first time you've read it. 5. Pixel Graphics do not require Pixilated Text (Less an issue, more a personal pet peeve.) I don't mind pixel graphic games. If a game is fun who cares if it looks "old school." But I wonder why developers choose to use those old pixilated fonts that look like a terrible dot matrix print out. The text in the NPC chat windows and the Quest text is not impossible to read, it would just be nice if it was more legible. 6. I like the message scroll in the bottom left corner noting useful information, but it would be nice if the font size could be increased. (I hoped changing the screen resolution would accomplish this, but...well, see above.) *** EDIT: Ignore #7, found small button to set # of items to 'auto-craft'. ISSUE SOLVED. *** 7. When crafting multiples of the same item, you must click the button over and over, crafting one at a time. Please add a Craft All button. 8. After placing materials in the crafting window slots, if I close the crafting window, the materials do not return to my inventory. They did remain in the crafting window so I could retrieve them, but I'm not sure if they would be there after exiting the game. I suggest auto-returning all materials from crafting slots to the player's inventory upon closing the crafting window. Although still in Early Access, this game is very playable and quite fun. I look forward to seeing some issue fixes and whatever new things the developers have in store.
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  sianmorgan1019

  Oct 26, 2017

  Initial thoughts of the game are really good. Hopefully development continues on the game, and I'd love to see multiplayer!
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  TheresNoGhost

  Oct 29, 2017

  I don't know what the negative reviews are about, but when this went on sale I had to give it a shot. It's not perfect, I have no idea if it's abandoned, but it's totally playable. It's reminiscent of Don't Starve, except you don't die a bunch and there's a village to help you out and sell you stuff. It's not as hard, in my opinion, because someone actually tells you how to do stuff in tutorial quests. That never happens in most of these. So, it's a more casual Don't Starve with RPG elements and all the crafting you crave.