Among the many medieval titles with immersive systems and settlement management mechanics, one that caught my attention as soon as I saw it was Bellwright. However, instead of jumping straight into it, I waited for more updates, and besides the many additions it has received since launch, it has now found its way to consoles. After diving into this immersive medieval title, I realized that Bellwright is extremely unique in the many things it brings to the survival-crafting table that truly make the genre feel fresh. And while there is a solid game here capable of hooking you for hundreds of hours, there are still a few bumps on this alluring road, especially in its console version.
Building Your Settlement, One Villager at a Time
I got the opportunity to try Bellwright, but not on the platform many started on. Instead, I began my settlement-owner journey on PS5. Now, while I knew the gist of the game already, I never delved too much into it, so as soon as I got it in my hands, I couldn’t help but feel excited to try out the many things Donkey Crew has been adding to it since launch.
For those who haven’t played it, Bellwright mixes survival-crafting and settlement building into a gorgeous open world for you to explore. The premise is simple on the surface. You return to the place where you were framed as a murdered, and must now build a settlement to then lead a rebellion against those who wronged you. Yet, that will take a lot of time, as you’ll have to recruit people, establish a camp, which will eventually turn into a full-fledged village, and smack a few bandits that cross your path.
The one thing I really loved about Bellwright is how cohesive all of its systems are. You have your survival aspects, which feel a bit like Valheim or Enshrouded, crafting that reminded me of Palword in the sense that you can assign workers to stations, and then your management part, akin to Medieval Dynasty.
Yet, where it truly shines is in how Bellwright evens out all of these mechanics without some eclipsing others. For instance, you start the game by helping people at the village, where you get several quests that serve as a tutorial of sorts. Then, you start placing your first tents, campfire, and crafting stations. Not long after, you get your first villages and a raid to spice things up.
It was a welcome surprise to see just how varied each day was for me. At times, I just placed down my building markers and let my settlers take care of that. Others, I would grab the materials myself to hurry things up. Yet, if I didn’t feel like doing gathering, I would go on a quest or hunt bandits alongside some of my companions—there’s just so much to do in the game that not a single system will ever feel tedious.
Progression was another thing I liked. You get skill books that increase your experience on certain abilities, but you can also level them up by doing actions involving said skills. It reminded me of Project Zomboid, where you learn with practice, rather than just investing skill points here and there.
Also, while I know the micro-management part might scare some, I never found it daunting. It is extremely easy to assign villagers to different activities, with several options to let you prioritize different types of work. Even the building system was refreshing, as placing down a blueprint will draw settlers in so they can help you, making the task feel less tiring.
And while the core concepts of the game are superb, with some of them improving upon many formulas we’ve seen lately, I sadly admit that on console at least, it is still quite janky.
Combat still feels floaty, which has been a complaint since day one. There are several graphical bugs and some strange rubber-banding issues, and a few other things that take you out of this immersive experience. Now, the studio has been pumping out updates quickly, which have already ironed out some major issues. However, if you’re looking for a smooth, bumpless ride, that won’t be the case here. Still, I feel jumping into Bellwright right now is ideal, especially since we don’t have a lot of modern games on console that mirror the scope and systems this title is going for.
The Long Road Ahead
Despite experiencing some issues and early access jank, I must admit that Bellwright is one of the most alluring survival-crafters out there, which also blends settlement management and an adventuring feel almost flawlessly. While there may be a few bumps on the road, it is one that I don’t mind treading, especially with how addictive it is. Even in its early access version, Bellwright is a must-buy, as you’ll get hundreds of hours of it as you try to make the best settlement in the realm and survive while doing so.
