As a fan of ARPGs, it’s always been great to see how studios working on this genre move away from the same old staples. While tackling the formula is the best approach, I also enjoy it when a few bold ideas or systems are thrown into the mix to make the final product stand out, which is what Wardens of Avalon is doing. This upcoming title by Runes Studio does a fantastic job of bringing challenging ARPG systems with a cozier city-restoration side, which is frankly a superb combination.
Fight, Explore, and Rebuild
Despite having such rich lore, it always baffles me how only a few games dive into the world of Arthurian Legends. So, when I learned Wardens of Avalon would focus mostly on these tales, I was immediately intrigued.
While I didn’t play much in terms of story or progress far enough to see what the overarching plot is about, I liked Wardens of Avalon’s setting. You are a member of the Twilight Knights, tasked with restoring Avalon in this world that takes a darker and gloomier approach to the aforementioned legends.
In terms of gameplay, it plays like many top-down ARPGs, but instead of feeling Diablo-esque, I’d say it leans more toward the No Rest for the Wicked side. Combat is extremely precise, with your character having stamina for dodging and blocking. You can also unlock spells you can cast with Sacred Light, as well as equip a handful of weapons, each with its own moveset.
Yet, instead of focusing solely on combat or treating the game as a boss gauntlet as you move from one area to another, this system is just half of what makes Wardens of Avalon so unique. As I said before, your task is restoring the land, but you’ll have to put some elbow grease to do so, as you will be the one gathering resources, restoring districts, and building workshops to bring Avalon back to its former glory.
Frankly, I love when an action-oriented title throws some “cozy” elements to the mix. Between your creature-slaying adventures, you’ll have to craft a few tools to gather materials around the islands. You’ll then have to bring those materials back to your town to start restoring it.
To my surprise, this loop was highly addictive. I would go to my Citadel, see which district I wanted to restore, gather those materials, return to rebuild it, and then check what facility I could work on next.
Furthermore, Wardens of Avalon has this strong survival-crafting sense, where you’ll need to unlock better buildings to process your raw materials, and, in turn, unlock even better facilities to empower your weapons or restore another part of Avalon.
Even if combat is usually the element that sells me on an ARPG, I have to admit that what excites me the most is the town-restoration part. It is a key part of the game that encourages you to keep building districts and facilities to make your adventuring much easier.
A Twilight Knight’s Duty
Of course, I was only able to play a small portion of Wardens of Avalon, but it was more than enough to reel me into this dark Arthurian world. Its systems work perfectly together and create an extremely enjoyable, engaging loop. On top of that, it boasts a superb art style and snappy combat, which are, at least for me, must-haves for any ARPG. All in all, Wardens of Avalon looks extremely promising, and it is one of the titles I’m most excited to play when it launches sometime next year.
