So, I started playing an RPG called Moonring. I learned about it through someone I watch on YouTube occasionally, and didn't expect much from it, partially because it's super old-school looking, and partially because it's free (no microtransactions, DLC, or anything, just straight up
free). When asked why it's free, the dev said...
Life is hard, Covid sucked, everyone’s poor and stressed, I don’t need the $300 this would make me: I’d rather take the goodwill
I'm about 7 hours in, and I have to say that this game is really good! It's the work of a single man (one of the devs who created Fable) over 4 years. It feels a lot like Ultima, but modernized so you don't have to note everything down and draw maps yourself.
Cons:
- The note system is unorganized and quickly becomes cluttered
- Things like status effects aren't explained until after you've suffered them
- The effect of stats and your build aren't explained fully
Pros:
- Fun gameplay and combat
- Stylish pixel graphics
- Exploration gets rewarded
- Good story writing, though a bit McGuffin heavy.
- Systems that are new to me, but intuitive due to their simple to use nature
- Interesting world and lore
Grey area:
- The progression system is not level-based, it's equipment based and "devotion" based (each of the 5 gods are tied to an ability score, and as you do things that please them, your score in their associated ability go up)
- Choices you make are final, including your build... makes choices matter, but mistakes and strokes of genius are equally permanent.
- Small amount of people who have played it means you go through the game blind, no guides
Mooring came out in 2023, the same year as Baldur's Gate 3, and I think it's in the running as the best game I've played from 2023. This game is so small there are only around 20-30 people playing at any given moment according to Steambase, and the game deserves a larger following so I'm posting about it here.
