*** This review also appears on ICXM ***
Unepic takes you back to the days of classic NES style adventure/RPG games. With its 2D platforming, no guidance in exploration and very high difficulty, Unepic is a throwback to games like classic Ghosts and Goblins for original NES.
The game is incredibly funny and features a lot jokes about other video games. It's the classic breaking of the fourth wall where the characters believe they are in real life opposed to a video game. In a game of D&D one night, your protagonist Daniel decides he needs to take a break to pee. Playing with a bunch of guys of course, one of them thinks it will be funny to turn out the light. After a "come on guys" comment by Daniel, he ends up being wisked away to a dark and loomy castle where Unepic begins. A ghost named Zeral tried to take over Daniel's body and steal his soul. Unfortunately for Zeral, he is stopped short of the soul sucking and must settle for occupying the same body. The result is incredible dialog between the two with references to classic movies and games of the late 80's and 90's. Spaceballs, Star Wars and even the classic NES title Dragon Warrior are referenced in the ongoing comedy skit that is Daniel and Zeral. There are a whole bunch more, but you'll have to play as we're not going to ruin it for you.
Right from the very beginning it becomes evident how difficult Unepic is going to become. It doesn't hold your hand in exploring, but instead features a game map that fills in as you progress. Areas you have not explored yet are shrouded in darkness on the map. While you are exploring, you'll find every area chock full of enemies. The classic orcs, goblins and other D&D type enemies are all there for the fight. If that wasn't hard enough, the rooms are also pitch black. You'll need to locate different torches in order to light up the room as well as complete various quests to proceed. These quest givers, of course, are playing the best game of hide and seek there is as they aren't indicated on the map. The NPC's also do not provide any guidance on where to go either. It's similar to games like Ghosts and Goblins as well as original Castlevania, which appears to be the predominant source of inspiration for Unepic.
I personally enjoyed this setup as I'm more compulsive when it comes to RPG's. It alone did not present any real issues other than using more time, and I'll never complain about time spent in a game. An issue that did pop up is the battle system. Each battle earns you progress toward skill points in Unepic. How you allocate those skill points determines the type of character you become. Unlike other RPG's where you decide between wizard or melee warrior at the beginning, Unepic lets you choose as you go. It's an interesting dynamic but ended up presenting a near fatal flaw toward the end of the game.
For example, for some reason I went against what I normally do in games like this and I chose warrior over a wizard. One enemy was easy pickings. Even two enemies presented not much of a challenge for my warrior. When I ended up being approached by three or more, however, I ended up basically instantly surrounded and killed quickly. Being a throwback to the classic NES type of RPG games, you'll remember something vital about the battle system present in most of them. As you were fighting and attempted to melee an enemy, the enemies behind him were able to "walk through" the enemy you were fighting to attack you. It usually meant a quick death since you were unable to actually strike these enemies, and it became a frustrating part of the game. The freedom to develop your own character class is a welcome addition, and luckily you are able to respec your character if you decide you don't like your current choice. Be careful what you wish for, however, as you may only do this one time and may find yourself battling for a long time in order to progress.
At a certain point, I switched to my preferred wizard from the warrior and it ended up saving my game. Not only was I able to roast enemies with fire before they even knew I was there, but also beat a boss that a warrior simply can not beat. One of the boss characters is a floating Medusa type head. It sits over a giant canyon of sorts, so you can't approach it at all. If you are at this point in the game and you are using a warrior, you will be out of luck as none of your strikes will be able to reach the boss. Ranged weapons or magic spells are the only attacks that can reach it, so get ready to die a lot if you're only equipped with a basic bow.
Leveling up has a much higher amount of customization that you are used to in games of similar setup. Five skill points are earned each time you level up, and you can allocate these over five categories: Weapons, armor, constitution, magic and potions. Where the difficulty sets in with Unepic is there is no way of knowing what you need until you reach the point where you need it. Be prepared to die a lot if you are a warrior and have to fight a boss that is vulnerable to fire. It can be a bit frustrating, but bosses have more than one way to beat them. It may, however, just take you a little longer than you may have liked.
The map in Unepic is your best friend. Seriously. Take it out to dinner and buy it a drink. With over 200 individual rooms scattered across seven different areas, you will get lost unless you're that guy from A Beautiful Mind. It does provide help and allow you to make notes in game reminding you exactly what is in what room. There are of course secret passages that can let you jump to a different room, and you can even use teleportation scrolls to reach the vendor instantly. To be honest, I used the map more than I needed because of the enemy setup. Since the enemies respawn, having to grind back through rooms I just cleared to reach the vendor was a pain. As a result, boss battles, vendors, secret passages and pretty much everything of importance was on my map.
I saved one part of Daniel and Zeral's relationship for now. You see, Zeral doesn't like Daniel very much. Apparently, not letting someone suck out your soul is a bad thing. As a result, Zeral sometimes gives Daniel bad advice and it's up to you to take it or not. There is much more to the story than meets the eye as their relationship grows during the game. The interaction between the two follows the same path of growth as the game, and i was glad that there was a little twist to it at the end.
Unepic's combat difficulty may be the one aspect I found confusing. I would find myself wiping out enemies without any issues, and then be killed in one shot the following area. It doesn't take away from the game at all, but it was rather odd to see such a drastic difference between the battle system and the rest of the game's setup. I also didn't have a problem with it either. I just wanted to mention it because it stands out so prominently.
Perhaps my favorite part of Unepic was the amount of customization involved. There are over 100 different weapons in the game throughout seven categories : swords, maces, daggers, bows, axes, magic wands and pole arms. You'll need to keep a decent inventory of items as not every weapon will work on every enemy.
Magic, my personal favorite, is also heavily featured in Unepic with over 70 spell combinations in seven categories as well: potions, rings, spells, tomes, artifacts, magic weapons and recipes. While scrolls last once and need to be replenished, items like rings and their effects remain until they are unequipped. Potions are also single use but the vials can be refilled like Ocarina of time. Artifacts are extremely rare and powerful.
There is an incredible mix of exploration, customization and enjoyment in Unepic that any development team would be proud of. The ironic thing about Unepic is there is no development team. It's just one guy. Francisco Téllez de Meneses is from Spain and spent two years creating Unepic in his free time. The score, coding, design and everything about Unepic is the result of one man's work and dedication.
Unepic is a really fun, enjoyable game and a recommended purchase for any fan of the genre. There are hardly any flaws in the game, but instead I like to call them challenges. They are minor oddities that challenge you to alter the your approach to play. Doing this allows you to experience a lot more of the game that both RPG and platforming fans will love. In my time playing, I spent about 17 hours and have yet to discover all of the castle's 200 rooms. I should note that with all of the options included in the game and the time I spent playing, it is still currently available for only $9.99 on the Xbox Store.
