It’s a fantastical post-post-apocalypse world where humans covered the world in a globe-spanning empire of magical technology, then fucked around and found out, destroying the entire surface world in an event called the World Rend. The remaining populace, living on the floating islands that occur naturally on this world, were once again at the mercy of the gods and their unfair contracts. Until a resistance built up and killed most of the gods in the God War, creating the Apostatic Union in its wake.
Things are bad, though. After killing all the gods, mortals must fend for themselves and tend to their own needs. There’s a famine and a plague going on in Hallowshire, the Clockwork King might be going mad, and the undead of the Endless Realm are literally decaying in mausoleums waiting for their interminable immortality to carry them to the end of all things. Wikkans conspire to restore the gods to their former glory, and an infamous pirate named Vela has found a map to something that could end the world – or restore it.
You are a prisoner recruited by the Apostatic Inquisition, tasked by a tortured High Confessor in a clockwork coffin to somehow stop Vela. This is an act of desperation: they literally kick you out the door without anything but the rags you’re wearing, hoping you’ll do something about it.
It’s just 20 bucks to dig into Vaporwave Vvardenfell. This game’s incredible. The aesthetic, the music, the PS1 style graphics are just nailed perfectly. All character progression is just exploration. You get some experience for finishing quests, but mostly you get it by finding these floating blue skulls called Delusions in hidden areas. Spend them to boost your stats. You can also equip items to boost them, upgrade weapons and armor, craft simple potions, etc.
At the end of the main quest you get an airship and it’s so fun to just zoom around the map. Reminds me of Skies of Arcadia. 10/10 would recommend
I’m not a fan of the lockpicking, it seems like the only thing leveling it does is let you hold more picks, unless I’m missing something. Coming up to a locked door quickly turns into “gonna roll this d6 15 times and hope I hit a 6”. Meanwhile my lore skill is too low to open many of the secret passages I’m finding, while I’m maxed out on lockpicks wherever I go.
Everything else about the game is cool. I still haven’t found a bow to use all this ammunition I’m grabbing. Would be cool to have some sort of damaging magic, if there is any I haven’t found it yet. Thinking I may start over and put more focus on lore so I can open up all these cool things I’m finding, especially since the game basically floods you with lockpicks constantly.
Find the different hats that boost your skills. Lots of doors that are locked can also be smashed open, and there’s some doors with a skull doorman you can talk your way past (charm check).