Gaming News In this Baldur’s Gate 3 style RPG you can recruit anyone! I tested Unforetold: Witchstone for you
The JV editorial team was able to try out Unforetold: Witchstone, a C-RPG in the style of Baldur’s Gate. The project has been available exclusively for the PC in early access since January 25, 2023 and is likely to be promising.
Baldur’s Gate 3 had the impact of a bomb when it was released in August 2023. With rave reviews, Larian Studios’ baby was crowned GOTY at the Game Awards, proving to the world that the C-RPG was no GOTY doomed to remain a “niche” genre. Exactly, Unforetold: Witchstone, available in Early Access on Steam since January 25, 2023, is part of this line. The game invites you to immerse yourself in the lands of Kalsundia, a world where medieval fantasy is mixed with new technologies. Nothing is lost f or regular players as we use the traditional D20 rolls (20-sided dice) to determine whether an action will be successful or not.
Currently, When you start the adventure you will be offered three races: Humans, Dwarves and Elves. As usual in this genre, each race has its peculiarities (humans can become a stealth professional or even a thief, for example). After that, the usual process follows: choosing our character’s abilities, skills and history (which influence our stats and passive abilities). For my part, I focus on one man, a former charlatan who specializes in manipulation and intimidation.
Once your hero is created, You can go wherever you want and enter discussions left and right (Please note that the title is currently only available in English, but French will be added in the future.) Unforetold: Witchstone openly describes itself as a sandbox role-playing game, and don’t expect a finely crafted narrative like in Baldur’s Gate 3. For example, during my adventure I had to find an artifact for a character to give me access to the city’s sewers. I then had the choice of helping or intimidating the owner of the object. For my part, I chose the easy way by taking the treasure from him.
A very (too revealing?) game
Nevertheless, with this perspective of freedom, the developers promise a considerable number of options and it shows. For example, it is possible to recruit any NPC to your team (as long as you can convince him). To help you with your Eloquence checks, you can try to learn more about your target’s character beforehand. Your approach will be different if the person you are talking to is religious, courageous, etc.. For example, this system allowed me to take the train to Howling Valley (one of the towns) without a ticket. In fact, I easily managed to convince the controller to join my team. However, not all residents are the same. In the end, I noticed that the randomly recruited companions are much less powerful than the ones we meet in the story
You will have understood, C-RPG obliges, you have a lot of possible approaches, but they can also quickly lose the player. There is no classic quest system here, as the adventure takes place in a freer universe of stages and events. An advantage for some, a disadvantage for others, at the moment there is no indication on the map. This mechanic forces you to search every corner and chat with as many NPCs as possible to find your way, which might be off-putting to some. And When your diplomacy is no longer enough, you must take up arms.
To arms, loyal companions!
The combat in Unforetold: Witchstone is a mix of several influences. It’s turn-based, and like Darkest Dungeon, your character and companions’ initiative determines their position in the queue for the attack. During your turn, various attacks and abilities are activated using a token. There are two types: one for standard actions, the other for bonus actions
Naturally, Some confrontations can be avoided if you are sufficiently discreet. While this remains a good idea, it can still be improved at the moment – especially due to the lack of information about our enemies (particularly a cone of vision). It’s also possible to perform assassinations to progress without being detected, but this doesn’t work very well in close combat. In this configuration, enemies will systematically turn around as you approach them. The title also has its limitations when the confrontations involve a certain number of people. The battles can be chaotic and if you are not careful it is possible to attack your temporary allies (but not your traveling companions).
Finally, Even though it’s still in its early stages, Unforetold: Witchstone really shows promise. With its three cities, three dungeons and numerous quests, you will easily have more than ten hours of play time. Your every action will also have consequences, because it not only changes the way you are perceived, but also the way people and factions perceive and interact with each other. Over and beyond, The game has already revealed a solid roadmap that only promises good things for the future.