Serpent in the Staglands Review
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It's been over a year since the duo of developers at Whalenought Studios released Serpent in the Staglands, a Kickstarter-funded old-school CRPG set in an original fantasy setting. The game never received much in the way of press, especially on mainstream websites (Rock, Paper, Shotgun being the only exception I can think of), so I'm more than happy to report that it has received a new review from RPGamer.
The review awards the title a 3.0/5, citing the combat system, a subpar ending, and monotonous visuals as shortcomings. Their conclusions:
Serpent in the Staglands offers an experience covering the full range from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. Its refreshing premise and great sense of exploration are very rewarding. Players are truly made to feel that they are exploring the world freely, not being led through it. The way pieces of the world, lore, and story slowly surface and come together into a dark fairytale-like experience makes the Staglands seem like a world with many stories of which Necholai's is only one, though perhaps one of the more significant ones. The graphics are a mixed bag touting great attention to detail and fluid animation but fidelity that is perhaps too low for modern-sized monitors. Unlike its lore, game areas lack visual and aural variety, and combined with the uninspired combat system and poor itemization can sometimes make the game feel somewhat bland. If you crave an exploration-heavy, open-ended, lore driven game Serpent in the Staglands will satisfy that craving like few other games today. But take care to brace yourself for the jarring impact that will bring it all crashing down in the end.
