It’s been a very exciting (and equally stressful) week for The Pale City. Fortunately, the first batch of reviews are in, and they’ve had some fascinating things to say about the game.
The most recent is at Save Or Quit, who are also doing a giveaway. This review gives a great general overview of the game’s story and combat mechanics.
“While only being about 9-10 hours or so, and admittedly rough around the edges, the well of ideas that spring forth from The Pale City is impressive and telling of the vast imagination of its main creator, Kyle Muntz. If you’re a fan of charmingly odd worlds, worthwhile character studies, or distinct and rewardingly difficult combat systems, then it is without any doubt worth checking out.
Also, there was this early review at Bago Games, which has some fascinating insights into The Pale City’s game design, and maybe my favorite capsule description of it:
“The Pale City is an engrossing game that’s dripping in story for anyone who wants to explore it. This is not a traditional RPG, and to be honest, it’s not really a traditional anything, but that’s what makes it so intriguing.”
Another very kind, thoughtful review by Sofi at Sleepy Toadstool gave some great glimpses of the game’s world and atmosphere:
“The Pale City is great fit for fans of retro-looking RPGs, especially those who want a more adult and complex story to really dive in to. It has an excellent and well-crafted fantasy world, mostly conveyed through its writing.”
Also, the review at Lovecraft Video Games, who describes The Pale City as “fantasy with undertones of cosmic horror in a truly strange world,” gave a great insight into the game’s Lovecraft influence. And, of course, in the interest of fairness, Hey Poor Player gave a mixed to negative review, which would be useful to check for anyone who has reservations about whether to pick up the game.
I’m extremely grateful for the generous coverage all these venues have provided, and also to Jar Arlyeon for the game’s first review on Steam! I’m currently hoping there will be more reviews on Steam soon in order to appease the almighty algorithms, and will be waiting the next few days with bated breath.
Thanks for checking in, and I hope to have more updates soon!