This game absolutely pays you back for time invested in it. So many times I went off the beaten path, and almost every time I was rewarded for it. I played for 35 hours before choosing a faction. I was fully invested in the world. When I made that choice at the end of Chapter 1, I had already finished what I needed to finish for Chapter 2, and the game recognized that with a line of dialogue. That alone makes this one of my favorite games.
@@sodapopinksi667 it really is as high as I can personally praise it. The game has flaws, but there's almost always something when you go looking for it. I think that's fairly unique in our time.
Really happy that you decided to 100% this game and release this video, because this game deserves it and it's in my top 10 for this year. The game was phenomenal and I hope other RPG enjoyers see this and give it a chance, because I want more games like these. Thus far for me in the indie RPG scene it was Skald, Drova and Withering Rooms in 2024 as hidden indie gems. I also wanna thank you Mort for making a "check out Drova" video, because without you I would've of had found one of the best games I've played this year. So thanks again for that and the review! :D
Drova is my personal Game of the Year. Of course it's Indie and it smells Indie but is so well made and polished without being fancy, a true RPG gem. I love games where you can feel how much the devs love it themselves. If it had better dialogues, and some characters to bond with, it would be in my top 10 RPGs ever, but so it is at least the best one this year for me.
Interestingly enough the studio behind the game, Just2D, are college buds from Germany. Piranha Bytes was also a German studio so maybe Germans do love their jank.
My goty for sure! I absolutely adored every second of the 50 hours I've put into it. Once again an indie reignites my love for games. Can haardly wait for Drova: Elysium
Great game. I didn't have this on my radar until a couple of days after it's release and it quickly became one of my favorite (maybe the favorite?) titles of the year. Exceptional work by the developers.
On my second playthrough. And i'm still having a blast. If it wasn't for your video from some time ago and the Gothic community, i would bever have discovered it as i'm on console and thought it was only on PC
Thanks, Mortium. This had popped up on my *You might be interested in this." carosel, on Steam. I had it blocked as I don't tend to like blocky oldy style Isometric games. (Ultima type Isometric). But, thanks to you! I am probably going to purchase this for the upcoming weekend. I love me some Jank-Gothic.. So thanks for the upvote and well done. Have a good rest of the week. (I guess I'll get back to work 😉)
Really great game. Enjoyed every single moment through it. Explored every nook and cranny (that i could find). The progression from start to finish is satisfying, the story elements flow well, world-building handled exceptionally well.
So I hadnt played Gothic before but just loved the premise of the game is it was only 30 aud on the launch sale. I loved this game so much I have bought and started playing Gothic 1 and I can say it is a lot of fun despite being a 20+ year old game. There is something really appealling about the progression in these games, the fact that human enemies are terrifying at the beginning but then become easy later after genuinely improving combat talents and getting better gear is a really nice feeling.
Drova and Elin are my two contenders for my personal game of the year. Fantastic love letter to Gothic with it's own charms, plenty of references to other games and even the Gothic community (Lorthiz should stand out as a cartographer for example), and active and passionate devs who engage well with the community. I cant wait for the major patches and for Just2D's future projects!
There's things that i would change, but it's genuinely one of the best experiences i had with a game this year. Almost done with the second playthrough and i can see where things are a bit "samey", but still having a blast. The lack of mapmarkers etc. (you can asign stamps on the map and create your own navigation, but no arrow pointing the way for example) was great and just reminds me how much i want this to be an option in other games.
Thanks for the video. It is impressive when games make "depth" optional content. Most games have it that just by completing the main game you will be familiar with 80% of the content. But when there's a lot to do before you beat the game, or even a lot more to do after you beat it, then you know you have a remarkable title. Onward to 400k. All glory to the algorithm.
I honestly think reviewing a game after the initial release is helpful sometimes. For gamers, games often get missed in the myriad of releases and it's almost a reminder like "Oh yeah! I wanted to check that out." I just wishlisted it after seeing this. For devs it brings the game back into the conversation while it's still new.
This game brings me back to gaming when I was a kid. Saving every 5 seconds because I don't know what a choice is gonna do. Also can't find guides worth a damn so it's the wild west of this title. Love it.
A really interesting title. I am not a big fan of the graphical style they went for but I absolutely understand that this is an indie game after all. Definitely gonna get this one
@reinach77 Well I suppose you're right. But then again, the gameplay elements did receive a lot of praise and I am sure that the game is immersive and fun despite the visuals 😉
So this is how I find out Piranha Bytes shut down. :( Gothic was my first serious video game and completely sucked me in. Also the first game I played 24 hours straight. No surprise to be honest, it was just a question of time. In the end they never figured out why people liked their games and tried to focus on the wrong things. I put Drova on my wishlist. More gothic-like RPGs need to exist. But my personal hang up is the top down perspective. Third or even first person allows a much closer connection to the character you're playing and the world you move in. The Immersion is just much higher. Seeing some interesting PoI in the distance or emerging from a cave/dense wood to finally see your goal are just impossible in 2D and IMO a big part of RPGs. I hope they find success, build upon their accomplishments and at some point move beyond their studio name into the 3D world.
This, Beyond Galaxyland, and Bloomtown, are my favourites this year. They are all made with passion and it shines through despite any shortcomings they might have. Three indie darlings that knocked it out of the park.
Amazing game! Loved the exploration, you really got rewarded for it. Also love how NPCs screw you over and lie, like that whole kidnapping quest was so great - and totally missable. Breath of fresh air!
Such a great game. Exciting exploration with nice RPG elements. Very atmospheric. Indeed a great game for the Deck-my only issue with the Deck was the default darksoulsy bumper controls, which are for my hands at least not optimal on the Deck. I mapped hit and block to the backpedals.
8:13 “presser-veer-ance”? I think you meant “perseverance”? 😅 sorry I’m totally being “that guy”, I just had to give you a hard time lol. I’m liking this game a lot! Thank you for the review my friend.
Game is so open you can basically skip act 2 and go straigh to act 3. And you're not missing anything that way you simply done act 2 content in act 1. I managed to hit level 21 and get the legendary armor in act 1, that is before joining any faction.
Interesting. I have heard the sentiment that Drova's combat is pretty much the best RPG combat system from other creators multiple times now. Seems a least that did not hook you.
This game is awesome. I too 100% the game and even got the vortex mask. That’s how I much I loved it. My biggest gripe is that it’s labeled a CRPG on steam when it’s most clearly not. The choices are superficial and don’t really matter. The devs have a story to tell and want to tell it their way. There is the secret ending which is rewarding to get but that doesn’t change that the choices you make like what faction you choose doesn’t affect the plot very much up to the end. RPGs are about choices and drova has very few that matter.
I find it weird to say there aren't a lot of choices and consequences, since picking a faction cuts you off most of the other factions quests. You can somewhat work around it (like in Gothic) by doing as many quests as possible for each of the factions before choosing the one you actually join. On top of all the different ways to solve things.
it's really weird. I haven't played Drova yet but in my experience most choices in CRPGs don't matter. What else could it be than "Game World looks different" and "different NPCs come and go"? Would be interesting to know what Mort sees as a proper RPG choice.
May I humbly recommend Elin? Newly released game, supposedly prequel to Elona. Would love a review of Elin! The Horizontal experience from skills to item crafting and traits, races are super diverse!
Think maybe you can drop the 100% requirement eventually. You are still informative and nice to listen to. I think your fan base respects you. And some games must be a pain to 100%.
Honeslty goty contender for me. At least one of my favorite game this year. I couldn't just put it down when i played it. Some aspects like writing and choices fall short, but it was still an immensely enjoyable game. I played on release and there are relatively little bugs. The biggest was a side quest that wouldn't finish and it was resolved in the first major patch.
I am desperately waiting for the community feedback patch which is coming at the end of November. It's honestly rather hard. Edit: To clarify. I haven't bought it yet. I don't wanna play it before the patch drops 😅
I haven’t had to time to beat the game yet, I’ve visited each faction (including some secret underground one) I intend to make time for it though it is a fun game.
There is indeed technically a very specific definition for isometric but seeing how almost no games actually use a truly isometric angle (most of them are dimetric) the term is used to broadly refer to the practice. Top down is also used broadly but usually refers to camera that is more directly above the character as compared to the more diagonal view here. Certainly some room for interpretation though.
I read the name as Drova's Foreskin, laughed my ass off and now can't unsee it. I need help! PS: Not interested in the game. Now that I am actually worried that my mammoth of a rotting library on steam might actually outlast me, I have to get critically petty about the games I have to add to my library. Never been much for nostalgia but that art direction reminds of games on the gameboy, the only difference is that back then I had to force myself to look past the art to enjoy the game not the other way around.
Man i have a voucher on steam and i wanna but rogue trader drova and age of wonders 4 when they go on sale next time.... ty for the review Also again trying to help the dev and spread the word there is a mobile game Paign 2 that has a very good copy of Gothic mechanics and feel.
Now, I fear they lean too much into Gothic. It's a great game but also it's not all sunshine and rainbows with it. Regarding character skills and equipment I'd like a more modern approach (for example the only 3 (or 4?) armor sets without different parts were fairly lackluster in Gothic back then).
I got this game on steam as a birthday gift from a friend. I played it for 2 hours and got a refund - well, my friend got his money back! If he happens to read this: You still owe me a present!😅
This game absolutely pays you back for time invested in it. So many times I went off the beaten path, and almost every time I was rewarded for it. I played for 35 hours before choosing a faction. I was fully invested in the world. When I made that choice at the end of Chapter 1, I had already finished what I needed to finish for Chapter 2, and the game recognized that with a line of dialogue. That alone makes this one of my favorite games.
That's high praise
@@sodapopinksi667 it really is as high as I can personally praise it. The game has flaws, but there's almost always something when you go looking for it. I think that's fairly unique in our time.
Really? I really need a side hustle
@jehhuty if you're implying I meant that it pays real-world cash for time invested, that's awesome. Hahaha.
If not, woosh (on me). But I'm old.
@@jehhuty Yea really. Haven't you heard? You're not spending money on games and time in them, you're investing! Start investing right now!
I quickly read the title. "Drova: Foreskin"🤦
same :))
Think they’ll remove the subtitle in the Israeli translation?
Same
Yup. That is an unfortunate title
@@sainsburyshopper no, great marketing. They'll rush at the game with their teeth out to bite it off
Deffinitelly among my GOTYs. Such a well-crafted rpg. It made me feel like the old games of my childhood.
Really loved this game. Incredibly perfect on the steam deck.
This is why i needed to hear, thanks great fella
Agreed!
Really happy that you decided to 100% this game and release this video, because this game deserves it and it's in my top 10 for this year. The game was phenomenal and I hope other RPG enjoyers see this and give it a chance, because I want more games like these. Thus far for me in the indie RPG scene it was Skald, Drova and Withering Rooms in 2024 as hidden indie gems.
I also wanna thank you Mort for making a "check out Drova" video, because without you I would've of had found one of the best games I've played this year. So thanks again for that and the review! :D
Drova is my personal Game of the Year. Of course it's Indie and it smells Indie but is so well made and polished without being fancy, a true RPG gem. I love games where you can feel how much the devs love it themselves. If it had better dialogues, and some characters to bond with, it would be in my top 10 RPGs ever, but so it is at least the best one this year for me.
Best indie I played all year. Was not on my radar at all until Splattercat played on his channel.
@@edt1201 splat first played it over a year ago, and it's wild how much improvement was made between that version and the final product.
Interestingly enough the studio behind the game, Just2D, are college buds from Germany. Piranha Bytes was also a German studio so maybe Germans do love their jank.
Gotta love Euro-jank!
Yeah we do love our Jank xD
This game has flat-out zero jank, though. It's just a sick eurorpg.
From what I understand Gothic is beloved in Germany, it's not that surprising that some local devs try to emulate it
@@armelior4610 Yep, it has a cult status especially in Germany and Poland where it had a big influence on the first Witcher game.
My goty for sure! I absolutely adored every second of the 50 hours I've put into it. Once again an indie reignites my love for games. Can haardly wait for Drova: Elysium
As someone who grew up on gothic, this was an unexpected throwback and my surprise GOTY, amazing game
Great game. I didn't have this on my radar until a couple of days after it's release and it quickly became one of my favorite (maybe the favorite?) titles of the year. Exceptional work by the developers.
On my second playthrough. And i'm still having a blast. If it wasn't for your video from some time ago and the Gothic community, i would bever have discovered it as i'm on console and thought it was only on PC
It was an absolute blast. Can't wait for the sequel.
Thanks, Mortium. This had popped up on my *You might be interested in this." carosel, on Steam. I had it blocked as I don't tend to like blocky oldy style Isometric games. (Ultima type Isometric). But, thanks to you! I am probably going to purchase this for the upcoming weekend. I love me some Jank-Gothic.. So thanks for the upvote and well done. Have a good rest of the week. (I guess I'll get back to work 😉)
Really great game. Enjoyed every single moment through it. Explored every nook and cranny (that i could find). The progression from start to finish is satisfying, the story elements flow well, world-building handled exceptionally well.
Was on the fence but Mort’s words plus the glowing comments, imma pick this up
Lot of love for Drova here. Definitely should pick this one up.
Awesome! Excellent timing! I have been waiting for this review and I am really glad you just released it!
So I hadnt played Gothic before but just loved the premise of the game is it was only 30 aud on the launch sale.
I loved this game so much I have bought and started playing Gothic 1 and I can say it is a lot of fun despite being a 20+ year old game. There is something really appealling about the progression in these games, the fact that human enemies are terrifying at the beginning but then become easy later after genuinely improving combat talents and getting better gear is a really nice feeling.
If it's too janky give Gothic2 (my favourite) a try which is still quite playable even today.
Drova and Elin are my two contenders for my personal game of the year. Fantastic love letter to Gothic with it's own charms, plenty of references to other games and even the Gothic community (Lorthiz should stand out as a cartographer for example), and active and passionate devs who engage well with the community. I cant wait for the major patches and for Just2D's future projects!
I’m really happy this game was successful. They’re well on their way to reach 100k sales on Steam.
Indie game of the year!
There's things that i would change, but it's genuinely one of the best experiences i had with a game this year. Almost done with the second playthrough and i can see where things are a bit "samey", but still having a blast. The lack of mapmarkers etc. (you can asign stamps on the map and create your own navigation, but no arrow pointing the way for example) was great and just reminds me how much i want this to be an option in other games.
Thanks for the video. It is impressive when games make "depth" optional content. Most games have it that just by completing the main game you will be familiar with 80% of the content. But when there's a lot to do before you beat the game, or even a lot more to do after you beat it, then you know you have a remarkable title. Onward to 400k. All glory to the algorithm.
Thanks, Mort. I enjoyed your impressions of Drova and this review has me more intrigued. Looking forward to trying this out. All the best.
I am very happy that you reviewed this title.
I honestly think reviewing a game after the initial release is helpful sometimes. For gamers, games often get missed in the myriad of releases and it's almost a reminder like "Oh yeah! I wanted to check that out." I just wishlisted it after seeing this.
For devs it brings the game back into the conversation while it's still new.
This game brings me back to gaming when I was a kid. Saving every 5 seconds because I don't know what a choice is gonna do. Also can't find guides worth a damn so it's the wild west of this title. Love it.
A really interesting title. I am not a big fan of the graphical style they went for but I absolutely understand that this is an indie game after all. Definitely gonna get this one
I love it because it runs on my shitty laptop with iGPU lol
Being indie isn't really an excuse for the style. They chose to do it like this because they are nostalgic.
@reinach77 Well I suppose you're right. But then again, the gameplay elements did receive a lot of praise and I am sure that the game is immersive and fun despite the visuals 😉
I loved this game
Thank you for taking the time to review this "small" game which nonetheless has a strong appeal for many RPG fans.
So glad this game is getting attention, high up on my to-play-list. Awesome review as always.
So this is how I find out Piranha Bytes shut down. :(
Gothic was my first serious video game and completely sucked me in. Also the first game I played 24 hours straight. No surprise to be honest, it was just a question of time. In the end they never figured out why people liked their games and tried to focus on the wrong things.
I put Drova on my wishlist. More gothic-like RPGs need to exist. But my personal hang up is the top down perspective. Third or even first person allows a much closer connection to the character you're playing and the world you move in. The Immersion is just much higher. Seeing some interesting PoI in the distance or emerging from a cave/dense wood to finally see your goal are just impossible in 2D and IMO a big part of RPGs. I hope they find success, build upon their accomplishments and at some point move beyond their studio name into the 3D world.
im really looking forward to picking this up and diving in
might not be before the holidays, but i'll try my best for it to be
This, Beyond Galaxyland, and Bloomtown, are my favourites this year.
They are all made with passion and it shines through despite any shortcomings they might have.
Three indie darlings that knocked it out of the park.
Amazing game! Loved the exploration, you really got rewarded for it. Also love how NPCs screw you over and lie, like that whole kidnapping quest was so great - and totally missable. Breath of fresh air!
high hopes for a sequel they rly did setup world well
You got me at the “indie gothic style game”. Take my hard earned money
One of the best games I've played, they captured the piranha bytes experience better than even the later piranha bytes games like Elex
I've been looking forward to your review! This is a game I'd love to pick up as a physical too.
Re: combat; nothing wrong with a good ol' hack-n-slash game, imo.
Great video!
Such a great game. Exciting exploration with nice RPG elements. Very atmospheric. Indeed a great game for the Deck-my only issue with the Deck was the default darksoulsy bumper controls, which are for my hands at least not optimal on the Deck. I mapped hit and block to the backpedals.
The review I’ve been waiting for.
I hope Gothic Remake won’t get cancelled.
8:13 “presser-veer-ance”? I think you meant “perseverance”? 😅 sorry I’m totally being “that guy”, I just had to give you a hard time lol. I’m liking this game a lot! Thank you for the review my friend.
Game is so open you can basically skip act 2 and go straigh to act 3. And you're not missing anything that way you simply done act 2 content in act 1. I managed to hit level 21 and get the legendary armor in act 1, that is before joining any faction.
As a big gothic fan I'm going to buy, hope they continue and make sequel :)
Interesting. I have heard the sentiment that Drova's combat is pretty much the best RPG combat system from other creators multiple times now. Seems a least that did not hook you.
Looking forward to jamming out on this one next weekend
hello,
free comment.
best regards,
Here we go another banger of a review, love the content mate keep it up! you certainly do set yourself apart from the rest. thank you sir!
This game is awesome. I too 100% the game and even got the vortex mask. That’s how I much I loved it. My biggest gripe is that it’s labeled a CRPG on steam when it’s most clearly not. The choices are superficial and don’t really matter. The devs have a story to tell and want to tell it their way. There is the secret ending which is rewarding to get but that doesn’t change that the choices you make like what faction you choose doesn’t affect the plot very much up to the end. RPGs are about choices and drova has very few that matter.
Of course another game I hadn't seen and Mort reviewed and looks great to me, picking it up after work tonight...
Was waiting for that review.
I find it weird to say there aren't a lot of choices and consequences, since picking a faction cuts you off most of the other factions quests.
You can somewhat work around it (like in Gothic) by doing as many quests as possible for each of the factions before choosing the one you actually join.
On top of all the different ways to solve things.
it's really weird. I haven't played Drova yet but in my experience most choices in CRPGs don't matter.
What else could it be than "Game World looks different" and "different NPCs come and go"?
Would be interesting to know what Mort sees as a proper RPG choice.
Never heard of this till now, looks really cool.
May I humbly recommend Elin? Newly released game, supposedly prequel to Elona. Would love a review of Elin! The Horizontal experience from skills to item crafting and traits, races are super diverse!
Feels like it was invented for the steam deck, lol. My dream Steam deck rpg, I will get it for the holidays.
Think maybe you can drop the 100% requirement eventually. You are still informative and nice to listen to. I think your fan base respects you. And some games must be a pain to 100%.
Honeslty goty contender for me. At least one of my favorite game this year. I couldn't just put it down when i played it. Some aspects like writing and choices fall short, but it was still an immensely enjoyable game. I played on release and there are relatively little bugs. The biggest was a side quest that wouldn't finish and it was resolved in the first major patch.
everyone in my friends list playing this, is raving about it.
Drova was a pleasant surprise for me.
Honestly fast travel should always come at a cost and be limited to key locations
Absolutely loved this game.
I am desperately waiting for the community feedback patch which is coming at the end of November.
It's honestly rather hard.
Edit: To clarify. I haven't bought it yet. I don't wanna play it before the patch drops 😅
I like the style and the art. Reminds me of like an action JRPG but with european looking design
I haven’t had to time to beat the game yet, I’ve visited each faction (including some secret underground one)
I intend to make time for it though it is a fun game.
I was hoping you would review Drova first and then Dragon Age Veilguard, but better late than never!
Foreskin looks like a great game!
Nice review. But isn't this just top-down thought? Isometric is a very specific definition.
There is indeed technically a very specific definition for isometric but seeing how almost no games actually use a truly isometric angle (most of them are dimetric) the term is used to broadly refer to the practice. Top down is also used broadly but usually refers to camera that is more directly above the character as compared to the more diagonal view here. Certainly some room for interpretation though.
I wish it would release a physical for switch
I read the name as Drova's Foreskin, laughed my ass off and now can't unsee it. I need help!
PS: Not interested in the game. Now that I am actually worried that my mammoth of a rotting library on steam might actually outlast me, I have to get critically petty about the games I have to add to my library. Never been much for nostalgia but that art direction reminds of games on the gameboy, the only difference is that back then I had to force myself to look past the art to enjoy the game not the other way around.
This guy doesn’t sleep
Chapter 3 punched me right in the gut. I was not prepared for those feelings.
Given the name, playing this on the deck is most ideal.
I'm really enjoying this game, I'm having a hard time choosing a faction though rofl. I'll just decide randomly at this point.
Did he say Piranha Bite shut down?
Yeah, month or two ago
Isometric gothic. Sounds like a great time for me
Drova: Forsaken Kin.....Drova forkin......Drovakin......Aww shittttt not again
Man i have a voucher on steam and i wanna but rogue trader drova and age of wonders 4 when they go on sale next time....
ty for the review
Also again trying to help the dev and spread the word there is a mobile game Paign 2 that has a very good copy of Gothic mechanics and feel.
Piranha byte shutting down hurt. Not least because I really wanted Elex to keep going.
Now, I fear they lean too much into Gothic. It's a great game but also it's not all sunshine and rainbows with it. Regarding character skills and equipment I'd like a more modern approach (for example the only 3 (or 4?) armor sets without different parts were fairly lackluster in Gothic back then).
Easily my pick for goty 2024
I hope you can do another video about "Songs of Silence", now that the game launch its 1.0 version.
Drova UA-cam Jazz 🎶
9:48 instantly sold after seeing that bloodborne talisman lol
Good show sir
Dova Foreskin - an unusual Skyrim spinoff, must be a NSFW wabbjack modlist
I got this game on steam as a birthday gift from a friend. I played it for 2 hours and got a refund - well, my friend got his money back!
If he happens to read this: You still owe me a present!😅
Do you not link to the steam store? I’d like the devs to know I got it based on your review
what a game, one of my games of the year easy!!
Please include the Steam link to the games you review. Thanks!🙂
Seems interesting, but my god I really don’t jive with the pixel graphic trend 😂
Such a great game :)
why arent you linking steam link of the game?
Or, as i would say, Isometric GOTY.
I might have missed it, but how long did the 100% take for this one roughly?
With looking a few things up, about 37 hours
Bruhh do you sleep or eat lol, already 100% in another game 😂
Gronk!
Isometric Gothic you say...
Drova: Forskin