Knights of Pen and Paper

I've been spending far too much time on Knights of Pen and Paper, far more than I ever imagined I would. I can't wholeheartedly recommend it or even call it a good game, per se, but it has a tremendously addictive quality to it, due in no small part to its origins as a mobile game. I'm pleased that it's not bogged down by microtransactions in the PC version, but the absurdly grindy nature of the game suggests the game was designed around them.

The concept of the game is really clever and interesting. It's essentially a pixelated D&D campaign in which you create not just the characters from the campaign, but the players assuming their roles, as well. You can create Hipster Clerics, Gamer Paladins, or even have Grandma assume the role of the party's Druid. It's a really clever concept that I'm just wild about. Each of the players has their own passive trait that might make them more appropriate for certain classes. Although you only have access to a limited pool of players and classes at the game's outset, you have the ability to unlock others as you progress through the game. 

Just like a real D&D campaign, the scope of the game is decided by the Dungeon Master, which is again a character that can be customized by spending in-game gold, imparting one of a selection of different buffs. As the player-created party traverses the map, the events in question are narrated by the Dungeon Master. Much of the dialogue between the DM and the party is pretty funny and helps to lighten things up a bit between long sessions of grinding, which the game features quite prominently. Quests fall into a few different categories, but all boil down to slaying dozens of monsters to progress, whether this is in the course of escorting an important NPC, collecting artifacts,  or traveling in general. In fact, there's a good chance you'll encounter enemies just when moving from place to place. This is where the game gets very repetitive, when you find yourself fighting wave after wave of enemies with no dialogue or story whatsoever.

I wouldn't mind the grinding so much if not for how little diversity there is in options for your classes. Much like a MOBA, each of the classes in the game only has four abilities at their disposal, each of which can be assigned a skill point upon leveling. I've not encountered any sort of cap for these skills, but they do seem to reach diminishing returns after level 10 or so, at which point it seems prudent to spread your skill points around a bit. The game is not exactly easy so not all party compositions necessarily work. Some sort of healer is required, and a tank helps a lot too. Fortunately, the game provides you with a few different options in both cases, although this doesn't seem like the case initially. I had no idea at first that I'd be able to unlock any new classes.

The combat reminds me of Dragon Quest or Etrian Odyssey. It's in first person perspective--sort of. You can see your players assembled at the gaming table with its various accoutrement (many of which are upgrades purchaseable with in-game gold) and behind the DM is a backdrop associated with whatever locale your party has traveled to. During monster encounters, you'll be pitted against 1 to 7 baddies of various shapes and sizes. Enemies much above your level will be quite challenging and may sometimes even one-shot a party member. This is pretty annoying when you find yourself without any Phoenix-Ups (heh) or a revival spell of some kind. Therefore, you need to grind. A lot. And not just for experience, either. You'll find yourself needing to grind for money, too. In some cases, you'll end up in situations where you don't even have enough money to travel or to resurrect dead party members, which is really annoying. If you don't have enough money to revive anyone after a complete party wipe, you even lose experience! Aaaagh!

What I do like about the game is that you're able to put together your own party from a decent little pool of character classes. The classes themselves are not the most clever in the world but they're interesting enough. The paladin can generate threat to tank while boosting defenses and healing himself. The rogue can hit hard with double strikes and stealth to decrease threat and increase crit chance. The bard can sing songs to heal party members or buff attacks. The berserker gets passive crit and damage and has the ability to attack wildly at random while healing. The archetypes are pretty standard but they fit the flavor of the game. 

I feel like the game has so much potential and it's a wonderful idea but it's really hampered by lack of originality in other areas and some extreme repetitiveness. Still, I might be intrigued enough to finish it (and man, I've spent so much time on it already) but I'm not sure I'll be able to carry on to the sequel. (Not a bad deal for $2.50 on Steam, though.)