SanctuaryRPG

SanctuaryRPG

A simple ascii adventure game.

Overview

Sanctuary is a cute RPG that makes extensive use of ascii art. You choose a class, grab a weapon, kill monsters to get loot and gain levels so you can kill tougher monsters to gain better loot... you get the idea. There is a plot and many different random encounters.

Gameplay

Most of what you do is combat. You have a few choices, but generally you just enact your combo moves over and over. Every so often you need to dodge or throw an ultimate. You might occasionally heal or use another special move. I only got far with the Ranger and his gameplay was extremely simple.

In addition to fighting, there are a lot of things you find in a typical RPG. For example, there is a store, crafting, some sort of alignment/allegiance system, and small side quests.

In the typical mode of play, you get a single life. If you mess up and die, the game is over. There is no save game. It is easy to save scum, but don't do that, just play a different mode.

My Impression

I'm kind of amazed at how many features they put into this simple game, but then I remember my first decent RPG, Wizardry, and it was similar.

Combat with a ranger was so boring and repetitive, it was a chore to beat the game. I didn't look into the autoplay options. Crafting is kind of fun, but not all that involved. Same with the other mini features, like owning a tavern and the arena.

The plot of the game was just silly. You fight demons, robots, skeletons, bats, and pools of slime. The humor relied mostly on being farcical and was rarely clever. Still, there was an occasional reference that made me crack a smile.

I'm not a big fan of the basic combat. It is pretty close to cheesy web games or Final Fantasy.

Should You Buy This Game?

I think I paid less than $2 so it's hard to say it's a bad deal. It doesn't take long to install and get started. If you think you might like the off-the-wall humor or the ascii art style, go for it. Otherwise, there are thousands of better games out there, and many are literally free.